Must see restaurants in Orkney & Shetland

Three miles down the Orphir road, one of Orkney's best dining options is surprisingly affordable for its quality. Tranquilly located, with a cosy eating…

A cute wooden building in a super location, Fjarå is perched above a rocky shore and takes full advantage, with big picture windows looking out over the…

Upstairs in the Shetland Museum, this place sports a wall of picture windows and a fair-weather balcony that overlooks the harbour. Clean lines and pale…

Tucked away off the main street, this Stromness favourite specialises in excellent local seafood in an intimate, cordial atmosphere. There’s always…

This popular harbourside place is a convivial spot with a helpful attitude. It offers high-standard bar meals and excellent evening meals in the…

Part music shop, part cafe, the Reel is Kirkwall’s best coffee stop and sits alongside St Magnus Cathedral, bravely putting tables outside at the…

This grand old waterfront hotel is among Kirkwall’s better dining places. The elegant bar and eating area packs out; it’s a favourite spot for older…

There’s a traditional cosiness about this place and the decor is a comfortable, with contemporary slate floor and quotes from the Orkneyinga Saga…

At the back of a lively craft shop opposite St Magnus Cathedral, this licensed cafe-bistro serves tasty sandwiches and salads, as well as daily specials…

A pleasant spot with sweeping views over green grass, black cows and blue-grey sea, this cafe serves tea, coffee, home baking and light meals. It's a good…

If you’ve been craving proper espresso since leaving the mainland, head to this gem, with art exhibitions, wire-mounted halogens and industrial-gantry…

Handy for the Moaness ferry, this cafe has a spectacular location by the water with great views of the brooding Hoy hills. It offers home baking and light…

Every port has its pub, and in Stromness it’s the Ferry. Convivial and central, it warms the cockles with folk music, local beers and characters, and all…

Buzzy, arty and colourful, this cheery venue in Mareel overlooks the water and does sandwiches and snacks by day, and shared platters, burgers and nachos…

This sizeable hotel restaurant by the Highland Park Distillery offers well-presented, rich cuisine that's long been a local favourite. The menu changes,…

This exciting project that was just about to open as we last passed by has seen a transformation of a listed 19th-century herring warehouse into an…

On the meandering main street through Stromness you'll find this very likeable little deli. Local cheeses and yoghurts are a highlight, alongside smoked…

The dining room in this slightly run-down hotel wins marks for its harbour views – book one of the window tables. It's best visited for beautifully…

Shetlanders have fine seafood but love their meat, so this friendly steakhouse was always going to be popular. Hidden away behind the tourist office, it…

In the Albert Hotel, the Bothy has a contemporary smartness about it, plus B&W photos of old-time Orcadian farming and low tables providing old-time cheer…