The Lower Deck Seafood Restaurant in Highland

Servers were racist. Made us wait out in the cold and kept imposing rules that didn't apply to other patrons. Gave us seats in the corner of the restaurant, despite other seats closer to the window being empty. Servers were also very rude and slow in service.

Luckily we were there before the regular opening time, so we were able to get a table with the first wave of guests when it opened. After that the queue got longer and longer. The atmosphere in the store is rustic and the service staff are very friendly. The food was rock solid, but not a highlight. We had the mussels which were freshly prepared. The fish and chips, however, could easily have been frozen.

The £17 fish and chips was more than disappointing. The peas and fries arrived cold on the plate which is just unacceptable. It also smelled like it came out of the freezer. The fried fish was quite good but the accompaniment greatly lowered the overall quality of the plate. I do not recommend this restaurant, especially since it was particularly noisy.

They are in the same place, so not a lot of tables. I quickly got a table and a menu card. But when the waiter had walked past me AT LEAST 10 times without asking what I wanted to order. I chose to go again. The place seemed to bear without structure. During the entire period I was there, there was a table that was not cleared, while several customers came in and asked if there was a free table for them.

The food is excellent but service is not what you expect didn’t feel they really want you there

The staff were wonderful and the food was delicious. Excellent all around.

Dined here recently whilst on a short visit to Skye. We waited 20 minutes just to receive menus to look at, once seated. Waitress came to take our order. She then took a further 20 minutes to bring us our drinks. The food came before the drinks. The food was really disappointing. In the meanwhile, the waitress continued to bark orders at new customers who were coming in to enquire about a table. She was really rude to most of the folk who came in. The experience was just awful, we couldn't wait to pay our bill and leave. Probably one of the worst dining out experiences I've had.

The siege of the place is unbelievable It's better to be ahead of time

We waited about 25 minutes for the two of us to be seated. Definitely not worth the wait as we did not enjoy our food. We both got the fish pie and it did not taste seasoned and was a gross texture. Can’t imagine the other food would be much better considering it seemed like there was no salt in ours.

Since the electricity was switched off throughout Portree in the morning, it was no longer possible to get completely fresh food. The salad was no longer fresh and didn't taste good. However, everything was fine with the squid rings and the sauce tasted very good. In the end, the waitress reduced the price a bit because I mentioned that the salad was no longer good.

A brilliant sea food restaurant with plenty of character. No bookings you need to join a queue.

I don't understand the hype. As you can even see in the pictures shared here, the bread is from a bag from the supermarket. Butter imported from elsewhere, the kind you get at American cruiseships. The food not great. One of the servers was nice, but in general not great either. Seafood fresh, but everything was cooked very bland. Good thing there was no qeue when we went so we didn't have to wait, but I don't understand the hype. Not a great place in general. You can get as fresh a seafood, but with much better ingredients, flavors amd service anywhere else in Portree. Overpriced too.

We only used the takeaway option as the weather was beautiful. The food was excellent 👌

The wine was delicious with seafood

We enjoyed a wonderful bowl of cullen skink there on a cool, blustery day last week. The cozy setting and kind staff made our experience complete. NB: they opened for lunch at noon, and within minutes every table was full.

The food was delicious and very cheap for prices in the area. The waiters were exceptionally friendly and very quick to serve you. You cannot reserve so you have to wait at the door for your turn. Totally recommended, it's worth the wait!!

The service and the food are wonderful here! I had the sea bass and sticky toffee pudding and both were amazing! The servers were absolutely lovely to me and the fish tasted so fresh! Never had better! The little potatoes it came with were roasted to perfection. A lovely birthday dinner for myself!

