Cawdor Tavern in Highland

1st time visiting Cawdor tavern and the food was lovely, decent size portions and reasonably priced, service wasn't the best though, 3 lady's working and nobody asked how our meal was or offered us more drinks, empty glasses sat at end of table for 20 mins, would still return as the food lovely

A nice welcome, cheesy goodness, spicy haggis, a dirty gem. Met Percy and had an enjoyable lunch. A beautiful olde worlde setting.

Thank you for a lovely evening the staff are really friendly and so helpful we had my mum there tonight for her 80th birthday day the meal was delicious we will definitely be back again thank you

We were a group of 36 Seniors on a planned day out. We had pre booked our 2 course lunch choices. On arrival we were welcomed by the staff and shown to our tables. The food was served promptly by pleasant staff. All dishes were enjoyed and of good quality. Would definitely recommend this atmospheric tavern. Thank you to Christine and team for an enjoyable lunch experience.

Really good excellent quality and wonderful service so glad we came. The venison was fantastic. Also they have good whisky and excellent beer.

Nice lunch. Good pub food: burger and Fish&Chips. Served at the bar as the restaurant was full. Quick turnaround. Nice stop before visiting the castle

Absolute huge portions of great food. Highlights were the grilled goat cheese salad with fried onions and balsamic. Just lovely! Also enjoyed the bangers (venison) and mash with caramelized onion gravy. Wish we had saved room for dessert!

The Cawdor Tavern is in Cawdor Village close to Cawdor Castle. This was the first visit for all four of us. The pub/restaurant is like a 19th Century hunting lodge inside. The atmosphere is warm and cosy. The table are spaced a good distance apart and there is a nice 'buzz' of conversation in the background. We were warmly greeted on our arrival and shown to our table. The menu was extensive, varied and interesting. There is something on the menu for everyone. In fact, the menu was so good, it took us far to long to make our final decisions. When the food arrived we were not disappointed. The portions were generous and the cooking was perfect. All four of us thoroughly enjoyed every mouthful. The service provided by the waiting staff was attentive, but not intrusive. A thoroughly enjoyable experience from start to finish.... and not too expensive.

Great food, great service, lovely country pub near Culloden. I'd definitely eat here again. The Fish and Chips were great as was the Tartar Sauce. Clean Toilets.

Booked a table for 6.00pm Was seated promptly Ordered a couple of drinks then ordered food I had mussels in White wine.was good Wife had soup.was nice Then Sirloin steak with pepper sauce.was excellent Wife had chicken stuffed with haggis.was excellent A couple of desserts were nice Good experience Service was ok. I found it a bit expensive But couldn't fault the quality Will be back.

The food was ideal in terms of quality and price, and the service was friendly and attentive. Even though it was a busy evening our server took great care of us.

Never had a disappointing visit to the Cawdor Tavern, until now... The venue remains lovely and they continue to serve a good pint, but and it's a BIG but, what has happened to the food? Maybe a change in chef? I'll start with the prices, I accept that like nearly everywhere prices have risen, but the Cawdor are charging premium prices for what is essentially a country pub. I have no issue with paying for quality, but Cawdor are not delivering. The attached photo is a bowl of chips, not pleasantly presented in a desert bowl, not a great chip and certainly not very many. This bowl of chips was £5.50. I did comment to the server and the chef provided further complimentary chips, but I shouldn't have had to comment. My partners coleslaw was watery and the grilled halloumi burger was not pleasant, the liquid within the bun made the brioche bun inedible. We only live a short journey away and have previously enjoyed our visits to the Cawdor Tavern, but we won't be returning until we hear much more positive things about this venue.

Waren auf Empfehlung unseres B&B 2 mal zum Essen da und wurden rundherum verwöhnt. Einmal die Fischplatte und Wildsteak! Super! Am Tag vorher Fisch and Chips und das schottische Steak! Als Nachtisch wurden wir vom Toffee begeistert !

Love there Sunday Roast with all the trimmings. Desserts excellent too. Service from the young staff is very good.

