Skerries Bistro in Orkney Islands

This visit was booked in advance of our trip to Orkney. The staff we corresponded with were helpful and obliging. Lunch was delicious and staff made a huge effort to accommodate my husband who does not like sea food. This was most appreciated and allowed me to enjoy the delicious tastes on offer. Thank you. The location is wonderful, food delicious and staff welcoming! What more could a diner ask for!

Perhaps we visited on an off day - but our visit was nothing like our last 3 years ago. When I phoned to book we were ‘squeezed in’ as there was ‘nothing until 2.00’Expecting the full and buzzing place we happened across in 2018 we arrived in an almost empty place with none of the music of last time and just 2 women who seemed to wish we hadn’t turned up as they had stock taking to do?Undaunted, we ordered similar dishes that we remembered so fondly from 2018, that we had made a special trip from Dounby to eat again, (a chowder packed with different fish, a generous crab sandwich, a well-chilled glass of sauvignon.) My wine was cool at best, my lobster salad (£19 - fine for a good one...) was 6 pieces of lobster on a bag of supermarket mixed leaves with half a tomato and some fruit popped on, no dressing, his chowder (@ £12) left him speechless - a few flakes of fish and 3 cubes of potato, with 2 small salty rolls. Which I shared.The waitress could tell we weren’t happy. I mentioned dressing “You could have had some if you had asked” was the response. “Nobody came to see if we needed anything”, I replied.Shan’t go back, there are some brilliant places to eat on Orkney these days, with views just as good and service much, much better!

Lovely drive and great spot for a Seafood Bistro. Food tasted as good as expected but I have to say they are very enthusiastic with the salad greenery on the plate and less enthusiastic with the seafood portions!! We got much larger fish portion starters at other places. The deserts were delicious and cant be faulted. The staff were attentive and offered a good service but I felt the ambience was a bit like eating in a library.... Very little atmosphere. Some local background music, which we enjoyed at other places on the Islands, would perhaps enhance the experience but thats just our opinion. So a mixed review from us but it is generally a good & positive one.

I’d read about this place before I came to Orkney but actually hadn’t planned it until we went to see the tombs of the eagles. Unfortunately that was shut so decided to head here for a bite to eat. I’m so glad we did, my partner got fish chowder i got soup and we shared scallops. Oh my days the scallops were unbelievable probably the best I’ve ever had cooked to perfection. The surroundings and atmosphere in the place was amazing and the girls serving were very helpful and answered our questions. If your in Orkney go here!!

Such a lovely experience. The setting and food is just so good. The fish is so fresh and well cooked. Don't miss out!

We booked for 2 pm on Friday 25th June and despite the fact that we were the only customers the ambience and atmosphere were good. The freshest of local seafood whilst enjoying the view over the Pentland Firth. Whats not to like. Oh and the Orkney Fudge Cheesecake was to die for.

Charming spot with lovely views. Very friendly and helpful staff and delicious food - especially the scallop starter. Thank you for a lovely evening.

The restaurant were accommodating with wife's dietary requirements. Lobster salad good and the scallops excellent.

Nice fresh scallops served promptly and nice staff. The setting is stunning and I can see why parking is only for customers . It could be worth signing this more clearly on the way from the main road to avoid ill feeling and the apparently aggressive signage at the place. Reasonable pricing for Orkney

We turned up without a booking and the staff kindly accommodated us on a table that was booked for later that afternoon. The location is stunning, the staff super friendly. It’s very COVID safe. We had the home dry smoked salmon and it was delicious. My flat white was the best I’ve had in a week we’ve been on Mainland. It’s a lovely drive down to the bistro.

If you plan to visit South Ronaldsay you must include the Skerries. A most unusual building perched on the cliffs overlooking the Pentland Firth. The food is Orcadian produce wherever possible and beautifully prepared and served.

