Latest reviews from Inverness

“Visited August 2023. Lot of money invested here. Hotel / Destillery / brewery. Lot of tourist tasting whisky. Our group was the only one drinking beers. Beers were pretty solid and served in good condition. Bar is cozy, with the brewery located behind. Friendly service, like a 5 star resort. Very nice and relaxed experience, except for the tourist ambiance... Next one please!“

Taboada 129 days ago

“Visited August 2023. Centrally located with a wide selection of their own beers on tap. Did not try the pizza, but the smell was good. Beers are served in good condition and prices are fair. Very nice. Next one please!“

Taboada 129 days ago

“Cozy bar/taproom with some good pizza. Small pours available here, and the pizza was good--I had the venison salami. Friendly patrons and staff. Beer was mostly OK, but atmosphere was cool. The patio upstairs is great, with mini-hobbit type houses with private seats. Would be a good date location. Kid friendly until about six or so.“

solidfunk 233 days ago

“We visited here with Nick and Anna on Monday 26th September following the cancellation of our sailing to Harris. We'd already spent a couple of hours at the Black Isle Bar in the centre so felt that we should take a short stroll here. It's not far from the centre on a slight hill and main road heading out of town. There was a small covered terrace area at the front but this is the Highlands in late September so we gave that a swerve and sat inside. It's a cosy place, traditional appearance bar ahead as you enter. There was a decent selection mostly cask but all in excellent condition. We stayed for a couple here, staff were very nice, the ambiance was great, it's a great place.“

Fin 453 days ago

“Visited here a couple of times at the end of September 2022, but longest time there was with Nick and Anna on Monday 26th September following the cancellation of our sailing to Harris. This is a great bar that is located fairly centrally in Inverness, it is a corner bar and a regular rectangular shaped bar, there is bar upstairs, trying to remember if it is outside? Back to the main bar, which occupies most of the length of the wall opposite the entrance. There is a very good range of keg and a couple of cask as I recall and also a fridge with cans that can be consumed on site or for take away. Prices are very reasonable for craft and the staff were great. I really like this place, it has a nice ambience, and was very popular. We didn’t have any food but it looked good.“

Fin 463 days ago

“Since the wait was just to long at Black Isle we ended up coming here. Standard JDW with standard taps and a few interesting rotational casks. With their app everything is made easy and food/beer came out in a timely manner.“

SHIG 494 days ago

“Stopped in here on a family vacation. Vast selection of beers and pizza. Very friendly helpful staff. Problem was this place was super busy and kids were hungry. Didn't stay long.“

SHIG 494 days ago

“Great selection on tap and the pizza smelled delicious(didn't eat ) . had a couple beers that were very nice.“

edgallow 549 days ago

“Very fond memories - decent selection of 30-odd beers, really tasty pizza from a woodfired oven. The outside seating area upstairs is very nice, too“

IPARater72 640 days ago

“Really good place with a good selection of Black Isle beers and some guest British beers. Tasty pizzas.“

melush 645 days ago

“Only a handful of not very interesting (craft) beers. Place was very average. Barman was very kind though. There are definitely better spots in town to enjoy a nice / local beer, don't know why this is on ratebeer...“

PietS 713 days ago

“When we were there the most interesting beers on tap were from Beavertown and one local brew. Beerwise there are better spots to visit in Inverness. Overall it's an ok pub, but it doesn't really stand out in any way.“

PietS 713 days ago

“With about 5 local beers, this isn't much of a beer spot. The ambiance, live music, and service is good though.“

PietS 713 days ago

“Spacious modern looking bar. They have quite some local brewers on tap: Cairngorm brewery, Loch Ness brewery and more. Staff doesn't know a lot about the beers though. The food was very good as well (for pub-food), but I think none of the guests were actually happy with the live DJ...“

PietS 713 days ago

“They have quite some beers on tap, mostly of their own brewery, but some guest beers as well. The appearance is quite modern with nice wooden tables, but a little bare and nondescript as well. Service was good. Didn't try the pizza, but it smelled great.“

PietS 713 days ago

“Visited June 2015. The place has a cafe bar vibe. Some reasonable cask available on my visit. One of the better places I thought. “

Cheeseboard 957 days ago

“Visited June 2015. Town centre based Spooners not far from the River Ness. Large, open plan type vibe. Reasonable range of Scottish cask available - some were OK, others less than OK on my visit.“

