No 1 Bistro in Highland

Spectacular sea bass dish, prompt friendly funny service and nice birthday celebration atmosphere - ideal dinner stay up North, well done Wick.

Last minute reservation - Pretty amazing meal, food was hot enough, didn’t wait long, presentation was really good. Our waiter Anthony, pretty much made our night! His recommendations were dead on, the food was absolutely tasty, Anthony’s humor and conversation were wonderful. Our group of 6 did not feel rushed.

The menu was varied and gourmet, and as promised. Our meals were hot and very tasty. The location and parking were easy to navigate. The staff were very professional. We had a great meal and rest from driving time.

We found the menu a little expensive but our Scrabster haddock with chips, mushy peas and tartare sauce was excellent. The Cullen skink was also top class. Sadly the soup of the moment: leek and tattie was disappointing. It would have been be nice to see a specials board with main course of the day and we might have fined there a second night. Overall very good

Terrific food and service! I had the special for the night which was hake in a lemon fennel sauce. The wait staff were incredibly friendly and helpful in making our selection, pointing out what we might like for the evening.

Will keep this short and sweet like the meal service, food was priced at the higher end of mid range, and with the posh look and mention of fine dining we expected it to be pricy! However that was the end of met expectations, Food was burnt and unflavoured, fish was overcooked, portions were incredibly small. I ordered a dish with confit potatoes, and what I received was closer to a plain boiled baby potato. We ended up driving to a different restaurant for dessert and wished we had ate there! I can gladly give this place 1* as it was very clean, but I’ve had much better food from chain restaurants! Not what I would have expected for independent fine dining.

Found this on Google after a long journey to Wick. Able to book a table for immediate use at Mackays Hotel Reception. So glad we did - the food was fantastic and the service was brilliant until we came to pay. We both had fish and chips one with Tartare Sauce and it was very tasty with home cooked chips in a basket. The mushy peas were minted and tasted great. We shared a sticky toffe pudding - well nearly. It is the best sticky toffe pudding I have had to date. Well worth going to this bistro if you are in Wick. My only gripe was in getting to pay the bill - asked for it and waiter said ok to us and table next door. Ten minutes later still waiting and not one member of staff available to chase this up. Waiter came back and said it eas being delt with. Another ten minutes later after he has served more customers and still no bill. Got up and left to go to reception to pay and waiter was coming down corridor with bill. Paid after appology for the wait. Only downside to lovely evening meal.

Lunchtime menu small and pricey.Wife hated burger.Wine very expensive.Limited choice in wick so i wouldn't rule out.

Had a lovely dinner here whilst staying in the area. Pretty good value for money, and the food was delicious. Nice to have a proper Cullen Skink. Excellent service and well looked after by all staff.

We went for a dinner in the Mackay's hotel where that restaurant is.Ritesh was just lovely, very helpful and professional, all his recommendations about the food where wonderful, the scallops, the traditional soup, everyone of us had a perfect dish. Highly recommend a gem in the heart of Wick

Best scallops, no need for a knife cooked to perfection, just fell apart 😋 only reason for atmosphere is I was early as didn't book

Good food, tasty. Very lovely waitress and good service in a nice setting. The restaurant is situated inside the MacKay Hotel.

Ne pus y avons diné un soir. Notre serveur était extra alliant professionnalisme et humour so British. Il a fortement contribué à la qualité de ce repas. Nous avons pris les coquilles St jacques sur black pudding et compote de pomme, très bonnes même si on les aurait préféré légèrement moins cuites. Nous avons continué avec le cabillaud cuisiné de manière exquise même si la aussi nous sommes un peu déformés avec mon mari nous l’aurions encore plus apprécié légèrement moins cuit. Pour finir les desserts étaient bons même si ce n’est pas notre préférence : parfait à la vanille a la gelée de whisky et meringue avec glace à la fraise et des morceaux de fraise.

OK, but definitely not anymore. Unambitious standard food, but yes, quite OK. Atmosphere is somewhat reminiscent of a train station restaurant. Service was a bit slow but friendly after a while.

Wij hebben hier 2 avonden heerlijk gegeten. Goed eten, goede wijn,fijne bediening en een ontspannen sfeer. Goede keuze aan gerechten.

