Y-Not Bar & Grill in Highland

Absolutely shocking.. booked months in advance .. Advertised gluten free options but when ordering the gluten free option was not available.. The front of staff some stuck up young girl who would not know the difference between a Merlot and a Sauvignon was so rude and shocking words failed all four of us .. Two of us had starters then no knifes or forks were supplied for mains ?? Then when the mains arrived 3 out of 4. dishes were wrong ? When the arrogant girl who was serving our table she couldn’t give a dam .. Then we told her that items like corn on the cob were missing on the dish we got a stoney face of what that’s my fault is it …. How does a chef miss two big yellow things called corn on the cob .. steak was atrocious.. By the time the corn arrived the steak was cold … Will never go near this place again .. go there at your peril .. Staff with a face like a bulldog chewing a wasp and food that you would expect in a corner street cafe at best … DO NOT GO HERE UNLESS YOU ARE DESPERATE

We stopped here for lunch. There’s the option of restaurant or traditional bar. The food was delicious. We all went with the Callum’s (the barman) recommendation of Steak Ciabatta. Callum was really friendly and welcoming. Would definitely recommend this place 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

We stopped by this cozy eatery in Thurso, on our way to the Gills bay ferries. The service is excellent and the food was delicious.

The team is very friendly but lacks professionalism: 2 wines ordered, 2 out of stock... In the end, the payment: the most incredible moment of discomfort of my life as a customer. You are automatically offered to choose between 15, 20 and 25% of the bill, fortunately there is also the possibility of personalizing, all under the watchful eye of the servers

This place looked closed as we approached but thankfully it wasn’t. Not the most warming of decor but the staff make up for it, friendly, welcoming and professional. The food quality was superb and huge portions. My fish finger sandwich was the best I have ever eaten, real fish battered and cooked to protection. Highly recommend if you are in Thurso looking for good food.

Really friendly, amazing food and great surroundings

Food came that was missing sides that were described on the menu. When the waiter was asked about this they said that they would be right out. 30 mines came and went without any sight of the sides, the rest of my food was finished at this point and having to ask for sides that should have been coming for a third time just didn’t seem worth the effort. Below average food at best

Nice food, friendly and helpful staff 😊 highly recommended 😊

Food was amazing. Wait was a bit long, but it was worth it. Not many people inside, but there was a fair amount of staff were nice helping you and asking if you want drinks, refills etc. Nice modern design. Over nice little bar.

Went there with my son as previously the food has been good Asked for a burger with cheese n bacon ( plain with no salad or sauce, yet it arrived with sauce on it I had the macaroni which is normally really good , but on this occasion it was very bland , just tasted like macaroni in white sauce with cheese on top, very oily . Mentioned this to the young boy serving us and he agreed as he said he’d had some earlier. Salad that came with it was just lettuce and 1 tiny bit of pepper

Of course! Here’s the revised version with that detail added: --- **Disappointing Gluten-Free Option** I appreciate that this place offers gluten-free options, but I was disappointed with the baked haddock mornay (GF). What I received was just two small, dried pieces of haddock with no sauce at all. I asked senior members of staff about the sauce and was told that it’s not included in the gluten-free version. If this had been explained at the time of ordering, I would have chosen something else. It lacked both flavor and substance, which was a letdown. --- Let me know if you’d like to soften or strengthen the tone at all. Our table was cleared and we offer pudding before my grandson had eaten his main course.

Great place to eat. Portions are large so make sure you're hungry! Lovely food and staff friendly and welcoming

Had the house burger and it was really nice and tasty staff were very nice and helpful and friendly. Will definitely go back

In a place I would never have found without the help of a local resident, I was very well. My dish:Chicken, Ham and Leeks Pie was very good. The mashed potatoes were delicious. The vegetables. The butter... Thank you very much. In a place I never would have found without the help of a local resident, I ate really well. My dish: Chicken, Ham and Leeks Pie was very good. The mashed potatoes were delicious. Vegetables. The butter… Thank you.

Wow, breathtaking Burger and super friendly people Go there with your eyes closed 🥰

Nice meal, hamburger, cheese & bacon very good and well served.

Super nice, Service a little long, but the waitress apologized. Great, I highly recommend. 🫶❤️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿❤️🫶

Good food , good chat and friendly place.

We enjoyed our dinner here. The restaurant has a bar attached and overall good and welcoming atmosphere. Staff were very helpful and friendly. My fish and chips dish was good and the vegetarian burger was also tasty. I would definitely return here when next in Thurso.

Fuimos a cenar una noche, i la verdad que los platos estaban muy buenos. El servicio bueno y muy rapido. Sin duda un buen lugar

Fisherman's pie was tasty, portion size was big and filled me up.

After a very disappointing starter of undercooked, bland and very small portion Squid, they pulled in outa the bag with 2 great main courses, unfortunately the staff new nothing about food or wine which was a bit disappointing in a restaurant, maybe give them some basic training!? But they were polite and otherwise did a good job.

Had the nacho with pulled pork. Portion was adequate for me, with plenty of interesting toppings and side plates. Staff very attentive and polite, even letting me move tables when I found the first one draughty! Will certainly go back if I'm in the area again!

