An evening in Inverness is not complete without music and whisky. (Unless you don't like one of…read morethose things, in which case one or the other will do...for us, it was both!) We spent one of our 4 nights in town at Hootananny...It's a lively spot with a full restaurant and bar and good whiskey recommendations from the bartender. On this night, it was a jam, as opposed to a frontal performance...these jams you'll find throughout Scotland are really not performances, but musicians who gather together in the front of the venue, sitting in a circle, typically with a group of them with their backs to the audience, who play for each other, for the sheer and obvious love of the collaborative music. They ran through all kinds of traditional Scottish tunes, occasionally with instruments put aside to let a couple of them sing a cappella. It was a beautiful experience to watch "performers" immersing themselves in each other's music, with us, the audience, grateful, if not incidental, receivers of it. They've got a decent whisky selection too, and, as I found throughout Scotland, every bartender seemed knowledgeable in what was offered and willing to have a conversation to help guide you to what you might want to drink that night. (I had a Bunnahabain dram.) If you've got a few nights in town, this is one of the main 3 venues you should check out...the other two we experienced were more direct performances, also good, but to experience a musician's jam circle like this, is truly a wonderful and unique experience to have when in town.

Make a reservation ahead of time! They do require a credit card guarantee for your booking, but…read moreabsolutely worth it to enjoy dinner and a show. We sat in the upper level over looking the live music. The drinks came quickly and were cold & tasty. The food was standard fare, but they took great care to make accommodations for gluten free needs. After dinner we moved down to the benches by the stage for another drink and to enjoy the next musician that came out. The vibes in Hootanany's were top notch, just come with the understanding that they are busy and patience while you're on vacation is key!

We stopped in one night, not as part of a tour or experience, during our time in Inverness. You can…read moreget whisky and good recommendations at almost all of the venues and bars in town, but The Malt Room is supremely whisky-focused...no entertainment or food...just whisky with bartenders who are experts in what they serve. We had a Kilchoman dram which we liked, but we especially liked the ability to have a conversation with the server about what we might want and the no-pressure offer to smell the corks and make a good choice. There is quite a lot to choose from, and they offer flights as well. It's an intimate space...a few comfortable chairs, and you can stand at the bar as well. It may be a destination for whisky tourists, but plenty of locals seemed to be there as well. The address is on Church Street, but the entrance itself is off a small passageway off Church Street on the way to the food court entrance of the Victorian Market indoor mall...but there is a sign on Church Street pointing the way. If Whisky is your thing, and you don't want the liveliness and noise that comes with the nearby music bars, The Malt Room is the place to go!

This place deserves a 6th star, but you need a love for whiskey to appreciate how amazing it is…read more What a rare treat with absolutely incredible whiskeys and knowledgeable and capable staff. It's the star of Inverness if you are on a whiskey travel, a must see

I'm struggling to even justify one star…read more Table of 6, arrived, shown to table, drinks order taken, food order taken, 30 minutes later drinks arrive.... 30 minutes after drinks the starters arrive - very average - after starters long 40 minute wait for main courses - average burgers with 7 chips which were soggy - youngest sons burger wrong - waiter says he will get a fresh burger - 5 attempts & 45 minutes later a burger arrives over cooked and not very good Waiter friendly, manager couldn't even manage a smile let alone a restaurant. Will not be back. Beyond poor

This bar is attached onto The Premier Inn hotel on the banks of the canal just outside Inverness…read morecity centre. The bar and restaurant are open to residents and non residents alike and in fact the majority of the clientelle are guarenteed to be locals! The whole place has just been done up and re-opened as the front section is a listed building and boy is it looking good! Food is typical Beefeater style so lots of burgers, steaks, nachos etc. You won't leave here hungry however it isn't fine dining if that's what you're after. They offer daytime and evening value meals but this is only within certain hours and outwith these times the prices hike up! If you just want some pub grub to enjoy along with your pint then this is the place. The sharing combos are great snacks for a few of you to share and at £8.99 it isn't bad value as the plate comes fully loaded with everything from potato skins, chicken kebabs, garlic bread, breaded muchrooms and coleslaw - finger licking good!!! However this being said, it is Inverness we are talking about here. So, for them to be serving pints and spirits + mixers for £3.60 it is pretty steep! They shut the bar before midnight so you could always head into town from here. Nice outside area with tables and chairs to soak up the Scottish sunshine though and all in all a nice little place.

We ate here on our last night in Inverness after a very long day on a tour. We did not have…read morereservations but the restaurant was accommodating and kind. The World Cup Game was on so it was lively and fun. I will tell you, this was some of the best seasoned food we had the entire time we were in the UK (two weeks). Finally we didn't feel the need to add salt to something. The flavor was just spot on. My husband had the beer steak pie with puff pastry, I had the Cullen skink, my son had a pizza (I can't remember if it was on the kids' menu or not) and my daughter had a Caesar salad with chicken, which she eats a lot at home and had been craving. Both the skink and the stew were perfectly flavored! The fish in the stew was tender and so was the steak in the pie. If we ever go back to Inverness, we will be sure to be returning to Johnny Foxes. Oh! And our waiter was wonderful! I don't remember his name but a young blonde man with a mullet kind of haircut. Thank you to him!

I was walking back to my guest house after a long day on a tour. I decided to pop in to Johnny…read moreFoxes, and I'm glad I did!I had the steak and Guinness pie, it came with French fries and peas. It was HUGE! I wished I could share it. It was so tasty I managed to eat most of it, I just didn't have room for much of the fries or peas. Quick service and a lovely pub atmosphere.