Lovely restaurant with good food. Very friendly staff

Food was absolutely beautifulovnice and fresh, high quality. We had to queue to get in (didnt had reservation)

Given the success of the restaurant, we understand why they don't take reservations because things are so busy. I just find it hard to imagine having to wait in line when you're on vacation... The calamari starter is very basic, nothing exceptional. We preferred dishes that were good but not “wow” either. The place is a bit typical although, very disappointed by Portree, I had a hard time feeling good there, especially as it was cold and very noisy. The waitresses weren't the most cheerful but really a compliment to their management because it can't be easy to manage so many people every day. For those who wonder why they have to wait outside when the tables have been cleared of previous tourists, it is surely to prepare a new burst of people during the second service. Not disappointed to have done it but it won't remain an incredible memory (nor the highly rated city)...

Bland salmon (I do just as well at home). Endless waiting Amorphous and unpleasant staff (the lady didn't even look at us when taking the order and literally threw the plate at us) +the toilet door does not close completely

Although we waited for about 45 minutes for a table, since we didn't have a reservation, the food was very good and worth the wait. Good service was provided and we thoroughly enjoyed our meal.

Excellent restaurant, there is always a bit of a queue outside but with patience you can eat. Good food, fast and friendly staff

Fish excellent. Dessert (brownie) unfortunately inedibly dry.

Cosy maritime restaurant. Staff were lovely and super helpful. Food was tasty but calamari was too doughy and cheesecake was too gelatinous

Horrible service, waited outside for at least half an hour just for a table of 3. Waiters had no intention or urgency to serve customers quickly. Tables that have not been cleared although the customers have long left. And for some reason unknown to us, they loved seating multiple parties in one go. For example, we had to wait until multiple tables were cleared and we were shown to a table together with a party of 6 behind us. Why couldn’t we have went in first? Doesn’t make sense. But anyway, onto the food. Scampi and everything else tasted frozen and not fresh at all. I suspect many people that give 5 star reviews here do not know the difference. Very disappointing dining experience.

Arrived before opening so we we're some of the first inside. Once we got our order in the food came back fast, but that's where the good ends. The Shrimp scampi was actually just popcorn shrimp that tasted frozen, and the salmon was very fishy and not seasoned at all.

Very popular place with excellent quality-price seafood and fish dishes. The soup and hagish are very good too

Nice eat in restaurant on the wharf. The local salmon starter soup was piping hot and fresh. The haddock fish and chips was exceptional. Local lager hit the spot as well.

Very nice and typical place located right on the marina. Average prices. Fish, crustaceans and molluscs menu

We waited about 30-45 minutes during peak hour for dinner, which was not too bad! The scallops were fine - not the freshest, but the fish pie and Cullen skink were delicious. It was okay value for money, but I had higher expectations for a local seafood joint! In saying that, the service was excellent, and it’s still a good option for dinner.

Nice shop right at the harbor. A little overpriced for the food, but OK. Service a bit overwhelmed

Avoid! The scallop dish was poorly cooked and tasteless. The side dish (potatoes and pea puree) was horrible. The other dish that wasn't fish was a "beef stew" which had no flavor. Worst restaurant experience since the start of our trip to Scotland!

The fish and chips were surprisingly bad and the calamaris were mediocre. I would recommend to go elsewhere.

We ordered the sea bass and mussels. The mussels was amazing !!

We waited in line for 30 minutes even though there were free tables and we were told curtly that there was still a 30 minute wait and that we were with children in the rain and people outside. interior were still waiting to be served!!! And payment only in cash! We're off!

The restaurant is very small but the food is excellent! We were there very early (5.30 p.m.) and got a table for two. Subsequent guests had to queue outside!

It wasn't one of the best places, lots of people (you even have to queue), average quality of the food, the service goes a long way and you're quite crowded between tables... nothing to highlight. They have Skye beer, pretty decent.

Yeah... The restaurant is very well located on the port and the frontage is attractive...but as always in Scotland, you find fish & chips, basic dishes...very averagely cooked. It's a very touristy restaurant (I have nothing against tourists...I'm one), but you can feel this atmosphere in the restaurant and the welcome/service is poor. typical appearance, this restaurant turns out to be a place of obligatory passage...a little disappointing. As for Portree...very disappointed. It's a very small town, with not much to see. It is a crossing point for tourists (there are plenty of buses that discharge the flow of travelers). The Isle of Skye, with its roads and scenery, is incredible. Portree is disappointing.