We found a sign for Tomb of the Otters after finding the Tomb of the Eagles closed. Without any internet we thought let’s just drive and find out if it’s open or not and maybe eat at the restaurant...we were definitely hungry! We parked in the car park and couldn’t see the Tomb of the Otters, so walked back to the main gate to see if we had missed a sign for directions. Behind us someone shouted what are you doing? We turned, It was a man carrying lobster to the restaurant. I replied we’re trying to find the Tomb of the Otters. His reply was that’s it’s closed, the restaurant is private and we need to leave. We said ok and started walking back to the car to leave. He then started to follow us shouting that we shouldn’t be here, it’s private property and get out. (It was an honest mistake and we were already trying to leave) His behaviour sadly really marked our experience of Orkney.

We were staying at the Hope so it wasnt far for us to drive down the south of the island for this splendid lunch,=. But it would be well worth coming from futher afar. The building, lunch, service and above all the views are stunning here. A unique location with views over the sea and cliffs towards the Scottish mainland. Just down from the bistro there are amazing views and even more amazing ones a little further to the east past the neolithic site. So really this place has everything. We were welcome at the door and enjoyed a splendid seafood lunch. We were about the last sitting of the season so you will have to wait till they reopen hopefully in better times. Buit if you qre in Orkney dont miss this unique experience.

The best view in Orkney from a restaurant. The restaurant has opened with every thought to safety during this difficult time. The menu is reduced but we managed to eat very well all the same! Our first meal together since February and a very happy one at that.My husband ordered seafood chowder that he said was delicious with a v generous amount of crab in it. Homemade knot rolls. Main course seafood platter (the Skerries own smoked salmon which was excellent). I had a colourful lobster salad followed by a lemon tart made by the owner herself. Crisp buttery pastry and a rich beautifully flavoured lemon filling. A v generous portion of Orkney fudge cheesecake consumed by my silent (happy)companion. Water, coffee, glass of wine. Two very happy people rolled out. Booking essential. Closing soon for the winter. See you next Spring Skerries.

Four of us arrived here just after 3pm today on the off chance that we may be able to get a coffee. Due to the current situation with Covid-19 we were unsure if we’d be able to get a table or not due to limited capacity. Fortunately a table had just become available as we arrived and we were delighted. What stunning views We had over the Pentland Firth to Muckle Skerry and to Mainland Scotland. We had lovely coffees/tea and some delicious cakes. I personally had the Raspberry & Hazelnut Gateau which was sublime! The staff were so nice & friendly and made us feel very welcome. Great Ambience and atmosphere. We all loved it and would highly recommend a visit here if you get the chance!

Found theshop owner very rude who closed the restaurant seeing as arriving. When we approached he unlocked the door and said they are closed. When we said closing time is 4 as we saw on your website his reply was - we can do whatever we like here !! There was no point in further discussing anything with him .Would not recommend the hospitality of this restaurant.

Heading to the Tomb of Eagles which was closed we drove on a luckily found this gem of a restaurant looking out to sea. It was fully booked but so attractive that we booked for the following day. Family run with a short menu of local fish we loved the fish chowder (fish caught by owners) and then the fisherman's platter. Certainly worth a visit!

Loved the food, the ambience, the experience and the owners We really enjoyed our multigenerational family dinner out Recommend summer though

We arrived a bit early for lunch and to visit the tomb of the otters. Upon arriving we were met by a little old man who seemed quite angry about our arrival. The otter place doesn't open before 11 and we had arrived 10 minutes early...and over an hour before the restaurant opened We assumed that he was a neighbour of the restraunt and there was animosity between himself and the restraunt.We filled in our time with a visit to the very interesting and welcoming tomb of the eagles. We had a beautiful walk there and felt it was a shame the restraunt was loosing trade because of the angry man so we went back.Angry man approached again and told us we were in the wrong place.when we told him we wanted to eat at the restaurant he told us we were walking the wrong way.we were approaching the cafe entrance one leg in front of the other..a technique we have all used for 50 years and more with no problems.He told us our van was parked wrong it would get scratched if we left it there. We moved it forward and he promptly harassed another driver to park where we had originally parked.Persistant as we are we forged on and eventually entered the restaurant to be told that he was the owner.We couldnt crticise the food or the restraunt staff it wouldnt be fair because they were so nice and its impossible to imagine its a good working environment This guy has two options.1.learn some customer service skills.2. And by far the easiest option we feel for him..ramp up the angry fawlty towers act and use it as his usp

