Loch and Larder in Highland

We stopped here during a shopping trip to Inverness , as we thought it would be good place to get a quick bite to eat and we were keen to try out the new catering establishment. However after our visit and then reading the online reviews when we got home it felt like we had visited a totally different place . ( although it is strange that all the reviews , with glowing 5 stars, were all posted in Sept 2023 and 3 people have never posted any other reviews before.) Although there are several different booths offering a range of menus , it is in fact just one large kitchen behind that cooks all the orders. There were no members of staff to be seen so we walked along all the booths looking at the menus on the wall screens. Eventually a member of staff came out drinking a cup of tea , and said oh don't look at those, they are all out of date you have to read the menus on the table. We did this and went back to the booth to order , to be told you can't order here you have to go down to the till at the end and pay. He then went to give us a buzzer that would tell us our meal was ready , except it didn't work. He tried another 3 before he realised that they had not been plugged in to charge so none of them worked. Anyway order place we sat down and the staff member disappeared out the back, and we waited we watched several people come to the counter waiting to be served but as no'one appeared they left .Later four staff turned up behind the counter all drinking tea and chatting and totally ignoring people that came up .After about 20 minutes someone wandered out and put one dish under a heat lamp and left. It took another 5 minutes before the other meal arrived and they buzzed us to collect.The meals are served in plastic trays and bowls and my husbands southern fried chicken was three tiny strips no bigger than a fish finger, bearing not resemblance to those on counter display or on the large advertising board. My salmon coquettes were larger and tasted great, however they were served on top of a lovely salad in a tiny bowl which proved impossible to get at. Luckily the tray they were served on had a paper lining and in the end I emptied my meal on the tray to eat it. The portions aren't big , and two meals with two soft drinks cost £25 so not a cheap lunch either. There just seemed to be loads of staff wandering around in the kitchen and behind the counter doing nothing, that they must be losing so much money . What was really sad was seeing the food hall on a Saturday afternoon empty , there were just two other tables full and one of those was a family with kids sharing a tiny pizza . Used to go there with the old food outlets and there were always queues out the door and you struggled to get a table. Eastgate have got it so wrong with the new options, and we won't be returning.

I was really impressed with the Loch and Larder at Eastgate Shopping Centre, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but the quality of the food is absolutely excellent! The breakfast roll I had was delicious and the server was so helpful and friendly, to be honest the customer service as a whole was really good and overall it was an enjoyable family brunch! Happy and full tummies all round ! The new soft play is also a great addition!

I stumbled across this place whilst up in Inverness for a couple of days for work. Stopped in for coffee but after looking at the menus on offer decided to upgrade to lunch. I opted for the chicken burger which is honestly one of the best I’ve had. Service was very friendly and the food was quick. Very reasonably priced for the quality. I’ll definitely be back next time I’m in the area.

My 3rd visit and the best yet! No more queuing. Now you can grab a table, scan a QR code, order what you want and get it delivered! The range of cuisines is great, from trad Scottish to BBQ, chicken and pizza. I can personally recommend the fish tacos and the burnt ends, although probably not at the same time, but why not! Well worth a visit if you find yourself with time to kill in the Eastgate shopping centre or generally in Inverness.

Absolutely delicious food and our whole family enjoyed it. Cleared ‘baskets/plates and pizza boxes all round. Great value too for great quality food. Would recommend and will be back!