A wonderful experience in Portree! The Lower Deck restaurant is located in the characteristic Portree harbour, and does not accept bookings. So, if you want to eat here, you have to queue and wait for a free table. We waited about an hour, but the food was totally worth the wait! We had the Cullen Skink and it was simply delicious. We also have salmon and sea bass, and both were tasteful and cocked perfectly. The staff was very kind and polite, so an overall super recommended experience!

There is a good selection of restaurants in the small bay of Portree. Luckily, we were there early enough to read the sign on the lower deck: "No reservations, if full, please queue". We were the first and were able to enjoy a great and individual cuisine. Mussels in chef's sauce, with soya sauce, honey, ginger ... ? It was fantastic. And then this view. To savour.

Very well-known fish restaurant, overlooking the port. There is always a queue but I don't think you can book, there is a part of the restaurant and an external counter for take away (for that part there was a "cash only" sign). We waited a few minutes and wanted to sit in the restaurant. Friendly staff, service on time, they are only slightly slow in clearing the tables and seating the next guests. Prices in line with the area and generous portions. They have classic local dishes, very good, fresh fish. Characteristic and pleasant atmosphere. I took away a star from the "environment" section because the women's bathroom was broken, everyone used the men's, quite clean considering the situation, but creating a queue in the middle of the room, not very pleasant for those standing there and for those who have the table near the toilet. However I would definitely return.

In Portree on a Sunday evening without having booked any restaurant we didn't know where to go. We lined up for this restaurant in the rain because it didn't take reservations but luckily it welcomed all the tourists who had nowhere to eat. That said, despite the good location on the port and the appearance from the outside which seems inviting, we were served clearly frozen fried calamari and also frozen scampi. I absolutely do not recommend this place, also because it has prices in line with excellent fish restaurants but the quality is very poor. Rather, it's really better to buy something at the supermarket and eat it at home

So much line at the door for so little......I don't understand it. And on top of that, expensive for the portions and quality of the food.

This restaurant specializes in seafood and produce from the Isle of Skye. We took 2 Fisherman's sneakers for £26.50 or €32. On the plate, only frozen and fried products: squid rings, shrimp fritters, fish fritters and fries. From freezer to fryer to plate. No preparation or home cooking. Anyone can prepare a plate like that. And it's super fatty, it's bathed in oil!!! Scandalous at this price!!! This restaurant does not accept reservations. No problem, if we want to eat we wait. But why wait 20 minutes on the sidewalk in the rain when there were 3 free tables!!! This remark is found in other comments.

Well worth getting in the queue for a few minutes before opening time - it fills up very quickly, but for good reason. Food was fresh and excellent, service was fast and friendly, but without feeling rushed. Highly recommended!

Food was really good, service too! Recommended! You have to be there early, ideally right when it opens, otherwise you'll unfortunately have to queue in the rain. Unfortunately, reservations are not possible.

Service is very slow for both being seated and taking orders. Place looks old n dingy Food is ok. Had the 1/2 lobster and portion is really small. Cullen skink is not too bad though I feel too much potatoes in it The toffee pudding is quite nice Avoid the calamari. It just taste like flour n couldn’t taste the calamari at all.

Unpleasant welcome. But hey, peak tourist season, I guess.

Not too long of a wait, service was fast. We took a delicious soup. Our fish and chips was a little bit disappointing- there were so many bones in the fish that we had to eat very carefully and take the entire fish apart, the bones were also directly stuck in the cooked batter. Overall, I would recommend the place and the soup, maybe not the fish and chips as a choice.

The service was really fast and professional, delicious food, nice and lovely people.

All the food is good and nice! Specially the seafood! But the only complain is there is no reservation, you have to wait. Remember to get there early so you can lower your waiting time

The food was weak, expensive for what it was. They didn't accept cards. The meat option was terrible and the fish option was not too fresh.