Modern picture window style building on the edge of a cliff giving amazing views. We had a bowl of chowder with homemade bread roll and a huge pot of tea, it was absolutely lovely. Washroom was clean and modern.There is an educational style room attached and a talk was ongoing about otters, we did not intrude as it had already started. We had a walk along the cliffs to look for the local otter population but were not successful on this occasion.Highly recommended.

We were viewing the block ships and the barriers to Scapa Flow, and kept on traveling south until we reached the southern tip of South Ronaldsay, also the southernmost point of the Orkney Islands. There we discovered Skerries Bistro.We had a nice tea and some of the most delicious toffee cake I believe we've ever had. When you need a break, this out of the way place is a must-do.

Visited the Skerries Bistro this September - the location and views were wonderful. The restaurant is very chic and modern - the food was excellent. We had a wee tour of the Tomb of the Otters - recently discovered in the Bistro Car Park. The whole experience was amazing. I strongly recommend a visit here.

We came here after a lovely walk along the coast to the Tomb of the Eagles. The view from the huge windows is really impressive and the food was excellent (seafood chowder and juicy scallops). The service was also impeccable. Highly recommended!

We visited the Skerries Bistro after a bracing visit to the nearby Tomb of the Eagles. The location of the Bistro, over looking the Pentland Firth, is great and definately briezy. The modern design of the building, maximising the use of glass, makes the most of the views whilst protecting the diner from the elements. Most importantly the service is good and the food top notch. The scallops were very fresh, prepared perfectly and tasted wonderful. The Orkney fudge cheesecake was a delight, light as a feather and to die for. An establishment most definately worth a visit. It also has its own prehistoric tomb (Tomb of the Otters) close by so all bases are ticked.

Enjoyed it there until I went out to my car where a staff member (had seen him coming out of the attached house) was outside shouting at a delivery driver that "All veterans are w*nkers" Food was good but I will not be returning or recommending anyone I know visit there as I am related to a Veteran. If someone where I worked shouted at a delivery person like this they would be fired. Let alone having such an antiquated, disgusting attitude about people who have served our country!

This excellent bistro is as far south as you can get in Orkney (about 35 minutes from Kirkwall). It is worth the drive. Open for lunch most days and dinner a couple times a week (check before coming and leave plenty of time to finish your meal before 4pm), Skerries offers a small menu of excellent dishes. The food is nearly all locally sourced (the scallops are incredible) and all made by the proprietors and their staff. The service couldn't be nicer and the view phenomenal. The lasagna, made by Hamish himself, should not be missed. In all, an excellent way to spend a long, happy afternoon full of good food. (And make sure to see the Tomb of the Otters while you're there.)

We only had light snack but good menu, great views, friendly staff, clean. car park is tight if very busy so I can understand the guy questioning people not coming into Bistro first, if people parked there to go to the beach it would be impossible to keep his business running as it is so off the beaten track there is no where else to park! which is part of the charm.

Found this on Trip advisor so thought we would try it. It is a very busy restuarant in a particular pleasant spot so we thought we would book a table, which we did. Decided to have a walk around the area first and left the car in the cafe car park before asking the proprietor how we could get down to the coast. He was rather rude and wanted our assurance that we were going to eat at the cafe. We assured we had reserved a table so he told us how to get to the path. Not a lot of other cafe's around the area and we had booked so we decided to stay. The food was very nice and presented well, but not cheap. The proprietor needs to improve his manner when dealing with potential clients. Would recommend the food, location, and service in the cafe by the other staff, but would think twice about returning with this disagreeable man around.

