Stopped in for a pint (8 of us) - clearly the bartenders have a problem with tourists. Stood in…read moreline for 10 mins and younger bartender kept serving locals and ignoring our group. We did not feel welcome. Will now spend less money here.

I can't believe there aren't more reviews of this place! The staff at the Ferry inn are absolute…read morepros. The tour company we used to ferry over to the islands, that also bussed us around seeing the sights for a couple hours, had a lunch voucher for this place. It was hard to pass up the discount, so we stopped in during our free time before the ferry back. The place was packed! The special must be on offer for multiple tour companies because it seemed to be overloaded with tourists during the typical lunch hour. But there was no wait to sit (at least when we arrived, can't speak for everyone) and our waitress was efficient and upbeat. The beer battered haddock with chips and peas was great. The batter was in perfect ratio to the fish and prepared well. We were happy to get some peas on the side -- a couple other restaurants in the highlands had different approaches that while good, left us wishing for peas! -- and the chips were some of the best we had in Scotland. All in all, we were very impressed with the quality provided from an establishment that could very easily get away with far less. *Visited in June 2015*

We stayed here for 4 nights in August and loved this place. The rooms were clean, the bed was…read morecomfortable, and the hotel was quiet. More importantly, the bathrooms had been updated recently, with a good shower and heated towel rack. My only complaint about the bathroom was that the hot water took a bit to heat up but it got plenty warm and had good water pressure. We also ate in the bar for lunch and at the restaurant for dinner. Both meals were excellent. The staff was very helpful, let us use left luggage when we arrived early and let us settle our bill the night before/gave us instructions for leaving our keys when we checked out very early. Location is convenient to buses at the visitor center and to the city center for shopping, sight seeing, and dining.

The shore provides some lovely rooms, a restaurant, a back bar and a bar open to the public. The…read morefood is always delicious, the staff friendly and everything is spotless. The bar is the only place in town where you can get a proper cocktail, which are always delicious. The interior is stylish, with leather sofas, a tv showing sports and a tempting display of bottles behind the bar. It is right by the harbour and open for lunch and dinner for food.

Fine pub food, some Scottish dishes and influence, selection of beers and spirits…read more Food is nothing fantastic but far from bad. Large, satisfying portions. Would eat here again.

My travel companion and I were on a walkabout of Kirkwall and decided we were in need of a…read morerefreshment. We stepped into the Kirkwall Hotel Bar and were very pleased with the ambiance. We debated what to order and the bar tender (Kelvin maybe? such a great gentleman) - suggested trying some local gin.

We really came here solely for the 8 pages of Highland Park scotch they have at the bar and did…read morelunch at the same time to avoid being too tipsy and feed the kids. My wife and I are huge scotch fans and we really wanted to do a Highland Park tasting, but there was no way to do that with our kids. The distillery instead pointed us here, where they supposedly have the biggest selection of Highland Park scotch anywhere in the world and I believe it because they had 8 full pages. We wound up tasting our way through a relatively expensive collection of six different selections going as far back as 1973, which was awesome to do. That said, it was a bit disappointing because we basically had to do the selecting entirely on our own. I would have expected somebody there to be able to help some with what we might like given how extensive their collection is. Also, there were at least a few times where what we asked for wasn't available anymore. We still had a great time drinking very good and rare scotch. Beyond the scotch, the food was good, if not exceptional. My wife and I both got salads we enjoyed and finding a good salad with vegetables in Scotland isn't always easy. Our kids didn't really eat the mac and cheese, but that's sort of par for the course with them. The ambiance with the view of the bay and a very fancy dining room was actually quite nice. The only real downside (beyond wishing there was more Highland Park scotch expertise) was that the whole hotel filled up with people from the cruise ship in the harbor pretty soon after we sat down, which then resulted in very slow service for a while.

we are in the river house, it's charming with a beautiful garden, birds flying about their…read morebusiness, salmon jumping about and wild flowers stretching out toward the sun. The bar in the main house is amazing as is the restaurant. All the staff are warm and friendly. we are here for 3 days, wish it was a week

Had a really nice meal but the highlight was fantastic service from John. My wife and I came in…read morewithout a reservation and he graciously came by to get our order in promptly on a busy evening and gave us some great tips on places to see on the next leg of our honeymoon trip.

Found this little gem as we were driving across Orkney. It's easy to find, park, and has an…read moreinviting dining room with a big bay window. There were but three empty tables when we came in for lunch. The decor is part bar, part restaurant with letter stools and banquettes that are clean, and comfortable. It seems to be a spot for people who like to fish, with a few fine specimens mounted on the wall, and an art piece of tied flies (surprising delicate and beautiful; I would bite on these). The grab-a-menu-from-the-bar menu is large, and offers conventional Scottish cuisine of fish, and meat, tatties (potatoes), and salads/vegetables. You order at the bar. They tell you to give them 30 minutes to prepare each meal to order, but ours was out in 15. And it was some of the best food I've had in Orkney. All three kinds of potatoes (!) were tasty. We both had slow-roasted pork with apple sauce and it was tender and delicious, with a light gravy on top. There were also steamed vegetables, and they were as expected. Each plate cost thirteen pounds, which seemed more than reasonable for the quality. Service was minimal but just right. Loved this find. Pro tip: Kitchen closes at 2:00 pm.

This hotel was a decent place to stay for one night. I was stuck in Orkney for an additional night…read moresince the ferry was canceled, and I landed at this hotel. The staff were super friendly and helpful to our group of 25. Some of the rooms are updated, others are not. I ended up in an older room that had a mean draft coming from the window. It was clean, so I did not complain. There also seems to be some shutters that make a lot of noise when it's windy. It was a bit hard to get to sleep because of this. This hotel can use a facelift, but I think it can be good again with some help. 3 Stars

Took refuge in here when the heavens opened. Great old, imposing building with a bar overlooking…read morethe harbour on the first floor. A couple of good local ales, including Scapa Special, with friendly service. The roaring fire was particularly welcome.

A part of my heart will always be in Kirkwall and the Orkney Hotel…read more I was there under unusual circumstances, and the kindness and professionalism these people showed me were simply unbelievable; I will always be grateful. The hotel is quirky because it is an old and extremely charming place. The food, the pub, and the room were outstanding. The location couldn't be better. Please book a room there only if you want to be surrounded by kind, friendly folks, sleep well in your comfy bed, wake up to a lovely breakfast in the bright and beautiful room looking out onto the garden, and enjoy all this amazing town has to offer. I will definitely be back, I wouln't miss it if I were you!

An unfriendly, unhelpful front desk person. My room (assigned by a tour) was created from 2…read morewalled-off closets. The furniture in the room looked like it was rescued from a trash bin. When you turn the water on in the bathroom, it hits the edge of the sink and splashes all over your clothing. No light by the bed. Two new large TVs in this very small space (go figure). If you must stay here, do NOT accept room 204A. I did get a different room for my second night, but the shower curtain in the bathroom had disgusting mildew that ran up about 6 inches of its length.Truly gross!! I think this hotel likely has its 4-star rating because it has invested a lot of money in its whisky bar (which is very nice). But stay elsewhere.