The Riverhouse Restaurant

•£££

We had a reservation at Rocpool on the evening of our wedding anniversary and our first night in…read moreInverness in the middle of our 12 night Scotland adventure. The place was packed when we arrived for our early evening slot so doubling down on anyone's recommendation to make dinner reservations if you want to go to nice places in the North of Scotland. We were seated immediately. Everything about the experience was beautiful and delicious. I started with a Passionate Laddie Cocktail made with a peated whiskey and egg white. The texture reminded me of the Ramos Gin Fizz drink I had in New Orleans. It was well mixed but I didn't taste smoke from the whiskey, The tomatoes in the "Green Salad with Cherry Tomato and Parmesan" we're amazing and, truly, the star of the salad which had a generous amount of shaved parmesan on top satisfying my cheese-mongering sensibility. I had the Cornage Cheddar and Feta Cheese puffs for my main. They were fried but delicate, served over mango with cooked pear. It was quite indulgent - like dessert for dinner My wife enjoyed the prawns dish she got, and the salmon as well served with perfectly cooked asparagus and really good mashed potatoes. Everything was beautifully plated and tasted great. Inverness is not huge and there are a finite number of finer dining restaurants. We ultimately chose this one as I'm a vegetarian and they had the most abundant options to choose from (including a separate vegan menu which I didn't end up ordering from as the options on the main menu served my desires for the evening. The tiniest disappointment - It was our wedding anniversary and I had put that on the reservation (as well as emailed in advance about it) and we didn't get a "happy anniversary" or any kind of acknowledgment of it. I mean we were perfectly happy to just be with each other, but it would have been nice. :) Otherwise this is undoubtedly one of, if not the nicest restaurant in Inverness.

My group had a most amazing meal with perfect service and great ambiance…read more Thank you soooo much

Birthday wishes

Cocktails and 2 Course Menu

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Corte de Blancas Wine

Johnny Foxes

4.0(111 reviews)

We ate here on our last night in Inverness after a very long day on a tour. We did not have…read morereservations but the restaurant was accommodating and kind. The World Cup Game was on so it was lively and fun. I will tell you, this was some of the best seasoned food we had the entire time we were in the UK (two weeks). Finally we didn't feel the need to add salt to something. The flavor was just spot on. My husband had the beer steak pie with puff pastry, I had the Cullen skink, my son had a pizza (I can't remember if it was on the kids' menu or not) and my daughter had a Caesar salad with chicken, which she eats a lot at home and had been craving. Both the skink and the stew were perfectly flavored! The fish in the stew was tender and so was the steak in the pie. If we ever go back to Inverness, we will be sure to be returning to Johnny Foxes. Oh! And our waiter was wonderful! I don't remember his name but a young blonde man with a mullet kind of haircut. Thank you to him!

Don't sit near the front door as it "slams" closed constantly as patrons come and go. Waitress had…read morean attitude, acting as though we were an inconvenience. Waiter was terrific with personality and quick service. Food was good, beer was great!

Dining room

Supposedly this mayo is coleslaw??

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Bar area

Mustard Seed Restaurant

4.2(168 reviews)

0.1 mi

The Mustard Seed is a must while visiting Inverness! It's very popular--and rightly so--but my…read morelarge group of six was easily accommodated for lunch during the week. We enjoyed the price fixe lunch menu, which is honestly a great deal for two courses! I personally ordered the crispy Brie followed by the sea bass over risotto, and both plates were stellar. My tablemates echoed those sentiments across the board, and we had a great variety of dishes to sample. The carrot and coriander soup was another popular pick at our table. And despite being quite full from the delicious Brie with its bright chutney and balsamic, followed by the light sea bass over beautifully rich squash risotto, we somehow managed to save room for dessert. We shared a sticky toffee pudding featuring a light sponge and rich, decadent sauce. I'm not sure when I'll be back in Inverness, but I do know The Mustard Seed will be on my itinerary. Expect a crowd, but know that it's worth it!