This is a MUST VISIT if you're in Inverness. I was lucky enough to get to chat with Bruce…read moreMacGregor, one of the owners, and listen to him play. His passion, talent, and story telling is unmatched! The roast dinner was delicious and the cocktails were so fun! They take great care with the details around the pub, giving nods to history while pushing forward progress within the re-adoption of traditional Scottish music. Come for a drink or a meal, and stay for the vibes, history, and immense talent on stage.

Re: Delicious Sticky Toffee Pudding…read more To the Greek couple we met in Inverness, with great apologies, we suffered confusion of which delicious desserts we had at various restaurants around the city, inadvertently directing you towards a place that did not serve sticky toffee pudding. We should have pointed you towards MacGregor's as having the most delicious sticky toffee pudding, now verified after having several others that did not perfectly balance sweet with salt as that of the sticky toffee pudding at MacGregor's. If the pub is full, please find your way to the end of the bar and the small door to the left that takes you to the cosy table service room where Jess and other wait staff, including little Nala, will take the best care of you. We also highly recommend the steak & ale pie and fish & chips, should you require something a bit more than the sticky toffee pudding. Again, apologies, and we are certain you will have a fantastic experience at MacGregor's!

Comfortable atmosphere, room to move about. The staff is friendly and accommodating. If you're in…read morethe pub, food is ordered at the bar and brought to your table. Seating is also available outside. This place is also one street above the main street that runs along the shore. So if you're a tourist (like me) this is a great place to avoid the tourists. The beer is cold, the food is hot, the smiles are warm. - did I mention this place is clean and well lit?

This is a great pub in the ground floor of the Argyll Hotel. Decent prices, friendly patrons and…read morestaff. Food was quite good, prices were fair. They have Pub Trivia in Tuesdays at 8:30 PM (well, maybe more like 9 PM). It's £1 per person to play, and the questions are 1) British-centric, and 2) difficult, but it's fun and worth the price of participating. A great place for a drink or a meal.

Walking back to my guest house I decided I should get a little something to eat. I had the soup…read moreof the day, tomato, and a lovely glass of Sauvignon Blanc. The soup was very tasty, and it came with a terrific slice of bread. If you sit outside, remember your table number and order at the bar.

Small dining area inside with lots outside. Cute little place - we got here just as the opened…read more Folks were friendly. Ordered half pints of Real Ale and Innis &Gunn Lager, which was about 3 pounds each. For food we got the fish and chips (17 pounds) happy fish bites and haggis croquettes (7.50 pounds each). Fish bites were a bit small and more bread than fish and although the fish and chips were beg portion, mostly bread. It's a solid 3.5

Very tasty pizza and beer and friendly staff. The secret garden area upstairs was nice in the mini…read moresheds. But it can be quite busy even on a weeknight. We got a half and half pizza and enjoyed both halves.

As our forefathers said - pizza is life is pizza. (I may be paraphrasing, and possibly made that…read moreup...) We love good pizza, and even on a trip where we're focusing on local cuisine, if good pizza is available, we're willing to forego a meal of local culture to put it in our mouths. Black Isle Bar is located on Church Street, in the main couple of blocks stretch of bars and restaurants in the heart of Inverness. After a day out exploring Speyside whiskies, it was exactly what we needed for dinner. You order at the counter and find a table where they will deliver your food. The pizza menu has a handful of good vegetarian options, and there are plenty of beers on tap. My wife and I shared the Broccoli and Stilton pizza...It had a good, light, and chewy crust and overall good flavor, though I didn't taste much of the honey listed as one of the ingredients. We also shared a salad, which was quite fresh. They've got a nice rooftop garden-like seating area too (though it was too cold for us Californians to enjoy that space) Great pizza in a lively atmosphere with very friendly service. We'd definitely get it again if we were in Inverness.

Five stars because my tour of 20+ people stopped in Aberlour without any notice and stampeded this…read morepub right when it opened, with only an hour to eat and leave. The 2-3 workers CRANKED and got us all fed while making us feel incredibly welcome even if they were obviously stressed. I thought it was odd that fish and chips wasn't on the menu but I'll disregard it because of their amazing selection of whiskey at pretty affordable prices, as well as some nice domestic beer options. The food was also good, which for me is saying something because most of the food I had in Scotland was generally flavorless and sad. I wouldn't go out of my way to eat here (because you'd really be driving out of your way) but if you can swing it, make Mash Tun a stop.

They fooled us again. Good reviews abound but it's the usual - the whiskey list is "in process",…read morebut not done; you're 6:30 reservation needs to be out by 7:30; food was adequate. Third time they have stuck it to us but now more options in Aberlour. Never again.

Great fish and chips and really good cider. The staff are so nice and I would definitely come back…read morehere. We were seated right away in a comfortable area and were served right away. Nice little find. :)

This place is a "must do" if you're visiting the area. Why?…read more Food - Went with a party of 4. We all had something different. The Scottish salmon and Fish & Chips delivered, as expected. The balmoral chicken with haggis was top notch! We could have drank whisky sauce. The steak pie was fantastic! The gravy was deep and rich with the flakiest puff pastry on the planet. If you like sticky toffee pudding, this is the place to get it as it's to die for! Service - Our server was 16 years old and already a pro, aside from recommending liquor. She left that up to the bartender, Ryan, who was well-versed, friendly and entertaining. He totally enhanced our wonderful dining experience. Ambiance - The vibe is both classy and casual. Whether you're there in your fancy-wear or trail gear, you're welcomed. One of the people in our party (from Michigan/USA) said he'd make the trip all over again just for this meal experience. That speaks for itself and I agree! Just be sure to make a reservation.