Definitely a great dining experience in Portree. The dishes are very good and the prices are the usual ones found around, perhaps a little higher than average but certainly for the dishes they serve based on fish, it is normal. the fish pie and the grilled salmon are recommended. The fish soup was good but didn't drive us crazy. It is not possible to book and you usually have to queue and wait as the room is not very large.

Probably it was because we visited on Saturday night, so it took us an hour to wait and get a table. (we were only allowed to wait outside the first restaurant with the wind making our heads ache badly) The starch taste from the fish pie was obvious, but there was a good amount of seafood inside. I just personally didn’t like the cream sauce. The bread as the side was not toasted. Scampi was good, the best of these three dishes. Not too oily and was perfectly crispy. But every component of this dish is just average. I felt like the scallops were not fresh enough, since they were quite fishy, but cooked properly to a great extent and the tenderness remained. But having bacon bits on the scallops was something I could not get. Overall, I would never recommend going on weekends, especially if you are impatient and hungry.

The best tartar sauce I have ever had. Fish and chips were fresh and perfect. Tiny spot, great atmosphere. Line up at 5:30 and get a seat immediately.

The ambiance is unique, the service courteous and friendly. The dishes are original and delicious! A visit is recommended, even if there may be waiting times for a seat.

I love local places like this. The soup was soo good 😋

We may be spoiled for choice in NZ but we were disappointed. Got the fisherman's basket to try and try local fresh fish. It did not seem fresh and everything was deep fried. The amount of seafood on the plate was also no good. No muscles or scallops in the basket and couldn't be added on separately. The muscles were small and not tasty. Also got a stew which was lacklustre. The price was also out of this world for the amount and quality we got

The food is good, but being asked directly for the tip is ugly

Completely overpriced "fish restaurant" Fish and chips came from the freezer from the wholesaler as did the ingredients for the fish pie, which was even ice cold in the middle and hot on the outside, like fresh from the microwave.

This was the worst food we had in Portree. The fried shrimp was very greasy, the chips were tasteless and not crispy, various other plates were not seasoned right. If you can go elsewhere I would skip

Tourist trap, disgustingly overpriced fish & chips (not serving fresh fish when located directly at the harbour is a crime, in my opinion, as is serving still frozen peas). The fish pie was a disgrace as well … still cold and frozen in the middle, since it was straight out of the freezer. Complete no go!

Very good local food. Fish and chips, black pudding haggis. Everyone very friendly and a very good beer.

We came at a very busy time, so some delay in service was understandable, but we ended up only getting our food after every other table who'd arrived after us got theirs. The food itself was also very mediocre, with the roast salmon overcooked to the point that it'd lost all tenderness.

Great little seafood place. Doesn’t take reservations but worth the wait or get there early.

Sorry, but it is not good. The mussels were really tough and poorly cleaned. The salmon was dry and burnt. The service was nice, but forgot several times about the drinks and other things. Not recommended.

Really enjoyed this. Good quality food with a very local feel. No reservations, the queue starts to build from 5pm.

We stopped by as it was one of the only places doing Cullen Skink at lunch in Portree, and it was excellent. The lady serving us was great, couldn't recommend it highly enough

We were there for lunch with two small children. Everything was too small for a stroller. There are no changing facilities. In general, we didn't feel welcome with a baby. The chips were not good, the fish was OK. Ketchup and mayo from small packets. But the fish and chips cost 18 pounds.

Nice staff, quick service, and the fish and chips came fast. Cosy restaurant otherwise

Cullen Skink had zero meat, only potatoes, fish was burnt. Woke up at 2am with horrible stomach pains. Eat here at your own peril.

Good address near Portree. The dishes are good and comforting. Special mention to the soups!!

We had the pleasure of visiting The Lower Deck restaurant in Portree thanks to a recommendation and we are delighted! Everything we ordered was delicious and the atmosphere was extremely pleasant. The service was nice and professional. Thank you very much for an unforgettable culinary experience. We will definitely come back at the next opportunity!