We enjoyed our supper here as part of our stay at the hotel. We booked ahead and had no problems getting seated. The food service was prompt and our waiter was attentive but not overly so. He was diplomatic about the menu to a fault - I usually like a little help deciding and he could only emphasize that everything was delicious. I had the Scotch egg appetizer and while very delicious, be aware that it is not really a sharing size - it was only a half of the egg. Unlike the appetizers, the mains were generous and - despite what the server advised - a share-able size if you also ordered appetizer or salad and didn't have a huge appetite. Presentation was top notch, flavors were great, and the dining area was pleasant.

I knew and heard about this place in the World’s shortest street, Ebenezer place and I wanted to try the kitchen. As a chef I love to eat out and try new places on my days off. The lady in reception was lovely, showed me to a table next to the window and made sure I am comfortable. I have got my menu straight away and an other lady, who looked like the bar manager, or maybe GM took my drink order. I have asked for a cup of tea, that is what I have got, everything was ok with it, they brought sugar and milk too. She took my food order, no chit-chat, they were obviously busy, and as much as I like to chat I am quite reserved person, so I was happy to sink into my book until I was waiting for my lunch. I have ordered a buttermilk chicken burger with fries. Nothing special, just something would fill the space, as I was walking since early morning, discovering the area. The food arrived in about 15 minutes, which is average and looked lovely. Right until I tried it. The brioche bun was dry and cold, wasn’t toasted. They have put the coleslaw into the burger. The chicken, which was only one sorry looking chicken goujon (you would get elsewhere 3 of them for a child menu, so just you know what size we are talking about). So one single chicken goujon, covered with fridge cold coleslaw, sitting on cold lettuce and tomato, on a cold, untoasted bun, covered with cold mayonnaise. You can guess the chicken has got cold already when I had my first bite. I had 3 more bites and the whole chicken goujon was gone. It would have been nice otherwise with coleslaw on side, 2 more goujons and hot, but this way it was not. The coleslaw was tasty tho. I left the bun, and I left most of the fries too, as they were getting cold too very quickly. Hand cut chips would be much better with burgers, especially when you get cold burger, so the chips could have given the feeling you actually having hot food. The Pierre Koffmann fries are not good for that. The whole cold and chickenless chicken burger costs nearly £15, so needless to say, very expensive for what it is. I wanted to have dessert, because I was still hungry, as I didn’t eat my cold meal, but I was literally waiting 20 minutes until someone cleared my plate and come there, but only when I finally could make an eye contact with one of the staff. Nobody has asked me if I was happy with my food, nobody came to check on my during me eating, and when she cleared my plate she never mentioned desserts, so I just asked for the bill. Well, I was happy to see the building, but the experience was not up to standard. I appreciate that, hospitality has issues, not enough staff, etc, but come on. I have spent over an hour there, and the only nice words I have got came from the lady in reception, and the food was really let down the place. Guys, please put some chicken to a 15 pounds chicken burger, and put the fridge cold coleslaw on side, this is terrible.

Exquisite Cuisine, Impeccable Service: Nr. 1 Bistro Shines Nr. 1 Bistro surpassed all expectations, from the warm greeting by Ritesh to the delightful culinary journey. The starters, including asparagus and black pudding, were delicious, followed by mouthwatering main courses of sirloin steak and lamb. The rhubarb dessert was a highlight, complemented by Ritesh's attentive yet unobtrusive service. We highly recommend Nr. 1 Bistro for an unforgettable dining experience.

Went here for mother's day dinner, staff, food and venue were perfect. Really can't recommend it highly enough 💫

Food is always excellent. Service is always top notch.

Smoked Haddock with poached egg [see photo] was my favorite breakfast of the whole trip! Superb! Update: Attached photo - I still dream about this perfectly poached egg with smoked salmon and often try to recreate it, but Wick's is still the best!

The staff here are incredibly friendly and helpful, which makes for a great experience. Lovely ambiance and best food we had in Caithness area rounded out a very good evening. Have to say, the food was not as good as we’ve had in Edinburgh, but well presented and good flavour combinations. For example, the duck and lentils dish was tasty, but duck was over cooked. The pan fried sea bass didn’t have a lot of flavour. The pear and almond tart was delicious.

