Borve Country House Pub in Eilean Siar

Food was lovely great service 5 star plus couldn't fault anything very friendly would highly recommend definitely worth going

We had a lovely lunch here, great size portions and very well cooked. Very pleasant staff too, thank you for such a nice relaxed experience.

Gute Whisky Auswahl, netter Service, faire Preise, super Essen, kreativ und cross over, asiatisch / schottisch, tolles Chicken/Haggis Wellington, tolle Fritten

Very good food in a family friendly restaurant-they even do a kids 3 course meal which was excellent as it allowed us to eat 2/3 courses while the kids were eating too-don’t know why more places don’t do this! Very friendly staff made for a nice relaxed evening, thank you!

Great food, reasonably priced and decent service too. Had ribeye steak for main and was cooked to perfection. Great portion sizes as well plus it was backed up by really friendly smiley and happy staff. Will definitely look forward to coming back!

Booked a table for weekday. Were told we couldn't have a table at the time we wanted though place was empty when we arrived at the booked time. The food was good. The langoustine starter was generous and tasty and the mains huge. We had no room for dessert... service was friendly, and the prices reasonable.

Wholesome food from a good menu, generous portions. It was a bit noisy on a busy saturday night but well worth knowing in this remote area.

5/5 Nice place to drop in for a coffee. The service was pleasant, swift and very friendly. The view from the dining room is excellent and as far as the eye as can see. I would come again to stay for a nice relaxing stay well a way from the maddening crowd!

We visited as a family, one evening during a week's stay on Lewis and came away feeling satisfied. The restaurant is clean and well furnished and food good value for money - a little pricey but good quality with large servings so you really don't mind the cost. Starters are huge portions and if I'm honest, a little too large! Two of us opted for langoustines which were delicious and a massive portion. The prawn crackers they came with were superfluous in my opinion and didn't add anything to the dish other than being a filler. A note to staff, serving them with a finger bowl or wipes to clean up with would be useful - unshelled seafood which is covered in sauce leaves you rather messy!! Mains were all tasty although our son complained the pulled pork burger was a little too spicy to be enjoyable. Highly recommend the Balmoral chicken! Desserts were also really good and huge portions - the cheesecake was amazing. My only gripe is the service. They seemed understaffed and our main waitress didn't really have a clue - maybe she was new? Whilst looking at the menus on arrival we overheard another waitress going through the specials and handing out another menu which we hadn't been given. On asking, the other lady went through what was and wasn't available. Service was very slow for both drinks and clearing away. We had to get up and find a member of staff to ask for more drinks and eventually gave up waiting for the bill and went to the bar to pay directly. One member of staff seemed far busier (and more efficient) than the others and I got the impression more training was needed for some. It didn't spoil the visit though as the food was so tasty!

Visited with friends for lunch. The prawn cocktail that I had was the biggest one I have ever seen - it was deep filled with more and more prawns. The men had the fish and chips, which were huge and delicious. They also offer a very different starter - wings with blue cheese mayonnaise - yum yum

Prix très raisonnable, Portions copieuses, personnel agréable. Une très bonne adresse sur l’île de Lewis.

This is a great place to sop over on the way to Port Ness/the Butt of Lewis. A lovely conservatory-style dining room offers staples such as hamburgers, sandwiches and pies, all well plated and delicious. We ate lunch at close to 2pm, so the dining area had largely cleared. We were in and out in 20 minutes.

I was there for dinner with my father when staying on Lewis and we enjoyed a very good meal of lamb. The prices were a little on the high side and service a tad slow. But overall, we very much enjoyed our dinner there.

AS we stayed in Ness, we had no choice, as the Borve is the only restaurant all over the place. However, we did not have to regret it: food excellent, nice service, in all: only to be recommended!

Very Good fish and chips but menu was uninteresting and we waiting long time - one girl on everything , she was like a superman.Prices were good and cheap but the evil position , view of parking and road does not add to your popularity. Change menu and one more person for restaurant - my recommendation.

Freshly made good honest pub grub, choice of pub grub or posh grub menu so.sometjing to suit all tastes

Great service, very friendly staff, food ok (chips were delicious). Very expensive drink as PINT OF SODA WATER & BLACKCURRANT WAS £4.15!! We won't be going back. 😙

Stopped here with family after trip to Ness.The kids menu was 3 course and excellent value, which they enjoyed.My wife had a filling dish from the pub food menu and I enjoyed goose from the varied menu.Highly enjoyable visit, which was down in part to the pleasant and pleasing staff.

Thought for a change we would go to Borve House ,as it used to be very good .We travelled over (food had to be pre ordered a day before we went ) as there was a good crowd of us .Food very disappointing ,it was cold,from start to finish ,and certainly was not fresh , we would certainly not go there again .Some of us didn’t eat it ,lots of waste

We had visited Borve Hotel last year and I felt the food I had was not that great and certainly overpriced. So I had to be persuaded to return on this trip. I chose the salmon sandwich on gluten free bread which came with salad and tortilla crisps. I also ordered a portion of chips. The sandwich was bursting with filling, the chips were home made and really tasty and there was plenty of salad. The cost including the chips was just under £9.00 which was great value. I will look forward to revisiting on my next trip to Lewis.

We both had a steak & ale pie for dinner and it was delicious. Slow cooked beef that melts in your mouth and so much of it that we couldn't eat all - and we have big appetites! Dessert was rich and yummy. The staff were outstanding - two young women served us, both very cheerful, friendly and helpful.

good dinner in this hotel, you better can reseve a place because there are not so manny places where you can eat, so this restaurant is populair.

