North Harbour Bistro in Eilean Siar

The food I have to say is amazing, however it's the rest that let's it down, we were asked to come in half hour earlier than our booking, ...ok fair enough but we were not seated until 40 minutes after arrival, what was the point in asking us to come in early , then the table wasn't ready , they don't serve any form of cider so we had a bottle of red wine which we waited for ever for, it also took forever to be asked what we wanted to eat, given everything is cooked to order that bit didn't take to long and was absolutely amazing, they also add a service charge which they don't tell you about and it's not advertised anywhere, so to sum up the food is amazing but front of house let this place down otherwise it would have had five stars

Superb bistro! Such patient, friendly people and the food was absolutely top notch.

Wow, this was quite a fine. Excellent food with a non pretentious atmosphere . I had the goats cheese with truffle oil as starter and belly pork for mains. We were entertained by a young lady collecting money for her local choir, she had a wonderful voice and was totally mesmerising . A lovely evening all round

A superb meal. The Outer Hebrides at it's best. Dog friendly too. Great service from the team. A lovely evening

Such an unassuming place but the food was anything but. Top class food and beautiful presentation. A spectacular view of the harbour was a bonus. We had the turbot and seabass. Delicious. Good selection of wines to complement the dinner. Highly recommend this lovely bistro

The food is definitely high restaurant standard. The staff are extremely professional and in all this is a gem of a place on the Isle of Scalpay. I've deducted one star because the dishes lack a description and it's difficult to know the accompaniments on the main courses, e.g the Fillet Steak dish is simply listed as 'Fillet Steak'.

We had dinner last night at this restaurant located in Scalpay, Harris. Rather pleasant welcome. We chose just one starter given the very high prices of the dishes. Very satisfied with our entry. On the other hand, we had to pay 5.45 pounds as a tip for the service which did not appear on any card... Local custom or scam? I don't know the answer. It must be said that this is the only restaurant on the island that we ultimately do not recommend. Michel and Marie Moulin Lyon

Absolutely lovely fish with great views and a very friendly atmosphere. Best place for fish we found on Lewis and Harris

More than just a bistro. Two exquisite courses served in this local joint overlooking the harbour. Do not underestimate Harris!

Quaint little place that doesn’t look like much but the food was high end and mouth wateringly delicious. Our server was a little nervous but she did well her colleague was super friendly and reassuring. Drinks were excellent and atmosphere was cozy with exceptional views over the weekend harbour. Desserts were also outstanding the chef deserves 10/10 for skill and presentation. Everything was exceptional. Perfect double date night. Thanks

At the age of 57, This was the first holiday I have ever had on my own. I popped into North Harbour Bistro on the off chance they had a table for one! Bingo! The staff were amazing and Chef George very attentive. The atmosphere was relaxed and friendly and the views of the harbour and mountains were stunning! My starter was like my greatest hits of ingredients! Harris Gin Cured Smoke Salmon, Celeriac Remoulade and Piccalilli! Main course of Seabass with Hand Dived Scallops, Broad Bean Fricassee, Mussel Miso sauce! Just stunning - the meal of a lifetime

Can't speak...speechless. Totally amazing! My husband had Cullen Skink starter. Came with a delicious bread. Then we both had the Cod main with Scallops and Tempura prawns. Hand cut chips. I had Chocolate Delice 😱... All of it was divine. All of it! Go if you can. Lovely staff. Dog friendly too.

Had a great meal here while holidaying in Harris. We all love fish so we’re delighted to see such a range of fish dishes on offer both on the menu and the specials board. Scallops were enormous and I enjoyed them in both a starter and as part of a main dish with halibut. Salmon starter was beautifully presented and delicious. We had sea bass, halibut and venison as our mains. Sides of chips and seasonal vegetables were well seasoned and tasty. Portion sizes were very generous so unfortunately we had no room for dessert. We loved the community feel to the restaurant with local children singing to raise money for a choir trip to the mainland and locals working there. Service was very friendly and helpful.

Beautiful seafood. Was so hard to decide what to have from the menu. Will be back again to have some of that other items on the menu that I wanted to try. Langoustines & Mussels was so tasty & the monkfish was too with the different sauces that came with it.

We are here June 13th 2024. The food was brilliant, staff really friendly and the atmosphere was lovely.

This was our first visit and won't be our last. The staff were lovely, friendly and fun who made you feel at home. The food was superb , with beautiful fish and sea food

Fabulous food beautifully cooked.

Absolutely amazing food, scallop starter was to die for and so are the mains. Desserts are pretty spectacular too. Very highly recommended!

Well worth the journey. Looking out to sea and watching a spectacular sunset while eating delicious local seafood in a simple setting - what more could you want?