Outstanding food on all three nights we were in hotel. Superb scallops and fish, particularly the sole. The fish and chips were great too as was the steak. Highly recommended.

Excellent quality food, beautifully cooked and presented. The restaurant has to be the best place to eat in Wick and the surrounding area.

Fantastic food, drink and service

Poor service Wetherspoon food quality Steak overcooked and cold, not warm enough to melt the garlic butter sauce Not worth the high price tag. However, not much choice in the area

The food was outstanding. Scallops out of this world and the Dover sole could not be bettered. I wish we could have stayed in Wick longer to visit again. Service was excellent and done with humour that was refreshing.

The fish and chips was fantastic

The food was excellent here. However, I had to question the bill, I was told I was right and much scurrying ensued. They then came back and asked me which items I was questioning, instead of having checked the bill thoroughly themselves for mistakes. My advice is eat here, but make a note of all the prices when ordering and then check your bill when it arrives.

Preise bisschen höher als gewöhnlich. Service gut, wo die Steaks bei 3 Personen vertauscht wurden. Auch der Wärmegrad der Steaks hätte wärmer/heißer sein können. Salatsauce in GB braucht man nicht erwähnen ! Ich würde dort nicht nochmals essen !

Quite a formal affair, but nice. Fast service too

The food was delicious and the service was great too. Good location in Scotland’s shortest street! Sadly our visit was marred by another guest who was berating his wife throughout our dinner but we still remember the food as being great!

Lived in Caithness since 2004 and never really thought about coming here for a meal. I must say I’m glad we did. The food and ambience is exceptional. You can tell this is truly a family run business and they are passionate about what they do. We’re looking forward to coming again and we’ll be bringing some family members when we do.

Wonderful food and high quality service

Walked in on a Monday night at the end of our first day on the NC500. Hadnt booked and were lucky to get a table in the bar. The service and food was exceptional. Had the sea bass for main and the mixed berry crumble for dessert - fantastic!

Overlooking Wick river itself, the restsurant offers a wide selection on traditional British food with a modern twist. The food is freshly prepared to preference and bursting with flavour. The staff were extremely friendly, welcoming and knowledgeable of the area. This is a definite must on the NC 500 route, I thoroughly recommend mackays number one bistro ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Look, things happen... Sometimes places lose a reservation for 6...but.nonptoblem fit No.1 Bistro! Lovely, chatty staff and excellent, perfectly portioned food. I had the gin salmon to start followed by traditional haddock and chips. And a truly casual remark by one our party about my favourite wife's birthday tomorrow saw a chocolate inked 'happy birthday' plate inhabited by truly stunning white and milk chocolate cubes. Ot was a Monday night in the restaurant so not that busy with atmosphere but that was a big plus for us Sassanachs. Highly recommended (and check your booking!)

The evaluation of the food is strictly based on what I ate, of course. Strangely enough 🤔, we go in for lunch and are told "CLOSED" and show us other fast food outlets in the area. We go out, check the directions on our inseparable cell phone, and realize that the restaurant opened after 1 minute. After retracing our steps, we sat down and were greeted by a gruff but friendly waiter.

Probably the best meal that we have had here going back several years. Scallops, Mackeral to start, Venison main and Sticky Toffee Choux Bun for dessert. All excellent +. Portion size quite small, right for a multi course meal.

Very charming "old style" hotel restaurant. I got a seat in the bar (with a dog under the table) and was served and looked after excellently. The dog too 🙂. The menu was varied and the food was excellent and the workers were very humorous. I had Cullen Skink (very tasty) as a starter, then a great risotto with peas and fried cabbage. Chokeberry crumble for dessert was almost too much, but who can resist that? Highly Recommended! 🙂👍😎

Great food but the portions were extremely small. Rare for me to finish 2 courses but I did and so was disappointed that there was no option of a cheese board.

Very very pleasant and friendly service! Truly perfect! Warm and friendly setting. The only downside is the quantities...

No 1 Bistro. The only place to eat in Ebenezer Place. The service was efficient and the relaxed and the local produce made every meal special.