Cheeseboard 957 days ago

“Decent selection of beers, mostly focussing on their output but they do have a variety of guests. Good pizzas if a little on the expensive side.“

Stuu666 1688 days ago

“This is a large warehouse styled place dominated, as the name suggests, by wines however there are a few craft beers along one wall. The beer range is limited to a couple of locals (eg Black Isle) and a few orher brewers (Brewdog, Yeastie Boys). Single bottles/cans are priced around £2 however the beers are mostly sold as four or six packs. The place is located on the city fringe and unless passing is not really a Ratebeer destination.“

KeefOz 1938 days ago

“A three-level restaurant/bar/cocktail lounge that is more of a restaurant than a speciality beer bar. The only tap beers were four of the Black Isle range however there is a great range of Scotch whisky, gin, vodka and rum. There is a family business relationship with Black Isle Brewery.“

KeefOz 1938 days ago

“A pub with an outside patio, a small lower floor bar and dining area, and an upstairs restaurant. There are about six tap beers, two ciders and six cask beers available and a chalk board outside lists the real ales (casks) available. Food is good quality pub food and service was welcoming, friendly and attentive. Prices for drinks were a bit more than other local venues. A place to find a few good local real ales.“

KeefOz 1939 days ago

“Downs stairs is a decent sized beer hall style of place with a long bar on one wall. Available on tap were fifteen Black Isle beers and one cider, three Black Isle on cask and six guest beers. Serving size for the beers is as 1/3 pint, half pint and pints. Flights/tasters are not available for sale however with the smallest serving size you can make up your own. Spirits and organic wines are also available. Prices are craft beer standard for such a venue. Tasty wood fired pizza is the food offering. A must visit craft beer venue when in Inverness.“

KeefOz 1942 days ago

“A large venue with about twenty taps and six casks, mostly the usual range you see in a JDW pub. Service was friendly and promt and prices decent. Better than a few other local places for service and range.“

KeefOz 1942 days ago

“Just a few minutes from the Castle Tavern, this a decent enough bar/restaurant (although I didn't eat), seemed to be popular with families. Service was friendly, and there were 3 cask ales on from Windswept (in good condition). Nothing else really was too memorable about the place but it's fine enough.“

joetownpunk 2115 days ago

“Just near Inverness castle and the River Ness is this pub, a traditional pub with outside beer garden/patio. A number of cask ales on offer, some I'd never seen before, as well as Erdinger on keg. Sky Sports too so would be a good place to watch football and also a good place for an outdoor beer.“

joetownpunk 2115 days ago

“Modern beer bar, nice lit ambiance. Visited here on a Friday night and it was a lively and busy atmosphere but managed to get a seat easily enough. Service was quick and friendly, music was ok and not too loud. Ate food here - good selection of pizzas with unusual vegetarian selection. Local ingredients used apparently and very tasty. Great beer selection with about 24 on tap, 3 of these were cask. Many from Black Isle Brewery but also a good amount of guests. Although some were on pricy side, there were specials with a few of the beers at £3.50.“

joetownpunk 2593 days ago

“Walked in on a Saturday lunchtime to watch the football, very welcoming atmosphere with a chatty and helpful bar man. Good selection of cask ales, mainly from England that I hadn’t seen before, plus the likes of Erdinger and a couple of other unusual things on draught. Offer on ale of the week at only £3 a pint, beer in good condition. Not too many seats but it’s more of a standing bar to watch football.“

joetownpunk 2593 days ago

“Visited on 29th October 2016. City centre pub just up the road from the station. Quite small bar area with a central bar and seating around the outside. There’s a huge restaurant area the was closed by the time we arrived. Decor was pretty decent, a good array of local cask beers in decent condition. Prices not bad, service good. Locals were friendly and happy to chat which upped the ambiance and overall as probably friendliest in town. Maybe not a must do but a decent pub“

WingmanWillis 2711 days ago

“Visited on 29th October 2016. Nice old traditional pub in the town centre a couple of mins up the road from the station. Plenty of seating and a nice old feel to the place. Had live music on a Saturday night so stopped for just a quick pint. Beer range was decent enough with a good mix of Scottish Micros, quality and prices decent and service was good. Decent enough stop.“