We stopped for breakfast. Staff were really helpful. The breakfast was extremely good value for money. It was all freshly cooked, and came exactly as ordered. The coffee was good and there was plenty of it.

Visited here tonight. There was a choice of about 6 starters,6 mains,6 desserts,which was ample choice with a great selection. The wine list was excellent the choice of malt whisky brilliant. Great value for money.The food was excellent,well served by very pleasant staff. Only negative was the lack of bread or a roll to nibble on. Well worth the drive from Eoropie for such a beautiful meal.

Stopped here for a quick lunch. Only ordered sandwiches but they were well made and came with a salad, homemade coleslaw and tortilla chips and at £6.75 not bad value in our opinion.

Waited ages for food, but got our orders wrong, steak was blue instead of medium rare, asked for BBQ sauce was given pepper then when pointed out was given the most bland BBQ sauce I've ever had, (I swear they just put a dollop of BBQ into the pepper sauce and gave it back). Fiancée asked for a roll for her burger and was given a panini despite the waitress asking and being told a she wanted a roll.

Friendly and efficient. Serves Harris Gin -must be tried. The hotel has a children's playarea and a bar as well as resturant menu with a varied choice including a vegetarian option.

Really disappointed with this place.been a few times and there's no consistency,service was not good&food; wasnt great.A couple of our meals had to go back,we were a party of 8 and noone enjoyed it,very disappointed. Seems lack of supervision and authority in here.

Los platos principales eran preciosas, tenía una mezcla de bar y restaurante de platos a la mesa y la comida deliciosa y las porciones son de un buen tamaño. La decepción fue el postre - mini postres para elegir 3 5 libras. 95 a partir de una selección de 6. El pudin era un pastel seco (y me refiero a seco) con salsa en el lado que no dan suficiente humedad, sin duda un sticky toffee pudding. La tarta de chocolate fudge era un triángulo muy seco de pastel sin guinda así no chocolate fudge elemento. El donut de la fondue para mallow mini era de 5 mini nubes. La bola de helado era menos de 1 pulgada de ancho. Fue anunciado, distorsión de la seca y pequeñas, tan decepcionante después de campos encantadores principal.

Tuvimos una comida aquí cuando nuestro lugar habitual estaba cerrada. La comida estaba bien, pero el personal era desinteresado y parecía no haber recibido mucho en el camino de la formación. No fueron groseros o desagradables, pero no mostraban ningún interés real en lo que estaban haciendo. El comedor estaba limpio y bien cuidado, pero aquí no era 'buzz' o el carácter del lugar. Excelente potencial, pero alguien debe tomar un verdadero interés en ofrecer un buen servicio a los visitantes.

Decided to visit Borve Country House Hotel for lunch , and we were delighted with our meal .

Not a lot of options for lunch in the area, so a "country house hotel" seemed like a good bet - but how wrong can one be? Characterless establishment, with an ambience about as far removed from that of a "country house" as one could imagine. Service unfriendly and extremely slow. The menu reminded us of pub grub from the 1960s: prawn cocktail, breadcrumbed scampi, baked potato with cheese (apparently the only gluten-free option). Fortunately, we overheard the next table ordering a burger and fish & chips, neither of which appeared on our menu: it transpired that there was a separate, 3-item "bar favourites" menu that we had not been given (nothing gluten-free, though, so my wife still had to settle for a baked potato, whilst I had the uninspiring burger). One to avoid!

Sympathique restaurant servant des plats variés et de bonne qualité. Les assiettes sont dressées avec soin et le restaurant dispose d'un bon choix de boisson. Comme il s'agit également d'un hôtel, les non-résidents sont les bienvenus. Pour les résidents, le restaurant est ouvert également le dimanche jour de fermeture officielle.

Reserva con antelación para asegurarse de una mesa. A su llegada fue mostrada en una habitación lateral, donde alrededor de 25 personas estaban teniendo una familia/genealógica satisfacer. Nos sentimos un poco avergonzados de ser en una ocasión. Otros comensales, no asociados con dicho conocer, también estaban en esa habitación. Nadie debería haber sido colocado con esa empresa, para ser sincero. El ambiente era ruidoso como consecuencia. La comida era buena, pero nos sentimos un poco pegadas a la orden el próximo curso cuando no bastante preparado para eso. Ninguna prisa, debido al transporte público permitiendo un largo periodo en el que disfrutar de la cena. La comida era muy buena, no hay quejas.

Paramos aquí para un café en el camino de vuelta de la playa impresionante eoropie. Entorno y el restaurante son preciosas y el café era perfecto. A los niños les encantaron sus helados y con un grupo grande de cenar nos las arreglamos a escondidas un vistazo a algunas de las comidas que se ofrecen. Basta con decir que una visita a la muestra de estas ofertas caliente está en las tarjetas.

I agree with one of the other reviews, this is not a country house hotel, it is a motel with, rather oddly, a huge photograph of Canary Wharf taken from the other side of the Millennium Dome. I'm really not sure why anyone would think visitors to Lewis want to look at this view?! The food is pub grub at best, in a half empty restaurant we just about got a table and the staff whilst very nice, didn't seem that comfortable or happy in their surroundings. The cheese on top of the veggie lasagne was clearly red leicester or such like as it was bright orange and not what you expect for an italian dish usually topped with mozzarella or similar. However, my biggest disappointment was in the seafood spaghetti as the mussels were clearly either from a jar of pickled mussels or they had just been soused in vinegar which, together with cream, is a super bad combination. I ate a little and we paid up (once the bar person served someone behind us in the queue first) and left. The prices do not warrant the lack of quality I'm afraid. What a shame as this part of Lewis could really do with a super restaurant. Sorry to be negative but it really wasn't good at all. The decor is also more akin to a conference centre than a country house. All laminate flooring and bucket chairs. Won't be back. Disappointed.