Fantastic food in this out of the way bistro

Had dinner here for my wife's 50th birthday the food was absolutely amazing

While family are struggling to think of a better meal we’ve had. Seafood Chowder followed by Monkfish Mahabli. Creative, intricately designed plates with beautiful flavours complementing exquisite local produce. 👏

One of the best meals I’ve had; food could not have been better! Salmon starter was to die for!! Hats off to the chef and their young pastry chef too. Service was on another level… what lovely folk.

My girlfriend and I ate here last night, she loves seafood, me not so much. My steak was cooked to perfection, definitely the best I've ever had. The staff are great and the chef is an artist, thank you for an amazing meal.

So I read Duncan Bell's review which said that they had the best meal of their life here. I thought "its good but how can it be the best ever! Thats high praise indeed!". We drove out of our way to visit this charming bistro, and the food was so great I had tears in my eyes. The goats cheese beetroot starter had the cheese whipped with truffle oil and honey, and the turbot with scallop and prawns was meaty and fresh. The choicest ingredients were used and the chef cooked everything to perfection; part master chef part artist. The food plates were well sized and filling. Staff were super friendly too. My partner and I agreed, arguably the best meal of our lives also. Dont hesitate to go here. It was one of the best parts to our camper trip around the highlands and islands so far. If youre in a bigger vehicle the spaces outside are a little small, so you can park around the corner on the jetty just by the very clean 50p pay to use toilets and shower.

Absolutely delicious, Michelin star worthy

We absolutely love this restaurant. The food is superb, the staff are friendly and welcoming and the location is wonderful. We'll be back!

Best restaurant in the Outer Hebrides!

The food and service was excellent, we will definitely be back again. It was a set Christmas menu, but they went the extra mile and gave the kids other options for their main course. Thank you! 🤩

I’ve never tasted better food, and the service and staff were too notch!

Absolutely brilliant food. Probably the best eating out food we have had this year . Reserve a table. You will not be disappointed

Really excellent food, quite a busy neighborhood spot. Reservations required.

An amazing meal to be had in Scalpay Bistro. I can highly recommend it!

Excellent food, wonderful local ingredients and a friendly team. A real hidden gem. The scallops in particular were amazing.

North Harbour Bistro, nestled in the scenic embrace of Scalpay on the Isle of Harris, is a culinary revelation that feels like a symphony of the senses. The maestro behind this masterpiece is the owner George, whose passion and vision have created an outstanding dining experience. Stepping into the restaurant is akin to entering a hidden treasure chest of flavors. The menu is an adventure in creativity, with each dish telling a unique story. The presentation is a work of art, and every bite is a tantalizing surprise, a harmonious blend of local ingredients that transports you to the heart of the Outer Hebrides. But it's not just about the food. The service here is an ode to sincerity and kindness. The staff curate an experience that's warm, welcoming, and informed. To George and the remarkable team at North Harbour Bistro, kudos for crafting one of the Outer Hebrides' culinary treasures. This isn't just a restaurant; it's a portal to a world of flavors and hospitality.

This place is outstanding! Amazing food! Great service too! I'm looking forward to coming back very soon.

Wow, welch eine Entdeckung! Von außen unscheinbar und an einen Chip Shop erinnernd betritt man das Lokal und ist in einer ganz anderen Welt. Das Personal ist freundlich und die Speisen sind erstklassig, frisch und mit viel Liebe zubereitet! Wir hatten u.a. Sea Showder, Seebrasse und eine Mousse au Chocolat. Ein frischer südafrikanischer Petit Chenin hat das Essen begleitet - perfekt. Wir kommen gern wieder.

Booked in for dinner and the food itself was amazing and so tasty. I ordered the fillet steak at £35 and there was an option to add scallops for an extra £8. We didn't order any sides as we didn't realise that the mains would be served with very little vegetable etc. We are not big eaters but the portions were very small. The £8 scallops for my dinner were 2 scallops on the plate and they were about the size of a 10p coin each. Both our mains we were told were locally sourced and we have eaten all over the world and understand rising costs and overheads but £8 for two small scallops is ridiculous and dinners were small portions for £35 each. My husband fish dish was very small too. When we received the bill there was a 'gratuity' charge of 10% already on the bill. We always leave a tip anyway but we were surprised seeing this on the bill, does that mean the money goes to the business owner instead of staff tips? We have only seen this automatic charge before if you had a large party of diners or in the states. As I said the food was amazing and the staff were efficient and friendly and we wouldn't have needed to say anything about the prices if we had received value for money.

Outstanding and worth the drive. Make sure to book a reservation (it is a MUST). Great service, Michelin grade food and location, location, location!

