Stepping Stone Restaurant in Eilean Siar

We had a lovely meal here. The scampi in particular was excellent. Service was fantastic - they were great with our 18 month old, brought her food so quickly and when she wolfed it down, brought her some more! Would highly recommend.

During a busy day taking care of family health issues, Stepping Stones provided welcome refreshment in a bright, clean, and friendly environment. Thank you.

Another year and another great meal at the Stepping Stone. Always have a meal here when up for our yearly cycling trip. Great food and staff are all great and helpful.

I visited here on the off chance on a Sunday, and they provide great coffees, cake, and lots of options for lunch. The menu has such a variety of snacks and main meals. The main meals are quite large portions. They have an outside area to sit in, too. The service was great, and I would definitely recommend a visit.

What a great time we had in this lovely little place. Food was delicious, good service but Anne, really made it for us. Loved chatting to her and her local knowledge was great. She had a lovely manner. Tremendous value for money too! Thank you Anne!

Generous portions of delicious meals. The menu is not extensive, but a wide variety of options. Service was efficient and friendly. Definitely try the desserts!

Friendly and efficient staff, delicious looking and tasting food, clean, quick service and reasonably priced.

Well what to say, another lovely meal in the stepping stone. They have a menu but also check out the specials board. Eaten here a few times over the past years, and never had a bad meal or experience in it. Staff are always polite, attentive, and give a warm welcome. Will be back next year again.

We arrived just hoping for a morning coffee on our way through. We came in and took a seat (all tables available bar two) We were greeted by an abrupt women asking ‘you wanting food’ We replied we would just like a coffee please by which we were told ‘you don’t sit here if you just want coffee’ to which she walked off and began to serve two other tables that sat down after us. So we left! Stay clear of this place unless you want an attitude with your coffee. Maybe lack of staff is the issue which I fully understand but no need to treat your customers like this.

This is not a restaurant, cafe at best. Food poor quality and overpriced. Mislead by pricing as lunch-time prices on display not evening ones (we had gone for an evening meal!). Photos of premises not a true reflection!

Staff friendly, food edible but fish was covered in soggy batter and scampi had more coating than fish and they just tasted bland and not restaurant quality. Next time we will def be stepping anywhere else to eat but not in here.

The food is ok but rather too many chips and insufficient greenery as standard. Portions can be on the large side.

Restaurant was busy, very prompt service. Food was good value, well presented, value for money, you need to book in advance .

Glad that we had taken notice of how busy this lovely restaurant is. We booked for 4 adults on a Thursday night. Very busy when we arrived at 6pm but we were seated straight away and given menus and a Specials board. Drinks order taken and food order also. Our food arrived, on hot plates, Macaroni & chips, Fish & Chips all served with a smile. The staff were excellent, asking if everything was okay. Generous portions. We didn’t have room for dessert 🧁. Definitely recommended.

Good service and good food. A nice family restaurant. We had the fish and chips. Very tasty and came with a salad too. Located near the police station in Benbecula.

Another great meal. Nice restaurant with plenty of choice. Staff are great and very welcoming. Will be back next year.

Funky stain glass window decor, quick service and a great range of food. Close to town to pop to the shops after.

Having eaten here for a fantastic Sunday lunch, we thoroughly enjoyed delicious coffee, hot chocolate and cakes. Would highly recommend, superb.

Dropped in for lunch and was pleasantly surprised. Great service, good food and decent value for money. Would highly recommend.

Came here as the only place to eat, glad I booked as it was a busy Friday night service, obviously a place for locals to eat out on special occasions, or just to enjoy a meal out. Very reasonable prices compared to elsewhere on the Islands. I had very tasty special of scallops and bacins, confused as to why bacon not chopped up, but scallops were exceptional. Fish and chips for main course was ok, disappointed by the the Raspberry Pavalova, just merangue nests with ice cream, albeit very lovely fresg raspberry sauce. Waitress seened a bit grumpy😕but, chef very friendly and , welcoming and came out to talk to everyone which was nice. I would return again when on holiday in Balivanich. A bit of a walk from the centre, but manageable! Was harder wakkibg back after ny neak with a full stomach!!