Booked in advance for lunch and a good job too, for a Friday lunch the place was packed. It's not cheap, but it is good value when you consider you get what you pay for. A good varied menu and you really do want to have a try of everything. This place is a must visit

Found this little gem of a pub - dogs are allowed in the bar area which was great for us. The food is absolutely outstanding great choice on both lunch and dinner menus and the staff are very friendly and welcoming

Excellent food and excellent service in a delightful tavern environment. We first went 8, 7, 6 and 5 years ago. Five years ago, things were just a bit off-kilter. We went back on this trip with fingers crossed and were delighted with truly excellent dining experiences. The haggis and sticky toffee pudding are magnificent, and so is everything else.

We arrived in Nairn quite late Sunday evening and struggled to find anywhere open. We walked into the Cawdor Tavern and was instantly welcomed by a member of staff. Busy, without booking she found us a table. We both had haddock and chips. The portions were huge. The fish was white and moist and sooo tasty. And the chips were gorgeous. Service was quick and staff were really helpful and very friendly. Would highly recommend. The pub is really clean and presented well.

A wonderfully small tavern (that can serve tour groups!!) that serves up the best steak n ale pie and fish n chips plus great ales!! We loved it so much we went several times - will return!!

Ok until i saw the waitress opening individual tea bags with her teeth before putting in a cup. I reminded her of germs and covid and suggested she used a small pair of scissors.

We met a friend here for lunch on a Tuesday. We had booked in advance, which we were glad about as it was busy. We had Cullen Skink, Seafood Platter ( both starters but served as mains) and Scampi. My husband says it’s the best Cullen Skink he has had, very filling. Although the Seafood Platter was a starter, it was big enough to be a main course. My Scampi was delicious, nice crunchy outside with plump scampi on the inside. Citrus Cheesecake and Rhubarb Cheesecake were to die for and again, large portions. Service was excellent. Prices reasonable. Staff friendly. The only negative comment is that the decor is very dark. A lovely meal. Recommended.

We arrived for lunch without a reservation and were accommodated in the bar rather than the very busy restaurant - fair enough. we got drinks fairly quickly and ordered food which duly arrived. Hamburgers and scampi were fine - not too much to go wrong with what is after all pre-prepared food. The poached salmon on the other hand - well, let's just say it hadn't been poached recently, in any sense of the word. Poached salmon should be warm, moist and flaky. I was presented with a solid lump of cold flesh with a couple of bits of skin hanging from it. I literally had to prise lumps off it - it was like digging clay. It was barely edible - cold, tough and chewy. The salad wasn't particularly appetising either with a pile of various lettuces, some sprigs of pea leaves, a couple of half tomatoes and, in the place of the advertised baby potatoes, a separate plate of five medium tatties cut in half. Never mind the quality, feel the width. I did raise it with the waiter who smiled as he apologised and hastily disappeared. I also raised it with what I took to be the manager. She asked, rather curtly, what was wrong with it. I told her but didn't get any warm feeling that she gave a damn. Anyway, I paid the bill. They can put it towards a cooking class for the chef.

We arrived for dinner without a reservation, it looked very busy in the restaurant but when we said we were happy to eat in the bar, we were quickly seated with a drink in our hand 😊 The menu is extensive and we found it hard to choose ! My husband had the Culloden Chicken, I had the sea bass which was amazing. Great selection of beers, especially from the Orkney Brewery which the same family own.

Lovely food and great service. Staff have been very accommodating both nights and portion sizes very generous.

Had a Birthday lunch and to food was great. Good size portions and very tasty. Staff were friendly and attentive. Will definitely return

We were at the Tavern with the same party as the previous reviewer. It was a for a pre wedding get together and around 50 guests were expected (and turned up). The pub had been emailed on the 3rd May, out of courtesy, informing them that it was our hope to have everyone there for a drink. For a pub that usually has no more than a handful of clientele in the pub, on a good night, we felt that this was most appropriate. The email was never answered so when we visited the pub 3 weeks ago we asked about the lack of response and were told that they had never received the email. On checking they admitted that they had received it but was there any apology - no! We were given the talk/lecture that there would be a bus party in that night so no food would be available until after 7pm. Several guests booked meals for 7.15 onwards but their tables were not ready until later - and again no apology. Anyway moving on - there were two young children in the party who were hungry so their father asked if it was possible to have some fish fingers and chips. He was told, somewhat abruptly that this was not possible. Okay, maybe fishfingers was a big ask but a plateful of chips surely wouldn't have stretched the kitchen staff too far. Most pubs would have been delighted to have this extra business and might even have offered some complimentary snacks, but not the Cawdor Tavern.