Stayed in Wick as part of our drive on NC500. Booked in advance. When we arrived found out booking was 30 min earlier but we’re still given a table. The food was very good. Once again we shared some starters, and mins ere excellent. The only downside for us was the service was slow. It toll a long time to get the bill at end even though we asked more than once. I sla was disappointed in beer selection which did not have any craft beers to try.

My wife and I enjoyed a first class dinner and excellent service. The food was of a very high standard - probably the best we have eaten locally recently. The cod was cooked to perfection, as was my wife's chicken dish. Simply couldn't fault the meal - we would highly recommend a visit!

The restaurant is located in a hotel. Clear number of tables, which is pleasant. The meal was okay. The steaks were cooked to perfection. Unfortunately, the garlic sauce was missing from one steak. The double burgers tasted very dry, the meat was not juicy. And there was hardly any of the secret sauce, so much more should have been smeared on the bun. Unfortunately the fries had been fried too short. It's a shame because we were really looking forward to visiting this restaurant. The service was friendly

Very lovely staff and service. The mocktail was delicious 😋

Lovely food , friendly staff , great whisky selection too. All the good was delicious - we had steak, fish, haggis cottage pie & all was very good. Thank you.

Called to book and the woman asked for Full name, mobile number and FULL credit card details including CVV. Felt like an extreme breach of privacy for that much detail for a booking. I understand restaurants would get frustrated with no-shows; but just give the table up if you’re busy and someone doesn’t show. To ask for full credit details is to ask the customer “Would you rather risk losing a table at our restaurant or losing control of your bank card?” Sorry No 1 bistro; I’m sure your food is good but not worth losing all our savings!

We had a fabulous dinner at the bistro at Mackay's hotel in Wick. Staff were so friendly, welcoming and very attentive. Fabulous silver service and waiting staff even wore gloves when handling the food...which was really reassuring and added a touch of class. Our food...

Fantastic waitstaff at this restaurant. The Cullen skink was full of fish and potatoes. It was the right consistency. The scallops and black pudding were amazing. The chicken breast was moist and the green beans and carrots were good too. The STP was moist and...

Fantastic waitstaff at this restaurant. The Cullen skink was full of fish and potatoes. It was the right consistency. The scallops and black pudding were amazing. The chicken breast was moist and the green beans and carrots were good too. The STP was moist and the ice cream was amazing!

This has the looks of a tourist trap, right at the entrance to the town, but it is anything but. They take food very seriously here. The sirloin steak is hands down the best I have ever had. Perfect consistency, texture, well-rested, just amazing. The...

Fantastic, attentive waitstaff at the #1 bistro. The sticky toffee pudding was moist and tasteful. The scallops were good. The Cullen skink was full of potatoes and fish. It was good. The chicken breast was moist and the green beans were good too,

The lady serving us was exceptional she was polite and very apologetic when my partner ordered the catch of the day and we were told by another server it was cod but salmon came out We did have to wait quiet some time for a replacement to come, enough time for me to finish my meal in fact As a whole food was average for the price

They were incredibly kind and fit us in. The salmon was fantastic! The lasagna was just okay and not very flavorful.

Staff seemed to be ignoring us, kept going away to get us things and just never coming back. They were lovely and friendly but it was just painful, sitting staring at empty glasses piling up around us. Food was nice, just not good enough to warrant those prices and that amount of patience

Food is tasty. Nice for a treat.

We are on vacation in Scotland with my wife and took the opportunity to dine at n 1 We enjoyed the dishes we ordered and wanted to highlight the warmth of the staff (thank you Gream for your kindness!) We have a very positive review of this restaurant (quality and quantity of dishes served)

First class service as always, staff very attentive and professional. Food was amazing starters were served quickly and I would recommend the vegetable curry 😀. Others had steak which all thoroughly enjoyed, deserts were delicious. Thank you all to the team at No. 1.

What can I say? Absolutely magical. The food the service the ambiance. This place has it all. My son and I ate here when we did the NC500. Such a treat and a privilege. The staff are a credit to the establishment. Do NOT miss...

Had dinner here during our stay in Wick. The food is fantastic. We had the chicken terrine and fish balls for our starters, a beef dish and mushroom risotto for our mains, and sorbet and sticky toffee pudding for dessert. Each dish was well presented...