OK, but expensive food for what you get. Coffee incredibly overpriced and awful (avoid - have tea instead) - cappuccino was an awful americano with some thin sudsy milk on top which resembled white fairy liquid. Staff seem to think you’re a bit of a...

This is an informal cafe/bistro restaurant. We had a very nice meal here, the food was freshly cooked and nicely presented. Service was good although there was just one person on duty.

Great takeaway meal and really helpful on the phone when we were dashing from the ferry to our bed and breakfast accommodation.

We ordered a take away from here on out first night, it was ok and not extortionate so we thought we'd try sitting in one night for the specials. It was not a good experience. You could cut the tension with a knife, the staff...

This place is unforgettable in all the wrong ways. It really is dismal and depressing with all the atmosphere of the works canteen of a failing business. The waitress who served up obviously so wanted to be anywhere else doing anything else and the food...

My wife and I dined at Stepping Stones in Benbecula and enjoyed an excellent meal. My wife's steak was cooked to perfection as was my loin of pork. Huge portions added further value to the meal. Service was friendly and efficient. All in all great...

We called in for a coffee and lunch snack. Staff appeared to be disengaged or distracted when taking our order for coffees, a smoked salmon baguette and a scone. The coffees arrived quickly. By the time the baguette arrived our coffee was nearly finished. The...

Stopped on our way from south uist to Bernary. We hadn’t booked but they were able to accommodate us at 1:30 for something light to eat. The soup was lovely and others had tea and scones which they said was nice. Would recommend for lunch...

Menu sounded good but the food was a disappointment. Same fruit sauce used on my meat and my dessert.

We had a problem with confused bookings - all our fault- but we’re quickly accommodated. We all went for the three course Sunday special. Soup was delicious, roast beef a very generous portion and a frisky gin based trifle to finish. Very tasty and prompt...

Terrible place with very unfriendly staff. Food was not good at all, they made mistake with our order and they was so unhappy to bring us the right one. Very but very disappointed we came here.

Great restaurant to eat. Nice and friendly staff, always ready to help you, even when they are very busy. Great food and very large portions, and always well cooked and presented to you. Ate here twice in the week that we where up. Back up...

Great food, great atmosphere, friendly and professional staff. Jewel of Benbecula. Highly recommended.

Terrible place with no atmosphere what so ever. Staff were unfriendly and we felt as though we were such a hindrance to their day. Food was not good at all and £6.25 for a bacon roll with a soggy tomato is shocking. So disappointed we...

Whilst staying in the area popped in for dinner. Lovely friendly staff and a great selection of food. Local produce, large portions and good drinks available too. Starters and main well executed and spot on service - thanks!

The food was good. Not a good range of beer.I felt the waitress was a but surly and we never got the coleslaw we asked for after our order was taken.The building lacks a restaurant feel. To us it had the atmosphere of a school/university refectory or an American ski hut.

We turned up here last night without pre booking expecting it to be full but the waitress who greeted us found one spare table by the bar for us, tables were well spaced and it felt very covid safe. My wife had the best scampi we've ever seen, whole tails really fresh and local, and I had a very tasty beef madras, nice and soft beef, not chewy or fatty, with a lovely curry sauce containing fresh vegetables and ginger. The innis and gun beer was wonderful and the service was both efficient and friendly. We were very pleasantly surprised at the bill after deducting the government discount and would have felt it good value for money even if we had paid full price. Highly recommend the Stepping Stones if you are staying at or passing close to Ballivanich.