Nice pub, nice atmosphere but seemingly terribly run. Tried to get some fish fingers and chips for our very small children and the manager refused because "the kitchen is too busy and there's a coach coming in". It didn't seem busy at all and if...

Again outstanding food and service would highly recommend, will definitely be going again whenever I can

My friend and I had cycled 30 miles in the heat and thought we’d grab a beer and a quick snack on our travels as we always do. We knew it was Father’s Day so we’re delighted to see plenty outside seating available. Popped in,...

We found this restaurant by accident, which is about 6 miles from Nairn but what a Gem of a place, been twice now there. The atmosphere is very good. Staff are very friendly, the food is very good. It is not a modern restaurant which...

The descriptor "tavern" doesn't do it justice. Located east of Inverness in Nairnshire, it offers delicious food with unique Scottish elements, an upscale ambience, and attentive, friendly service.

Friendly service and good food. The fish and chips were wonderful! And. A pint to go with it. Nice, quiet atmosphere. Highly recommend !

Had a lovely meal, sat out in the sun. Great food and service. I had venison sausages, which were fab. Its great as we can have the dog with us too.

Had a wonderful Sunday lunch at the Tavern. Easy to find, ample parking. Comfortable surroundings, staff very helpful and friendly. Great choice of Scottish food and locally sourced. Excellent cuisine with a great choice of beverages. Highly recommended when in Inverness, Highland and Moray area.

Top quality food & ale. You must have a bottle of clootie dumpling to go with your top quality food in a lovely environment. Venison was perfect as was the steak pie, need to try the rest of the menu on future visits.

Just to clear up about the warmth of the place the man who said he could get more heat out of the candle, this was my partner who had just arrived on his motorbike and he was freezing because of the weather he did however...

Booked for 6 of us and again was not disappointed, I can't say enough about the food it was amazing very tasty all of us really enjoyed it and the atmosphere is just perfect service excellent and friendly

Having received a gift meal voucher, my partner and I were looking forward to our meal at the tavern, having been many years ago and enjoyed it. I’m aware staffing is difficult, but maybe a smaller menu would better considering our experience… Having ordered 2...

We did have quite a big group (9) so maybe that is why lunch took so long but everything was delicious down to the sticky toffee pudding and fresh.

My mum and I inadvertently had a Valentines Day meal here tonight! We looked at the usual menu which sounded delicious, but ended up going for the 3 course Valentine’s Day menu for £35 each. We had complimentary cocktail/elderflower spritz with delicious canapés. We shared...

First time here.... Was AMAZING food was excellent cannot fault anything we ate or drank.... I had pate to start with... the special lamb dish for main. followed by an amazing apple crumble with custard for dessert... My partner had what he called an awesome...

Like low-key imma be honest, restaurant is good the food is solid 8/10 and I would probably come again. The atmosphere was friendly and warm, however this was all ruined when I saw a lonely victim to vicious crime. The waitresses appeared kind on the...

What can I say we arrived and felt welcome before our feet got through the door the 2 ladies working were very friendly and chatty, the restaurant was so nice it was like stepping back in time just perfect for that area, food wise I...

My husband and I ate dinner at the Cawdor Tavern after a long day of driving. We had to call and make sure they were able to take us as we were told large tour groups dine at the restaurant and they were short staffed....

Si vous êtes dans le coin ne manquez pas d´aller dîner ou simplement boire un coup dans cette taverne. Vous...

We ended up here by virtue of reaching the end of a long day, being on our way back to Nairn for the evening and it being a Monday when the best restaurants are closed in Nairn. As we were passing Cawdor a quick reference...

This was our second visit for a meal and again the meal and the staff were excellent. We have booked it again for later in the year as the members keep wanting to go back

La cena muy buena, y los platos abundantes, con mucha variedad de playos tipicos . Además tienen muchas opciones sin...

