Sun Dancer in Highland

Having enjoyed a delicious birthday lunch last year went back for the same this year. It’s a special day with father and daughter sharing a birthday. We had a nice window spot but from there on downhill I’m afraid. We all opted for the leek and potato soup which was extremely salty. There was a generous amount of bread but when I asked for butter only a tiny amount for one person was delivered. My daughter asked for the scallop starter but as a main course portion. When it arrived it was the starter amount. We did not complain. My husband enjoyed his chicken main course. Two of us had the roast beef which arrived cold, not warm, COLD. It was taken back and new portions were delivered without question, this time on got plates. We would have benefitted with the use of steak knives. It was very bloody and had I known I would have asked for mine well done. We did not have puds. The bill was incorrect which was sorted with an apology. We did not tip as we felt underwhelmed. We were not asked if everything was ok or if we would like more drinks. It was clean and warm. Definitely room for improvement. It was not busy. All sad really and we will probably not return.

Popped in the downstairs cafe for lunch but left. Very unwelcoming short lived experience, primarily because of waitress who clearly doesn’t like hospitality and treated us like we were an inconvenience. Noticed other tables commenting on this too. After reading other comments this seems a common issue. Menu over priced too.

Me and my partner had a meal here whilst the festive menu was still on at the beginning of January and it was so good! The service was pleasant and everything you expect from a good restaurant. The food was also great! We just left feeling so happy with the entire experience.

food was amazing. lovely restaurant with lovely staff. 10/10 would definitely recommend

Good service, Great food and fantastic view. New owners, new menu. It's a bit more expensive but worth it when food is good

Nice views, one liked their rump steak, I had a risotto one of my favourite dishes, this had too much cheese- Mac and cheese came to mind.But the seasonings with sage was nice. Service was just ok. One in our group felt a burden on staff to just ask for a few more things like steak knives- check in and ask is everything to your liking would be Nice.

Lovely staff, food, and location.

Quite disappointed in our recent visit to the sundancer . Myself and family used to go quite often and it was always exceptional and great food options . Now the menu only has 4 items for a main . Myself and my partner ordered the soup and had to ask for a spoon . I ordered the steak which was meant to come with “seasoned fries “ there was no such thing and looked more like chippy chips . No option for sauce with the steak . We also ordered the “gourmet” burger which to me should have more than just lettuce and cheese . Service wasn’t the greatest either . Quite disappointing considering how great it used to be

Miserable blonde woman in the cafe downstairs needs to sort her attitude out and maybe take a class in basic customer service. Terrible.

Today was our second visit to this cafe in the past 6 months. On both occasions we encountered one particular member of staff who is very curt and condescending towards customers and makes the whole experience so unpleasant that we are unlikely to return.

Great food and service but it was nearly empty. Loved it anyway

I go to the dog friendly cafe downstairs. top notch service for both me and the dog. She drags me there so must be good

Enjoyed a delicious lunch, with stunning views of the firth, by the time we left the sun was hovering on the horizon, very efficient staff, nice ambience.

Seafood cocktail was quite underwhelming! The prawns were like cheapy frozen ones defrosted. Nothing special about it at all. I did enjoy my main of Seabream Nicoise . Staff were friendly and they did let me use a voucher on a night it wasn't meant for. Also received a complimentary glass of fizz for our anniversary

Excellent meal & service! Steaks were amazing! The proseco was belated 60th toast!

Friendly staff loved the witches hot chocolate and gluten free cakes lovely atmosphere great setting by the beach

Great place to dine the ox cheek and scallops is amazing I've also had the king scallops on a previous visit and that was one the best I've ever had. The view of the coast is just lovely from the vantage of dining on the 1st floor it's well worth the visit.

I loved my meal of pork fillet but was a little disappointed that two courses for £20 was only for starter & main course.

We had a wonderful dinner here while visiting Nairn. The service and food were excellent!

We had a wonderful dinner here! They were able to accommodate our last minute request for a reservation. The staff were very attentive and service was great. The dishes were all good, I especially enjoyed the seafood linguine special. I’d highly recommend a meal here if you’re in Nairn. The only thing that could’ve made this meal better would be if we came during the daylight to see the amazing views of the water!

Had mussels here for the first time since I was a kid (20ish years ago), I hated them as a kid, ate them multiple times and they smelt fishy, were rubbery and dry, I decided to have them again today, now I love them, they were fresh, soft and moist. So thanks for that 😆 Service was incredibly helpful and friendly, especially since my auntie also lost her prized ring which her mother wore for most of her life. The lady behind the counter was very happy to see we returned and made my auntie's day (perhaps even month).

