We booked a table at Mustard Seed based on its reputation, which was strong with local foodies. I…read moremention this in the event that unfavorably influenced our perception of our experience, which was not the five-star dinner that we were anticipating. We arrived on time to a nearly empty restaurant (weekday evening, post rush hour, one other table wrapping up on the ground level as we arrived, a couple more on the upper level), and had to wait for our reserved table, which ended up being by the front door on a cold and rainy evening (aka normal Scottish weather for November). It was unclear what was slowing service down, but the wait to order cocktails was surprisingly long. Our drinks were made promptly and well. We began to place our meal order when the server excused themselves while in the process to take a drink order from the table that had arrived several minutes after we were seated (with the entirety of the lower level of the restaurant available, this boisterous table of four was set right next to us. Fortunately we hadn't been planning a quiet, romantic dinner...). In fairness to our server, there may have only been one other person working tables that night, but not great form even so. We eventually got our order placed. A breadbasket was brought out (three slices of bread for the two of us). Our food arrived in OK time and was itself OK, having seemed to have sat in the pass a little long for some reason. All this said, the menu looked solid, and while the entrees weren't especially memorable this visit, their cocktail options were good (we enjoyed the Highlanders Negroni made with Badachro Coastal gin) and desert options (a proper Mixed Berry Eton Mess). An additional positive note: my wife lost a ring in the restaurant during our visit and the bartender, quickly seeing that we were in distress, joined our search for it. I'm confident we would have given up on finding it were it not for his effort, so again, cheers to you, sir. This was above and beyond, and what I think probably passes for the standard of care that many experience dining here. So a mixed bag for us. I don't think this represents a typical dining experience here. Mustard Seed is well-thought of locally (there is a small, discreet shelf of awards tucked away around a corner), and if we should find ourselves back in Inverness looking for a dinner spot we wouldn't rule out Mustard Seed out of hand. I look forward to the prospect of rewriting this review.

This was an excellent lunch stop for us in the town of Inverness.  We picked this place partially…read morebecause it was a recommendation by renowned travel writer Rick Steves back in 2014.  It is also located conveniently in the heart of the commercial district and right alongside the Ness River.  Our friendly and engaging hostess/manager was Alina, a 17 year veteran.  They have a cozy and attractive 2 story high ceilinged setting and we sat on the 2nd floor.  The lunch menu was a variety of high quality 2 course selections for a very reasonable 18.95 GBP.  Our party of 4 had a delicious and beautifully presented lunch.  For the mains, I had their traditional fish pie and wife had their filet of seabass.  Our travel mates had the rump steak and red pesto gnocchi.  It got busy and the kitchen might have gotten backed up and it took a little while on the food, but we enjoyed hanging out here.  Service was otherwise friendly and attentive.  Highly recommended should you find yourselves in the lovely town of Inverness.

We stopped here before going to John o'Groats and the full Scottish hit the spot. If not for this…read morebreakfast the trip simply would've been a disaster. The lady working the tables was very friendly however was spread thin. The cafe is small but all the tables were full and she was WORKING. Maybe it'd be nice for her to have a companion aside from just the line cook who seemed nice too. Anyway great spot would recommend.

Lovely spot for breakfast. Cute decor, with a nod to old Hollywood cinema. Like most places in…read moreInverness, it's small and can get crowded fast. If there's a wee wait, it's worth it. I tend to order and enjoy things which I normally would not make myself. Especially so when I travel. To that end, the full Scottish it is. This is not a light meal. It isn't nuanced. Not delicate. It's a well-crafted left-jab and right-uppercut of heartiness and flavor. I've had blood puddings as bland as can be. But not here. It's seasoned and griddled well. Same can be said for the fried haggis. I frankly love haggis in its most traditional form as plated on Burns' Night, or fried with a nice crunch on a breakfast plate. Everything else from the sausages to mushrooms, to the egg with custardy yolk, it was delicious all around. After my wife and I had a plate each, we walked the city for about 6 miles just to burn off 25% of those calories. It was all worth it. Thanks for a memorable meal and to the lovely ladies who served and tan the establishment, much love to you for the care.

My mom, sister and our friend were vacationing in Inverness for almost a week and were looking for…read morea place to have dinner our first night. We were able to get in at Aspendos and proceeded to have the best lamb, chicken, and hummus we'd ever had anywhere. To qualify the above statement - we are all very seasoned travelers and have been all over Europe, America, some places in the Middle East, Africa, Japan, China, Russia, Indonesia, Central and South America, Canada, and UK. We've had good food. Mustafa is the owner and greeted our table, told us about the menu, and answered any questions we had. He also made perfect recommendations for our meal choices and based on the stars of this review - you can see he was spot on. The place is well appointed, very clean, aesthetically attractive, and clutter-free. All of their food is incredibly flavorful, juicy, beautifully presented, and plentiful. If you go to one non-traditional Scottish cuisine place while you're in Inverness - it needs to be Aspendos. And you can quote me.