Three of visited on a quieter Tuesday night. Good ambience. Very attentive service from the staff. And even had a chance to chat with co-owner Ellie. Excellent food cooked to perfection.

There are many positives about this bistro…friendly staff, attractive decor and not too many tables so the noise level doesn’t get too loud. The menu is varied and there’s a very good choice. The specials menu also has some good options. The presentation of the food is very pleasing to see when it appears in front of you and overall we had an enjoyable meal. Several things could have improved our experience however - the temperature in the restaurant was a little cold, only one piece of bread was given to each person which seemed a little frugal, the food was a little overcooked and there was no way enough custard served with my apple crumble dessert (literally only a few spoonfuls). Servers also really should try to focus on looking after one table at a time (not picking items up from your table whilst taking to the guests on the next table then putting them down again without acknowledging you because they’re busy taking with said guests). So overall, it was ‘ok’. Would I return here? Probably not, but it wasn’t a bad meal, I just wouldn’t recommend it.

The no. 1 Bistro is part of a hotel and the furnishings seem a bit old-fashioned, but cozy! The service is very professional, fast and entertainingly funny! Of course, food intolerances are taken into account and the menu offers modern cuisine that is fun! I ate the best risotto (wild mushroom and garlic risotto) I've ever tasted here!

Das No. 1 Bistro ist Teil eines Hotels und erscheint von der Einrichtung etwas "altbacken", aber gemütlich! Der Service ist...

Really good food and service, and probably the best place to eat in Wick! Good service with a lovely ambience.

The hospitality and restaurant industry is taking a battering. Brexit, Covid, Cost of Living. You name it, it just gets worse and with no real sign that good times are about to return any time soon. So these days you are never quite sure what...

Very good food, small restaurant so you need to book. Good choice on the menu. We both wanted lamb but they only had 1 when it was only 6.30. We did wait a long time, 40 minutes for the food, but it was all freshly...

Unfortunately a disappointment. I ordered a steak medium and received a very well done steak. The chips were tasty but nothing special. The salad that came with it was a joke. Three leaves of lettuce, two slices of cucumber and a little pepper and without dressing. This was very dry. And this for £29 Just saw on the receipt that the pepper sauce was charged extra. So for £29 I get a piece of meat with a bit of chips and two mushrooms and a bit of rabbit food. My wife's food was not good either.The meat was burnt oh no burnt. The cook should also have known or seen that the meat was burnt. And the portion was really far too little, a piece of meat of about I estimate 60 g, three asparagus and then a vague bun with Mouse that should have also contained meat. Then a tip for the operation. The waiter who had helped us and given us the menu later also served other guests. They immediately received a drink that they had probably ordered. We had been waiting for 20 minutes with the card he had given us to choose a menu. I then looked for the waiter myself but couldn't find him. A colleague then took him over. We then reported this to the staff and asked if she could pass this on to the chef. We weren't interested in a discount or anything or money back. This does not mean that everything is bad in this restaurant. I saw tasty looking dishes coming from other tables. All in all a disappointment.

Let me start by saying I am usually not one to complain, nor leave reviews, if a meal is tasty, even if not perfect, I’ll be perfectly happy. I am local to Wick and took my mum who was up visiting, we wanted somewhere quite...

We had a lovely meal here, both of us had the beef medallion main which is recommended. Local IPA very good too. Staff very attentive unfortunately only can accept cash for tip which we didn't have. Advise management to include tip on card.

Excellent meal, well presented, cosy environment, good wine list to choose from. Probably the best restaurant in Wick.

fish soup I had was good. So was "catch of the day", which on both ocasions was the same - salmon. Still, it was fresh, not overdone, accompanied by chinese style noodles. Wine we had was also decent enought. Nice overall experience.

4 of us went to celebrate a wedding anniversary and although none of us had been to this restaurant before, we were not disappointed. The food was truly excellent and one of our party had something none of us had even heard of, it was...

Great location.. great people and stunning food

Great food and friendly service

Nice venue with great food . Friendly staff .

The food here is excellent - interesting menu with lots of choice and dishes that are very skilfully prepared and presented. What's not to love? We are fussy about our food and we were not disappointed here.