We phoned on spec to get a booking, no problem at all! When we arrived, our waitress recommended the Spiltpea and spinach curry, for my hubby, I had a baked potato with Tuna & Sweetcorn, both were delicious, we followed up with Sticky Toffee Pudding for hubby and Chocolate fudge cake for me, both from MacLeans bakery our waitress told us, delicious!! The place was spotless, our details were taken and Hand sanitiser at the door, the toilets were spotless to!I would recommend Stepping Stones to anyone visiting the area. £39 value for money. Portions were very good and service was excellent!

Ate here twice for lunch and twice for dinner, as well as a couple of coffee stops.The very best of food with very generous portions.Place is spotless.Pleasant staff and many spoke Gaelic.A professional manager made sure everything worked like clockwork.If you visit Uist, don't miss out on this gem.Tapadh leibh.

After 10 minutes of waiting to be served we walked out and went to the Chinese takeway next door. Had read several positive reviews and so had high expectations. No vegan options and the only vegetarian dish was macaroni cheese. I do not expect to be ignored by staff, it shows a very poor attitude towards service, but that is exactly what happened. Would never go back.

You can always depend on the Stepping Stones. Great value, well cooked quality food and generous portions. Whether it's a private function or a quick lunch it always comes up trumps.

Went here with a large group for dinner over the festive period. Great service and lovely food - would highly recommend the fish and chips.

Had family visiting from Devon,showing off our local cuisine, knew we could depend on Stepping Stone Restaurant to provide fantastic meal as always.

Hearty portions though some odd combinations but hey we went with it, friendly service and relaxed atmosphere.

Had a late lunch here one day, friendly staff, good food but massive portions. It was very quiet so not a lot of ambience as we were the only people in such a large place. Would recommend it though

This restaurant was recommended to us one evening and we made a booking for later that day. Food was tasty and plentiful with a nice selection of specials available. If you find yourself in Benbecula I would definitely recommend a visit.

Stopped in late afternoon for a bite to eat. We were greeted by the owner who took our order and served us as well. The food was quite nice and the restaurant was very clean.

A good place, but the food wasn't the best, tasted like from the microwave, I'm sorry to say that. No Wi-Fi for guests. The staff was really nice and friendly.

Had lunch here 2 x fish and chips (on September 2) and by golly HUGE portions.....Friendly well liked clearly by the numbers of locals eating within. A place to find honest value in an area with a shortage of places to eat. Excellent.

This place has good, hearty food. The staff was friendly and helpful. I am gluten intolerant and they had options for me.

Probably the best fish and chips in the land. Ginormous portions and lovely batter. A must visit if you're in the area.

We just stopped here for lunch, but were impressed by the lunch menu. The mushroom soup was very tasty. Really enjoyed looking at the Sheila MacLean art on the walls

Our first night on Benbecula we ate at the Stepping Stone Restaurant. Pulling up and parking the car, I had the feeling that our dining experience was not going to be all that inspiring. My wife and I both ordered the "Sweet Chicken Curry" (we both LOVE curry) which tasted on the "shallow" side... meaning the flavor should have been much richer and full-bodied. The best part was the bottle of Innis & Gunn Original Ale which I enjoy when I can get it home in The States.

Had fried chicken here and the amount of food you get is ridiculous and we had our food after we received our food, come guys its wasnt even busy

Stopped twice here on the way up the Hebridean Way and on way back down again. The Sunday roast beef dinner was fantastic and I cycled off with a big smile on my face. Thanks again folks.

Enjoyed our meal here staff were nice will return on our next visit thank you very much for a nice meal

The crispy chicken with sweet chili sauce here is tasty for a takeaway or sit in meal but I would not recommend the burgers or any non homemade desserts.

Great little place .We popped in for a snack had delicious cake and a very well presented Downpour gin and tonic .

Excellent meal on a Sunday afternoon (bearing in mind that there is not much open on a Sunday!). Quick and friendly service but unfortunately not dog friendly.

