Diners' Choice: Best Overall restaurants in Inverness / Scottish Highlands

OpenTable

Updated June 05, 2025

Looking for the best overall restaurants in Inverness / Scottish Highlands? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Contrast Brasserie

4.7

4.7 (1029)

£25 and under

Scottish

Inverness

About the restaurant

Welcome to Contrast Brasserie. With a sharp focus on Scottish, locally sourced produce, we invite you to savour the tastes of the season with a touch of Pan-Asian flair.

From succulent rare breed pork, prime dry-aged beef to market fresh fruit and vegetables we try to stay true to our Scottish roots, creating simple dishes built around one great ingredient. Located just a short walk from the City Centre of Inverness, take a wander along the tree lined river where a warm welcome awaits!

Early Bird Menu not available on Saturday night

Top review

Grant

Dined 4 days ago

Excellent service. Excellent food. Excellent situation.

Cafe 1

4.8

4.8 (2530)

£26 to £40

Scottish

Inverness

About the restaurant

Welcome to Cafe 1
I have pleasure in offering you a unique, fine dining experience here in The Highlands at Cafe1, Inverness.

We take great pride in sourcing local ingredients - some produced by ourselves from our own Croft!

Our open plan kitchen turns quality Scottish produce into appealing modern dishes.

We are a restaurant that moves with the times.

All tables are re-booked 2 hours later.

Cancellation policy.
No shows will be charged at £20 per person Monday - Thursday £40 per person Friday & Saturdays.
Cancellations within 5 hrs of dining will be charged £15 per person with the restaurants discretion.

Norman MacDonald MBE
Glenfiddich Spirit of Scotland
Proprietor

Top review

Stephen

Dined 2 days ago

Another fantastic dinner experience in Cafe one. Definitely my go to place when visiting Inverness.

Scotch & Rye

4.6

4.6 (976)

£25 and under

American

Inverness

About the restaurant

Our style is industrial prohibition with a splash of steampunk thrown in for good measure. Find us on Queensgate and enjoy craft beers, vintage cocktails & some incredible comfort food!

Let us transport you to the speak-easy world of 1920's Chicago. Where the streets were ruled by unrelenting gangsters, and the drinks were inspired by the minds of geniuses. Scotch & Rye is our homage to the hard working, harder drinking people of that era, delivering our signature New York & Chicago inspired burgers and home-cookin', all washed down with great craft brews, unique (and award-winning) cocktail creations and a service team with an unmatched personality! We are also a dog-friendly bar! All well-behaved dogs are most welcome at Scotch & Rye.

Under 18s must be accompanied by an adult and vacate the premises by 10 pm.*
*Table with under 18s must book in for a meal and all be eating.

We look forward to hosting your safe, enjoyable dining & drinking experience.

Top review

Morgan

Dined 4 days ago

Absolutely amazing food, and wonderful staff! The environment is fun and energetic, but still able to have quiet conversations with those sitting around you. This is my third trip here over 2 years and I will definitely be coming back in the future!

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Experience

Country Boozy Brunch - 4th of July CELEBRATION

Experience

Sunday Roast Burrito

The Loch Ness Inn

4.7

4.7 (1200)

£25 and under

Scottish

Inverness

About the restaurant

The Loch Ness Inn, is a small hotel located in Drumnadrochit, just 1.5 miles from Urquhart Castle and 15 miles from Inverness, the capital of the Highlands.

Our restaurant offers diners the chance to experience the best of local Highland produce, cooked to perfection, in a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere. We have a wonderful wine & gin list to accompany your food.

Visit our Brewery Bar and sample our excellent range of local beers and whiskies.

Top review

Michelle

Dined 7 days ago

Great modern stylish place…..big comfortable bedrooms…lovely food ……friendly , helpful staff……and cozy, homely , vibrant bar…….Really enjoyed Loch Ness Inn …..hope to return ! Thank you 👏😃

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4.6

4.6 (151)

£25 and under

Unspecified

Inverness

About the restaurant

Come dine in The Oldest Tapas Bar in Scotland Since we opened in 2003, La Tortilla Asesina has established itself as one of Inverness's most popular restaurants.

It has developed a unique selection of paellas, some classic spanish paellas and some original local paellas. We have developed paella into a dish for any taste and any occasion, including delivery!

We have a large range of tapas which you can treat as a meal, or as a starter to a meal. There are tapas to suit all tastes and we have some signature dishes that are unique to the restaurant, like our gambas pil-pil and our garlic chicken .. they have to be tried.

