River House Restaurant in Highland

This place was by far the highlight of our trip to Inverness. The chef and the staff are so congenial. His food is wonderfully prepared and very flavorful utilizing a lot of local ingredients. Everyone in town told us to go to the mustard seed, but this place is the actual place of the town. I talked with the chef after our meal and he self-trained, and runs the restaurant with an aire of almost childish friendliness that just went straight to our hearts. Love it.

Seriously good food and tasted fresh 🦪

Quite expensive restaurant (especially the oysters) but high quality and fresh products. I particularly recommend the mussels which were delicious.

A must visit spot when in Inverness! Make sure to book your reservations early. Every dish was spectacular and the service was amazing. Wonderful atmosphere. Thank you!

Fabulous seafood, oysters delicious and so fresh, service brilliant. Book ahead as very popular.

Amazing food and relaxed yet cosy atmosphere. Fresh seafood and fast efficient and friendly service. Always a must visit in Invernesd!

Perfect place for our splurge dinner. Serene setting, wonderful service, the tastiest cod and halibut, extensive wine list. Highly recommend

Ate omelette, the fish stew and the apple pudding. We got a bit of a bad service when paying the bill, but that shouldn't subtract from the food being pretty good. However it was also a very noisy place, that might just be bad table placement, as we got the noise from the kitchen plus some loud guests. A really ill tempered person would be giving 1 star here, but I feel 3 or 4 is deserved.

There’s a reason River House is the number one rated restaurant in Inverness on BOTH Yelp and TripAdvisor: It really is that good. Advance reservations are a must but you will not be disappointed. The owner/chef is charming and seemingly everywhere at once and the service and staff are top notch. Everyone agrees that the mussels are a must. We also had the seafood stew and the sole, both of which were excellent. Definitely our best meal in Scotland.

Tables very close to each other, not comfortable. Food is good.

A wonderful meal! It's a tiny place, so definitely book ahead, but we felt welcomed and the food was delicious. The wallpaper in the ladies was a delight as well!

One of our best dining experiences in Scotland. Food was top-notch. Intimate atmosphere and great service. Don't miss it if you're in Inverness.

The seafood was incredible, with superb Oyster menu, and really extensive drinks menu too, really glad we booked here as our choice before going to to Blas Festival. Lovely location on the river and although really high food standard it’s an informal and relaxed vibe which I really liked. Will definitely return! Busy spot so make sure to book in advance. Allow time to park too as not much around it mainly permit holders.

We were really excited about this restaurant after reading previous reviews. We loved the service and atmosphere, but disappointed in the flavors of the food. We started with the trio of oysters. The natural one was our favorite and we should have ordered more! The crispy battered oyster tasted great, but the grilled one was overpowered by the amount, texture, and taste of the cheese sauce. I had the pan roasted North Sea cod with crispy gnocchi and broccoli. The fish was cooked very well and was delicious, but the gnocchi and broccoli were in a romesco purée that had a chipotle and “off” flavor that did not pair well with either vegetable. My husband had the fish stew and the mussels and clams were quite fishy tasting. We did enjoy the strawberries and cream dessert!

Delicious food! Everything was soooo good. We even had to order some of the dishes twice because we were craving for more! Congratulations!

Oh my! Our meals were so awesome at River House. The service was superb as well. I only wish that I lived close enough to visit them again soon!

Foi uma grata surpresa o jantar no River House Restaurant! Nossa reserva estava certa e fomos atendido no horário. O restaurante é muito bem decorado, com poucas mesas, o que obriga a reserva! Mas façam pq vale cada centavo e a visita! A comida estava muito saborosa. Eu pedi um linguine com frutos do mar, que estava super levinho e delicioso! O staff merece nota 1.000! Suuuuper simpáticos, e nos deixaram super confortáveis! O preço não é barato, mas tudo valeu qto pesou! Ahh, o restaurante é super bem localizado no centro de Inverness! Super recomendo

Increíble food, incredible chef and service. Best food we had in scotland by far!!!

This is a great restaurant! The service is spot on and the food is outstanding. The real show stopper for me was the Pan Seared Shetland Scallops. The preparation made already good scallops even better. It is a starter and a must try. Everything else was great also.

Food here is great and service is perfect. Lovely atmosphere and amazing birthday treatment too!! Would definitely recommend to anyone visiting Inverness.

By far, the best meal we’ve had In Scotland!