Friendly service. I took scallops as a starter, which were very nice, however, the large slices of deep fried ham was just too much. It spoiled the enjoyment of the scallops. Otherwise the meal was nice, but nothing exceptional, rather overpriced, for what we got.

Good place to stop for lunch. Haddock and chips were excellent served with tomatoes, cucumber and lettuce. Ploughmans’ Lunch was served with thick slices of ham and homemade bread. Child’s finger strips of pizza was served with chips, beans and salad. Good Specials board that included poached salmon. Food was very good and reasonably priced at £30 for three people including sit drinks. Good service. Recommended.

Hot and hearty but distinctly average tasting. Not much thought given to presentation. Overpriced for what we had, even though we were undercharged for one dish. Possibly better as a lunchtime experience? Unbeknown to us they were closing at 8pm (on a Saturday?) so our 7.30pm reservation became a race to the finish. I wouldn’t go back.

Great meals. My wife had a different meal from the norm goose burger very good. H I had scampi. I never seen such a large portion. Also great service

We were looking for somewhere to eat on a Sunday, the lady in the gift shop recommended here, luckily she said it was next to the bank otherwise we might have missed it. Service and food was excellent, we particularly the carrot and coriander soup.

The restaurant was very quiet when we arrived but soon filled up with a mix of tourists and locals.

First of all we phoned up and booked a table. Got there and the table was not set and it was dirty, full of crumbs. The staff didn’t seem to have an interest or seem bothered, did not ask if everything was ok or even if the good was good. We all had Fanta and it was as if the Fanta was flat. The curry was as if it was from a jar you can buy from the co op. Disappointed.

The place felt a little bleak on arrival, and staff seemed nonchalent. What was listed as being available did not look inspiring, but in fact the regular menu and specials offered a good level of choice and some interesting options. I also realised the staff member was doing a very good job - calm and well-organised with very little support.

Stepping Stones offers a varied menu using local ingredients at

Decided to go to the Stepping stones for lunch, Too discover that the main menu had not changed since the last time i visited , hardly any choice and most of the choices that are there are quite boring and a waste of money.

We stopped here en route for lunch. It was busy but we found a table. Service was attentive and helpful. The menu offered a reasonable selection supplemented by a "specials board" which featured, amongst other options, goose burger. We enjoyed a welcome light lunch which was both tasty and reasonably priced and would not hesitate to return next time we are in the area.

We visited Stepping Stone restaurant with family. We were welcomed warmly and the service was attentive.

Stepping Stones is a fabulous eatery in Stornoway. This was our third time visiting and we were not disappointed. All our dishes were fabulous and the staff were lovely. Highly recommend.

First Sunday on the island and found this open. Not dog friendly so ordered coffee and sat outside, after 20 minutes went in and they were just being made. Cakes and coffee good

The Stepping Stone never fails to impress. Quality fish, and top quality service. Ewan and his team do a great job.

Ok, so ive been to stepping stones restaurant a few times now and ive been dissappointed each time. Why do i still go back? Well theres not much choice in Benbecula and most people inevitably end up at Stepping Stones.

The title really says it all..my wife had the lentil soup with cheese scones, I had the smoked salmon & cream cheese sandwich. Service was fast and friendly, nice people who despite being busy seemed to be always smiling. This restaurant has a justly deserved good reputation!

We stopped here for lunch. Baked potatoes with various filling, cups of tea. Over £40 for four people. Friendly staff.

We visited here a couple of weeks ago and it was not a very pleasant experience.

My family had lunch here today. Baked potatoes were super. Service was good. Would visit this place again.

Visited with my daughter on a Friday night. Menu was same as years ago! Not much choice! Food was good though. No background music. Not much of an atmosphere. Will be years before going back.

Went to this place yesterday after seeing good reviews. Where I was seated by the waitress there was loads of food on the carpet. Service was terrible, sandwich was poor with brown lettuce and dry bread. Was overpriced, spoilt my day.