We also have a range of specialist drinks that you won't find anywhere else, like our range of sangrias. We go to a lot of trouble to offer an interesting and affordable range of Spanish wine to have in the restaurant or to take away.

Come and check us out

Top review

Douglas

Dined 4 days ago

Amazing food, service brilliant and atmosphere perfect, will definitely be back again soon

The Badachro Inn

4.6

4.6 (564)

£25 and under

Scottish

Gairloch

About the restaurant

Visit The Badachro Inn | Restaurant by Gairloch for the best hospitality the West of Scotland can offer.
Badachro Inn is a unique bar / restaurant in a unique place – a sheltered bay in spectacular Loch Gairloch – one of the best West Coast anchorages. It’s a popular place to meet for a drink or a pleasant meal.
Visit us for the best hospitality the West of Scotland can offer. The Inn offers good food, beer, wine and spirits to go with it. We can also point you in the right direction for places to visit and accommodation in the local area.
PLEASE INFORM US OF ANY ALLERGIES IN YOUR PARTY IN THE NOTES SECTION OF YO0UR BOOKING.
WE CANNOT ACCEPT DOGS IN THE CONSERVATORY AREA. IF YOU WISH TO BRING YOUR DOG PLEASE BOOK A TABLE IN THE BAR AREA.
PARTIES OF OVER 6 MUST BOOK BY PHONE ON 01445741255. Please call between 9AM-12PM. OR 3PM-6PM
IF ALL TABLES ARE FULLY BOOKED WHY NOT TRY ONE OF OUR OUTSIDE WOOD FIRED PIZZA FROM THE STAG AND DOUGH ON OUR DECKING CA

Top review

Madeleine

Dined on Jun 23, 2025

Well worth a visit, fantastic local food and drink. Recommend combining with a trip to the local distillery in the village too

Cove Restaurant

4.7

4.7 (35)

£26 to £40

Scottish

Fortrose

About the restaurant

Nestled inside the famous Fortrose & Rosemarkie Golf Club is the Black Isles newest restaurant. Opening it's doors in November 2024. Cove Restaurant offers a very relaxed touch of class dining experience with breath-taking views to enjoy whilst you sit and enjoy your meal. Cove kitchen is lead by Craig Douglas who has trained in some of the top restaurants in the world from Tom Kitchins, Sydney Opera House to Ness walk hotel where he was Executive chef for nearly 4 years gaining its five star status for food. Our menus are carefully designed to ensure we are using locally sourced ingredients. Our food philosophy is classic dishes that everybody knows and loves however prepared with a lot of love and executed in a modern way.

Top review

Brent

Dined on May 11, 2025

Well presented, delicious meals - sea trout and chicken. Lovely desert. The young lady serving could have been more attentive and knowledgable. Very good overall

The Allangrange Arms

4.6

4.6 (781)

£25 and under

British

Inverness

About the restaurant

The Allangrange is a stylish country pub and dining spot jn Munlochy, just 15 minutes north of Inverness, offering relaxed, seasonal dining in the heart of the Black Isle. Expect well-crafted pub classics with a modern twist, using the best local and Scottish produce.

Our menu changes with the seasons, and you’ll find everything from hearty favourites to lighter bites—alongside Sunday roasts, house cocktails, local beers, and a thoughtful wine list.

Whether you're here for a laid-back lunch, dinner with friends, or a special celebration, The Allangrange combines warm Highland hospitality with a contemporary edge.

We’re family-friendly, dog-friendly in the bar, and open Monday, closed Tuesday and Wednesdays open Thursday to Sunday. Book your table now—we’d love to see you.

Top review

Zoe

Dined 4 days ago

Lovely food, very generous portions. Lovely ambience

No27 Bar & Kitchen

4.7

4.7 (1108)

£25 and under

British

Inverness

About the restaurant

Walk-in Diners Accepted until 9.45pm.

Not all of our tables are reservable, so if you don’t see a table available, give us a call or test your luck and walk in!

A privately owned bar and kitchen, situated in Inverness town centre opposite The Castle.

We offer a selection of local ales, wines, spirits,draft beers and lagers. Emphasis is on fresh home cooked food with a difference and all our dishes are prepared to order.

Our friendly team are dedicated to giving you a night to remember!

Top review

Kimberly

Dined 7 days ago

We enjoy coming back time and time again for excellent service and flexible kitchen. They always accommodate special requests. The menu has a few favorites and the food is always fine, sometimes outstanding. Mussels, venison exceptional.

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Popular dish

Chefs Homemade Steak Pie

4.6

4.6 (637)

£25 and under

Thai