WingmanWillis 2722 days ago

“Visited on 29th October 2016. Just around the corner from Hootenanny is this place. Modern beer bar with plenty of seating downstairs and, in the midst of a Halloween zombie apocalypse, a welcome space on the roof with a part covered terrace offering a nice place to look at the stars and enjoy a beer or three. 24 taps along the wall with a good range of beers and a good number from Black Isle, quality and prices were good, service prompt despite place being packed. So good that when one is my companions decided to retire we went back to try some more beer. Best bar in town by a good distance. A must visit in Inverness.“

WingmanWillis 2722 days ago

“Visited on 29th October 2016. Situated in the city centre decided to pop in here as on the way to next venue. Bagged a table on the stage as place was busy, musicians were starting to set up around us, it’s an odd place with a lot of wood and a traditional music venue vibe. Beer range was OK with a couple on from Black Isle. Beer in decent condition and prices OK. Probably the least interesting place in Inverness.“

WingmanWillis 2722 days ago

“Visited on 29th October 2016. After a stroll back down the hill from the Corriegarth we decided to stop in here. It’s just down the road from Tomlinsons and is a diner style bar, reserved seating for diners at the back and some tables to eat and drink at toward the front. Managed to bag a table and settled in with a pint of Windswept beer from the 4 on cask. Had to swap one as was at the end of the cask but this was done without hassle. Tempted by the food here we stopped and ate. A good decision as the fish pie was excellent as was a haggis and chicken dish according to Andy and Nick. Beer quality maybe not tip top but service friendly, prices decent and a nice vibe. Worth a look in.“

WingmanWillis 2722 days ago

“Visited on 29th October 2016. Hotel and bar which is a new entry into the Good Beer Guide and one that a member of our party wanted to tick off (I was willing to take one for the Rb team). Nice, modern bar in a lovely old building a few minutes walk up the hill from the Castle Tavern. Place had taken in the Halloween vibe with free Haribo on the bar and staff dressed up. Decent array of beer with a Cromarty house beer and others on tap. Beer was well kept, service good and locals friendly. A popular place as we struggled for a seat. A decent enough spot in town.“

WingmanWillis 2722 days ago

“Visited on 29th October 2016. Arranged to meet my travelling companions in this venue. It’s a nice old place and oddly shaped. Patio out front, some of which is covered and I’m sure they had blankets to keep you warm. Big screens add a modern touch but sitting outside in the evening sun with a nice view of Inverness seemed a decent plan. Decent range of cask beer from local breweries plus a few from a bit further afield. Beer was well kept, decently priced and after the 2 hr bus journey from Fort WIlliam, some welcome refreshment. Nice old pub. Recommended.“

WingmanWillis 2722 days ago

“Visited on 29th October 2016. Large city centre hotel Spoons. Vast single room that looks pretty decent. Visited late on a Saturday night so place was heaving and a real struggle to get served. Beer range was decent with some beer festival remnants on cask plus so good local stuff. Prices are decent. It’s ok.“

WingmanWillis 2734 days ago

“A lovely local a stone’s throw from the picturesque River Ness. Well kept cask even if most of the selection wasn’t new to me! A great bench seating area outside. Locals claim Inverness is the sunshine capital of Scotland though I’ve heard that of Dundee and Kirkcaldy too. The sort of place you would be delighted to hang out in during your retirement years.“

AshtonMcCobb 2767 days ago

“From memory, 24 taps if which roughly 6 were cask. Only two were not dispensing beer at the time of my visit. About three quarters had Black Isle beer with guest beers from Tempest, a couple of English breweries and a Scandinavian. So their core range plus some of their most special regular brews - I’m particularly thinking of their Scotch Ale - plus 3 beers that hadn’t made it down to Edinburgh. Friendly and knowledgeable service. There’s a proper stone pizza oven for food. The garlic bread was excellent. Groups of friends some visiting Inverness and some living there, hanging out around the soft wood surroundings. Great ambience. This is what a brewery tap should be like. Tremendous!“

AshtonMcCobb 2767 days ago

“A solid Schwpoons. Very attentive service with their usual decent condition with the cask and keen pricing even if their range doesn’t bowl you over. I didn’t try their microwaved food but I’m sure they are consistent in that department. Ambiance was real, very real. A community bar as much as anything.“

AshtonMcCobb 2768 days ago

“We’ve arrived pretty late in Inverness so rest of the pubs were closed. In the end Hootananny was a good choice. They had 3 or 4 ales from Black Isle and live Scottish music which kept us entertained for hour or two.“