When I see 'Country House' I expect to see certain efforts at high standards. This is not the case. Generally the food served was fairly standard pub grub. The gravadlax starter with a well dressed salad was good. However the lasagne lacked the Italian flavours of garlic and oregano and the cheese topping tasted like cheap cheddar.Unlikely to return.

Just returned from a lovely stay at Borve House Hotel. Staff lovely and welcoming, accommodation great and very comfortable and excellent food. Nothing was too much trouble. Would definitely recommend it and hope to return.

We have a meal here every time we visit Lewis. There was six adults, and two children on this occasion, and we all thought the meals were excellent. We ordered two battered haddock with chips, two steak and ale pies with chips, the venison and guiness pie was not available, one roast beef meal, and one beefburger meal. The children had chicken goujons. The portions were excellent and the meals were lovely, just as we have come to expect. We cannot say enough about this hidden jem on Lewis, and it is definitely worth a visit.

Having just returned from a vist up to Ness.....there is no where to go....it's the back of beyond!! . But Borve House with all it's add ons is hopfully quicky becoming an attraction.

Had another superb evening meal... Service very good... Food great exactly as stated on menu... And very tasty ...just the Job!!!

We have had great food in the past in the Borve Country House Hotel. We went in at 4pm the place was empty and a snack menu was on offer. The baked potatoes were £7.95 each and just not worth it. My daughter had a coleslaw baked pot and it arrived at a chilled temprature. My husbands was warm. My other daughters was just warm. I will go back but make sure its a busy time and not for snacks.

Wij eten regelmatig in dit restaurant op deze geweldige locatie. Het personeel is supervriendelijk. Prijs/kwaliteit verhouding is heel goed. De kaart wisselt van tijd tot tijd. Altijd goed eten. Schotse gerechten worden op een creatieve manier bereid en opgediend. Vergeet niet om plek over te houden voor een toetje. Deze zijn fantastisch! Voor de mensen die denken dat de Britten niet kunnen koken: Wij eten altijd heel goed in Groot Brittanië en voor een schappelijke prijs.

I visited this restaurant with 7 other family members. We were all very disappointed in the food we were served. The scampi tails were so obviously frozen and coated in a thick brown crumb.the pork was mostly fat the chips were soft the calamari was coated in the same crumb as the 'scampi' tails.The pancake thar surrounded the malteser ice cream could have been used to sole a shoe!!!!We will not be returning!

Arrived without reserving which was good although the restaurant quickly filled up. Nice decor. Fantastic customer service from the waitress-v polite, attentive and friendly. Varied menu. Quality of food was lower than what we expected- watery salsa, nachos which were just tortilla chips covered in a packet of cheddar cheese, chicken burger with nothing in it apart from the chicken breast and bap which was actually a morning roll, and hard, thick pastry on steak pie whilst top was still doughy. All edible and huge portions but this is not high quality food which you might expect from a 4 star country house hotel. I wouldn't travel to get to it as there are better places on the island but it is one of only places in its location and food is suitable for that.

Comfortable, friendly, locally run hotel. Modern and clean with good selection of food and drinks. Excellent, large sized portions and extremely good value for money. Service was top notch, massive thanks to Marianne for all her help.

Now, I'm not one for writing reviews or comments but after telling a co-worker about my experience over at Borve House, she encouraged me to do so. After having a browse through the previous reviews, I was shocked to see the continuous comments about how the food was described as 'unediable' and 'nothing special'. Both myself and my wife travel over to the island every few months or so due to family commitments and Borve is always top of the list to visit. On this trip, we didn't book. We were visiting in the area and decided to chance our luck. On arrival, we were greeted in the foyer by a rather strong smell of cigarettes that lingered through into the reception. There was nobody at reception, or anywhere for that matter. We wondered into the restaurant to be met by a member of staff coming out of the kitchen. She greeted us and took us over to a table by the window. Sitting down, the restaurant looked - I wouldn't say 'dirty' but worn. The floor seemed shabby, worn and needed a good clean. There was crumbs surrounding our table and covered the windowsill. Out the window, you can see the ocean in the distance. (Well, once you got past the grubby windows and dusty blinds!) The décor hasn't really changed. (Apart from the rather large portrait of a London skyline, a bit odd to find in a Hebridean restaurant?) It really lacked character. Nevertheless, we ordered our drinks and looked at our menus. We weren't offered a wine list/menu. The dinner menu always surprises us, ranging from traditional 'pub' favourites and more complicated and delicate fine dining dishes. Something for every taste and always something new to try. Recently, on our past visit, we've noticed that they've introduced a specials menu, something new and interesting every trip. The restaurant was rather empty, only one other couple on the other side of the room. The atmosphere was lacking, no music. Only the sound of hushed conversations, forks hitting off plates and the sudden arrival of waiting staff gossiping at the bar. There was also delay in us getting our drinks, odd since the restaurant was almost empty. We ordered our starters first, the soup (Scotch Broth, my all time favourite) and the Calamari and to follow, the Shin Pie and the Salmon.We didn't wait long for our food, it arrived rather promptly. As the waitress arrived, we couldn't help but notice a rather strong smell of cigarettes coming from her, it was rather off putting. Nevertheless, we tucked in. The Scotch Broth was a main course in itself. Thick, piping hot and delicious. Proper hearty Scottish soup! Something you don't often see in restaurants. Mopped up every drop with tasty tarragon bread. The calamari was the most tender, delicate squid both my wife and myself have ever tasted. She slapped my hand away when I went to sneak another taste! Covered in a lovely and crisp crumb and accompanied with a sweet chilli sauce- that we later discovered was homemade by the chef. Our plates were cleared and we couldn't wait for the next course! As we sat, the restaurant began to fill up and our food arrived in good time. Both dishes were presented beautifully. The shin pie went down a treat. Plenty of meat and lovely flaky suet pastry, the jug of gravy on the side was a nice touch. The salmon was simple, yet extremely tasty and full of flavour. Clean plates all round for our table. We contemplated not having pudding, but we just had enough room. We ordered an assortment of sorbets and ice-creams, which the waitress told us are all homemade on the premises by the chef. Well, hats off the to chef, truly to die for. We sat for a few minutes for our food to digest before getting up to pay our bill. I approached the bar as my wife went to use the facilities. There was nobody around, behind the bar, waiting tables or at reception. We could have quite easily have walked out without paying. After waiting 5 or so minutes, suddenly all the waiting staff appeared together behind the bar. Couldn't help but notice, while paying, a strong smell of cigarettes. We paid up quickly and left. We were rather disappointed in the service we received that night. It really let down the overall experience. The staff weren't very chatty, friendly, or polite, they seemed more interested in talking amongst themselves. I would have rated 'Excellent' due to how good to food was, but I had to mark down due to the service. Which is a real shame as the food was truly delicious. Hopefully the management/owners will take note of this. Nevertheless, we will be back! Our only regret is not enquiring about buying a tub of the homemade malteaser ice-cream! We both can't wait to see what wonders the chef has on the menu on our next visit!