Best seafood ever. Delicious! Friendly staff, wonderful people. Reserve a table!

Phenomenal food. Exceptional service. This meal was a highlight of our 16 days in Scotland. The staff (and owner) are so friendly and the atmosphere is cozy.

*Make a reservation!* I wanted to start with that because so many of the restaurants in Inverness need reservations. If you're interested in this place, you'll want to reserve ahead of time. The staff? Incredible. Kind, helpful, attentive. The food? Delectable. I don't think there are any misses. We ordered oysters that were enormous and so tasty as was the rest of our meal. The price point is higher, just a consideration. But I do believe it's worth it. Small restaurant but because of that the atmosphere is so good! Highly recommend!

Quaint seafood restaurant in the river walk in Inverness. You have to make a reservation... We got in luckily for my wife's birthday, having made the reservation a week before. Food and service were top notch! All the food was excellent, we loved the oysters and mussels.

We were told this is the best restaurant in Inverness and it really was! The fish was local and wonderfully prepared. The wines were reasonably priced. Rarely does our group have three courses, but the first two were so good that we had to try dessert. Our only regret was that the River House is closed on Sunday and Monday so we couldn't visit here again before leaving Inverness. Our server Jack had a delightful sense of humor (as did his cohort Tyler) that made the evening even more pleasant. The restaurant is small so you definitely need a reservation.

I had targeted this outstanding small restaurant based on the reviews, and am so glad we were able to get in, as dinner there was a highlight of our Scottish vacation. Please contact them in advance of your arrival as they book up quickly, we saw many having to be turned away - their loss! They feature seafood, all deliciously prepared. We started off with anchovies - not at all the dark salty ones you find on U.S. pizzas - but rather delicately flavored ones that were done in a ceviche style, simply marinated in olive oil and white wine vinegar. The perfect snack with our vodka martini and Bouvardier. And the taste of our mains - the outstanding fish stew and sea bass and the sticky toffee pudding were as brilliant as the presentation in the photos. All this was combined with friendly conversation with the owner and his staff. Please don't miss this charming restaurant when you're in Inverness!

Small amazing place. The service was spot on - very helpful and friendly. Our fish was fabulous, but the Cullen skink was our favorite. My wife does not usually get soup but she joined me and we both loved it. Highly recommend. Only negative, and a wee minor one at that, is that the restaurant is small so it seems a bit crowded

It is not difficult to understand that it is difficult to book a table at this great little restaurant right on the river. We ate oyster platter, where the grilled oyster was "to die for" and cod for main course. Incredible food! But skip the cheese/tomato dip for the oyster, tasted like ketchup. Otherwise the oysters were fantastic. Book in time. No point in trying a "spontaneous" one as it is very popular.

Our family concluded their two-week vacation in Scotland with dinner at Alfi's River House Restaurant. The food, service, and atmosphere were all exceptional. Our waiter was witty, which we all appreciated, and knowledgeable regarding gluten allergies. I will definitely stop in again the next time I'm in inverness.

Had a lovely meal here during our stay in Inverness. Small restaurant, with very attentive staff, and food food was excellent work absolutely no complaints. Will defo return.

We had an early dinner at The River House. Sign said booked for dins, but poked our heads in around 3pm. Lovely gent said, well, we open at 4pm so we can seat you then. Came back at 4pm and lovely gent turned out to be proprieter Alfie. We had a WONDERFUL meal, great wine, delish oysters, fantastic halibut (which I normally do not care for but Alfie convinced to great success!) and abso adored Alfie - he makes this place. We will go back to Inverness just to eat here again.

The food at the River House was delicious. I had the mussels as my main course and the portion was huge and absolutely delicious. The fries that came with it were also very good. For dessert, the Scottish strawberries were the perfect finishing touch. The staff was also extremely nice, we had a really nice evening.

Culinary Excellence. Very welcoming reception and a fantastic dish. A must if you are visiting Inverness.

We had a really lovely dinner. The atmosphere is cozy and relaxing, the staff is very friendly and professional, and the food was amazing. The scallops blew me away, the mussels were of really high quality (and prepared in a delicious sauce), and the sticky toffee apple pudding was a great dessert. I‘d return to this restaurant at any time, it was really a great experience.

A cozy space, like a real, real restaurant, with the smell of cooking. A close and attentive service team. The food is excellent. I don't know other restaurants in Inverness but I would say without a doubt that it is the best option. Thank you!