Outstanding in every way. MAKE A RESERVATION WELL IN ADVANCE. It is worth the drive....I can't express how good the food and service were. Very small and intimate right on the water. Bring a large appetite!

The best place to eat seafood in Scotland in my opinion. Make no mistake this place is a seafood restaurant but it also caters to the non fish eaters. Booking is necessary as there were no empty tables when we were there.

Great food and service. Beautifully cooked seafood for the adults, and really friendly helpful staff who catered for our children with generous portions of delicious fish goujons and lasagne.

Phenomenal seafood, fish chowder was immense with the freshest mussels, big chunks of salmon and bream - delicious!!

The best seafood anywhere. The menu is heavily dedicated to seafood however there are one or two no fish dishes available and these are of excellent quality also. A mist visit if on the isle.

Wonderful food and was very obliging to make one vegan meal which was fantastic.

Unquestionably the best meal I have had in my entire life. The seafood chowder was practically a meal by itself. The presentation was incredible all-throughout. Every dish was well balanced in flavour and texture. You will not find better seafood anywhere in all of Scotland.

Ate there tonight. I've been in Scotland now for 15 days and have eaten on eight islands. This restaurant is the best we've experienced! Presentation, food quality, and service were all exceptional!

The food was amazing, staff were very helpful and friendly.

Mann kann es ja kaum glauben, dass es so bösartige Menschen gibt. Meine Frau hatte am 20. Mai Geburtstag und wir hatten für diesen Abend um 19 Uhr eine feste Reservierung in diesem Restaurant. Dies wurde uns auch noch mal am 25. Feb 2023 per E-Mail von Michele bestätigt. Als wir pünktlich um 19 Uhr am Restaurant erschienen, hing ein Zettel an der Tür, dass das Restaurant geschlossen sei, und dass sie uns angeblich nicht erreichen konnten. Wir wurden weder telefonisch noch per E-Mail darüber informiert, obwohl dies jederzeit möglich gewesen wäre. Wir waren sehr enttäuscht, so etwas erleben zu müssen, noch dazu an einem Geburtstag. Menschen, die so etwas anderen antun (noch dazu ohne einen ersichtlichen Grund), werden sicherlich nicht viel Glück in ihrem Leben haben.

Fantastic food - the best salmon I’ve ever had. Sea bass main was beautiful. Best food we had in Harris. Kid friendly as well

Amazing meal in the most unexpected place… loved being able to walk here from our holiday house, only wish we had booked to go twice! Great service, amazing food and fab wine 👍🏼

Fantastic food and friendly service. Easily our best meal during our entire trip to Harris. Couldn’t recommend this place enough. Didn’t get photos of the desserts as they were so tasty we ate them too quickly.

We travelled from Stornoway to visit this restaurant, about two hours drive round trip. Our reservation was initially later in the evening but we were running ahead of schedule. We called and the restaurant was very helpful in moving our booking earlier in the evening. We were greeted on arrival and the waitress was very welcoming. We would recommend booking in advance like we did to avoid disappointment. The restaurant is the waitress and the head chef but despite this small team they managed everything excellently. The food had a nice combination of different taste and textures which made it an amazing experience. The food is some of the best we have ever had and we were still talking about the meal in the days afterwards. 10/10

A lovely dinner. The staff were incredibly friendly and accommodating whilst the food was incredible. The wine menu was extensive for a small establishment.

A friend recommended I try here for seafood, a quick phone call and although busy I was squeezed in. Very pleasant and friendly staff and the food was very good!

Went with a group on 1st March. Recommend checking beforehand that they are open and have space. Experience was really "high end" which I am not used to, so it was easily the best restaurant I've been to. The chef came to talk to us after the meal and obviously had a real passion for his art, engaging at length with an American colleague about a Louisiana speciality that he is trying to get right.

wonderful seafood in a smallish restaurant, overlooking the harbour on the beautiful island of Scalpay.

Absolutely unbelievable meal, 7 of us dining We had a variation of dishes from the menu and we all loved every dish. Tremendous food, fantastic service. Would highly recommend to everyone 👍🏻

Great service with good selection of food. The fish and oysters were marvelous.

Une très bonne surprise au milieu de nulle part. On est sur du très bon, pensez à réserver c'est souvent complet.

Excellent food served with cheerful smiles from all. A very pleasant experience.

Food was amazing and a must visit if you are on Harris or Lewis

One of the best meals I have ever eaten. The fish was fresh and delicious, but for me the star was the cheese and truffle pancake, which was incredible. The entire meal was delicious and the service was very friendly. Half way through our meal we organised to book in again a few days later. I would absolutely recommend.

What an amazing dining experience. The food was amazing, the staff were friendly and welcoming and great service. One of the best meals I have ever had. 11 out of 10 Highly recommended giving this place a try.