We went here for my Birthday treat. Everything about this place is amazing, staff attentive and pleasant, nothing is too much trouble, food AMAZING, view very nice, looking out to sea which was rough that night . Even down to the toilets which are spotless, a rarity nowadays. Would definitely recommend and will hopefully be back.

After a nice walk either on Nairn beach or on the pathway, always nice to stop at the Sun Dancer and have a refreshment. Seating both external and internal

Popped in for a quick lunch and was impressed with the service , size of menu and the food itself when it appeared

Fine restaurant with a wonderful sea view. Fine dining, tasty and of good quality. Fish and chips fantastic. Vegetarian dishes recommended. Service very attentive. A bit expensive.

Lovely food with lovely views out over the beach abd Moray Firth

What a wonderful place. Fantastic service from a lovely lady (sorry didn’t catch name), and we thoroughly enjoyed everything we had to eat. Beautiful sea view and on a stormy evening even better. Thank you !

Food was good, as always 😋. Sat by the window, lovely to look at the sea, but great to be out of the bracing wind 🌬🥶

Waited over an hour between our drinks being served and our main arriving. Clearly not enough staff, was a shame because other tables felt the same too. This happened last night on the Sunday 29th of September. We had our booking at 6.45pm and we arrived promptly. We had two children and a baby. The service was very slow and we could sense the atmosphere was just tense and let down. If you can't provide a good service as in serving food at a correct time from when its ordered then you are doing something far wrong especially if you have alot of large tables. Because the lack of staff in hindsight you need to stay closed instead of conning people to come eat in your restaurant but then let them down by making them wait over an hour for a meal! Real shame. We were looking forward to this dinner as was my mother's last Sunday here before she leaves back to NZ.

Ox cheek and scallops is stunning... Lovely views too..

I was here for the Friday night dinner service with my wife and daughter. Firstly, the setting is outstanding. Sitting adjacent to the Nairn marina, and nestled in behind the dunes of Nairns central beach the views are impressive. The restaurant is up on the first floor ( still wheelchair accessible) and is essentially glass on 3 sides. So light and open and airy. A well appointed dining room and bar area had plenty of friendly and welcoming staff. We had a seat by a window though the views are visible from every table in the place. On to the food. It was simply stunning. I had the salmon starter and the wife had the seafood cocktail. Very healthy portions compared to other high end restaurants. I followed with the slow braised ox cheek and king scallops. Every element from veg, to sauce to title dish and presentation was excellent. I was lucky enough to have a couple of pieces of the warm fresh baked bread left which I used to polish the plate like a window cleaner. One of the best courses I've ever eaten. The wife had pork belly porchetta which was also beautiful. Finished with the sticky toffee pudding and had to take a stroll on th promenade adjacent to start walking it all off. A fantastic evening in a fantastic setting with food that was simply stunning

Lovely evening with splendid views of sun setting

Black pudding like a hockey Puck, inedible.

Staff very friendly, food excellent Great views over moray firth

Amazing food. Best sandwich I’ve had in a loooong time and a plentiful portion. The sandwich was bursting with flavour and my wife had a huge amount of salmon and prawns on her sandwich too. Staff friendly and our lunch was great value for money.

A wonderful experience. Would 100% recommend. Will definitely be back

Prices in a sky, culture under the carpet. Spend £200.00 and you can seat at the kitchen door. Shame of international catering and restaurant business.

Wow the sun sets views are amazing, the food and staff very friendly.

Absolutely delicious food, but the meals were so staggered in arriving at the table that half our party was finished before the other half got their meals. No apology or explanation, not read the place busy... Beautiful views over the water and delicious food, but.... They need to figure this out, as it isn't the first instance. Or the second.

View of the water, that is the main plus. Service was slow, we ordered our food and after waiting about 20 minutes had to remind them, it was obvious that was when our order went to the kitchen. Food is not that great. Their sister kitchen The Classroom is so much better.

The food was nice, at our table of 4 everyone enjoyed their meals, but the service really let's the place down. I don't know exactly what caused the issue, but we were waiting over an hour between our starters and main course (lucky we weren't in any rush). But after having to ask what was going on with our food multiple times, since tables that had sat down and ordered after us had even paid and left, we did feel let down with our experience. Usually in these cases we've been offered free drinks or dessert, but nothing in this case. Obviously it's the restaurant's choice to do so, but the experience hasn't left us with the sense that we can't wait to go back. In an area where there's such competition for fresh seafood it's a shame since the views especially at night are spectacular. Hopefully they're able to sort out their service issues.