I didn't ever manage to eat here despite trying twice on our 4 day stay. They have a very short working week and get booked up, you will not be able to walk in so book ahead. It looks great though, perfect location with wonderful views over the river. Staff are probably fed up telling people that they can't eat there but perhaps they could remember the customer (or potential customer) doesn't know you have said it several times and politeness costs nothing, I'm sure it's irritating though. Before anybody thinks otherwise we were very polite (too English!) and didn't make any fuss when disappointed.

A great culinary experience. The best restaurant in Inverness. Don't miss it!

If you can afford it, go! Oysters pure! Fish stew is perfect. The boss is the cool guy and still does his business. Best food from Lake Constance to here.

We went for our anniversary. Our train from Glasgow was late and they were kind enough to hold our table. Dinner was fantastic, service was very personal, and the wine was wonderful. The ambience is cozy and romantic. Thanks so much!

Fantastic food, great service. Alfie is the best. Monkfish was wonderful!

We had a bit of a hiccup with the reservation system, but Alfie and his team blew us away with their service, kindness, accommodation, and FOOD. Absolutely delicious. Recommend to everyone and anyone going to or near Inverness. Tip- if you’re making reservations with their online system, just follow up to ensure they received your response. Top notch place and top notch people.

This restaurant is a gem and a must-visit for anyone looking to enjoy an exceptional meal! The ambiance is warm and inviting, the food is flavoursome and delightful, and the staff is very kind and welcoming. It was a wonderful dining experience - I highly recommend!

The ratings don’t lie. The food is amazing, the staff were brilliant. I highly recommend the anchovies in your starter mix.. they aren’t what many of us are used to, they’re fresh out the sea and very more ish.. the Cullen skink and the sea food stew were delicious. Highly recommend what I ordered!! Well done River House … top notch💪🏻

Arguably the best dining experience we had in our 12 days in the UK. The food was beyond expectations and the staff was friendly. It’s a small restaurant, but it’s lovely inside. Don’t miss out on this during your visit to Inverness - and reserve early!!!

This was a very lovely meal, with great service, and such a cozy atmosphere.

We stopped by for a quick meal in inverness. The seafood was excellent.

Staff is superfriendly, food is awesome We ate here 2 times in 3 days, that says it all. Would highly recommend.

The best dinner we had in Inverness (and best dinner in comparison to Edinburgh as well). We booked ahead through email and they were able to accommodate our timetable. There were three of us, each having a different dish. We all loved our dishes separately. We split the sticky toffee and cheesecake, both were phenomenal. Lovely experience, recommend to anyone visiting Inverness.

Holy smokes great joint. Service was fantastic and staff were very accommodating and friendly, top tier blokes. Food was very good highly recommend. I love playboi carti.

Small amazing place. Service was spot on. Seafood was perfect. We got the Cullen skink, oysters, mussels, and seafood linguine. Highly recommend. The rainbow outside our windows during dinner didn’t hurt!!

Still the best. Fresh seafood, carefully prepared and totally delicious. You have a great team Alfie! Thanks for another memorable meal.

Staff were pleasant and very informative service was first class and meals were great

Cozy atmosphere, Dugie a great host surrounded by a friendly, funny and warm-hearted team. Our first dinner at the start of our trip was a real treat. Three freshest oysters with an English sparkling wine, followed by crab arancini, the freshest, extremely tasty mussels Veneto style and, as a main course, fried salmon trout with Mediterranean vegetables, couscous and a delicious harissa mayonnaise and cod fillet with fried gnocchi and a very fine tomato sauce, all harmoniously seasoned and very harmonious in taste. On the recommendation of the house, there was also a suitable Portuguese white wine. We had an enjoyable evening in all respects.

Food taste good, services are top notch and they have good staff.

We had delicious food and lovely service. The place is small and quaint. Make reservations.

Good food, but service was exceptionally slow even though we had the last reservation of the day. Recommend the Arancini and the Hake. The base of the cheesecake was a little too hard.

Lovely experience. It's a busy place so the booking reservation is advised. I went for an early dinner. The food was delicious. The ambience was pleasant. I had a view of the river Ness. There are outsidecseatingbareas which would be lovely to be seated at on a sunny day. The owner and staff are very professional and customer orientated.

You have to reserve well in advance

Great food with very knowledgeable and friendly staff, right by the river. Would recommend it !

