I was skeptical, just based on the name itself. But the line at the Geographer was too long, and I decided it wasn't worth it. We went in and we're able to get seated quickly. The place has a great vibe. Service was quick. Food was excellent, and reasonably priced. Will definitely look to return. read more

Average tasting food which is adequate given the location from a variety of menu options to choose from. Staff is friendly and prices are reasonable. Ambiance is dated but there is ample seating read more

Chile con Carne looked and tasted like it was out of a can. Pasta Carbanara was just a white sauce without the expected richness. Tried to order a burger, but only would cook well done... I was disappointed read more

Ordered the steak pie and ale- super yummy. Comes with a good portion of the steak soup and ale, carrots and green beans huge puffy pastry. Great flavor! read more

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We stumbled on this tavern while in Fort William. Every place in the area was super busy - but this place had a table. The reviews seemed mixed but we were only hoping for a light lunch to hold us over. We shared the chicken fajitas and they were actually really good. They were served with all the typical accompaniments like salsa, cheese, guacamole and tortillas. We were able to request the level of spiciness we wanted and the portion was more than enough to share. The place has a nice pub vibe and service was fast and friendly. Overall we enjoyed our lunch here. read more

Great food - I had a steak pie - and very kind servers. The service was prompt and the ambiance was a nice pub.

Okay. Let's be serious. This is hardly a "gastropub" as the description suggests. Rather . . .this is a bar . . . albeit one that serves food. But the food was a bit of "hit or miss". We stopped in for lunch on a Sunday (know that they don't serve alcohol before 12:30) and grabbed a booth in the front. The server dropped off the menus and we began to take a look. There is a wide range of food from burgers, to panninis to fajitas. I went with a burger and my friend went with the haddock soup and the pannini (with your choice of filling). The drinks came up pretty quickly, but there was quite a wait for our food. i am nod sure if this was because the place was packed or if it is always this way. My burger was fine and the bun it was served on was fresh and soft. It also comes with large steak fries on the plate as well as some lettuce. My friend's soup was quite good but his pannini was not good at all. It was cold, dry and had very little filling in it. I wouldn't suggest that you order it. Service was adaquate but the food was slow to arrive. Don't over set your expectations and you should be fine. But stick to the basics . . . a burger and a beer is your best bet. read more

I had a small dinner because I was still SO full from lunch. But nothing to complain about!! Came on a Friday night at a bit after 7pm and snagged the last table. Seriously super popular, I watched so many parties come in and leave because all the tables were taken. Seemed like a good mix of locals and tourists :) I ordered the Scottish tapas - haggis, neeps, and tatties. DELICIOUS. I had this dish once before somewhere else and the turnip and potatoes barely had any taste...but here, every bite was perfectly flavored! Also had the cullen skink (haddock potato soup.) Also delicious. If you're looking for the perfect individual portion of the most authentic Scottish dishes, can't go wrong here. read more

The Tavern - Cullen skink, and haggis/neeps/tatties snack portion. - Gastropubs Near Me - Fort William, HLD

We were driving through Fort William and stopped in at the Tavern Cafe for some lunch. The waitress was very helpful and we had a good meal. read more

The Tavern - Gastropubs Near Me - Fort William, HLD

The service was very good. The food wasn't bad, not great, average bar food. Among us we had a burger (no question about temp, they just cooked it well done, not my favorite) the Cajun chicken sandwich was good but a bit dry. The fish and chips was good. The salmon was very good. read more

The Tavern is a must when in Fort William. It was after dark and most businesses were closed on high street but this gem was open and so inviting. The interior was dark and wood and exactly what you would hope a Scottish pub to be. Our server was cheerful and helpful with cocktail recommendations. I tried the Flower of Scotland and it immediately replaced the Moscow Mule as my fave. For dinner I had Cullen Skink, a delicious, warm, satisfying soup made with fish, potatoes, and leeks. I so enjoyed this place. Once home, I couldn't remember what was in the Flower of Scotland. I emailed the Tavern and Gordon kindly sent me the recipe! Talk about great service. I now make them for company and give a toast to Scotland. read more

The Tavern - Tavern, gem of a High Street pub - Gastropubs Near Me - Fort William, HLD

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Calling themselves a gastropub wasn't the best way to go because I'm not sure they really fall into that category. However, if you're looking for a good pub lunch while wandering Fort William, The Tavern Restaurant was a solid choice. We were just exploring the town for the day and when we got hungry, we started looking at menus posted outside, then ended up at the Tavern. They had a great beer selection-- I had a delicious cider. My scampi & chips (e.g. fried shrimp and fries for Americans) were delicious, and the portion was enormous. My husband had the smoked salmon and haddock fish cakes, and seemed to really enjoy as well. We went around noon on a weekday and had great, quick service from the bartender-- it did seem to get busier as we were leaving. They had free WiFi which was definitely a perk, since my phone was in airplane mode for the duration of our UK trip. Maybe they're not quite what they're trying to be, but they're doing a great job at what they are. read more