As a wheelchair user who had not booked an evening meal in Portree my options were limited. The road down to the harbourside is VERY steep (think 45 degrees!) but once down there it was easy to get a taxi back (Gus's Taxis) to the B and B, there was a very small step into the restaurant but the staff were great at asking what they could do to help etc. They don't take bookings but I only waited about 20 mins to get inside and it was well worth the wait. Would definitely recommend!

They don't take reservations so you show up 15 minutes before they open at 5:30 (delayed for 15 minutes during our visit but all people who were on line go seated). Very big portions for the sea bass, taste good. The salmon was overcooked by a large margin, also got the fish seafood pie, and it was good and unique. 3 entrees for two people and we left very full.

Excellent food, the specials are luxurious, very friendly staff, and bustling but pleasant atmosphere

It was worth the 1/2 hour wait for the restaurant to open. Häggis and fish pie at its best, super tasty. Nice service. Not overpriced, in Germany we pay just as much for good food. For £58 we had 2 drinks, 2 main courses and 1 starter and dessert. Reasonable in terms of quality. You can't make a reservation, which I personally think is great. However, sometimes you have to wait 1/2 -1 hour to get to the restaurant. I would go there again in a heartbeat.

For Sumptuous Sea Food..you don’t need to look elsewhere in Portree..Simply the Best..!!. Sometimes it might get crowded..wait to be served ..!!

Excellent seafood, especially king scallops, best in town and must try even need to queue up for an hour.

The best food in Portree. Few seats, so come early.

Get there about 30 minutes before they open and you should be fine. Food is fantastic.

This tiny restaurant came highly recommended by our guide. It didn't disappoint. Folks complaining about space should not be surprised when they walk in. I found the staff charming and gave excellent recommendations. We were able to take two tables for the six adults in no time at all. Lucked out because when we left there was a line out the door. Everyone loved what they ordered and I wouldn't hesitate to stop by again!

Was there with my friends on a bank holiday and it was one of the few restaurants that was opened for dinner that was not fully reserved or crazy expensive. Queued for about an hour before being seated but the V food was served fairly quickly. We had the fish & chips, cullen skink, scampi and scallops. They tasted decent and the scallops were fresh. But skip the calamari which tasted only of fried flour. They were unfortunately quite understaffed and clearly poor with planning table sittings. Sat 3 pax at a table meant for 6, couples at tables meant for 4. Leaving an insane queue outside to feed to annoying midgets.

A typical little restaurant. Extremely friendly waitresses Tasty quality dishes.

This place delivers what it claims to be very well! We slid in right as the doors opened and were greeted and orders taken within minutes. The food was above average pub fare in a comfortable, friendly place along the water in Portree. Definitely recommend!

Very nice place to have dinner. it is one of the few places where you don't need to book. Excellent fish soup. Advised!

Well located and typical restaurant Good quality dish but unbearable waitress. We didn't have time to read the entire menu because we were so pressured to choose. No smile

I didn't eat here last time because there was always a long line of people waiting to eat as they do not accept reservations. Line was short this year, so we got in fairly quickly. It was rather cramped and loud inside. Staff were able to make gluten-free recommendations as there were not many. I thought the food was mediocre. My wife enjoyed her mussels and the slight curry flavoring they had.

Food and desserts were great but service and whole experience was terrible. Staff did not take our order for 20 minutes, then forgot to bring 1 of 3 desserts until we asked and then screwed up during payment. It was fixed at the end but it was extremely annoying after all that waiting before. Maybe it was just a bad day...

After a successful first visit, we returned two days later. This time we had to wait on the sidewalk, this restaurant not taking reservations. Normal. But… We are still wondering about the point of making people wait outside in the cold when we had around ten places available inside. Once the order was taken and seeing all the tables arriving after we had been served, we were surprised by the waitress at the delay. The cullen skink then arrives immediately!!! Lots of potatoes, but… where is the fish? Surely a local variant. At least in Inverness they served it. What follows are the mussels and fries, normal but not very filling (19 mussels according to the police, probably more according to the organizers). In short, we swallow the dessert and forget the Talisker which we were happy to enjoy at the end of the meal. Morality, it's better to stick with the first impression.

