Twenty One in Orkney Islands

We have eaten here a few times and each time it has been a very good experience both food and servicewise. There is a very good selection of beers, cocktails and soft drinks. We love the small plates idea here and usually have two mains peedie plates, roughly a tenner each with a side or two and some fries, great to share and sample different dishes. Also this time we managed a pudding and both the Apple pie and the Banoffee Bread & butter pudding were excellent. The peedie plates change frequently so you will always find something different. Loved the Pork ribs, Mexican chicken leg, and the beef and prawn dishes that we ordered. Like the vibe here and the staff are a huge part of this, they seem to have the same staff on most of the the and this is always a good sigh if they can keep the staff nowadays. So if you are looking for a good feed and a great night out in Kirkwall, don't miss Twenty One

We visited twice, once for Wing It Wednesday and once for Burger Thursday. Both were really enjoyable experiences. Twenty One offers good food at sensible prices, and has an excellent selection of drinks, including cocktails. The staff are friendly and welcoming, and the restaurant has a nice ambience. It's a shame there is nothing comparable in Stromness.

We were able to walk in and sit at a high top table without a reservation. All the regular tables were already booked for the two lunches we ate here on our visit to Kirkwall. The service was very quick and friendly. We hoped to have the brisket sandwich but it was “wing it Wednesday “ so we opted to eat here anyway. Our Korean wings were really delicious and the meal deal included a couple of sides. We went back the next day and ate our brisket sandwich and a chicken blt, both of which did not disappoint.

Lovely modern bar and restaurant. Visited twice - once during the day for coffee and again one evening for dinner. We tried a few dishes from their tasting menu which changes with seasons. Every dish was great, and some amazing cocktails too!

Can’t rate the food more highly. Well cooked and ingredients that work really well together. The service was friendly & efficient. Laid back vibe. A must if you are in Kirkwall.

A relatively short menu. But full of unusual and intriguing options! I opted for "monkfish in a bloody mary sauce", but then chose to flesh it out with "crusty loaf with coriander. Pleased I did so as the monkfish might be described as "cuisine minceur". It was however very tasty! I followed up with "passionfruit and vanilla millefeuille". again a very tasty dish! All washed down with mango juice! Service good and smooth. I was looking for something a little out of the ordinary, and I certainly got it. I commend this restaurant.

We came here twice during our trip to Orkney! Bearing in mind it was show week, so quite busy . First visit we came for cocktails, the barmaid was amazing! She was so helpful, polite so good at her job! She recommended cocktails to us, I got the Strawberry Mojito, was 10/10. My friend got the Bueno cocktail, she thought it was amazing too! We enjoyed our afternoon there that much, we decided to book in for food on county show night! We had a table of 3, all had main and sides. Was amazing, quite small portions but filled you up! Presented very nicely, food tasted great!! Twenty One is very modern, tidy, clean! Great place to come for an evening meal or even cocktails through the day! We will definitely be back!

Great food. Great service. The dishes are small, to be shared. Each person needs about 3 for a meal. The calamari is amazing. Highly recommended.

I came to twenty one many times during my stay in Orkney - really nice relaxed spot, the staff are super friendly and the coffee is always delicious (best in Orkney in my opinion). Very contemporary for Orkney which is nice to have the option of! Great place to go for substantial, creative and tasty vegan options too. Great spot, thanks so much to the staff for always being good for a chat and giving me lots of good advice for my trip !

Twenty One is a great place to eat out. The atmosphere is great, very friendly and relaxed. The food is delicious and very reasonable. The staff are very friendly and helpful. Have had both lunch and dinner here, both time’s everything fantastic.

This was a nice quiet restaurant with a limited yet adequate menu. One of our group needs gluten free, and there were good choices available for her as well as a well marked menu for people with other food restrictions. Service was good, portions were on the small side.

came across this restaurant by accident . my partner is vegetarian and we choose all the Indian type vegetarian tapas. it was devious, good sized portion and beat the national Indian tapas chain by a mile . Good value for money, fantastic range of cocktails and lovely staff .

The food here is very much in a Tapas type style. Menu evolves each month with some dropping off and new ones added in. A mixture of cuisine from Salmon (very tasty) to a braised short rib (falls of the bone). Extensive drink and cocktail menu to work through. I felt 21 filled a nice contemporary niche in the Kirkwall eat scene. If you are looking for meat and two veg then this may not be for you but if you want some clever flavour combinations then we’ll worth a try. Coffee and desserts also went down well. Staff were friendly but busy. Would definitely return

A great burger night at twenty one. Half way through my burger I was a little worried that it was slightly undercooked. I double checked with the waitress who was very nice and offered to recook my burger. A few minutes later I received a whole new burger and chips which was delicious and they were very helpful. Great service and I’ll definitely return.