Just had a wonderful meal at this small but lovely bistro. We had taken the chance to make a reservation yesterday for today and were warmly accepted. Have to admit, struggling to understand some of the very unfavourable comments made against this Bistro and in particular Hamish. We had done the Tomb of the Otters tour earlier in the day and found him to be a lovely chap with an exceptional sense of humour. In the Bistro we were warmly welcomed, even with my Chinese mother-in-law who cannot speak English. Food was outstanding, but it was the warmth of the service, combined with the spectacular views that will make the fond memories of this experience.

We stumbled across the bistro by chance on our first day and we had a lovely lunch here with a fantastic view. We both had seafood and it was really good. It’s worth going for the view alone. We also visited the Tomb of the Otters while we were there and it was amazing.

nice view , nice staff and delicious freshseafood. my wife had lobster, which was very nice but my scallops were incredible. meaty tasty and huge . a lovely lunch !

The staff here were super friendly and food was good. We were at the tomb of the eagles and this made for a great lunch after

The food is passable but seriously hindered by a drastically troubled owner, Hamish, with issues he needs to work through.

Two years after our first visit we were back to dine in Skerries Bistro. The sun was shining and I was reassured to see that there had been no detectable change in the menu. Why alter winning offerings? The seafood chowder was a reliable,exquisite starter and my wife assured me that the hand dived scallops were, as before, the best that she'd ever tasted. They were certainly huge and delicious. My choice of a seafood platter as my main course was as enticing and delicious as I recalled.

My husband and I are on a cycling holiday in Orkney. We stopped here for lunch. It was delicious. Food all cooked freshly on the premises. Nicest meal I have eaten out for a long time

One of the truly delightful experiences we had in Orkney !! A chilly, rainy night on South Ronaldsay – spectacular views southward across the ocean, excellent company by the owners, equally excellent food and wine, and a very nice wee dram of Highland Park at the end ! All in all a perfect evening – we highly recommend Skerries !

We popped in after visiting Eagles Tomb. We were not expecting much since it is in a rather remote location. Boy were we wrong. Amazing food. They use the freshest of ingredients and try to keep it local. They even make their own butter! It is also so very clean. Their cheesecake was the best I ever had, whipped style, like eating a cloud. We went to go back the day we were leaving Orkney but it was closed. I was so disappointed, I had been dreaming of the cheesecake. Well, next time. If you want a great meal, with an terrific view and friendly staff this is the place. Wow.

The scallops here are the best we ate in the Orkneys, really nicely seared. Beautiful views from the bottom of mainland Orkney. Decent wines. Friendly staff and owners.

Geniale Aussicht, freundliches Personal, sehr schönes Ambiente, excellentes Essen, sehr geschmackvoll angerichtet zu angemessenen Preisen. Ein wirkliches Muss, wenn man auf Orkney weilt.

We walked along the coast on a beautiful day to this place having booked lunch a couple of days before. An unexpected pleasure with breathtaking views and wonderful food presented by helpful and friendly staff. A must visit if you are in the area.

Must be the best fish chowder ever tasted, followed by a deceptively light Orkney cheesecake. Amazing views (when the mist clears), friendly and welcoming staff, jewel in an amazing landscape

Six of us arrived at lunchtime they were full, but put tables outside for us, owner and staff friendly food good lots of Gluten free choices.

Very pleasant and attentive staff Wonderful local seafood Delicious desserts. Dog friendly But it's the view that makes this such a memorable trip.

Beautiful restaurant with stunning views. The menu is very extensive, lots of seafood and other dishes. I had the chicken al a Merkister, it was the best chicken meal that I have eaten in some time, almost too much to eat. Great desserts too. I would highly recommend this restaurant. Reservations are a must!