In all honesty a gem in Wick. This is a well turned out class establishment with a nice ambience. Service was first class (thanks Graeme) and the food matched that. Nice touch was Murray ,the owne,r taking time to chat with Bistro customers. He even...

Visited for lunch with my partner and we really enjoyed our meals, staff were friendly and the place has a nice atmosphere . Will definitely return soon .

Amazing Experience, dining was brilliant, service was brilliant, food was brilliant. This place has made memories

A really delicious meal, accompanied with very friendly staff. The food was cooked perfectly and the portion sizes were generous, with my wife and I leaving feeling full.

Lovely beef main course but the chick pea fritter was clagy.

Really lovely meal. We had the set menu - salmon starter and lamb for main. The lamb was really good! The best we’ve had so far in Scotland. Also recommended is the bread and butter pudding. It’s utterly divine!

Plenty of choice; all cooked to perfection and recommendations on what to drink. Fast and professional service. Cant wait to return.

Really nice setting, very comfortable and spacious. Good choice of food on the menu and the meals were top quality. Overall very good visit and good value for money considering the quality of the food. Highly recommended!

Food was nice but a little expensive. Staff were pleasant and attentive.

Delicious food and friendly service. Nice range of local food options. The black pudding starter and the lamb main and chicken main were especially good.

We ate here because we were staying at the hotel Given the reviews and ranking, I expected this restaurant to be excellent but it was really disappointing. Awful out of date decor, really old-fashioned. Mediocre food, I had fish and chips and it was not...

We tried to visit today. Walked in the open door, tables set, lights on, music on...looked completely open. Nobody in sight. Another couple walked in behind us. We all waited for a few minutes on a member of staff coming through and then a woman...

We had an unexpected overnight stay and dinner on Sunday 4th. The room was clean and has a very comfortable bed. Just what we needed. We cannot speak highly enough about our dinner. The food was amazing and the waiting staff were very attentive without...

Very nice meal in excellent surroundings, highly recommended for a good meal. Very unusual drilling.

Excellent meal, good portion size nicely presented, friendly staff, thoughtful spacing, definitely worth a visit.

My husband and I had a lovely meal here while doing the north coast 500. We called to reserve a table earlier in the day to make sure we didn’t miss out. We both had special main courses - I had the salmon and my...

i have had some fantastic food in scotland but the mackays No1 bistro has got to be the worst dinner. i ordered the mankfish and scallops only to find they had forgotten the scallops. how can you forget the scallops. I then ordered the cheese board a mixture of cheese after waiting sometime it came with a pile of brie and I small piece of cheddar.

We came here for dinner on Sun 20th and had a lovely meal. Could not fault the food, green veg cake to start followed by monkfish and scallops and salmon, asparagus and creamed potatoes. Service was also good with no waiting to speak of. And the orange sorbet to finish was a delight. Just a comment on some of the other poor reviews, Covid has stopped all music from being played at ANY venue in Scotland thus you cannot really expect an atmosphere. I would also agree that the bar area, rather than the restaurant area is rather bland if you have to eat there. All of this is could be sorted with a lick of paint/new wallpaper and maybe an update to the light fittings etc. , which is still a bit 80’s. However, none of this detracted from a great evening my wife and I had here.

Very disappointing. Ordered monk fish and scallops. Not quite the most expensive thing on the menu but near enough. Considering Wick is on the coast i would expect this to be a lot better than it was. 2 tiny scallops which were overcooked and the monkfish was tiny and so overcooked it was like eating cottonwool. The dauphinoir potatos were not great and i thought they normally had cream in them. The brocolli was rock hard. The one carrot was nice though.

Service poor. Food very poor (can only assume it was chef's night off). Monk fish and scallops....both overcooked to where they inedible....with dauphinoir potatoes (that weren't)....and raw veg. I can do al dente, but these were raw.Would not recommend.I felt that they were resting on the fact that they were the only place open, and didn't bother to try.

In this strange COVID world, the service and food are outstanding. Staff are friendly and personable, yet not overbearing. Had the haddock chips cooked to perfection, fabulous house white and groaning cheeseboard. What’s not to like!!