Excellent ambience and venue with great views across the Cromarty Firth for a very enjoyable dining experience. My sirloin steak, thick cut chips and seasonal vegetables were very tasty and cooked to my request, I just perhaps didn't get the best cut of meat. The raspberry and lemon merengue with chantilly cream was delicious. Excellent, attentive service by friendly staff. Good value for money - I'd definitely recommend

Really enjoyed our meal. We were easily accommodated as a large group (booked in advance) spacious, lovely restaurant. Highly enjoyable meal as part of a big birthday celebration weekend.

Everything here was excellent, from the food to the view to the service. Thank you Darlene for serving us so well!

Food and staff are top notch, well worth a visit. It's also dog friendly in the downstairs cafe

Return visit after a positive experience last time. Absolutely delicious meal. Left feeling pleasantly full after two courses. Sadly no room for desert. Portion size was very good value - can recommend the fish and chips!! Service was very quick and attentive without being intrusive. Didn't feel that we had to rush for them to turn the table round either. The view was excellent. Even on a grey night as it was when we visited, the views over the Moray Firth were still amazing.

Fab food, great selection of cocktails, lovely staff and warm, welcoming ambience. But the best thing is the location, right on the seafront near the harbour. Loved it.

Visited on a recommendation from our host and had an enjoyable meal. We had no reservation but the staff helpfully fitted us in. It’s a nice looking restaurant with a long window wall, looking out over the beach and coast, which catches the eye as soon as you step into he room We were there at lunchtime and there was the option of the Al La Carte or the lunchtime ‘Express’ menu. We chose from the latter, with a prawn cocktail and seafood chowder for starters. Mains were a baked sole in a garlic sauce and haddock goujons. The chowder was delicious and the Prawn cocktail very nice. Haddock goujons was basically ‘fish and chips’ which was nicely battered and fried fish, chunky chips and a pot of home made tartar sauce. The baked sole was ok, the fish being a little bland but that is often the nature of seafood. We didn’t stop for the dessert. The ‘express’ menu is cheaper than the al la carte but the portions were good. The staff are attentive and friendly, the surroundings are very pleasant and the view captivating. We would go back if we were in the area again but choose items from the other menu.

Very enjoyable experience. Beautiful views across Moray Firth. Service excellent, food delicious. Certainly highly recommend for an evening meal.

Had a wonderful family meal here and seen a school of dolphins in the bay it was lush !!

Honestly I'd eat at Sundancer every night! We have been in 2023 and was great. Returned on holiday to Nairn last week...and ate there TWICE! Staff were lovely and food was bang on. Seafood Linguine, Steak, chowder, beer, wine, cocktails ...all great and didnt think over priced...infact great value with stonking views. On one of the nights the private area had a young couple just married and were on balcony for photos etc. Sun came out for them too. Top marks from me and my family. I would recommend booking. Enjoy!

Beautiful dinner setting with views from the upper floor right onto the beach and waves. Food felt slightly overpriced for the quality. Seafood Pil Pil was deliciously fresh, especially the calamari, but lacked a chilli or garlic kick. Scallops in main dish were delicious but the black pudding was a bit dry. Wife's pesto sea bass was great. Kid's chicken goujons seemed overdone, too crunchy and meat quite stringy. White chocolate raspberry cheesecake was good. Chocolate fondant was nice. Kids enjoyed their ice cream.

We had a great dining experience with 4 different dishes from the menu, all really delicious, well prepared and not over-priced. The sunset view from the panorama windows was amazing and we loved the expertise and friendlyness of the staff. We may have even spotted a dolphin. Highly recommended.

The staff are very good and attentive and the atmosphere is comfortable and clean. However....... Very small portions and very over priced..... Additionally, the seafood dishes were seriously bland and lacking in flavour. Not worth it and I won't be back.

Delicious! Amazing staff and honestly the best food we’ve had in a restaurant this year! Ask for a window table.. great views

While there is no denying it's a lovely restaurant, but there is hardly anything to eat if you are allergic to gluten. 1 starter....1main....1 dessert. Oh and don't think you can just have chips....these are fried in a fryer that has previously been used for gluten products. In this day and age where there are so many intolerants it is shocking there is not more choice.

Had a lovely early birthday meal there tonight (3 Aug 24). Service and food were excellent as always.

