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!

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.

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

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!

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.

After a long day of travel, nothing hits quite like a pint and a dram at a local pub…read more Looking to stretch our legs after the 4 1/2 hour train from Edinburgh, we checked into our inn and wandered down to the river, finding Glenalbyn just across the bridge. This well when pub is low key, inviting, and not geared towards tourists: the perfect spot to unwind. I enjoyed a pint of a local ale (McEwan's 80) and a dram of Isle of Skye (a smooth, slightly peaty blended whisky) while we sat. A fine diversion for the afternoon

Classic pub. Friendly, helpful and local establishment. Playing traditional tavern music .read more

this is a famed little pub on the black isle. formerly known as the drouthy duck, there has long…read morebeen an active live music scene here. this is currently my local. the pub has recently been taken over and the food has been transformed - really good, hearty meals from local produce. it also has a good combination of real ales as well as the usual lagers. the best thing about this place is that it brings all sorts of music that you just don't see ordinarily including martin stephenson from the dainties. it is becoiming renowned for good quality gigs and is getting busier and busier on these nights

The Riverside Tavern, which used to be known as the Drouthy Duck, is a fantastic pub/restaurant. It…read morehas a lovely atmosphere and does great meals. There is a great selection of drinks which are reasonably priced. The food is excellent and also well priced. I have been here for several meals and have always really enjoyed it. The mussels are fabulous! There is plently of tables to choose from and you can sit downstairs or upstairs. There is a lovely area upstairs and there are nice cosy log fires. The staff are always very friendly and helpful. The service is quick and efficient. There is good music and live entertainment. They have specials on the menu each day and the food certainly appears to be home cooked and very tasty. A great night is always available at the Riverside Tavern.

I wanted to like this place, cute atmosphere, smelled good, nice music, but from the second we…read morewaked in, the seemingly annoyed long haired red head 'greeted' us. Our service was horrible, we waited over 40 mins for our food, it took us forever to get our order taken, and we were being completely ignored. Anytime we ask her for something she seems completely put off. What was worse as there was hardly anybody in the place. Pretty pissed by the time we got our food and completely over it. Our waitress and an older gentleman who what I think was an owner were completely oblivious. I watched other people come in and order and then leave because they waited so long. i"it was ridiculous

Food was fair but service was poor. Ordered an Old Fashioned that was so small.. only a little over…read morea finger and cost 11£. No wonder the place was empty

Look you are either going to absolutely love this place, or completely hate it. There is no middle…read moreground. Go there at 10pm one night, buy a beer and stand by the bar for 15 minutes. You'll see. Downstairs: Never been in, seems a bit 'Local' In the sense of 'Royston Vasey' rather than ' Rovers Return' though. But upstairs: A total gem. A 100% Music dive of the best sort. Bar is tiny, but still hosts some of the best LIVE music to be had in Inverness and beyond. True sometimes its comedically awful. But sometimes its totally amazing. You never know what you're gonna get, and that's part of the fun, More hits than misses in my experience. Place can be quiet (but is never empty), or it can be completely packed out. It has a totally amazing friendly buzz either way. One day you'll get a 6 piece Death Metal band, next it could be some grey haired R&B growler, or a Cornish folk duo. At the weekends, don't be surprised to see 18 year old Goths drinking snakebite next to bearded kilties with Guiness who - but for the smoking ban - would doubtless be chuffing away on pipes. Mucially its mainly quieter Folky type stuff during week nights, and touring wannabes and up and coming bands playing the weekends. The size of the place means that the acts are mixed in with everyone else. Friendly, scruffy, and very chilled out, this is the bar where the Proclaimers hung out before they made it big. I almost always pass through when I'm out on the town planning to head to Hootenanny or wherever, and quite often, end up staying put.

The upstairs pub has all you want if you like to hang out with a few pals over a pint or four…read more there is live music over the weekends thae staff are great and the atmosphere is warm great place for students.

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.