Visited the Cawdor Tavern after not been for about 15years, Ewan my husband and I were on a date night. The food was absolutely delicious, plates were empty after each course, The homemade jelly with the Pate is the best I ever tasted! The Chardonnay...

Bei der Rundfahrt sind wir auf dieses kleine Restaurant gestoßen. Das Essen war sehr gut und das Preisleistungsverhältnis stimmt.

My DH and I were on a tour with Sublime Scotland and we stopped here for lunch. We both had the fish and chips which were amazing. This is such a quaint restaurant. Service was excellent. Highly recommend the Cawdor Tavern in Nairn.

An excellent lunch in this lovely place with special thanks to Honor (I think that’s her name) who served us. She was friendly and courteous, overall a delightful experience.

Superb lunch and dinner in this absolutely charming restaurant. Great food and service. It’s proximity to Cawdor Castle, although not affiliated to it, makes it a perfect location to dine before or after your visit. One caveat - reservations are suggested.

We stayed in a Cawdor Estate cottage nearby and the Tavern has been our go-to restaurant & pub. Delicious meals — we recommend particularly the seafood platters, chicken with haggis and sticky toffee pudding, but 5 of us didn’t find anything we didn’t like! Pleasant...

We were a large party including two children, the service was faultless. The food was really delicious and arrived quickly. Nobody at our table was disappointed. Great place. Special mention to how well our waitress dealt with a seven year old losing a tooth at...

Visited for a meal today. Had the fish and chips, felt it was very greasy, dissapointed in the chips, thought they would of been homemade, surprised to see frozen chips. Sticky toffee pudding was tastey, but the rice pudding with apples was abit bland. The...

We stayed in Cawdor for few days and had dinner at tavern most nites. Food was fresh, well cooked and delicious! Deserts were amazing!!! Wait staff Friendly and service was quick!

Good food, good service, lovely setting. Starters, main meal and drinks for 4 £132.80. We had to swap a few plates around as some were cooked in butter and/or cream and not reflected on menu.

Nous avions réservé par mail en avance car c’était un samedi et nous voulions être sûr de pouvoir déjeuner avant...

All the food we got was super tasty and for a fair price!!! We ordered seafood and the chickpea burger and they were super accomodating to us. The decor inside and out is beautiful and intricate.

Really nice, cozy atmosphere with wood panelling and subdued lighting. Service is friendly and efficient. Menu caters for most tastes, with some interesting dishes and desserts to die for. Yes it's a pub and not fine dining, but the quality and preparation of food is...

Absolutey brilliant value and amazing food on the February special menu. I have to say the best garlic mushrooms ever for starters. Just such a great place to have lunch with friends. First class food and service as always.

great food and service they were very very friendly and the staff were great. I had the steak pie and skin on chips and it's amazing! the food was divine and the atmosphere was classy but quaint and cozy. 10/10 will be visiting again.

Booked for Sunday lunch with friends. Warm welcome, lovely seat by the fire and great service. Food got a thumbs up all round and my roast beef was amazing. One of the party really wanted a roast lunch, but doesn’t eat red meat and the...

We visited here last night, and we all thought the food was outstanding and very well priced. We had a great experience. Would visit again. Thankyou.

After a visit to the pantomime in Inverness I had organised a meal at the Cawder Tavern. This was the first time our group had been there and we will definitely be back. The food was excellent and the staff so helpful.

Best fish pie ever.. Huge portion and so tasty and creamy. Hubby had fish and chips which he said was fantastic. Have been a few times over the last while and have found it the best value, atmosphere and quality food in the area. Great...

I visited here for lunch last Tuesday with a friend. It must be over 7 years since i last visited and the place still has the shabby chintzy hunting lodge-esque interior. In my view, this place should have been spruced up years ago, but i...

Great staff, very accommodating. Cosy classic pub. Amazing food. Good covid cleaning in place. Sanitising stations and track and trace.

Popped in for a light bite after a fairly stressful walk. Staff very efficient, friendly and courtesy. We were starving when we arrived quite late in the day for lunch ircwas very busy but most tables were beginning to leave. We had a starter and...

Bitter-sweet experience, staff were either unfriendly or great. Not particularly family friendly. We (2 adults, 3 kids) turned up on spec at around 2pm on a Tuesday in October. We walked in to the main dining room and asked if they had a table for...