Booked a 7pm table for my partner's 50th birthday here months in advance. Unfortunately our table wasn't ready when we arrived so we were asked to sit in the bar area where someone would take a drinks order from us, but this didn't happen. After a 15 minute wait we were shown to our table with no apology. The website booking system stated the dress code was "business casual"; no problem, we enjoy dressing up to go for a fancy meal! However I was surprised and disappointed to see a couple of grown men in shorts and trainers, another couple of folk in jeans and hoodies, and even a fully grown man who wore a baseball cap throughout the duration of his meal. However, we didn't let other people's appearances dissuade us from enjoying our fabulous meal. The food more than made up for any annoyances. Each course was a delight, and the bottle of wine we chose to go with it was delicious. We couldn't manage pudding but did manage a cocktail; I genuinely think the Elderflower Fizz was the nicest cocktail I've ever had. The staff were knowledgeable and attentive, although I was ignored when I went to the bar after our cocktails to request the bill. Despite the poor dress sense of other patrons, and a few hitches such as our pre-booked table not being ready, we will definitely go back on another special occasion to treat ourselves. Iron out these hitches, consider acknowledging patron's special occasions, and it would be an all-round five star experience.

Excellent service and food couldn’t ask for better ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Great food, great service and beautiful location. Everything is unusually good, but we have one slight concern, and that is we all felt the portions were far too large. We were not able to finish two courses and hate waste, so were very concerned about this and also it probably encourages some people to eat too much, a concern when there is a lot of obesity around nowadays.

Good food, nice staff and a beautiful view.

July 2024 First time since new owners and not impressed. Management not on the ball....servers didn't know who was doing what , or what was in items, service was fast and felt rushed. No plain classics for those that don't like oil , garlic or chilli !!! Previously you were served water and home made bread on arrival....new owners want to charge you £5.50 for basket of bread !!! Whole ambience was noisy and clattery, but it was very busy.... despite eating early. Menu seems to be reduced from previous....wine is extortionate at £8.50 and £9.00 per glass. Seabass was a small portion and very oily, had cheese plate to fill up which was very good but expensive at £16. To be honest we went home and had Cereals!!! Dec 2022 Festive menu limited but tasty and well presented as usual, we find the dessert menu always a bit limited, . needs some classics ( i.e. cheesecake and a plain chocolate dessert) and an ice cream sundae! veggie selection also limited compared to other restaurants in the area. Service excellent as usual but we have found that the drinks and wine menu has got so expensive in the past year or so, £30 for a bottle of Shiraz is outrageous and the cheapest bottle around £24, glass prices àre also creeping up. Its getting to be too expensive to have a glass of wine with a meal . Returned March 2023.....all of the above seemed to have been addressed good menu choices, Good puddings and some more reasonably priced wines...? Well done sundancer keep it up,

I had been treated to a lovely meal here by my partner for my birthday. And it was fantastic! The restaurant was lovely and bright, with one wall of glass offering an amazing view over the Nairn coastline. It was a beautiful evening, so this helped with the ambience of the night. Service was very good, with polite, friendly staff. And the food was exceptional. Everything is cooked to perfection and each bite a delight. We had a bottle of wine to accompany our meal, which was delicious, and then a cocktail instead of a dessert to finish the meal. The cocktails were fantastic, and full of flavour. We were welcomed and treated so warmly and with much respect, it is hard to criticise the establishment. But I do have two things to say. In comparison to the wonderful starter and main that my partner and I had, the desserts were not particularly inspiring and seemed a bit "so-so". Which is why we opted for cocktails. The second thing I would point out, the website made it clear that the dress code was business casual. And I felt a bit let down by the hoodies, baggy jeans and baseball caps that other patrons were wearing. But in saying that, I would not hesitate in coming back or recommending!

Went there for private function with buffet provided which was fine. It seemed quite busy in the restaurant, but heard that the prices had gone up as there is a new owner now, so can’t really give a proper review.

If anyone ever finds themselves in Nairn, Scotland looking for a meal, I can’t recommend The Sun Dancer enough, the best meal I have had in years, excellent service, and reasonably priced. I had the venison and my wife had pan fired cod special. Both excellent and we enjoyed a beautiful view of the water while we ate.

Super nice right by the sea...very recommended. Very beautiful...right by the ocean..very recommendable...

I would give 4 1/2 if I could. Our last night in Nairn, we went to another local fine dining establishment for my birthday and frankly there is much to compare. The view, the ambience, the service, and the food. Wish had gone to Sundancer on my birthday. I hugely recommend. The other place was flat, overpriced, staff looked unhappy.

Cafe on ground floor. Tried to have a coffee and bite to eat. Waitress was at very best uninterested, we were given menus and sat outside. More than 10 mins later ànd still no order taken, seemed to be more focused on those seated inside who arrived after us. Main problem was poor attitude from staff. We left.

Bust sea front location. Lovely.