Iznogud 2993 days ago

“Couple of different beers available, not overly exciting.“

Stuu666 3121 days ago

“They had four different casks when I visited, I had two of them without being too impressed with the quality, but it was a little better than most of the others obscure micros I tried in Scotland. The food was alright, I had the fish and chips, which I found a tad under seasoned - which often was the case with the pub food. The pie was better. I guess this place is worth a visit but I’d personally check out some of the other water holes before going back. The service was all right.“

Smaskifa 3399 days ago

“Visited on a Friday evening in October 2013 around 7.30pm. Centrally located on Church St, the place was pretty busy and there were no tables free, quite a few seemingly reserved for diners. The place had more of a restaurant feel to it than a bar. 4 Black Isle beers on tap, 2 cask, 2 keg which was the main draw for me, condition of the cask offerings was fine. Pretty much a quick in and out stop to tick some Black Isle for me. Food looked good, would probably eat here on another visit. No "go to" but if you’re in the Ness for a few nights you’ll no doubt get chance to pop in.“

Theydon_Bois 3413 days ago

“Fantastic little pub just behind Inverness Castle, shock horror. Staff are knowledgeable and attentive, and the selection was good, and seemingly well kept when it came to the cask conditioned ales. The outdoor seating is delightful, as is the inside bar. A wonderful place that would be my local if I lived in Inverness.“

Velkyal 3559 days ago

“Spoons in the centre of Inverness. Last visited in Oct ’13 during their BF when i also stayed in the adjoining Wetherlodge. Large open plan spooneria, not much natural light presumably a bank/shop conversion. Centrally located around 5 minutes form the rail and bus stations and 7 or 8 to the castle. The usual city centre spoons youngish crowd after cheap drinks mid evening but the crowd clears a bit by 10ish on a weekend night. Beer range was adequate but not one of the better spoons. 5 or so fest beers available each night, conditioning fine. Service decent for a spoons, even during the busy periods. Worth popping in I guess, especially if you stay here (rooms are pretty decent for the price) but I’d be hitting the other venues around town first!“

Theydon_Bois 3722 days ago

“Town centre Wetherspoon set a block back from the East Bank of the River Ness close to the footbridge. It’s a comfortable enough place without being outstanding with a large open plan ground floor area, but with low-ceilings so it’s not as bright and breezy as many of the other places JDW own. The bar is to the rear and stocks enough ales to warrant a look. Neaps and Tatties are on the menu.“

ManVsBeer 3723 days ago

“Seems like this place has come on leaps and bounds recently. Located just a few doors down from Tomlinson’s and a couple of minutes walk from The Castle Tavern, so why not make a visit? A fairly standard looking bar appearance-wise, but they happen to have a rather well-kept selection of Scottish Micros on cask. On out last visit it happened to be all from the new Windswept brewery, which were pretty decent. Seems to have a different selection than the rest of Inverness. A worthy stop when you are in town.“

Scopey 3832 days ago

“Visited in April ’09 on a Sunday night. Tradtional boozer just a 3 or 4 minute walk from the railway station. Around 5 cask beers on my visit, largely Scottish micro, all in decent nick. Place was a little on the dark side and not particularly busy on my sojourn here. Service fine, not too difficult bearing in mind the headcount. Decent enough pub - need to revisit on a busier evening perhaps. UPDATE - OCT ’13. The Blackfriars has gone downhill a little. Visited on the Saturday night of my IS weekend around 9/9.30pm when the place should (would have) been in it’s pomp. Pretty quiet, beer range has gone down hill. Still 5 cask lines but one was a Holts offering and 2 were from the Spoons fest !!! Everards Pumpkin and Caledonian Poltergeist. The other 2 offerings were Orkney. Never bothered heading back here the next night.“

Theydon_Bois 3835 days ago

“Just the one visit here in April ’09 on a Saturday night. Place was pretty packed with a youngish crowd. 3 or 4 cask ales on offer from Scottish micros, all in good nick (had my reservations as the place has a trendy/young feel to it). Vibes good, service fine, not far from the Castle Tavern. UPDATE - October ’13. Really got to hand it to the cellarman here - the condition of the cask ales was exemplary during my recent visit to the ’Ness. 4 on cask on Friday night, by the same time Saturday - 3 out of 4 were new. All in tip top form. Beers from Windswept, Loch Ness, Inveralmond all present. Fast becoming my number one bar in IS !“

Theydon_Bois 3835 days ago