Bistro by name and bistro by nature, but with very good seafood dishes and friendly staff. Booking highly advised. A few parking spaces outside and others close by.

Definitely recommend, food is beautifully presented and the taste is just sublime.

Ordered from daily specials and had a once in a lifetime fantastic dinner.

One of the Best meals we've ever had. What a find! We're here on holiday and had the most fabulous experience. Highly highly recommend. Husband said the chowder was top level, so generous with beautiful fish and shellfish. I had the pork belly for main and it was perfection. You can really tell the chef cares about his food. We managed 3 course's which is rare for us.. it would have been a crime if we hadn't.

Fantastic seafood and friendly service. A must if visiting Scalpay

Fantastic meal at the North Harbour Bistro with an amazing range of seafood options. Scallops were particularly good and the head chef even have us some productive fishing advice for the island. Would highly recommend this restaurant!

We stumbled upon this place after driving up the East side to Tarbert and wondering where we were going to get some food. Really need to book, we were very lucky. A fabulous find, delicious fish, great service and lovely surroundings.

The food was delicious and the chef was very helpful. They also took lots of care dealing with my allergy which contributed to an overall luxury dining experience.

You'd be surprised to find yourself in this remote location. More surprised to find excellent food and outstanding service. Highly recommended.

Great food... mostly seafood menu.... but excellent standard, creative dishes, well presented. Foodies will love it Small portions...... especially desserts Bit pricey but you'd pay that (or more) for same meal in a fancy city restaurant Busy, book in advance

Excellent and very friendly. Suggest booking or you could be disappointed

What a gem to find here. Very warm welcome, an interesting and varied menu, and absolutely superb food quickly served with a great selection of reasonably priced wine. Will go back soon!

Delicious food, beautifully presented, friendly staff

We ate here twice this week. Wonderful food. We've eaten at quite a few posh michelin restaurants over the years but nobody has cooked better fish dishes ( and fillet steak ) than you can get here. Honestly a brilliant chef and a great team with him. Well done all. We hope to be back from Lancashire next year

Excellent food at reasonable prices

A superb dinner with amazing flavors and I reaentation. Great staff and superb chef George

Fabulous food every time we come . Short staffed and waitress was under pressure, but who is in a hurry when you go out for dinner? The cef was even clearing tables to help out. Great night, chatting with other lovely customers in between courses.

A superb meal, fantastic flavours , stunning location in June sunshine!

truly excellent food - the best i have had so far in the outer isles. location is a little off the beaten track but part of the appeal. staff were very welcoming.

Excellent seafood dishes. Meal was the best we had while visiting the Outer Hebrides. Reasonably priced and good service. Parking infront and to the side of the restaurant. Beers from Skye and a good wine list too.

The most incredible delicious and beautiful food in a lovely setting. My husband has some fairly intense food restrictions that make it difficult for him to eat out and George was more than accommodating. He took the time to come out and explain to my husband what his menu options were and my husband was able to safely enjoy a delicious meal out which rarely happens for him. I wanted to try everything on the menu and only wished we could have eaten there more than once! Thank you so much!

Delicious! Simply the best! If you are in the area it would be a crime to miss it. If you are not in the area - make the journey.

Lovely friendly people even when closed we still managed to get a couple of coffee's many thanks 😊😊

Lovely place to eat! Gorgeous food and beautiful views

Unassuming establishment that over delivers in flavors, presentation, and service. Highly recommend.

Best seafood chowder I've ever had. Overlooks the harbour so nice views while waiting for food and nice service.

Loved it what a superb menu!!Going back here again.

Where to begin !!! I've been very lucky to have eaten in some luxurious restaurants and locations, but this place has both !! A short drive from Tarbert on the Isle of scalpay or taxi is possible but even if you have to walk any distance totally worth it ,awesome food presentation and staff make a worthy visit !!! 5 stars all round

Amazing food. Lovely staff. Would wholeheartedly recommend and we will be coming back if we can

Great place, don't be fooled by the simple interior, the food is absolutely great

Best restaurant meal I've had in years. Delicious flavours and incredible surrondings. Very helpful straff and dedicated chef. Highly recommended. Favourites were goat cheese starter and main seabass and scallops. Top it off with white chocolate mousse. Perfect closure to a wonderful day on Harris. Cheers from Finland.

Wonderful food, glorious setting.

Divine food, beautiful location, passionate team delivering a superb experience. A must visit for anyone in the area. Highly recommended.

This is a 'must go to' restaurant. The food is simply stunning 👌👌👌

Great attention to detail. Brilliant flavour combinations and simply great tasting food.

Wonderful, cozy, with great seafood. Highly recommended!