We live about 30 miles away and the Tavern is a firm favourite. We usually eat outside (weather permitting) or in the bar as we have a dog. The place is warm and welcoming and the staff friendly and considerate. The food is excellent with...

3 couples had walked from Nairn, along the Riverside. We were looking forward to a cold refreshing drink. We weren't disappointed. We sat outside at first, while we looked into the next bus back. Unfortunately we had missed it and although it was only 3pm...

This was recommended to us as they offer a large selection of whiskeys (75 approx). The food was good and the prices were in line with those in the area. We were disappointed because my husband asked for some advice on a couple of the...

Called in on Sunday, too late for lunch and too soon for dinner. A very helpful waitress, Bridget, took us under her wing, first by serving 2 pints of a delightful Orkney ale - I think it was called Raven. She then kindly offered to...

Four friends enjoyed a delicious meal at the tavern . There was a good choice including roast pork with stuffing and crackling [ especially delicious ] and fish and chips [always a favourite ]. Puddings were delicious and the Sticky Toffee pudding especially so.The weather...

During our ten day holiday in the area we ate here three times. On each occasion the food and service were excellent. The staff were very friendly and attentive. In the current times we felt very safe to eat here.

After a very long visiting The Cawdor Inn, my husband and I were passing by. We thought we'd love to visit again. I walked in and was ignored by young female staff, i then said excuse me have you any tables available? She grudging answered...

Some friends and I went for dinner after visiting the castle. We were greeted by some very friendly staff who were very attentive throughout our meal. Menus could cater for all but I stuck true to my roots and had the steak and ale pie. Best I've had in years! Then on to pudding...OH MY! When they came to our table our jaws dropped. Only two of us were having pudding and I could see the regret on the other two's faces. I had the banana split and my friend who was also having had the lemon stack. They both looked like something straight out of a magazine or a programme off the telly. Fair to say they tasted just as good although they didn't last long! I did want to go thank the chefs myself but it was really busy so I hope they see this review. Next time I am back up north this is top of my list.

We came here for dinner three evenings in succession, in the course of which we sampled all the vegetarian choices on the menu. Everything was exceptionally excellent - even the roast vegetable 'kebabs', which sounded like an odd idea but proved very tasty. The place...

We had been at Culloden Battlefield and were looking for a nice looking place for a late lunch when we stumbled upon the Cawdor Tavern. Got a table despite it being busy for a Tuesday and got our menus. There were easily 5 or 6...

This was our first visit to Cawdor tavern and we thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Excellent menu choices and very prompt, friendly service. The general ambience we warm and welcoming. Our food was served quickly and was of a very high standard - we would heartily...

Grim experience from start to finish!. Had booked a table for 2 and a dog. On arrival the sanitisation station had a cigarette stubbed out in it, but inside the door was a bottle of hand sanitizer. On arrival inside were pointed to the bar...

Service very average, had to look for staff to place order for food and drinks, food was good but was served on cold plates so did not stay warm for long. Very overpriced and not somewhere we would return to.

Very disappointed We had been a few times before when on holiday and had ok meals. It this is as so disappointing We arrived just befor 7.30 and waiting nearly hal bam hour to place our order. That’s a long time. Feel We then waited...

Just returned from having an excellent and delicious meal with the family as a birthday celebration. Great range of dishes available as starters, mains and desserts with all being reasonably priced. Service was excellent and timely given the Tavern was surprisingly busy for a midweek...

A spur of the moment decision to go the Cawdor Tavern for a late lunch before going for a walk today. The service was good, food was delicious and the portions generous.Vegetarian options were different too which was a welcome change. All in all a...

We haven't had a chance to have a meal out here since Christmas when we went a couple of times with the special menu... then we were very impressed. Today did not disappointing. Fantastic choices and food was great. Lovely to sit out in the sun. Highly recommend. Excellent food and service.

Haven't been here n a while, so glad to be back. Came for lunch as it was my partners birthday and the had a lovely meal. The Scotch egg is particularly nice, especially for lunch. Good food, great service and value. Won leave it so long next time.