We ate here on two nights and both nights the food was lovely.The portions were huge but did not lack quality and the prices were reasonable. On the second night we asked if we could take our pudding away which we could.The only reason I haven't marked it as excellent is because the service on the second night was a little slow but apart from that, I would highly recommend the restaurant.

We are local people for their recommendations and they told us about this place I wish I had looked on TripAdvisor first as the reviews below are far more accurate it is basically Harvester food done to a better standard it isn't terrible by any means but it isn't wonderful either. The only reason I can think that people recommended it was that there was not much competition. We wanted some of the wonderful fish that is available in the Hebrides and wound up with a massive piece of better with a tiny piece of quite nice fish somewhere in the middle of it.

By Scottish standards a comfortable friendly pub with food. Good portions. nice service. Not bad. Value for money.

Family reunion and celebration spoiled by poor quality food that was served cool to warm.Despite having specifically asked for the soup to be served piping hot. Two out of three main courses returned as inedible.Very sad and very disappointed. I actually cancelled my review from last night but the more I thought about it overnight the restaurant owners should be made aware of the situation. That's if they care!

Myself and a group of friends went here for a meal. We had booked but when we got there it was packed out. We could hardly get yo our table as there was no room to move. We were then put into the conservatory as everywhere else was full. It took a while to be served and to receive our food. They did get done if the orders wrong and some people had to wait longer. They had an open mike night on which we were not told on booking. Have not been back since and not sure I would to be honest.

We were wanting somewhere nearby to our B&B, this was Borve. We had a pleasant meal, but that's about all you could say about the food and service-fairly ordinary. The large dining room, which was fairly empty on the night we were there took away some of the atmosphere that could have been present at other times.

We were staying near Borve, so opted to head here for dinner as a drive to Stornaway would take a bit of time. Food was very tasty but I would echo other reviewers comments about portions being very big! I had scampi and my partner had the steak pie, both were delicious. My only regret would be opting for a dessert. We opted to split a strawberry pavlova between the two of us and I was a little disappointed that this consisted of two shop bought meringues sandwiched together with over whipped cream and strawberries. For the £5.95 price tag, I felt this was a bit of a let down - I'm glad we didn't get two!The restaurant itself was very nice, used the bathrooms and they were clean and tidy. A nice setting as well. Service was ok, the girl at the bar was a little distracted but the man working on reception who was helping out in the restaurant was very pleasant - only three tables in so don't know what it would be like when its busy. Overall, I would recommend for a decent pub dinner.

One of the Chest Heart & Stroke Club 4 lunch outings per year, this was our Christmas Meal. The establishment is wheelchair friendly, The food was well presented & well cooked With more than adequate sized portions. All this despite a mid-morning power cut which caused a 30 minute delay.The surroundings are typical of a "Boutique Hotel" & have improved beyond recognition the soulless Run Down almost Pub it replaced. I am sure that the fact that the business is "Family Run" has a great deal to do with it's success. Some 20 miles North out of Stornoway but worth driving every inch!!

My daughter and son in law were married in St. Moulag's Church in 2011, and we all had a very lovely meal in this hotel's restaurant. The meal was so good that every time we visit Lewis we make a point of going back there. All the meals we have had have been excellent in both quality and quantity, and I wonder if some of the other reviewers have eaten in the same restaurant as we did as the food has always been of such a high standard, along with the staff. I can understand only having one member of staff to serve, run the bar, and clear up as there was never any other diners eating when we've been in.Can't say enough about the establishment, very pleased with all aspects of this great place.

Lovely lunch at this modern hotel, good portions, good choice, good food (salmon), good service. Good views, some may find the modern style a little soulless in this setting. Really, what more do you need!