Last week my friend and I found this bistro in what appeared to be the middle of nowhere, but what a find! We had a cappuccino each I with a Orkney fudge cheesecake and she with a slice of apple cake. It was heavenly. On entering the bistro the door was opened for us and we were welcomed by a handsome young man who we later found was from Portugal as was the waitress - they had previously worked together on a cruise ship, the attentive service they gave us was wonderful. We decided to go back for a lunch. This we did today and we were not disappointed. The same good service and the food was splendid. I had the hand dived king scallops and my friend s vegetarian had a beautifully seasoned quiche. This is definitely a place I will return to. Five stars isn’t enough.

First of all, a stunning location! Then there is the food - WOW! If you are a seafood lover this is the place to go. The freshest of seafood, just delicious. We were there at lunch time and had the local lobster- delicios and very good value. The staff are also very helpful and friendly. Would happy go back!

Niet alleen een uitzonderlijke locatie maar eten van topkwaliteit. We hadden sint Jacobs-schelpen ( lauw opgediend ) en een prachtige kreeftensla. De heel vriendelijke eigenares vertelde ons dat haar man ze dagelijks zelf viste of anders dagvers bij een bevriende visser kocht. Het was echt van het beste ( in die categorie ) dat we gegeten hebben!!!!

We dropped in for Sunday lunch with friends at this highly recommended and quite unique restaurant in what can only be described as a glorious setting.

Staff very friendly and attentive.. Cheesecake was delicious and we’ll definitely come back to have lunch

I did actually speak with the owner as I paid our bill (because our meal was so disappointing )and I understand some of the challenges they face, in terms of the price of crab etc. Nonetheless, this was a very disappointing lunch. (Very mediocre seafood chowder, followed by an under-whelming seafood platter). Expensive, for what it was and very ‘ordinary’. Would not return.

Wir waren hier zum Lunch mit einer Gruppe zu viert. Die Auswahl ist umfangreich und auf Fischgerichte mit lokaler Zubereitung spezialisiert. Nicht Fischgerichte waren Rindfleischlasagne und Gemüsequiche.

Went after reading the reviews on trip. To be honest they undersell how good this place is

Combine a visit to The Tomb of the Eagles and lunch at Skerries and you will have a very good day. (Note, bistro not open Saturday's). Highly recommend Skerries. Friendly efficient staff, relaxed atmosphere, great view with food to match. They smoke their salmon in house, it is the best I have have ever tasted. My wife had the Orkney dived scallop salad. 3 epic scallops, perfectly cooked, roe and all. Marilyn insists I mention the Orkney fudge cheesecake.

Four of us went here on holiday for lunch on our son’s birthday. Service and food were excellent. Limited vegetarian option but it is a fish restaurant, the main reason for going. Staff must have overheard that we were celebrating my sons birthday as they bought his desert with a candle in sang happy birthday. A lovely touch.

Found the restaurant en route to the tomb of the otters - it is in a great location right at the bottom of South Ronaldsay and worth the drive - the lunch we had was all fresh local produce - prawn salad - seafood platter and the deserts were delicious

Excellent fresh seafood, marvellous views, warm welcome and efficient service all rewarded the drive to the southern tip of the Orkneys.

Last Sunday we turned up to visit the tomb and hoped to be able to have lunch as well. We were made very welcome by the staff and given coffee whilst waiting for the tour of the tomb as the guide had had trouble getting to work from Kirkwell. The tomb visit was fascinating but the lunch was SUPERB! The scallops were the best I have ever had in this country; treated respectfully by the chef so their wonderful flavour could be fully enjoyed. My partner had the fresh lobster salad and thoroughly enjoyed the delicate way it was presented, again retaining the natural delicious flavours.

After completing the Tomb of the Eagles we stopped for lunch at Skerries Bistro. We were greeted at the door by a lovely young lady and shown to our seats. The meal was delicious and one of the best we have had on our holiday. We would throughly recommend Skerries Bistro.