My family visited for a Father's Day meal, what a disappointment. Quite sure Covid has,affected lots of things in the hospitality business, but staff showed not a glimmer of friendliness - never had this eating out in Scotland. Worst of all, 2 veggie options online, one we were told had sold out on arrival . The remaining was 6 cherry tomatoes, feta, peppers and Birds Eye rice. So no choice but to eat it, but £13.95 ?!. C'mon, surely being veggie is no longer unusual? The meat eaters were happy enough, but nevertheless, am fed up with the second class citizen treatment for those of us who want the veggie option. Very disappointed.

Eaten twice here in the first week of reopening. Superb steak dinner and lunch (not on the same day!). Brie ciabatta. All really good. Love the handcut chips and skin on fries. Oh, and the ale is good too...

We had lunch here today and would highly recommend. The Tavern sits in a quaint wee village that would not look out of place hosting Miss Marple. The menu was incredible. It’s not often as a vegetarian that a Chef puts such thought into the options that are available. It cannot be underestimated how much that is appreciated as most establishments go for the old faithful macaroni or (stifle yawn) risotto. Not so the CT. Had at least 6+ choices that all sounded fab. Waitress was very courteous and the sea bass my companion had also led to a clean plate. A forgotten gem and definitely worth a look. We will be back.

We went to the Cawdor Tavern as a family to celebrate my birthday.Excellent food, service and extremely well run within the current regulations.I would highly recommend.

Visited the Cawdor Tavern for lunch as we found out they were dog friendly. On arrival were told to eat in the bar area which we didn’t have a problem with. The bar was icy cold and so was the service. Waitress didn’t smile, lack of interaction and made us feel like an inconvenience. Such a shame as the pub itself is very quaint and the quality of food was very good.

The Sticky Toffee pudding was to die for - fantastic! Not for one if you are on the Slimmers World regime. Food was good and service friendly. The restaurant was chilly and that was our only minor criticism.

A group of three of us visited the Cawdor Tavern tonight for dinner. The tavern was very very dated, quite cold and creepy. We all felt a little unwelcome in the Tavern, the staff were a tad unfriendly and quiet, almost felt like we were bothering them being there which came across as a shock as the the place was near enough empty. When a restaurant is quiet, staff are usually very attentive but it certainly was. not this way at all. The food was very over priced for what it was, I had the chicken & haggis which was nice but for £18 odds I felt this was very overpriced for the small portion and nice enough food, I expected a lot better. Their ‘award winning’ sticky toffee pudding wasn’t amazing, it wasn’t bad but it wasn’t great so sort of average as well. The bill was shockingly high for the quality and quantity of the food. We won’t be returning in the future as it was a major let down.

We used to live in Inverness 30 years ago and this pub was our favourite place to eat so imagine how delighted we were when we came here last week and found the food was still excellent. We visited for lunch and another time for an evening meal. There was 6 of us ranging from 25 to 60 and each of our meals did not disappoint, they were all exceptional. The pub is dog friendly too as we had our 2 dogs with us as well. Definitely recommend the Cawdor Tavern

We had a good evening with family and enjoyed the food. Good Scottish fare and a variety of quite unusual dishes for a pub. I had wood pigeon and haggis was also a welcome ingredient in a few items. Interesting but not spectacular. Friendly staff. The bill was unusually large though, even with the Eat Out discount, so watch out!

Went here for dinner as it had been recommended by a few friends. Staff were very welcoming and friendly. Food was fantastic and fairly priced for the quality. Would highly recommend. I had the Steak Pie, Chocolate Brownie and a pint of Northern Light which was all 10/10.

We visited the Cawdor tavern on 17th August and had pre booked a table of 8. 2 children 6 adults. We were holidaying in Nairn and I’d read about this pub.Lovely cosy decor and very clean .. we all had masks on but was impressed that they were offered free on entry if u needed one. We were sat at our table and served drinks. The server wasn’t very friendly but we put it down to the COVID worry?The food really was amazing and was one of the best meals I had in the week! I had the balmoral chicken which was beautiful.My husband had the Fish platter - again nice but he was left hungry as he’s a big man. A few others had steak which was also good. There was no option for a children’s burger but they did do us a smaller version of the main for my child.The only thing that stopped me giving a five was the service. I observed other tables being waited on and all staff seemed up tight and strangely awkward.