I don't very often write one star reviews. A place has to be pretty bad to get a one star review from me. This place was terrible. About to start the three peaks challenge (the three highest peaks in Scotland, England and Wales in under 24 hours) our group of ten was looking for a simple lunch to line our tummy's and give us some energy for the forthcoming exertions. We picked the Tavern as we thought it would have something for everyone - the menu was large and varied, it's got to be a safe bet right? No, sadly not. Of the ten meals ordered, only one person was happy, and this was with the meat skewers. If you have to eat here, order the skewers! I went for a burger with cheese. The burger was tough and tasteless, the salad wilted from sitting under the heat lamps for too long, and the chips were hard in the middle. But at least my burger was cooked properly. My friend ordered a pork and chorizo burger. When he cut into it it was really pink in the middle. Fine for beef, not for pork. He sent it back. 20 minutes later, another burger came out. It was again raw on the inside, charred on the outside, as if it had been cooked too quickly from cold/frozen. This kind of mistake is forgivable once, but not twice - he canceled his order. The chili was terrible, my friend could only eat the rice. Even the jacket potatoes were bad - how hard is it to cook a jacket spud??!! When the bill came I checked it to make sure the burger had been taken off. It had, but two other main dishes that we hadn't oredered had been added on. How is this even possible?? We paid for what we had. There was no manager available, just very young wait staff with no direction so there was little point complaining any further. It was just a terrible experience when all we really needed was a simple, tasty lunch. read more

After walking up Ben Nevis I ate my plate clean but not because it was good. The "fresh local vegetables" I'm sure were fresh at one point but the peas and carrots were clearly microwaved from frozen. The salmon was like Ohio salmon, that is, not good. Overpriced, not good. I've never had such regret that I ate here instead of any number of the other wonderful looking places. Go elsewhere along High St. Anywhere else read more

Went here for valentines day dinner. Very friendly staff. Been here many times can't fault it :) read more

The Tavern - Gastropubs Near Me - Fort William, HLD

I booked to come to the restaurant as I was walking a charity event the following day where there were about 1,000 people ascending on Fort William. Consequently, it was a good job we booked as it was extremely full which led to some pretty slow service (caused I was told by the restaurant being one member of staff down). The food isn't Gastro quality, it is more like American Diner style food and as others have said is of mixed quality. Don't go expecting to be blown away but also don't avoid it if you just want some fairly simple food and a drink. read more

I stopped by at this pub on my way from Glasgow to Inverness... Its a nice lil place on the town's high street.. I had Haggis (recommended by the bartender/waitress).. Unfortunately, I didnt like it.. I guess its an acquired taste... I dont remember waiting that long for my food, unlike other people that reviewed this place.. The staff was friendly.. Giving an extra star for the waitresses' choice of music, that was played out on the pubs music system from her iPod (Mumford and Sons, Kings of Leon, Foo Fighters etc.)... read more

Even though the server was nice probably the worst food that I have had since here in Scotland. One of the worse burgers I have ever had in my life and the fries and onion rings had no flavor. read more

This is slightly unfair as all I had during my single visit was a cappuccino, but this was a very bad cappuccino. If you go here, stick to the alcoholic beverages, which are bound to be better. read more

The cocktails and food were simply dreadful. We honestly could not understand why we waited 40 minutes for this subpar meal and service. The worst meal of our two weeks in Scotland. read more

I'd say the food was decent pub grub rather than gastropub, but I enjoyed my lunch here. The staff were very friendly and efficient; unlike other reviewers I didn't have to wait long at all for my food. There's a good range of dishes on the menu and my portion of macaroni cheese was substantial, accompanied by both garlic bread and salad- pretty good for £8.90. There's free wifi which was a bonus for me as my hotel's wifi was inconsistent. The barman recommended the house wine which was indeed very nice, and reasonably priced. They had a cocktail menu- I didn't try any, but the ones I saw headed for the adjacent table looked great. read more

Not sure that gastropub is the best word to describe this restaurant with a bar, but the food is good and the service is warm and friendly. I decided to start with "Scottish tapas". A platter arrives with three nice little 2 X 2 plates. One has haggis, the second has neeps and the third has tatties. Very funny and frankly not bad at all. My main course was a chicken and chorizo skewer that came with a small salad and rather limp chips. The skewer included red and green peppers and red onions. Freshly grilled, it was served in an innovative fashion and was quite tasty. My wife had the chicken and leek pie, also very good. All in all, just fine. read more

This place was fabulous! The perfect quick stop for a bite and drink on our way to Loch Ness. Food was excellent, and the cocktail portions were generous. Plus free WiFi. read more

busy but staff were great. Decent beers on tap and the steak pie and fish and chips were good

Don't eat here unless you have 3 spare hours or a time machine. Meal was ok, price was ok, time to get order placed and to eat was terrible! read more