Myself and the ladies, Kymberlie, Qeera, Akita came in here for a spot of lunch as the menu looked quite enticing. That is where the positives started and ended. A frosty welcome contrasted by the heating blasting us with the heat of a thousand suns. We all opted for the sandwiches, apart from Kymberlie but that’s because she’s an attention seeker. They arrived promptly but were all very poor, the chicken one still had bones in it. A special mention must go out to the “salad” that accompanied the sandwiches, by which I mean a handful of wilted spinach and a mere dusting of balsamic glaze. The coffee however was a redeeming point, however we’d recommend sun beam down the street as the gent in there was very lovely and incredibly welcoming of our urban group. Yours Disappointingly, Susan Matthews

We were disappointed at 8.40pm to be told we couldn't have a latte because the coffee machine had been switched off. Website said it was open till 11pm. When I asked when they closed I was told when everyone left. We were the only people...

This is a place after my own heart - it's got snacks and sweets, too, but its main asset is that really big cocktail list, a mix of classics and trendy new inventions. Perfect place to stop for a drink or two!

We got a late booking for dinner, it was totally booked, a Friday night, the decor was nice and our waitress friendly, but sorry to say: the food wasn’t much, the crab macaroni cheese I had was totally tasteless, even cold in parts, that was...

Stopped along for a quick Latte and ended up ordering a second as it was the best I’ve had in years !

We came here for a me during a stay in Orkney. It’s tapas so you order small plates of food. We had 4 different choices including fish tapas, crispy chicken, pork belly and crab macaroni. All the food was really tasty and the service was...

In the recommendation of friends I booked a table.. could only get an early table as they were busy. Had 12 tapas between 3 ..they were all great and good sized. Loved the bang bang cauliflower. We did have dessert which was also lovely. Would...

We stopped for a coffee on a recent shopping trip to Kirkwall, Good coffee but a bit of noisy machine! (But aren't they all) Comfortable seating and very obliging waitress who helped push tables together for our party. Bathrooms are a trek upstairs however their...

The food is delicious every single visit with kind and efficient staff. A fab range of tasty cocktails. A tapas/small plates restaurant with a Wednesday evening deal - only £10 for chicken wings or cauliflower (a selection of flavours) plus two sides. 10/10.

Friendly welcoming staff. Great choice of drinks & cocktails. Good menu choice of 'small plate' foods. Food very tasty & original recipes. Realised that it's more of a 'tapas' style dining where you share lots of dishes. Went as a group & some had finished...

Enjoyed our dinner here but place kind of lacked atmosphere. Felt like sitting in a shop front. No music on. Staff friendly and attentive. Food choices good (6 vegetarian/vegan options). Small plates very small. Very pricey for what it was (a few cauliflower florets for...

There are not many good places to eat in Kirkwall, so it was a delight to come across Twenty One. They have a "small plates" concept at lunchtime with a range of meat, fish, and veggie dishes in various cooking styles. They recommend 2-3 plates...

A very good quality and enjoyable meal. A range of styles of dishes available. Best to choose a selection of around three different things to make up a meal. Great range of craft beer on tap as well, many of which are local. Spacious atmosphere...

A family group of 9 adults and 1 child. We booked well in advance as was very busy. Different concept of dining being sharing plates. The meals come out as they are ready and everyone just tucks in. Some of the plates were very tasty...

Great tapas. Quick service and very accommodating. Nice selection of beers as well. Great location. Portions are perfect size to share.

Had lunch after spending the afternoon in Orkney. A lovely, unique and varied menu, with specials. Service was friendly and efficient. The place has a nice vibe and feel. The quality of the food was good, and good portions. I think the food was priced...

Unlike the more traditional restaurants around Kirkwall that were requiring pre-booking (and quite inflexibility so!), we were able to walk right in to twentyone for a weekend meal. The standard of food preparation was quite high, the drinks well stocked, and a really trendy and...

As a family we were so dissatisfied. Our meals arrived at different times some didn't arrive at all. It was awful the server in a red tshirt was non plussed about our meals not arriving at all. No sorry just thats what happens..... Not an...

Great lunch for 5 (2 adult, 2 teen, 1 5yr) Prawn and Tofu ramen were highlights. Also don’t leave without trying the porn- star martini. Lovely staff Recommend

This would be a great restaurant in any UK city so to find it in Kirkwall was a real surprise. A varied range of inventive tapas style dishes which were a real treat. Service was great... what I call Australian style ... friendly and chatty...

We had a very nice lunch at Twenty One while visiting Kirkwall. Lunch consist of small dishes of your choice from a pretty decent menu. A couple of us had prawns on sourdough bread, which was very nice. With drinks, lunch cost us just over...

A disappointing experience. Booked having looked at their menu online only to find that on Wednesday all you can have is their Chicken Wings! We nearly left - as another couple did - but, although it wasn’t at all what we’d wanted, decided to give...

If you are looking for an alternative to the 'typical' Scottish menu, make a reservation at Twenty One (and you do need to make a reservation - at least a few days in advance!) The menu was inventive, the ingredients fresh and great quality, and...

Have been here now for both lunch and dinner. Wonderful atmosphere, delicious food and great selection of drinks. Small plate food so get to try lots of different things.