Our b&b owner could not say enough good things about this place and I can totally see why…read more We were able to walk in with a quick phone call ahead to make sure they had seating for dinner. They had the availability and the staff was so nice and welcoming. For a starter, we tried Saksuka with Turkish bread. The veggies were quite tasty and the bread was crispy and warm. My main I got the Somon which was a nice filet of salmon with a little pesto over the top with a side of shredded carrots, cabbage, lettuce and rice. My husband got the special chicken which was a stuffed chicken breast of veggies topped with cheese. I tried a bite without cheese and wow was that a nicely done piece of chicken. Service was fast and if we lived in the area, we would absolutely be here on a regular basis.

Stopped in here for take-out after a long day on a tour. I'd say the food was just ok. We had…read morevegetable spring rolls as a starter and those were good. Then we had Pad Thai and Pad See Eew as entrees and I'd say those were just ok. Part of the issue was that the noodles were pretty much sticking together and that might have been partly due to it being take-out. But then also from a flavor perspective, it wasn't what we were used to. We live in California and are fortunate to have many, very good Thai restaurants nearby. Or, maybe our taste profiles are skewed. But again, just not what we were expecting. Having said that, if you're craving Thai (or even Asian) food in Inverness, there aren't many options and this will certainly do the trick. Btw, the servers were very friendly and helpful.

We were visiting in Inverness and decided to have a night in and takeaway. My friend and I both had…read morethe tom yum soup to start with-- I had the drunken noodles and she had the chicken massaman curry. These dishes as well as the soup were amazing. Only ask for extra spicy if you mean it! The takeaway took a while but the nice servers at the restaurant brought me tea while I waited. Highly recommend and will crave this food when I'm back home!

This restaurant has it all - great atmosphere, service and food! Service was very attentive, and…read moreour every need was taken care of. Great wine list at reasonable prices, and the food was fantastic! Probably the best meal we had on our 2 week holiday. Make reservations, as they seemed very busy. Will definitely be back if we are ever in Inverness again!

The food was delicious. The staff were very nice to us. They have soft jazz and other music playing…read morein the background. The tartare has some texture. The chips were fantastic. The bathroom is also interesting because it's connected with sinks in the center.

Solid good Spanish food. The two-person paella was well worth the stop. We had the Valencia paella…read more I would also recommend having the Gambas Pil-Pil, as it was quite delicious. I do not recommend the Pan con Tomate unless that is a Spanish comfort food for you. I would also not recommend the Patatas Bravas; it tasted like they used mayonnaise rather than creams. It was HOT in the restaurant which made it unpleasant until they opened the door. The service was inconsistent.

We stopped off here based on the recommendation of our taxi driver. The meal was perfect in many…read moreways. The food and mainly the paella was great. The service was warm and friendly...the people who work here are super nice and it felt like visiting family. Great ambience and experience overall.

Both the bartender and our server were very nice. Our server kept forgetting us but the bartender…read moredidn't, so we didn't mind so much. The steak was melt in your mouth good. My mouth just started water all over again as I typed that.

This was the first place we stopped at for food in Inverness. I read a few items that were vegan…read morespecifically and chose this for that, we were not disappointed! There was a whole veg menu to choose from and the food was great, I couldn't finish much of mine but thankfully my husband helped me out. Service was good and staff was friendly and seemed happy to be working there. The bar is prohibition themed which was cheeky for us dining as Americans.

Fantastic pizza and beer. You order at the bar then find a seat. Just what we needed on a snowy…read moreday. We got in just in time around 3:30. As we were leaving the place was packed.

I think that was the best wood-fired pizza I have ever eaten. The crust was perfectly cooked; not…read moreburned at all!! The Spider Monkey IPA I had was delicious too! A large street level area with lots of seating but definitely checkout the roof top garden. Friendly and helpful staff; we walked so not sure about the parking.

What a sweet bistro! John, Amy, and Maya were very…read moreaccommodating and sweet on a busy night. Business is good and rightly so! Our group really enjoyed everything. Try the haggis - a bite of all the components on the plate was delicious. Don't skip the bread, you will have room and regret not having some of the best we have tasted in Inverness. The table ordered the burger, Venison, lamb, and mushrooom linguini. We all left full and content.

We went for dinner and had a great experience. We both ordered fish and chips as it was our first…read morenight in Scotland. Delicious meal! Waitress was quick and helpful. The place wasn't too busy, but we had to wait 30 minutes. Think they may have been understaffed. Atmosphere was typical for a pub.

These people could not have been less welcoming. All the 4 tops were taken by parties of 2 and…read morethere were two tops we wanted to pull together and they wouldn't let us. Generally just unpleasant welcome, so we left for Artysan Cafe down the street.

Falafel on a bagel! It was so good the first time I had the same thing on the next visit. The bagel…read morewas fresh and the falafel just the right spiciness (you know, like Goldilock's porridge). Staff were pleasant and welcoming. The vibe of the place suited my sensibilities. I just wish Blend's food and vibe was closer to home.