This food is absolutely delicious, as was the wine. One of the best meals ever! The staff was incredibly accommodating, as well. Highly recommend!

The food was wonderful and loved the atmosphere! Great service!

Spectacular! Let's start with the service, simply amazing. Attentive staff with a fun sense of humor and a clear sense of teamwork. The chef's were calm and so respectful. Semi-open kitchen, so watching them was fun. Alfie was so charming and Nicola and Tyler walked us through our evening with knowledge and a lot of fun! Now, the food, CRAZY GOOD! We all had seafood from the stew to the linguini to the trout and cod. Literally one of our best meals in Scotland and Ireland. Try the Oysters, so good! What an amazing evening and we ended feeling like family. THANK YOU!

Favorite Restaurant in Scotland! I should’ve left a dozen reviews by now for this absolute gem, as it instantly became my favorite place to visit! Every bite I’ve ever had here has been incredible! Service and atmosphere always perfection. Worth every penny! Thanks Alfie and team! Xx

A culinary experience that lived up to our expectations. Remember to book in advance!!!!

Food was delish. Location was fantastic. People very friendly and helpful.

So, so good! Try the Venetian Spritz. You’ll thank me. 😉

Everything about this corner restaurant is charming. The vibe is perfect. Staff & owner are friendly, the food & service wonderful. They were able to accommodate us for an early impromptu dinner which we were very grateful for. Both my mom & I ordered the Halibut which was delicious. The salmon & oyster appetizers were just as good. A reservation is encouraged as this restaurant is very small with limited seating. One of my favorite restaurants in Scotland. An absolute must while in Inverness!

We celebrated our 3 year anniversary dinner here and it was PERFECT! Alfie took amazing care of us and the rest of the staff were all lovely. We may have had two dozen oysters, the mussels and fish for the entree (we always split everything) This would be our go to celebration dinner spot if we lived in Inverness.

We stopped by The River House on our stay in Inverness this past Wednesday. What a fantastic group of people we were met with as staff members. Each one took the time to talk and laugh with us. The food was absolutely fantastic. The Cullen Skink here is now what we measure all others by. To the staff we interacted with and the chefs, thank you for a terrific time and great food.

Smashing wee place, always busy when you walk past and decided to head in for some food and wasn’t disappointed it’s one of those small places that does great, with speedy smiling service and a great variety of food if you want a river view and a decent wee vibe

Fantastic food (simple, fresh, amazing). Alfie the owner also is an amazing host. Can’t go wrong here for food and FUN!

First time dining here and turned into a great experience. Staff very friendly and professional, restaurant stylish and well set out and most of all the food was amazing!! Situated in a great spot on the River too. All in all this is a great place go for a great meal when in Inverness. Highly recommend to anyone and a restaurant we’ll be going back to.

Inverness's best seafood restaurant. The fresh seafood that comes from the kitchen is unsurpassable, and a top team creates a great pleasure for the guests. The prices are high in keeping with the quality. The business starts at 3 p.m., pre-ordering is essential.

Best experience in Inverness! Staff was incredibly kind, food was amazing, it was great through and through. Make reservations though! We saw several groups turned away

Quite simply the best restaurant in Inverness. Food is delicious. Great to see so much local Scottish produce available. Service is great from the friendly attentive waiters and the owner is always available to welcome you.

Excellent service… Excellent food…. What’s not to like… Visited twice in 3 days… Excellent both visits…!!!!

Make reservations, this is a must go! The restaurant was small but beautiful inside, the service was amazing. Affy (sp) was attentive and wonderful. We went for oyster happy hour and also got the cullen skink soup and some drinks. Overall one of our favorite dinners!

Absolutely amazing! A must try while in Inverness!

Absolutely wonderful dining experience. We've eaten seafood all over the country and Europe and this was hands-down the best we've ever eaten. The service was first class and the atmosphere was warm and welcoming. Very small restaurant so it's best to book in advance, but it's well worth the wait. I had the halibut with samphire and warm tartar sauce- stunning!!

Definitely a place to visit if you love seafood! You need a reservation, it seems to be usually fully booked.

Great little restaurant with amazing food and atmosphere. Exceptional experience.

Divine! The food was a dream, the service exemplary! The scallops is a must try!

