Restaurants in Inverness

For a real taste of the Highlands, head for the Fig & Thistle, the highest-rated restaurant in the city via TripAdvisor. Just around the corner from the Eastgate Shopping Centre, the small, cosy restaurants specialises in Scottish dishes with a twist, including their haggis bon bons and their steamed Shetland mussels.

Urquhart’s Restaurant has a similar menu including Scottish staples like haggis, neeps and tatties (that’s haggis, turnip and potato to the uninitiated), as well as Stornoway black pudding and their impressive Scottish cheeseboard. Opened in 2011, the family-run business has grown to become one of the city’s favourite restaurants.

Another classy Scottish restaurant, this time with a European twist, you’ll find The Mustard Seed in a converted double-height church overlooking the River Ness. A local favourite since launching in 1995, the restaurant has a log fire for winter and a top-floor terrace for long summer nights. Plus, its menu puts a Scottish twist on European classics.

A bar and kitchen, Number 27 has a prime location on Castle Street, just a short stroll from our Inverness Centre (River Ness) hotel and some of the best gastropub food in the city. Choose from a wide range of mains, including their slow-cooked Scottish rump of lamb, the venison surf and turf or the Highland chicken, all washed down with an impressive selection of beers, wines and spirits.

Rocpool is a buzzy brasserie with sweeping views over the River Ness and Inverness Castle. They take great care in sourcing local ingredients, meaning their langoustines come from the west coast, their venison from Speyside and their crab is from Orkney. And thanks to its location on Ness Walk, it’s only around 30 metres from our River Ness hotel.

A cute and very traditional restaurant, Little Italy is on the edge of the Eastgate Shopping centre and is the leading Italian restaurant in Inverness. The menu has a strong leaning on the classics, meaning staples like tiramisu, meatballs and pizza feature prominently, and that’s all topped off with a friendly, attentive service.

Heading into spicier territory, Sam’s Indian Cuisine has been dishing up traditional Indian and Bangladesh dishes since the early 80s, creating a loyal fan base. A clean, simple but contemporary restaurant on Church Street, the real star of the show is the food, which combines subtle spices and aromas that are unique to the Highlands. And it’s just a short taxi or drive from our Inverness Centre (Milburn Road) hotel.

Just around the corner from there is Thai Dining, an authentic Thai restaurant that also serves up Taiwanese dishes. With generous portions and sensible prices, it’s rightly the leading Thai restaurant in the region, with a lip-smacking range of dim sum dishes.