Lovely bar Great choice in cocktails and very well priced Very friendly staff Felt very safe in there with social distance adherence

Great small plates and real ale, reasonably priced. We had 8 small plates between four and a couple of sides. Our fav were chicken wings and onion bhaji. The pancake roll was a bit disappointing I would’ve preferred duck pancake with Hoi sin sauce.

Fantastic food and as it was our first visit it was all clearly explained to us. We chose 6 dishes between two of us and were not disappointed by any of them. Service was friendly and efficient and we would certainly return when next in...

We really enjoyed our meal here. The staff were friendly and accommodating. The food was lovely, the menu is fairly small but very varied with something to suit most.

Delighted to find this was open and happy to book an early table after a wet and windy day out and about. Made very welcome and enjoyed the modern decor

It has a great selection of Gins and it was wonderful trying various Orkney Gins. However the food was very good and fascinating fusion of different flavours. Everything I had was very good but the coconut coated prawns stick out in my memory. Very good...

We had to wait until 5pm to get the evening menu. You have a lot of "small" plates to choose. We recommend between 2 and 3 plates per person. Staff was OK and drinks were delicious.

Visited for lunch with friends. Staff friendly & pleasant. Menu has good choice & not expensive. Don't think you won't be full after your small plate - they are packed & sufficient for lunch. The 'dirty chips' smelt lovely (chips with pulled meat, cheese &...

2nd visit for dinner after enjoying lunch and coffee just before Christmas, the dinner was amazing, the variety suited the whole family where we all sampled the different dishes we all ordered separately, lovely atmosphere, staff we polite and very knowledgeable towards the dishes on...

I know it sounds daft. But the broccoli in hoisin sauce with pine nuts and chickpeas was awesome. Great food, great service and not over priced either. Happy days, will certainly be back for more

Great place, lovely atmosphere and good vegan food and drinks, nice for a snack or a meal, always made to feel we,cime

A quiet night in Kirkwall but a great meal and very good beer options. Our server was very friendly and helpful. Really enjoyed being here, stylish interior.

Great and convenient if you just want coffee and cake or if you want something more and stronger! Nice new addition to Kirkwall's eateries.

Dined here for a birthday meal on Saturday. Food and cocktails were delicious. This is exactly what Orkney needs - only suggestion would be to advertise more - being from Aberdeen I only knew about this place through family telling me about it and I...

Excellent food and beer, nice interior, probably the best option for dining in Kirkwall! The option of having a selection of five local beers was wonderful.

Delicious food with just the right amount of choice/variety. Small plate dining well designed to enjoy 2 or 3 plates each or share several within a group. Good variety in the drinks menu and the place just has a good "feel". We'll be back!

Stopped for lunch on a very rainy Saturday while exploring kirkwall. Coffee was excellent, and the lunch menu was perfect for a light meal.a lot of the menu was vegetarian, and even had vegan options. We liked it so much we went back again for...

Being a local has its benefits and in the case of Twenty One on Albert Street, a hip, chic and superb eatery with a legendary selection of drinks and local food. The restaurant has a Asian influence type stale with superb tapas ranging from buttermilk...

Although the menu had numbers representing the various allergies, I found that most of the dishes classed as gluten free had bread as an sample integral part of them . I asked my waitress why sourdough was classed as gluten free and she said that...

A superb tapas style eaterie that's full to the brim with exciting, creative dishes that push back the boundaries backed up by friendly, engaging service from staff. A great selection of drinks to accompany. There's lots of dishes here that you'll have never had but...

Quite simply the best meal we've had in Kirkwall. This is a fun place to eat. The space is stylish and the staff are attentive. The small plates menu means there is great variety. We were able to have a mix of omnivore, vegetarian and...

I had lunch which was disappointing. Wine good wine list good and varied. Food distinctly dry and unimaginative. Trying a bit hard to be different to the usual food offerings around here. Cakes looked good and coffee good. Ambience nice and could get better.

We were walking through the centre of Kirkwall looking for a nice place to have afternoon tea/coffee whilst we contemplated where to have dinner. By accident we found Twenty One which turned out to be perfect for both. The coffee was good and the cake...

We just had a couple of coffees and 2 pieces of chocolate crisp cake, but everything was excellent. Super friendly staff too.

Great tapas style food and varied selection of beers from around Scotland. Get the kale and buttermilk chicken. Funky building too, go try them out!

We liked this cafe so much when we tried it out for dinner that we returned for coffee the following morning. Then we came back for lunch. Offering an exciting array of freshly prepared small plates, a well stocked bar and friendly service, we were...

Went for a light lunch to this recently opened restaurant/ wine bar. Has been totally refurbished from former use as Lolz coffee shop. Decor is quite dark with mixture of small booths and tables. We both decided to have the steak option and shared a...

We were overjoyed to be catered for so well. Innovative menu, fresh food and friendly service. A great ambience, a place to meet and eat and chat. We wish this new venture all the best. You deserve it.

Had meal with friends on Saturday evening. Wow! Food was fabulous, everything was delicious. Great service and ambience. Will definitely be back!