Stopped here for lunch on Wednesday. Ordered only choice of soup "Scotch Broth" it arrived looking like A plate of 200grams of swollen barley in a grey goo of little pieces of turnip and 4small scraps of cooked lamb. Tasted like scraps of a roast that had decayed on a work top for days. Barley needs thoroughly rinsed before adding to soup and clearly this was not done. I would not have been capable of digesting that quantity of half cooked barley in 10 days. To add to this disaster on a plate the butter accompanying the cheese bread (never asked for cheese bread) was rancid. How old was this soup and the accompanying bread and the butter was horrific. We ordered a plate of tuna mayo sandwiches but couldn't take our eyes off the butter and declined to partake. We were offered an alternative on the menu by a veryPolite waitress but couldn't wait to see the establishment in our rear view mirror.I'll give it one star for nice toilet facilities.

Popped into this establishment during a trip on the west side of Lewis, was hoping for beautiful fresh seafood and game taken from the many specialist food stuffs exported from the Islands, alas it was the standard pub grub - well overpriced! Which wouldn't be so bad if it was quality food but it had a very factory made feel to the meats like burgers and sausages.We stopped by for lunch and there wasn't any lunch specials menu, very surprising! Any business looking to grow would have a lunch special menu at lower prices to fill the restaurant as much as possible.Service was poor, the waitress, yes, that's singluar! Was overworked! Poor girl was doing everything! Front of house, table service AND bar service!Without going into too much detail, I'll cut long story short and say our main meals were actually tasty, I had the Chilli and my wife had the Stew, however our wee boy had the kids menu sausage and chips which was awfull! They really need to improve the quality and value for the kids meal, £7 for 2 courses of something you could dish up at home for a quid (£) - disgraceful! Requested refund for kids meal, met with complete confusion, didn't get it!

My dad and I had a superb meal here on the final night of our Outer Hebrides tour. We did have to book in advance but this was easy. My dad enjoyed the deep fried brie followed by a beautifully presented prawn marie rose salad, which he said was delicious and really different. I enjoyed the chicken live paté, which was really creamy and served with lovely oatcakes and delicious chutney. To follow, I sampled their ‘Walloper’ burger, which was absolutely amazing – really tasty and so enjoyable. The service provided by the three excellent waitresses was outstanding and it was clear that the place is being run very well by their management. Hopefully, they will be able to keep hold of their chef because they are creating tremendous food that is well-priced and very, very tasty!

Food was excellent served by friendly local girls who had great knowledge of the area and suggested places to visit

Wir hätten nicht gedacht, hier im äussersten Nordwesten von Lewis ein solch gutes Restaurant zu finden. Das Hotel wurde kürzlich renoviert und wartet mit einem modern eingerichteten Restaurant mit angeschlossener Bar auf. Die Speisekarte bietet eine reiche Auswahl von klassischem Pubfood (sehr gute Pies) bis zu anspruchsvolleren Fischgerichten. Grosse Portionen, alles sehr lecker gekocht und freundlich serviert. Überraschend umfangreiche Weinkarte und alles zu vernünftigen Preisen.NB: Sonntags geöffnet, am Abend Reservieren empfehlenswert.

My husband and I had been exploring the island and having been for a fairly long walk, were in need of a good meal to get us ready for the afternoon. Upon entering we were blocked at the door by an extremely harassed looking waitress. The reason she gave for not wanting to let us in? 'A coach trip has just arrived, I'm afraid we can't take any more customers'.The first problem with that being, two extra people should not have made much difference. Secondly, your waitresses shouldn't be harassed to to the point of rudeness (I suggest more staff) and thirdly the islands are full of coach trips 'dropping in unannounced' all of the time so this cannot seriously be a sustainable way to run a business. Unless of course you don't care for repeat business as you know most visitors are tourists anyway. If you do desperately want to go, I'd recommend booking even at the quietest times, they don't have the capacity to deal with walk in trade.

Dined with my husband and 4 children, I had checked previous reviews and had popped in for a look at the menu before booking a table. The menu looked appetising and was really looking forward to dining here. The restaurant is modern clean and inviting. I ordered a starter of prawn cocktail and my husband ordered the breaded Brie with red onion marmalade. The Brie was lovely as was the marmalade, the prawn cocktail was nice in flavour but far too much portion size for a starter and the cheap bread flattened paper thin and toasted added nothing to the dish. This would have been nice with a nice slice of whole meal or white bloomer to mop up the sauce. My son had the tomato and lentil soup which was nice in flavour but he was disappointed when the hot rustic bread came out covered in vinegar and he couldn't eat it. 2 of the other kids ordered the nacho starter again these were a huge quantity which they were unable to finish. My daughter ordered the burger on the kids menu served with chips and salad. When it arrived at the table it was 2 cheap thin over cooked burgers on a standard morning roll. In all fairness she did try to eat it but eventually settled on munching the chips and salad. I loved the sound of the vegetarian toad in the hole served with creamy mash and red onion gravy. As I am not a fan of quorn sausages I asked if this could be made with pork sausage's instead which the kitchen agreed too. When it came out it was a massive toad in the hole with over cooked sausages swimming in the red onion gravy with to dollops of mash that had neither seen cream, butter or seasoning. My husband had ordered the chilli which was extremely spicy, but he did enjoy the flavours. There was no issues with the desserts the kids ordered.It is true that the portions are large within this establishment but I feel the quantity outweighs the quality of the food. Presentation of the dishes also leaves a lot to be desired.There was one young girl serving the tables and for all she was polite and courteous, at no time did she ask if our meals were alright. I actually grudged paying the £70 odd quid the bill came too, for 5 starters two adult main courses, 1 kids main course including pudding and 2 additional puddings.