Waited in line 45 minutes. Was sat right next to bathroom with the door constantly swinging. The door to the restaurant was left open so it was very cold inside. The servers took the orders of 3 tables who came in after us before getting to us. For our starter, we ordered a soup with potatoes and haddock and there was only one (not exaggerating) tiny coin-sized piece of haddock in the whole soup. When our food came, one of the dishes was served completely cold (crab and fish) and we were not informed of this beforehand. Expected hot food. The taste wasn’t good either. And there were pieces of shell in the crab. The other dish, scallops, was really quite tasty - but it was supposed to be a hot dish and came nearly room temp. We were then given the wrong tab and overcharged £40.

I didn’t know a restaurant could get this many different things wrong in a single meal. If you’re in portree, be sure to make a reservation somewhere else in advance so you’re not stuck with this as your only option. We visited tonight on a Saturday night around 5:45pm and were seated around 6:15pm. There was no reservation/wait list - you literally wait outside in a queue, so people watch you through the windows while you eat. The owners packed in the tables, to the point that you can barely walk to the restroom without bumping into someone. I ordered white wine, which was brought to the table at room temperature in the single service bottle and not poured into the wine glass. My partner asked for a beer, and the only lager they had was a Corona. The bottle of ale he ordered instead came out warm. We also asked for still water, which was never brought to the table. I had to get up and ask them to bring it to the table halfway through the meal since I was so thirsty by that point. I might have been able to remind them that we’d asked for it sooner, but no one asked us if we needed anything else at any point during our meal after we ordered our food. After we ordered our drinks and appetizers quickly after sitting down, both waitresses separately asked us almost immediately if we were ready to order our entrees next before we could even look further at the menu. Both of them looked visibly annoyed that we didn’t know quite yet. About 5 minutes later, I flagged down both waitresses separately again to let them both know we were ready to order now. Both of them told us they’d take our orders shortly. It was 5-10 minutes before one of them actually came and took our order after that, which seemed ridiculous after how much they seemed to want us to hurry at the beginning of our seating. We ordered the Cullen skink, cold smoked salmon rosette, mussels, and fish and chips. The fish and chips were completely seasonless, as were the peas served with it. The Cullen skink was also very bland. My partner had to season his entire meal at the table himself with sauce packets and butter to make it taste like anything. I did like my mussels however, which had the soy ginger sauce. The salmon rosette was also pretty good, although it was a pile of smoked salmon rather than a nicely presented rosette shape as the menu stated. The waitresses both wouldn’t make eye contact with us at all during our whole meal, and one waitress was obviously scanning the walls to pretend that she was busy serving people. We noticed that every other table had to also flag them down to get them to do anything (take orders, bring checks, pay checks, the most basic parts of waitressing, etc.) and were visibly looking just as annoyed as we felt. We had to flag down a waitress to get our check ourselves, and to get our check paid even though our card was completely visible out on the table for another 5-10 minutes after getting the check. Even after all of that, the waitress still had the audacity to made a show of telling us that we had the option to leave a tip at the end of the meal if we wanted. We couldn’t get out of there fast enough.

Excellent traditional and other cuisine. Very friendly staff.

Fast service, the smell of the kitchen in the room, excellent waiters, the food is not the bomb, but edible.

Atmosphere and service were great. The food was good but tasted a bit flat in my opinion. It’s definitely not a bad choice to eat here, though.

Some of the best fish and chips ever!

Quaint restaurant where everything is right: food, drinks and service! I am very happy to recommend 😀

Nice ambience and staff but the food was below par. I ordered the Fish & Chips and the fish portion was much smaller than other restaurants I'd been to on the island and the peas were slightly undercooked. Chips were ok but very basic.

Calamari was processed, salads served without dressing, and scallops were tasteless and overcooked.