Diners' Choice: Hot spot restaurants in Inverness / Scottish Highlands

OpenTable

Updated June 05, 2025

Looking for restaurants that are the best hot spots 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!

Cafe 1

4.8

4.8 (2531)

£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 5 days ago

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

Contrast Brasserie

4.7

4.7 (1031)

£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

Gillian

Dined 3 days ago

We have been here a few times over this last month and every time has been delicious. Friendly and efficient service always. Thank you.

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 7 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

Sunday Roast Burrito

Hootananny Inverness

4.6

4.6 (617)

£25 and under

Scottish

Inverness

About the restaurant

WE DO NOT ACCEPT BOOKINGS FOR DRINKS/MUSIC ONLY
MINIMUM ORDER OF ONE MAIN PER PERSON
WE DO SERVE FOOD ON SATURDAYS ON A WALK IN ONLY BASIS

Top review

Sheree

Dined 2 days ago

The fiddler was outstanding. The steak and ale pie was exactly what I expected for trying this dish for the first time.

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

Coyote Burger

4.5

4.5 (617)

£25 and under

Burgers

Inverness

About the restaurant

Welcome to Coyote Burger. We are a burger bar & restaurant serving premium burgers in Inverness City Centre.

Top review

Donna

Dined on Jun 25, 2025

We enjoyed lunch with a great view over the river. The restauarant was quiet which made for a relaxed afternoon. Food was excellent. Service very friendly and good.

The White House

4.4

4.4 (1281)

£25 and under

Scottish

Inverness

About the restaurant

Stylish City Centre cocktail bar and bistro offering a wide range of cocktails, quality wines and premium spirits together with freshly prepared, Scottish based lunch and dinner menus available all day from 12 noon til late. The emphasis at The White House is on high end customer service in a relaxed and friendly environment. Table service means there is no need to queue at the bar so why not pay us a visit, take a seat, relax and let us look after you....!

Top review

Marie

Dined 4 days ago

The service was excellent, and the food was delicious. We both had the salmon after sharing garlic bread and a burrata salad, and we enjoyed everything immensely!

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Experience

Boozy Brunch

Experience

Festive Boozy Brunch!

Experience

Festive Boozy Brunch!

Waterside Restaurant at Glen Mhor Hotel

4.4

4.4 (681)

£25 and under

European

Inverness

About the restaurant

Welcome to our sustainable restaurant on the banks of the River Ness |

We earned sustainability and environmental commitment awards, like our Gold Award for Green Tourism, and our membership to the Scotch Beef Club |

Visit us after exploring Inverness landmarks like Inverness Castle, Inverness Museum & Gallery, and Inverness Cathedral, all within walking distance. The warm and inviting decor complements the natural surroundings |

Take advantage of the Beer Garden with beautiful views of the River Ness, or take a tour of our Brewery & Distillery - Uile-bheist

Reserve a table for a romantic dinner or a family-friendly meal, and discover what makes our restaurant unique.

Top review

Kristen

Dined 1 day ago

The food and service was so good that we went back the next night! It has a beautiful view of the river NESs!

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Experience

Afternoon Tea

Sundancer Bar & Restaurant

4.4

4.4 (227)

£26 to £40

Scottish

Nairn

About the restaurant

Opened in 2017 The Sun Dancer restaurant is positioned overlooking the Moray Firth.

Well known for the quality and presentation of our food using only the freshest and locally sourced produce and renowned for our expertise in crafting and presenting our own in-house and classic range of cocktails.

Top review

Lorna

Dined 2 days ago

We had a lovely meal at a table with a beautiful view over the sea watching the dolphins bobbing about then a beautiful sunset. The meal was fresh and 1st class, will definitely be returning.

Prime

4.2

4.2 (1648)

£41 and over

Steakhouse

Inverness

About the restaurant

Inverness first dedicated steak & seafood restaurant. Situated along the stunning banks of the river Ness, and with views of the castle, our kitchen team specialise in providing quality dishes from locally sourced & sustainable suppliers.

Top review

RebeccaVIP

Dined on Jun 8, 2025

We’ve had a long weekend in Inverness, a beautiful city. We dined at Prime 3 nights running and can’t say enough praises. Very friendly service, tasty food with plenty of choice. Beer, wine and espresso martinis marvellous. Great ambience. Looking forward to Inverness in the near future

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