With great fortune we secured a reservation for dinner on a busy Saturday evening. The owner and his staff delivered well crafted mixed drinks and tremendous food. Fresh shellfish is the star of the game, so much so that I indulged in 2 appetizers. The oysters trio and the mussels Islay style, delicious. The open kitchen allowed for a view of the staff hustling to prepare the delightful meals with smiles on their faces. River House is a special place. It receives my highest recommendation. Thanks Alfie.

This was such a cool place to eat. The atmosphere was fun and people really seemed to love their jobs. The young chefs in the kitchen were really “cheffing” their butts off but smiling and joking the whole time. The seafood arancini was a delight and the hake was especially good served over lobster bisque. This is a tiny place and very popular so book early.

What a stunning place, from the decor, service, and food. This was the best food & service we've had in the UK and Ireland in the past 5 weeks. Everything was fresh and cooked to perfection. Flavor was spot on. The starters of oysters were so fresh and clean and very large. The seafood arincini was incredible. Our mains were The River House Stew, which was the best I've had and I'm so glad I got it. The Hake was delightful in the lobster bisque. The sticky toffee apple pudding and peanut butter cheesecake dessert were each so unique it was difficult to decide which was better. This was a perfect meal from start to finish. We're so glad we got to experience it.

Adorable bistro on the river! I went in for oyster hour during the off season and was able to get a seat, but I highly recommend booking a table as this place is small. I started out with a Venetian spritz (Aperol) and half a dozen oysters. The lemon and caper sauce was my favorite. Service was prompt and excellent, and the server reminded me of my opera director in graduate school (in a good, animated, throwback kind of way!) I’m not a huge oyster connoisseur, but they were great briny little guys. I’d come back to try more!

My son took me here for mother's day and it didn't disappoint.. the food was amazing as were the cocktails ..fantastic menus.. can't recommend enough... staff were very friendly and the owner Alfie who was very attentive and humorous..had a lovely time.... can't wait to come back ....shout out to my son Jerry for such a fabulous treat 😋

The service was excellent and the food was delicious. We went here for our second year anniversary and it’s such a beautiful and memorable place. We had the following: • Crab Thermidor • Seafood Linguine and Sirloin Steak • Sticky Toffee Pudding Highly recommended for a memorable experience!

The hospitality is amazing, the food is delicious. A real gem. Thank you for a lovely last evening in Inverness.

Small cosy restraunt with a fantastic team who looks after your every need without being overbearing. The food was 1st class, wonderfully cooked and presented. I was with a party of 4, and each person agreed that their meal was superb. Thank you again for a fantastic night

Such a lovely place! The service is amazing, Alfie and the staff makes you feel at home immediately and it is a delight to watch this very crew working together. After listening to what we like, he recommended the perfect wine for us. We had oysters, anchovies and scallops for starters and they were all delicious. We had the halibut, which was out of this world and seafood linguine and the River House fish stew, both of which were good but a bit bland for us. Next time we are in town, I would be trying some mussels!

Couldn't fault anything. Food was first class and beautifully cooked. Highly recommended

Went due to high review on trip advisor and it was deserved. Loved the seafood. Had fish stew and seafood crumpet would have both again. Knocked star off because seat was right next to door and was cold when people opened it-we had booked and there were empty tables not at door which would been better. Also waiter knocked over glass of wine landing on my partner. Not a big issue and as I said would go back.

The best seafood restaurant with great service

Great experience, tasty food, very fresh seafood and so friendly people work there! Recommend to visit and enjoy. Possibly prices are a bit high for a little town, but the quality is excellent!

Absolutely divine!!!!! Tyler was our server and the cutest sweetest lad and did not steer us wrong. We ordered: 2 oysters with tomato relish, 4 oysters rockefella, mouclade mussels, steamed halibut, river house fish stew and the sticky apple toffee pudding. Can not say 1 bad thing about anything the food was outstanding, so delicious and flavorful. I eat a lot of places around the world and have incredibly high standards and the food and service was impeccable.

Absolutely incredible. Best meal of our lives. Waiters were attentive, fast, and very funny. Oysters were incredible, and I can highly recommend the sea trout. Everything about the meal was perfect, finished the night with a great whisky so couldn't ask for me.

One of the best meals I ever had! Great atmosphere and staff as well. Will definitely be coming back.

Very nice service, super cozy restaurant. But the food is a total shame!!! The oysters were ridiculous, full of milk or too small or too meaty. It legit felt like all the left over and probably was since my girlfriend was sick for one day after.