Modest cafe with views over to Scotland on a clear day. Soup portions are tiny and the lobster bisque was very disappointing.

We tried to call in last night, either to eat or to book for another night, and had an almost frightening response. We were ‘greeted’ by an angry man who insisted that there was a sign at the road junction saying the place was closed......there was no such sign. The angry man thought we should have reversed our car all the way down the narrow road rather than going through the gate and turning round....I made my apologies but he was clearly still very annoyed. Our mistake, I suppose, thinking that this was a restaurant rather than ..... what? It was a nasty experience, we won’t bother going there again. It should be very easy to put a CLOSED sign over the board at the end of the road, this would have saved a lot of grief.

Stopped for lunch after a visit to Tomb of the Eagles. Ordered seafood chowder and lobster bisque with lobster meat. Seafood chowder was OK but nothing to wow about. Lobster bisque was served with chilled lobster meat which made the bisque cold. The bisque itself was a big disappointment. It was gloopy, like it had been thickened with cornflour or arrowroot and totally lacking in flavour. Only not a 1* review as they did not charge. Pretty disappointed considering the good reviews. Clearly chef having an off day. Also at £9.50 for about 4 spoonfuls it was very expensive.

We’ve eaten here several times. Always fabulous and the views breathtaking. Sadly there is a neighbour who often interrogates people as they leave especially around the time that it closes. He is nothing to do with the restaurant and it’s best to ignore him.

On the bay out from tomb of Eagles, excellent restaurant, excellent food and the addition of the newly discovered tomb of otters make the experience exceptional

I’ve just been to the Skerries with a group of six for lunch. It was superb.

..... But a wee bit out of the way. (I reckon that know the islands reasonably, but we had a job finding the bistro.)

Back this year twice, food and service was just as good as before,(see below). I had lobster salad twice. It is the prettiest salad I have been given with loads of lobster with salads and fruits. I recommend the apple cake. Had that twice too. This is a lovely setting looking over the Skerries. Well worth a visit. We went to the tomb on a previous visit and that is special too.

After driving out we were shouted at very angrily by what I assume was the owner who told us in no uncertain terms he was closing early so he could go out in his boat fishing,when we did eventually get a chance to eat the toasted sandwich was a joke 2 slices of bread 1 thin slice of ham 1 slice of tomato a lettuce leaf 1 slice of cucumber all for the grand price of £5 an absolute rip of avoid at all costs

Yet another visit for my family and I to this wonderful bistro, serving exquisite food in a magnificent setting by lovely staff. Can't fault one iota of the whole experience. Food is of the highest calibre. We had several of the fish dishes...scallops, a variety of shell fish and the house own smoked salmon. Oh my! Wonderful. Then a cake for sister and brother-in-law's 45th wedding anniversary was presented by singing staff.

This is the only establishment in Orkney where we have not been welcomed. We were, after driving for over an hour from Kirkwall, treated rudely, and with aggression by the owner. Simply for not understanding the parking restrictions that are in place around the building.

This restaurant is on a lovely secluded hilltop with wonderful views of the sky and the ocean. It is small. The food was very good and the service was excellent.

Excellent food and a superb view. We drove here from mainland (Orkney) and were not disappointed. Well worth the trip.

Very disappointed. Was looking forward to enjoy a Friday night meal in the Skerries. Great setting comfortable pleasently decorated restaurant with stunning views. Pleasent service from staff. Disappointing food. The reviews led me to look forward to a good quality meal. How wrong can you be. Salmon patties with vegetables. Sounded good, what could go wrong. Well the vegetables were cooked to death. Carrot batons are not supposed to bend around your fork in a very limp impression of a wet weekend in Orkney. Why do this to a vegetable. Worse than a school dinner. As was the peppers and green beans all served in a small puddle of water. The salmon patties were very good packed with well seasoned salmon and the late addition of some chilli sauce was a very nice touch. But at £40 for two with one beer very disappointing. Not worth the drive out.