Lunch here with friends, we all had chicken shawarma, very tasty and generous

Food was decent, and the service was dreadful, sadly.. Cmon guys, get your act together

We had an exceptional meal with excellent service and very high quality food. I chose the Sea Bass (see photo) which was beautifully presented and flavours were delicious. Would highly recommend this dish. Our guests also had a wonderful experience and we were fortunate to be seated with a window view overlooking the beach. The staff are very attentive, well mannered and friendly. We will definitely return very soon.

Brilliant service, lovely food and great view

Fabulous little cafe tucked away with great sea views. Food was delicious and plentiful portions at a reasonable price. Dog friendly too. Lovely staff.

Fabulous dinner with an amazing beach and sea view. Service and food brilliant. Absolutely recommend!

Lovely breakfast, great service.

We visited for my brothers 60th birthday and I had booked the table over two months in advance and requested a window table. We arrived promptly, unfortunately we didn’t get a window table. Not a disaster. We waited approximately 10 minutes for our food order to be taken and another 10 minutes before our drinks arrived. After 45 minutes I had to complain as we still hadn’t received our food and others who had arrived after our table of five received their food. We didn’t receive an apology when the food arrived a few minutes after my complaint, sadly. The food tasted lovely. The portions were small and not sufficient. We decided not to have pudding after that and left. We wouldn’t recommend as the service was poor to average, long delays for food and drink. Yes the food tasted lovely when it came and the staff were pleasant but not attentive. I wish them well but it wasn’t a great special occasion for our family and brother who had arrived from America. Very disappointed

We popped in for coffee and cakes, the ladies downstairs were really nice and helpful which is why I'm giving the 2 stars but the man upstairs wasn't very welcoming at all, advised us the were closed until 5.30 and even though we just said we wanted coffee and cakes he said he only had what's left, it felt like he couldn't be bothered with us so we left

On holiday/vacation and had a great allergy friendly dinner of venison and desert. Fantastic views. Great good. Great service.

Service and food excellent. Great view.

Very friendly service and excellent quality lovely staff thanks 😊 walter

Nice friendly staff, good atmosphere and great food. Recommended the Haddock fishcakes and poached egg.

Lovely food, attentive staff, good atmosphere and wonderful views of the Moray Firth.

Popped in on a quiet Tuesday lunchtime, party of 4, shown straight to a table by the window. Magnificent view. The food was excellent. Very relaxed atmosphere attentive staff. Would definitely return.

Alright. Kind and outgoing. Very pleasant experience.

Popped in after a long day visiting some heritage site. And got seated with no reservation. The restaurant is situated right on the sea front, with views to die for. Service was quick and friendly. The meals was lovely, although I did think the battered fish was a wee bit greasy. Nothing major, but I found myself leaving a good bit of the batter. Minor issue. As overall is was first class.

Food was OK service was not the best.

Loved every bit of this place. The food was good, service was really nice, and the view was just amazing!

Came in for lunch, great views and a good menu. Unfortunately the forgot to actually process my order so I had to wait quite a while, whilst my friend eat there lunch first. Bit of a shame other wise 5 stars.

Fantastic food, fantastic view, fantastic staff. Had a great night out. Only one complaint....get the pale ale back on tap, please.

The batter on the fish was not cooked. Lots of uncooked batter between the outside and the fish. Inedable, also chips undercooked. They did not charge us for the fish and chips. Steak too many potatoes not enough vegetables or salad. Starters were all good.

Been for coffee. Very popular so you may have a long wait. They do provide takeout drinks.

Brilliant place gorgeous location fabulous food great staff

We have been here on a number of occasions and were always happy with food, service etc.,but last visit was extremely disappointing. The seafood fish which l ordered was bland and watery - not a nice eating experience at all .

Fabulous meal and catered brilliantly for our boy with severe food allergies. Nothing was a problem. Fabulous experience.

Unnecessary info in the menu, who needs to know about Lee & his Mum? Other than that good food and friendly staff.

Dog friendly cafe by the beach with friendly and efficient staff.

Had an unplanned lunch here on a very warm February Saturday. Sat outside, service was prompt and polite, dog friendly and the fish and chips was as delicious as you would expect by the sea. Will definitely visit again.

We stopped in for a bite to eat after a lovely walk along the beach with the dog. I had the bacon roll and cappuccino and my partner had the 'Pig' 2 slices of lorne sausage and blackpudding in a roll with a soft drink. Food was absolutely delicious 😋 cooked to perfection. We didn't wait very long for our order. The staff were totally fantastic too, they couldn't do enough to help. Definitely worth a visit. Will definitely be recommending to friends and family and will most certainly be back again and again in future.

Nice food. Can be a little noisy depending on clientele but that applies to a lot of places. Pretty good beach front café