Rather less than anticipated- as this was highly recommended restaurant in Inverness- including an…read moreauthor guidebook and a few good local reviews. Turned out "The Specials Board" had not been updated, even tho we were first available reservation at noon opening. 'Daily Specials' were easily 2.5 times the cost of the 2 course meal options. After our order was placed - AND the 'starter' was brought to table, the server came back to table to say the kitchen 'just informed him that the 'Special' Cod over Butternut Squash from the specials board was apparently not available..... They would replace the North Sea Cod with halibut as the special. Unfortunately the kitchen neglected to tell the waiter that actually the squash too wasn't available and the substituted 'special' was altogether a different combination of veg, fish, and a super rich sauce. Waiter admitted he was disappointed that kitchen didn't tell him the entire special wasn't as listed. A proper resolve could have included some bit of a minor offer of compensation, (discount or perhaps the £7 small glass of wine). Yet not even an apology - just an original comment by the server that he was surprised the kitchen didn't tell him they completely modified the "Special" - Dinner experience across the river Ness was every bit of what one hopes for when on holiday!

A partial view of the cozy 2nd floor dining space.

Mussels

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Another view of their 2nd floor dining space.

The Kitchen Restaurant

3.8(60 reviews)

0.1 mi

Word to the wise - get reservations in Inverness. We came our first night to the kitchen and they…read morewere fully booked so got in for a reservation on the second night. To start we went for the salmon gin cured appetizer with pickled radish and seaweed. This was a very good start to the meal and had really interesting flavors. I really appreciate and enjoy seeing what a chef can do with a vegetable and tonight was no different. The cabbage with potato and puréed carrot was my choice and wow was this good. The dare I say humble ingredients were elevated in a way that I felt really highlighted each vegetable. I all but licked my plate. My husband got the venison and after a dash of salt to lift the potato flavor a bit more to his taste, he also just about licked the plate clean. A few cocktails (tallisker old fashioned for him and Lost Scotsman for myself) added to the experience). Service was friendly and the view we had was looking out over the River. A really nice night all around.

We were excited to try The Kitchen based on the buzz online. The location doesn't disappoint, it…read moreoverlooks the river and looks snazzy from the outside. On the inside are three different levels, all small areas with tables tightly together. We were seated on the 2nd level so I don't know about the third level. No one dresses up, even in a more expensive restaurant, just a note. We tried a variety of items including Mushroom and onion broth, cep and hazelnut gnocchi, roasted shallots, shimeji mushrooms and green onion oil £19.95 (VG). Parmesan and truffle fries £4.50. Heritage tomato and pesto salad £4.50 (GF,VG). Tender stem broccoli, yogurt and lime dressing, toasted peanuts £4.50 (V). Soup of the day with bread and beurre noisette whipped butter £6.95 (GFA,VG). I wanted to love everything and came in to love everything. What I did love was the soup of the day (the bread was disappointing though) and the stemmed broccoli (really good). Everything else was "ok". The bartender here was fascinating to watch. She very slowly made every drink, very slowly, and put loving care into each and every one she made. I tried one after we'd noticed her attention to detail and it was excellent. :)

Chicken supreme

Soup of the day with bread and beurre noisette whipped butter £6.95 (GFA,VG)

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Inverness Gin

Water Front

4.0(27 reviews)

This place is fabulous. Great food, wonderful service and a fun place to sit, eat and relax after…read morea long day of touring through the countryside. I think I had the best fish and chips ever here and I will definitely be back when I return to Inverness.

We happened upon this lovely place by accident. The food was wonderful and the atmosphere was cozy…read moreand friendly. The service was nice and friendly too. Don't let them fool you... we ate there twice and both times we walked I. Without a reservation and both times there was a bit of "discussion" as to whether they would be able to seat us. They did. And they were never completely full either time! lol! Gets our full recommendation. Picture is the Trawlers Pie and the Steak and Ale pie. Try the Scottish Blaggis appetizer. And their bread pudding was really good as well!

Smoked salmon and salad

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Hard cider on tap

Prime Steak & Seafood

3.5(41 reviews)

I ordered a smoke haddock soup that is a Scottish specialty. I found a piece of metal wire in it…read more The manager was nice enough to take the price off our bill. I ordered a salad to be shared according to the menu, but it was so small that there was not enough to share. My husband's steak was not worthy of the restaurant's name. My chocolate ice cream was nothing special. The ladies room had toilet paper strewn across the floor. It needed service. The waitresses gave good attention but it did not make up for the insufficiencies. When I went to past via credit card, I received a receipt that was totally blank as the machine was out of ink. This was a highly recommended place that was a great disappointment.