Our first visit here after driving around South Ronaldsay for an afternoon. Popped in about 40 minutes before closing and had tea, coffee and two slices of Orkney fudge cheesecake - delicious! We appreciated the warm welcome and wonderful views. Would definitely consider another visit to sample the full menu. Lots of fresh seafood choices. Probably wise to try and book for a table in the evening as I imagine it’s very popular. It would be shame to drive all that way to be disappointed!

It has taken us a while to get to experience the dining pod, partly due to having a busy B&B; and partly due to having to cancel before due to bad weather. It was worth the wait. Greeted by Hamish when we arrived with his own particular brand of banter - I have missed our 'chats'!! He kept us amused throughout with the odd visit to the pod. Our servers, Ruben and Maria, were SO good and kept smiling and being very pleasant even though the weather wasn't always playing the game. As always Carole has everything running like clockwork. Food was delicious and exactly the right amount. Must mention that the crackers with the canapes were made on site - just a little extra touch that some would overlook but makes it that little bit more special. All presented beautifully. The Marlborough Sauvignon, The Whale Watcher, was - to me - extremely good and reasonably priced. All in all this is a special experience and we thoroughly enjoyed it. A lovely few hours spent with our friends.

A top class taster of all the best of the Skerries menu. Beautifully presented and perfectly cooked fish dishes. Great fun dining in the pod, something different. Would definitely recommend

Beautifully cooked food, really fresh and exactly what I was looking for.. And with the best possible view we could’ve gotten

We arranged a day trip to the Orkneys from Scrabster to Stromness (one and a half hour journey) on a decent enough ferry. We did not have anything particular in mind to do when we were there but we read about Skerries in a booklet about the islands so that became our focal point. And we were pleased we did because the drive from Stromness to the bistro is stunning and the food and service when we got there was very good.....

This was our first visit to the Skerries Bistro this season and it didn't disappoint. The 2 new Portuguese waiting staff, Maria & Ruben, were cheerfully attentive and helpful.

We had been pottering around South Ronaldsay on the last day of our Orkney holiday. It was getting on for lunchtime and we realised that we were hungry and in a very isolated spot. Happily, we saw a sign for Skerries Bistro, and crossed our fingers that four of us could walk in without a reservation...

A beautiful sunny day to enjoy the views at Skerries Bistro while enjoying a lovely meal. The scallops were huge and highly recommended. We so look forward to our visits there! Lovely greeting and service too!

We’d been to the Tomb of the Eagles and spotted the sign for Skerries Bistro. So very glad we came.

Very disappointed with the attitude of the owner, unfortunately I picked up 5 empty plastic bottles from the foreshore thinking they would be able to recycle only to be told bluntly by the owner that they do not take plastic and to take “my plastic sh*t away with me!”. Obviously the owner isn’t to worried about his grandchildren inheriting the business with tons of plastic waste on their foreshore... also the plastic sh*t wasn’t mine!! I was just picking 3 pieces of plastic up as promoted by Orkney Council!! Cheesecake was nice!!

Half way though a frustrating tour of Scotland - numerous restaurants & all the Scottish food had been disappointing to date. We had some amazing Indian food in Ballater, but not sure that counts as traditional Scottish Cuisine.

At the very end of South Ronaldsay, we had dinner in this glass building just 80 metres from the cliffs.

We decided to grab a light lunch after visiting the Tombs and what a lovely spot it was. It was the end of April so there was very little visitors ( I bet during high season it’s packed ), so we got seated straight away , the views thru the window was spectacular and a choice of dishes on the menu was great too . We both god seafood platter and it was fantastic .Would definitely go back .

This is a great place. We were there after visiting the tomb of the eagles and were looking for lunch. It was excellent. Service was good, food was great, and best of all we were out of the wind, with an excellent view out at the ocean.