We chose Borve Hotel as it was recommended as a great place for food following a day touring the west coast of Lewis and we were not disappointed. The staff are very attentive, but not overly pushy, very pleasant and welcoming. The menu choices were excellent, something for everyone, even our vegetarian. The service was very quick and the food plentiful, beautifully presented and delicious. We mentioned how pleased we were with our meal and service to a charming gentleman who came to chat to us, not realising at that stage that it was the owner, Mr MacGillevary. He then very kindly gave is a tour of one of the hotel's self catering cottages which looked very comfortable, beautifully furnished. He should be very proud of his excellent local team of staff and their excelllent food and service. This is one place you should dine or stay when visiting the Isle of Lewis. You would not be disappointed I am sure. Enjoy!

+My partner and I went here round about August,a bit of spontaneity! We already went here for our first romantic meal together,in November 2012.It is situated just about a mile down the road from where I live,so I know most of the staff,they are all very helpful,friendly,and very welcoming.The atmosphere and ambiance is lovely,the service is always very good,and most of all,you get a lovely meal well worth paying for! Keep up the good work! Thank u!

Went with friends for dinner. The service was so friendly and the menu varied. My meal was very nice. Everyone enjoyed their meals, and most had no room left for pudding as the portions are more than decent! The wine was very good and inexpensive too. Everything looked freshly cooked and the food good quality at a reasonable place. Definitely to be recommended.

We visited last month for an eve meal. We had scallops to start and they were beautifully presented and very tasty! Main course was pork belly which we love but it was very disappointing! The meat was dry and a little tough! The fat was soft and hairy which was rather unsightly and unappetising to look at! Sweet was amazing - mint aero cheesecake! Service was excellent - a very pleasant, obliging and efficient waiter!

Had a super meal here. Service very friendly and good.Food was delicious. There were three of us and each ate 2 Fish courses after which no one had room for a Pud!! Thanks for a lovely evening. Well recommended.

Two of us ate here on a Saturday evening and found the setting relaxed and the staff friendly. My partner had the haggis starter which he really enjoyed. We thoroughly finished our steak and ale pie and toad in the hole mains, both of which were tasty and in decent portions. We then shared a bakewell tart on the basis of being too full to manage a whole dessert and liked the fact the custard that came with it appeared fresh. Overall the meal was good value.The only negative we would have is that the service could have been quicker between courses but this didn't bother us as we weren't in a rush and they did have a very large group to attend to the same evening.We would definitely choose to eat here again.

Very good food and excellent service. Certainly the best place we could find in the area. Excellent value for money.

We visited Borve House for an 80th birthday party (6 people).Having been before we knew the quality of the food would be excellent and it lived up to expectations. There is a copious menu that will satisfy the full range of dining preferences, and our group took full advantage of this large and varied choice. The starters....Just brilliant, with the "prawn cocktail" possibly the best and most generous you'll likely find anywhere. Main meals offerred a wide spectrum of choice between fish, meats, past, vegetarian, and well.....the steaks...juicy, well cooked and full of flavour, with a choice of sauces (at no extra charge!!).The portion size is very generous indeed.The sweet options were equally delicious, that is if you can mange any more food. Beautiful desserts, lovely presentation, and a joy to eat. (I would recommend the crepes with malteser ice cream for anyone not watching a waistline!)The drinks menu is wide ranging and offers a choice of most wines, beers and spirits.The staff are both local, polite and knowledgable. They are attentive and nothing is too much bother. A positive asset to this beautifully located, bright, cosy and well designed restaurant.Only one suggestion (constructive).... Our party had a few "elderly" folk, and the portion size beat them all. Think about a reduced portion quantity as quite a lot of lovely food had to go back uneaten. If you are in Lewis, and looking for a high quality meal at a good price, this is a primary choice, and well worth the journey to Borve. Journey time from Stornoway to the restaurant is about 30 minutes. Best ring beforehand, and book a table.

Each time we visited I thought that the meal could not be better than the last time & how wrong was I!! First meal was a Steak with all the trimmings & at the time it was the best Steak that I had ever eating. Second time was a Spaghetti Carbonara & even with the Mushrooms it was sheer delight to eat. Finally our third visit was better than the first 2 put together - now, some people would find this unusual however I am an unusual person.... I had the Full Day Breakfast which was to die for then followed by the Malteaser Ice Cream which is heavenly!!Did not have much interaction with the Waiting Staff however when I did they were most professional & friendly.The Restaurant itself is lovely & very welcoming. The last 2 times we visited we sat in the Conservatory which was full of natural light with a great view. The overall situation of the Hotel is in such a lovely part of the island & you can tell that the owner is proud of their location & Hotel but the work that has been done to the hotel & the surrounding area with the lovely looking Chalets (hopefully one day myself & my Fiancee will be able to book one for a weekend?).This is my first ever review that I have written so I apologise if it lacks substance however I hope that someone reads it & it may encourage them to come to this Restaurant to taste the delights that they offer?!Thank you

We held a family get together at Borve House and about 30 people were able to attend. I had managed to pre-order most of the meals and provided a seating plan which certainly helped to make the distribution of the meals easier. Each course was delivered within the space of a few minutes which is no mean feat when there are only two waitresses (for one of them it was her first night!) There was also another large party that evening and whilst I am aware that the kitchen regularly cater for more than a hundred each evening, it must be easier to cope with small parties of two and four than large ones such as ours so full marks to the catering staff. The meals were all very much enjoyed and the portions were very generous. The waitresses were friendly and very attentive and I can honestly say that we all enjoyed it and will certainly return. I have commented previously about certain locals who use the bar and appear to resent visitors and one in particular still conveys this but we ignore him as we have found that we are in fact more local than he is and we have never seen him eating a meal, just hugging a glass! We have lovely photographs to remember our visit (thanks to the waitress who obliged and coped with so many different cameras).