7:45pm reservation: The staff greeted us right away, kind. We were seated, ordered our drinks and…read morethey came quickly. Then lanced our food order. 9:10pm: fish and steak come out (finally), no one has checked on us or to let us know it was behind. Plate was hotter than the food. Being from Massachusetts, the fish was not seasoned well and portion size very small. My partner is from Tennessee and his steak was tepid temperature with no flavor. 9:40: haven't seen any wait staff, no more water or drinks for quite some time 9:45: we ask someone to come over and ask for the bill. They were very gracious, came over with the scanner then told us our tip options while standing over me. We noticed that only American tables were asked about this, the "locals" received their bill and paid. The table next to us questioned them on this also. We did not tip. If they want to be tipped like American wait staff, please be more conscientious about checking in on the table and ensuring the food is prepared timely and drinks are served. Do not go here.

The room

Trout.

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Contrast Brasserie

3.9(18 reviews)

0.5 mi

•£££

Walking in to Contrast Brasserie, there are wood tables and chairs and a beautiful wood floor. The…read morestaff are wonderful, very helpful in making our selections. Our choice of wine, Sancerre, was excellent. I ordered the scallop appetizer that was good, not great. The scallops were sweet, the sauce also good, but it was a bit overpowering for the scallops. Our mains included the seabass cooked in a tandoori style. The fish was good and flavorful, but the preparation dried the fish and in my opinion, did not enhance the flavor. The fish was accompanied by a combination of truly delicious vegetables-cauliflower, potatoes, broccolini. My wife chose the cod in a light creamy sauce, with gnocchi, pearl onions, peas and small clams. I think her dish was the superior selection. The food quality was first rate. I think the preparation of my dishes missed the mark a bit. It was late and we were tired, so we did not order either dessert or coffee or tea. It is a nice place with a great staff and ambiance. The quality of the food is absolutely superior, the preparation was not to the level of the food.

Fine dining experience, well worth the time. Kudos to the Chef and crew for the exquisite meal. We…read morefour had three starters (get the duck pate sandwich) and four entrees: venison. Filet, rib eye, and risotto. All were delicious. We especially liked the rolls that were served while we waited for our meal.

Champagne

Butter Chicken

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Tandoori sea bass

Riva Bistro Italiano

4.0(17 reviews)

Modern bistro, excellent location with great range of food choice. Staff friendly and helpfulread more

Went to Riva a few hours after completing the Loch Ness Marathon. Not a large spot but nice. I…read morestarted with a Bruschetta, which was excellent. There were two on the menu and our table had both, the other was well received too. I went pretty safe with the Lasagna and it hit the spot. It wasn't unique but traditional and tasty.

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Along the River Ness

Zizzi

3.4(38 reviews)

Go with the wood fired pizza, the crust is delicious! We…read morehad a table with a view, so that was a plus!

The pizzas are NOT baked with a crust that's done consistently. Our "rustica" margarita pie was out…read moreof the oven uncut and under-baked. The crust is average taste-wise, and paper thin. The sauce and cheese were decent. However, the courgette (zucchini) fries were excellent, and the mozzarella arancini were excellent as well. The restaurant does not accept non-local phone numbers to order take-away via their website which forces use of a delivery service (and higher fees) fortunately we were within walking distance thus saved fees by ordering in-person.

Interior shot

Tasteless Cocktails

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Brownie dessert

Little Italy

4.5(39 reviews)

0.4 mi

•£

If I could give 10 stars, I would! I'm still sitting at the table and I just had to leave a review…read moreimmediately. The service was spectacular and the food was exceptional. If we could eat here for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, for our remaining two days in Inverness, we would. And special appreciation to the young man who hustled with every table, every customer, and every request. He was fantastic!!!!

Ordered takeaway 1 x Pizza 1 x Spaghetti, told 30mins, right on time delicious and a good sizeread more