We had just driven from Keswick and needed to find a good place to get a hearty dinner. We came…read moreacross Benleva only a short distance from our hotel. Dinner starts at 5pm and even though we showed up early, they let us order. It was excellent. Clean, football on the TV, great selection of beer, excellent service and great menu selection. After a couple of Guinness and a very good meal, we were able to relax and enjoy our evening. Can't say enough about our bartender, would go back in an instant. The only thing I would do differently is stay at their hotel also, have a few more Guinness & shot some pool!

Pros: - warm atmosphere…read more- free parking - casual clothing - TV to watch sporting events - indoor and outdoor seating - live music starting at 9:30pm - moderately priced food, amazing whiskey selection from all regions of Scotland - Scottish and local foods on menu - This is perfect to escape from the rain, especially if you're looking for a down to earth and easy vibe atmosphere Room for improvement: - falafel burger is very dry, a nice spread on it would be an easy fix! Tip: the peanut butter and chocolate lava cake was so WARM and comes with a scoop of rich vanilla ice cream! SO. GOOD.

An evening in Inverness is not complete without music and whisky. (Unless you don't like one of…read morethose things, in which case one or the other will do...for us, it was both!) We spent one of our 4 nights in town at Hootananny...It's a lively spot with a full restaurant and bar and good whiskey recommendations from the bartender. On this night, it was a jam, as opposed to a frontal performance...these jams you'll find throughout Scotland are really not performances, but musicians who gather together in the front of the venue, sitting in a circle, typically with a group of them with their backs to the audience, who play for each other, for the sheer and obvious love of the collaborative music. They ran through all kinds of traditional Scottish tunes, occasionally with instruments put aside to let a couple of them sing a cappella. It was a beautiful experience to watch "performers" immersing themselves in each other's music, with us, the audience, grateful, if not incidental, receivers of it. They've got a decent whisky selection too, and, as I found throughout Scotland, every bartender seemed knowledgeable in what was offered and willing to have a conversation to help guide you to what you might want to drink that night. (I had a Bunnahabain dram.) If you've got a few nights in town, this is one of the main 3 venues you should check out...the other two we experienced were more direct performances, also good, but to experience a musician's jam circle like this, is truly a wonderful and unique experience to have when in town.

Good place to come for music any night of the week. They post that schedule a week out, so plan…read morearound that. Sound quality could be a bit clearer. The food was decent standard pub food. Considering their reputation is on the music, it was perhaps better than I expected. Several good local beer choices on draft, though I wish they had something on cask. And of course many whisky choices, with good navigation. Service was friendly and not rushed, perfectly timed with the 1.5-hour table max.

After a long day of travel, nothing hits quite like a pint and a dram at a local pub…read more Looking to stretch our legs after the 4 1/2 hour train from Edinburgh, we checked into our inn and wandered down to the river, finding Glenalbyn just across the bridge. This well when pub is low key, inviting, and not geared towards tourists: the perfect spot to unwind. I enjoyed a pint of a local ale (McEwan's 80) and a dram of Isle of Skye (a smooth, slightly peaty blended whisky) while we sat. A fine diversion for the afternoon

Classic pub. Friendly, helpful and local establishment. Playing traditional tavern music .read more

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.

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.

From Culloden battlefield we searched for a local spot to grab a beer and food - this place popped…read moreup. The patio was great for two extremely tired travelers - a pint and a bowl of chowder !! perfectly and completely delicious cullen skink ( fish chowder) with haddock, potatoes and green onion - seasoned to absolute perfection, not to mention the fish and chips.

Walking back to my guest house I decided I should get a little something to eat. I had the soup…read moreof the day, tomato, and a lovely glass of Sauvignon Blanc. The soup was very tasty, and it came with a terrific slice of bread. If you sit outside, remember your table number and order at the bar.

First time in they were not serving food and we had a person with a wheelchair which provided some…read morechallenges. The place was nearly empty and I was hesitant about how great could it be. Thank heaven we are not faint of heart because Euan was the best bartender in the UK! He taught us how to add water to the whiskey to open it up! We came back to see him and ate dinner but sadly he was gone but the food was awesome! Even the Mac and cheese was off the charts! Please come by and tell them we sent you!

It was very quite on the Sunday night. We enjoyed our food a…read morelot (delicious haggis!) Wish we come back again on a day when the bar is full!