All food freshly cooked which meant a little wait. Less choice for vegetarians,but accommodating staff - I had 2 starters.

Had great lunch here, looked very smart and clean - a great place to stop

Not a lot of choice in the area but this was good plain food and fair prices

We arrived at our island home on a Friday evening and as we felt too tired to cook we decided to call at Borve House to ask whether we could eat there. We didn't have the telephone number to make a reservation. The dining room was quite busy but after the waitress consulted the kitchen staff we were shown to a table. Our meal was fine, no problem with either of our meals and the service was good. However, the problem seem to be with the locals who use the bar and seem to resent "visitors". The island needs visitors and without them neither Borve House nor the island would survive, but as I have stressed previously, we are NOT visitors, we live here half of the year and I can name several generations of my family from Ness to Shader. I don't know how the management can overcome this problem but due to the attitude of these individuals the place remains unwelcoming. It is such a shame.

Staying on west coast of Lewis in B&B, our host recommended Borve Country House Pub for evening meal. It is in process of being totally refurbished to a high standard, the bar & dining room finished. We had an excellent meal with wine, at very reasonable cost, more restaurant quality food & service than a pub.

I stayed at this hotel very recently, it is very modern and it seems to want to present that image.The food was poor and breakfast disapointing, of the three meals we had, I can't say that any of them were outstanding, I had chicken supposed to be stuffed with haggis, it was so bland, haggis had no flavour whatsoever and was more like meal/whitepudding although the potatoes and veg were well cooked. Service was the slowest I've ever experienced, we were left waiting for menus, then waiting for food, then waiting to table to be cleared before desert, we were in there over 2 hours. Although the waitress was very nice, she was clearly stressed, even though there were only 2 other tables occupied, she kept apologising, not confident in what she was doing at all.Breakfast was only just acceptable. No buffet style help yourself part, this would be ok if the staff were just a bit more upbeat, however, toing and froing to the table with everything from teapots to cereal, milk, juice etc meant they were constantly disturbing you, but also you had to wait for everything. Toast was awful thin with no taste obviously the cheapest of the cheap, jam that I couldn't actually tell what the flavour was and awful marmalade which was so thick you could barely spread. We don't eat a cooked breakfast, but there was no choice of bread or fruit, compote of apricot and prunes was nice though, I think asking for cereal is a nonsense this should be available to help yourself. Definately over priced, I have stayed in much cheaper hotels and got much better service, unfortunately this hotel did not live up to our expectations. The best thing was the young man who waited on us a couple of times, he was most helpful and at least tried to have a bit of a banter with us and the barman/waiter was very pleasant and had a bit more about him, .We didn't complain, just felt that things were ok and hard to know what they would have done. We enjoyed our time on the island very much and everything about our days out was great, beautiful scenery and historic interest, with great walks.

I was home on holiday and as it was my birthday we as a family decided to go out for a nice meal to celebrate. The Borve house hotel website looks attractive and promises a fine dining experience. I went with high expectations as always eat out when home on holiday and tend to have lovely meals wherever I go. Unfortunately on this occasion the menu choice was poor and nothing out of the ordinary jumped out at us. Fishcakes and duck spring rolls were ordered as a starter and came within reasonable time. However, both dishes lacked much taste unfortunately. We all ordered ribeye steak for mains with 2 of us ordering them medium and 1 ordering a well done steak. One of the medium steaks was with no sauce and the other 2 with different sauces. 2 dishes came again within reasonable time but as the waitress placed the plates down she stopped in her tracks briefly then went off. There was no sign of a third meal and also no sign of the young waitress to explain the situation. It was obvious that the third dish had been forgotten about but rather than dealing with the problem appropriately the waitress decided to hide instead. Eventually I managed to catch her attention and when she came over she said the other dish was being done now. My parents didn't want to make a complaint so we waited letting 2 dishes go cold as the third one finally came out to us. All steaks were well done and very thinly cut too. It was such a disappointing meal we didn't risk having dessert and didn't feel they were worth any more custom. On paying the bill I was asked if everything was ok and told a different waitress that it was an utterly disappointing meal and I proceeded to tell what had happened. The reaction to this was that something should have been said at the time. No apology and full bill charged. My advice is go with low expectations, if at all, and maybe you'll have a better meal. We had travelled 30 miles for a very poor service.

Super service, great food the Stcky Toffee Pudding is fantastic and so are the fish and chips..

This review is difficult to write. We have eaten here several times and the meals are good, as a matter of fact one of the chefs is a family member though I have not made myself known to him. There has been a lot of money ploughed in to re-vamping this hotel and it looks really good, I remember it years ago when it just had a supper license! We live in Wales but also have a home on the island, my family are a very old island family and many still live there but something just doesn't feel right. On our last visit to the island we called in several times just for drinks but in the bar we were made to feel quite uncomfortable and unwelcome by a group of locals. My cousins are still trying to identify the culprits but our descriptions were a bit vague. We are determined not to respond to this behaviour and will continue to go there for a drink when we are in residence, we resent being treated with such hostility. In June 2011 we went for a meal with two of our cousins and the owner went around to talk to everyone and seemed most a most welcoming person. We haven't seen him since and I wonder if he is aware how unwelcoming this delightful Inn is ... somehow I doubt it.

had a wonderful lunch with my friends herem, although we were a bit late it was no trouble to find a table for us and the steaks were to die for - worth the wait for fresh cooked food - surely going out for lunch dinner is a relaxing experience waiting for fresh cooked food gives you a good chance to catch up

The restaurant was full when we arrived, but the barman was very welcoming and found us a table in the games room. We were very well looked after and my husband even got lots of fishing tips from him. The menu was interesting and the portions very generous. Unfortunately my starter (shredded duck with black pudding) and husband's main course (chicken stuffed with black pudding) were spoiled by the most horrible sheepiest strong black pudding ever! It seems that it is made by the local butcher in Cross. All I can say is, nice place, nice staff, nice food - shame about the black pudding. Beware!

