Diners' Choice: Neighborhood gem restaurants in Inverness / Scottish Highlands

OpenTable

Updated June 05, 2025

Looking for the best restaurants that are the best neighborhood gems 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!

The Loch Ness Inn

4.7

4.7 (1201)

£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 3 days ago

Food was delicious and everything was sourced fresh from the area.

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4.6

4.6 (639)

£25 and under

Thai

Inverness

About the restaurant

With our cooking staff born and raised in Thailand, you are assured of an authentic Thai Dining Experience.

Top review

Angela

Dined 1 day ago

Food and service was excellent. Would highly recommend.

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 7 days ago

Lovely food, very generous portions. Lovely ambience

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

La Tortilla Asesina

4.6

4.6 (153)

£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

Donna

Dined 1 day ago

Food was delicious and we had a great table by the window. There was only 2 waiting staff and they were running around trying to deal with everyone but did so with a smile and were just lovely. Thank you

Fig & Thistle Bistro

4.5

4.5 (1058)

£26 to £40

International

Inverness

About the restaurant

Fig & Thistle Bistro offers modern Scottish cuisine in a casual dining venue in the heart of the city centre, Using Quality local produce with daily specials, they offer value for money and a warm welcome.

Top review

CyndyVIP

Dined 7 days ago

Our dinner at Fig & Thistle was wonderful! The food was absolutely delicious and the service was great! Highly recommend dining in this top notch establishment! You will not be disappointed!

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Popular dish

Highland Venison & Haggis burger

4.5

4.5 (116)

£25 and under

British

Aberlour

About the restaurant

The Mash Tun sits beside the River Spey, nestled in beautiful Aberlour. Recently refurbished, it is now a stylish boutique hotel. This historic establishment has been transformed into a beacon of Scottish hospitality, marrying tradition with contemporary luxury.
Our small restaurant offers fine dining without the fuss and a cosy and intimate ambiance.
The whisky bar boasts a magnificent stock of Scottish malts, with a few guest stars from around the world and our own award winning Stalla Dhu range. We also boast our own cigar humidor where guests can choose from an impressive selection of Cuban and New World cigars, to be enjoyed in our enclosed and heated cigar hut!
We look forward to welcoming you soon.

Top review

Bryan

Dined 4 days ago

We had a lovely meal and the service was fantastic. We will visit again when back in the area

The Cawdor Tavern

4.5

4.5 (24)

£25 and under

Gastro Pub

Nairn

About the restaurant

Traditional country pub and restaurant serving modern Scottish food. Situated in the beautiful conservation village of Cawdor, a stones throw from Cawdor Castle. Cawdor Tavern offers a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere to enjoy a simple bowl of home made soup or full three course meal all made from fresh local ingredients. A choice of well kept ales, wines and malts offer something to please everyone.

Top review

Thomas

Dined 4 days ago

The Tavern is wonderful. Food and service are excellent with ambiance of an old Tavern. Best food in and around Nairn.

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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