Let me start off by saying this is my first review. As a restaurant owner myself I like to steer…read moreclear of the whole scene. I do however find Yelp to be a helpful metric and this is the first time since I have been a member of yelp since 2009 that hospitality has challenged by stance. There is so much to say, but as a 46 year old who has spent their entire life enjoying the sound of their own voice I will keep this brief as I am being dragged, kicking and screaming, into maturity. Just outside of Inverness sits a quirky and humble inn perched on a corner in a village with the same qualities in equal measure. The host and owner, Jim, has plied his trade here since 2003 and I can only imagine that the well worn, but not shabby, interior and decor is a product of passion for his craft. They seem to have an ability to cobble together a staff that only exceeds their grace in hospitality in their camaraderie as a team with a total sweetie manning the ship. Everyone is beyond welcoming. The food veers away from your typical standard Scottish pub fare with splashes of American standards along with some continental fare, while still having chow that is common to the region. The beer and whisky menu is curated and a welcome refreshment on the middle leg of our journey as most Scottish pubs tend to lean more towards regional standards, not a bad thing, but after drinking dozens of pints of bitters and milds it was a delight to see a lovely pilsner on draft. I am not a whisky drinker myself but I am in hospitatliy and over hearing the servers describe the selection when asked by the guests one can tell they have done their homework. All in all a place busting with charm and personality in each and every employee and hospitality at its finest. If you're lucky enough to be able to take the trip and brave the roads you will be handsomely rewarded.

Before we went on our trip, my boyfriend did a little bit of research on the are we would be…read morestaying so we didn't waste time trying to figure out nearby good places. Not even 10 minutes from our place he had marked The Anderson. Just a short drive from our AirBnb, and lucky to get a parking spot just across from it, this was starting to be a great night. We walk in, and the host immediately greeted us. There was an empty room to our left, which I'm assuming was for private parties or busier nights, but we were escorted straight in the room behind the host. Cozy room, with a small bar, and filled with locals. All having a good time, and some even talking with the staff showing they visit the restaurant often. That was a good sign and made us feel great about picking this place for dinner. Our server was awesome. Very friendly, treated us like family, and helped us with what to order. The specials of the day are all written down on a chalk board and she brought it to our table and explained each dish to us. One of the things we wanted to try was their haggis, and since we didn't know if we would like it or not, she recommended just getting a side which she said would be enough for both of us. On top of that I got the Special Pie of the day: Chicken Bacon and Mushroom pie. The way she described it sounded delicious so I just had to try it, even if I'm not a fan of pie crust. Haggis came out and to my surprise I really liked it. It's texture is kind of like ground beef and corn beef hash in one (IMO), salty and flavorful. The Pie was perfection! I even loved the crust. Homemade, flaky, buttery delicious crust but not a lot of it so you can truly enjoy the flavors of the filling. Tender juicy chicken, creamy sauce with mushrooms and the bacon adds more flavor to it. The pasta special was a monkfish wrapped with pancetta with a creamy sauce and was divine. While we enjoyed our dinner we also had the chance to pick a record to play on the turntable - How cool is that? And even with the music and everyone having conversations all around the place was never loud so we could enjoy our conversation as well. Honestly one of the best finds during our trip.

Great fish and chips and really good cider. The staff are so nice and I would definitely come back…read morehere. We were seated right away in a comfortable area and were served right away. Nice little find. :)

This place is a "must do" if you're visiting the area. Why?…read more Food - Went with a party of 4. We all had something different. The Scottish salmon and Fish & Chips delivered, as expected. The balmoral chicken with haggis was top notch! We could have drank whisky sauce. The steak pie was fantastic! The gravy was deep and rich with the flakiest puff pastry on the planet. If you like sticky toffee pudding, this is the place to get it as it's to die for! Service - Our server was 16 years old and already a pro, aside from recommending liquor. She left that up to the bartender, Ryan, who was well-versed, friendly and entertaining. He totally enhanced our wonderful dining experience. Ambiance - The vibe is both classy and casual. Whether you're there in your fancy-wear or trail gear, you're welcomed. One of the people in our party (from Michigan/USA) said he'd make the trip all over again just for this meal experience. That speaks for itself and I agree! Just be sure to make a reservation.