Good bistro went for lunch and wasnt disappointed nice view over to the pentland skerries a must if your down in south ronaldsay

We visited twice during our week in Orkney, first just for lunch as we didn’t have enough time to see the tomb. Lobster salad was delicious, service was great and we just had to eat again when we returned to see the tomb.

Excellent menu and very helpful staff. Fabulous views on a clear day. Would go again without hesitation.

Excellent, fresh food, BEAUTIFULLY presented. Full marks to the kitchen. Lovely views - floor to ceiling glass. Modern and comfortable. However, the mismatch of comfortable, upholstered chairs with plain wooden chairs at our table was a bit off-putting. If there are not enough upholstered chairs to go around, surely it would be better to have some tables with upholstered chairs, others with wooden to provide "equality" for guests? Not sure why there are blackboard menus either, which can't easily be seen from every table, when they seem to be mainly a repeat of the printed menu anyhow? Our biggest concern though (perhaps it was a slow day) was front-of-house over-staffing which resulted in 3 different staff trying to service our table frequently asking 'if everything was alright' and none exactly sure of where the other staff member was up to. Just one familiar wait person per table, with the owner? truly acting as a maitre d may be a better formula. We would prefer to be well serviced, rather than smothered. Apart from the 3 front of house staff (and possibly as many in the kitchen), there was also a seemingly underworked barista. But he made some truly excellent coffee for us to go with the great food - so 4 stars for the food and drinks!!

We first ate here by chance five years ago, because it was near the Tomb of the Eagles, but we've been back twice since on our visits, and it's maintained its standards. Not sure I'd want to drive there on a dark evening, but it's excellent for lunch, and the drive over the Churchill barriers and past the Italian chapel is very interesting.

We visited this wonderful place on our recent two week holiday in Orkney, suffice to say we repeated our visit their twice, and very happy to say it was delightful food served by very nice staff, strongly advise you to book for an evening meal, the place over looks the Pentland firth and we were treated to a wonderful summer evenings sunset & had a cruise ship sail pass by as if you could reach out and touch it.

Can't comment on food as we did not stay. We had our 3 year old grandchild with us who was looking forward to lunch but unfortunately Skerries had nothing for children. Very nice waitress suggested a buttered roll!

The location of this restaurant is outstanding - the views are amazing. The food was delicious but we felt it was a bit on the pricey side and didn’t offer the best value.

Sitting outside in the April sunshine, sheltered from the light breeze by the restaurant, wonderful views, fantastic fresh seafood, excellent service, what more could you want. Thank you for a perfect lunch.

...so why an "average" rating? Well, in reality it deserves an average to good rating, but not a "very good". The view is breathtaking, even on a rainy evening. The food was very nice quality, and served very hot. The problem for me is two-fold - firstly it felt a bit like we were eating in a Portacabin and a small one at that, but the main issue is that it just didn't feel like good value for money, more that we were paying a hefty premium for that view. For example, my dessert was a chocolate brownie and ice cream. The ice cream was the size of a golf ball and the brownie measured about 2.5 x 2.5 x 0.5 inches - that cost £6.50. The main courses were not large portions either. If you are happy to pay a significant premium for that view, go. If you want good value for money, try somewhere else.

We came across this fantastic eatery by chance after visiting Tomb of the Eagles. Sunday afternoon was very busy but the owner kindly accommodated a party of 3 even moving tables for us. Food was excellent and well presented and a celiac menu offered.

Had really good evening meal - sea food platter. Service was very friendly. Toilets very clean with fresh flowers. Cheesecake fluffy and tasty with a delicate chocolate base. Would recommend.

We had dinner here last week, my wife had the sea food platter and i had the Scallops. both meals were very nice, we then shared a very nice piece of Cheesecake. The restaurant has lovely views and the staff were friendly and engaging.

We visited for lunch. The beautiful seafood was simply but very well prepared, letting the quality of the produce shine through. The service was excellent, and the mocktails went well with the food. The view was simply stunning - worth brining binoculars with you. Would highly recommend.