From the little I saw of the place it is new and seems to be in the boutique style. The specification is high and the decor is tastefull. Having been brought up some 10mins down the road and having seen it's construction as I passed by from time to time I thought I would 'give it a go'. If you are in a hurry and a quick pub grub is on your mind this is not the place for you. I arrived at 1.35pm left at 3.00pm but as I was on holiday anyway so it didnt present a problem. On arrival we were shown the table but after 5 mins decided to grab the menus for myself. Surely handing the menu's to guests on arrival should be automatic. After some 25mins the starter arrived and was excellent. The main course was also of good quality but all the plates were scalding hot suggesting that it had been kept in the oven for some time. If you are having the venison it's very subtle, plate looks big with loads of veg, dumplings et al, but very little meat, the other meals were good quality with ample portions. If the waiting staff were a bit more efficient and attentive then this would have been a 4 star for me.

If you are in a hurry do not bother going to Borve because the food is cooked as you order and its is just A1 , the staff are so warm and friendly the place is a Haven on the west side of Lewis, worth the drive from Stornoway as you relax in its modern decor and if you are dining upstairs you have a beautiful view of the sea,Compliments to the Chef Alan for the excellent meal perfectly presented and enjoyed by us all. Everything at Borve is made by the chef no tinned sauces or frozen chips here!!!, home cooked bread is served to accompany delicious soup, good selection of main courses with generous portions no scrimping !!!! and deserts well what can I say , the sticky toffee pudding is to die for!! topped with home made ice cream , mind you Iwe will definately be back to taste the rest of the deserts, It certainly is an eating experience where there is no rush! rush! rush to get you out when your meal is finished . A great place to relax and enjoy first class food , we will be back !!!!

Had a very good meal here, food was spot on and staff very friendly, visited a few other places on the isle for evening meals over our two week stay on Lewis, but none compared to Borve, we went there twice and enjoyed each visit. many thanks. See you next year.

Haben das Restaurant zufällig am Vorbeifahren entdeckt. Haben dort zu Abend gegessen und waren freudig überrascht über das leckere Essen. Man sollte auf jeden Fall die Kartoffelscheiben mit Dipp (Vorspeise) probieren und die Maccaroni & Cheese sind hier auch sehr empfehlenswert (sehr viel guter Käse).Das Ambiente ist schön und der Service war sehr gut & freundlich.

Had lunch recently and we were very impressed by the decor and the food. Pleasant pub style food, large portions and reasonably priced. Sticky toffee pudding was excellent.Will definately be returning to sample the evening menu.

I have dined in this restaurant before, this time it was combined with an overnight stay (see separate review). It never fails to deliver. The Calamari starter which was a special is by far the best I have tasted, followed by an impressive Thai green curry (Thai is my favourite cuisine following visits to Thailand, so I am a tough customer!!). The dessert I had was an unusual combination (Key lime pie, poached peach and a shot of almond milk) and I have to admit I was not convinced when the plate arrived...however, I could have cleared the plate twice over!!! Fantastic flavour combination from a skilled chef. On saying that, my only criticism would be the portion sizes can be a bit daunting and it is a struggle to finish three courses but somehow I managed and still had room for a Baileys!!! I also think just a touch of background music might improve the atmosphere, but I guess that is a personal preference. A great selection of breakfast items in the morning, fantastic to see kippers on the menu.

We have dined here around 25 times now and I still can't believe how good it is. The food is of a very high standard, the portions are enormous and the prices are very reasonable. The staff are all very friendly and attentive without being intrusive if you know what I mean. We live about 35 miles away but it's worth the drive.As a special treat we stayed in the hotel. The rooms are the best I have seen in any hotel and I have stayed in many all over the UK. Everything is all brand new and there's a large TV. The shower was great, very invigorating, I didn't want to get out!. All I can say is the place is excellent and I can't wait to go back. Loads of our friends have gone on our rcommendation and they have all been impressed too.

We were staying on Lewis for a week this year and went back to this hotel twice (in the same day) despite a 40 minute drive from our cottage. After a light mid-afternoon snack of baked potatoes we booked for an evening meal.I had a fantastic starter, local fish with a mango salsa followed by a very tasty and filling fish pie. Husband had smoked fish in batter as his main and his only complaint was he was so full he had to share the sticky toffee pudding he ordered with me as he couldnt finish it! A good house red at the reasonable price of £10.95 chased this meal down very nicely.The waiting staff were first class, polite, attentive and friendly. They turned up at the right times to ask if things were ok and if we needed anything. The tip we left reflected the quality of the service. I cant wait to go back next year - I hope they maintain the standard we experienced this year.

The proprietors have invested a lot of money is this brand new, bespoke building and one cannot fail to be impressed by it. Although I only stay a few miles away from the hotel, I would have no hesitation in reccomending Borve House as a place to stay.The restaurants, both upstairs and downstairs are highly enjoyable, comfortable and spacious. There is a good choice from the menu and the food is good. The service from thevwaiting staff is excellent, being both polite and extremely warm.