Food fine if a little slow in coming out, then waited a further 30 minutes on hope of getting table cleared and ordering desserts, eventually gave up. Restaurant wasn’t particularly busy but a young girl was left on her own and obviously couldn’t cope without guidance and help.

We had haddock and chips and fish was cooked perfectly. Easy to find as it's on main road through Balivanich.

Just enjoyed the most amazing lunch from their Sunday menu. We had salmon as the main and it was a very generous portion. Excellent service and great staff.

Been previously and as always the food was amazing. Nice large portions presented well. The service was great and the server was really attentive. The owner also came over and spoke to us, which was a very personal touch. Couldn't recommend the place enough.

Group of 8 sat down for Sunday lunch. Ordered drinks (mainly soft drinks) from the menu. 3 drinks were out of stock so settled for alternatives. Girl took an age to fetch the drinks and when they eventually arrived, she served them by picking up the glass by its rim. Not very hygienic to say the least. When the food arrived, that was better. Good sized portions, reasonably warm food (not hot) but adequate. Not particularly impressed.

We thought it was closed initially. We were the only people in at the time. The restaurant was lovely inside and there was enough choice on the menu to suit us both.

We both had the crispy chicken which was delicious, large portion of chicken, served with a dish of chips but a rather small side salad and we only realised as we were finishing our meal that the chilli sauce was nowhere to be seen. Menu does not appear to have changed since our last visit many years ago but it obviously works for them and the place is highly recommended by locals. Nice friendly atmosphere and very cosy.

After skipping breakfast, by 12.00pm we were both hungry.

I managed to squeeze in a quick visit to the Stepping Stone before my ferry was due back after working in the adjacent MOD centre. The place seemed to be doing a roaring trade with it being empty when I got their but later coach loads of tourists swarmed in. Staff were speedy and efficient despite the exponential upturn in custom.

Dining as part of a large group for a colleague leaving. Staff coped really well with the group getting every order right and taking good care of us. Food was really good as always with the portions being too big if that's possible,

Had a lovely meal here during our Hebridean Way walking holiday. Service was excellent. Good choice on the menu and the food was amazing. Definitely recommend.

Had a very nice meal here - we had fish & steak. Both tasted really good, service was friendly and prices fine.

A baptism meant we were seated in the cafe part of this restaurant - same menu but no carpet or nicely set tables, with windows. We were at plastic tables/chairs and the food was the same price. Service was very poor - took a long time to get the main course and almost half an hour for 1 ice cream and a square of cheesecake. After I complained a manager apologised or we would still be waiting. The food was just ok....far too many chips! We are Scottish but not local and boy did we feel like outsiders.

Meal for 13, very good service, a good selection of starters, mains and sweets. All nicely presented, generous portions, and, most importantly, very tasty.

The food was very good. The restaurant was nice. The staff were not very attentive. Maybe there was a reason, could have been a busy day. We were unable to request more drinks.

Staying in Balivanich for a few days, we had a lovely meal here and were happy to see it busy, good service as well as good food.

last time we were in Benbecula we stopped by for lunch at the Stepping Stone. We really enjoyed that visit I even remember what we ate.... Lamb stew for the wife, Hot smoked salmon and Scottish brie on a baguette. Service was pleasant and attentive. We talked about visiting again for years.

We visited as part of a large group (34 in all) for lunch on a Sunday and without our party the place would have been dead.

Went today with four friends having looked at the reviews, but I have to say that I was quite disappointed by both the quantity and quality of the food. I appreciate that we are on an island, but the waitress made no attempt to tell us what was not available until we asked for it, only to be told, it was not available. I ordered Barra scampi and tartare sauce, bit it came without the sauce as none was available. The salad consisted of a small amount of chopped lettuce and a sliver of tomato. Although we ordered individual chips, they came in a bowl and were insufficient for 5 adults. It was a bit like a canteen meal. As there are only a couple of restaurants on the island the choice is limited. But this one is very ordinary...