While on a business trip to England, I happened to go there and had the most delicious steak. steak ciabatta sandwich. If I had stayed longer in Scotland, I would have tried other foods, but I couldn't try any more due to my London itinerary. I don't think I'll ever come back again, but it was a truly memorable meal. The best steak and potato chips I've ever had That's the chef. How on earth did you fry those potatoes!!???

The restaurant is very nice and clean, staff very polite and helpful. The place was almost empty for a Friday night, which is sad. The food was served quickly and delicious.

Fantastic food and a great place to eat!!

I've yet to visit and get food as per the menu. Fish pie had no prawns. Club sandwich came without fries.

First visit here and wont be our last as great service and food.

Guy serving was a nice guy. He was friendly and interested in creating an atmosphere. When the restaurant is empty you can hear everything they are saying in the kitchen. Food for thought. Portions are generous. Chicken burger was 70% breadcrumbs which has taken on the flavour of the frying oil. Couldn’t eat it. Tried picking out the chicken but wasn’t much.

We use this place regularly as a company spot to get the lads breakfast and sometimes lunch. Always great staff. The young lady is an amazing server and she really does work so hard. The manager needs to up his game though as the server puts him to shame.

Super nice service and really yummy food! Woud totally recommend!

Super place,very friendly staff good value quality food

Popped into the YNot for a bit of lunch with my partner Ordered two bowls of soup and a toastie. The soup was lukewarm at best & the toastie was so uninspiring that it caused quite a bit of hilarity between my partner and I. This place used to be good and has declined quite a bit over the last two years.

Appalling place. The fish pie smelled and tasted rancid, and it made my husband sick. The tartar sauce with the cod and chips was also off and made me sick. The other two tables dining the night we were there also had to return food because it was inedible. I can't in good conscience recommend this to anyone and think a health inspector should check that kitchen.

Food good 👍 😋 +a pint 🍺 Service spot on Atmosphere excellent on the day I was in 👍

We booked here because it was dog friendly, and were told that people with dogs would be in a different part of the pub - not an issue, however, what they didn’t say was that this was actually in the bar downstairs, where there were a few drunk people, and it looked nothing like the photos advertised. The food in the main was ok, but nothing special. They advertised a vegan falafel burger, but unfortunately, this was just an average off the shelf burger, leaving out anything dairy. Another member of the party had fish and chips - this was meant to be with ‘posh chips’ - unfortunately, these were just cheep frozen chips. Don’t think it was worth the £35.00 for 2 people, when taking into account the place where we were put to eat because of the dog, and the average food - I wouldn’t recommend if you want somewhere that is really dog friendly, because I don’t think this was.

Best Steak burger I have ever had. Quickly seated, rapid service and fantastic staff. Great place to eat/drink - well worth looking up and prices very reasonable. I also tried the Prawn Pil-Pil, this was OK (needs more garlic/chilli and needs oil to be sizzling) but the Steak Burger was stunning. I am writing the review mainly due to the staff. Great service, polite, friendly and welcoming. If am ever back to Thurso - am definitely coming back to the Y NOT grill.

Le birre che abbiamo ordinato non erano disponibili ed abbiamo dovuto cambiare la nostra scelta, inoltre ci hanno portato una pinta invece che la mezza pinta ordinata. La carne dell hamburger era nera, quasi carbonizzata. La fish pie aveva un colore scuro, tra il grigio e il marrone, era piena di pepe che copriva completamente qualsiasi altro gusto, inoltre era accompagnata solamente da carote e non da altre verdure come scritto nel menù. Abbiamo provato a lamentatci del cibo con la cameriera ma lei era completamente disinteressata. Siamo scappati via prima possibile.

Service and atmosphere was decent, I’m only giving the food 3 star as what I ordered “Rib” was quite hard to slice of the bone, could have been cooked for much longer based on other ribs I’ve had in the past. The fish salmon could also do with more seasoning as it was very bland.

We were staying at a B&B in Thurso and after a long day in the car went for a walk to find somewhere for dinner & found the Y Not Bar & Grill the food was lovely, (broad offering of seafood, meats & vegetarian options) & staff very friendly with prices reasonable would recommend as a good option for dinner 😊

Delicious fish & chips, I tried haggis popcorn for the first time, surprising. Overall, the whole family liked it.

Good pub. Probably the best in town. My paddy in the burger was so dry and tasteless that I gave up after 2 bites. I couldn't eat. Fries were ok.

Came on a Thursday and it was rather quiet, but that was fine because it meant we didn’t have to book a table, just tuned up. Place is really modern and serves a lot of different dishes, price to portion puts a lot of other establishments to shame. Ordered a Bacon & Cheese burger, then decided to double up which was a mistake, but definitely worth it! Staff were helpful and a joy to deal with. Enough said 😀

Not many cafes or restaurants open in Thurso on a Monday so we opted for Y’Not because we have been there a few times in the past. The restaurant and toilets were very clean. There was only one lad serving, clearing tables, taking orders, dealing with queries and making drinks. There was another staff member around but I’m not too sure what his role was. I was there with my husband and our two year old and nine month old granddaughters. We were presented with 4 adult menus. No idea why we would need 4. I asked for a child menu which quickly arrived. We ordered drinks but the coffees aren’t exactly full. I also ordered a bottle of water which arrived with no glass. I asked for a glass and was presented with a whisky tumbler! We ordered a child’s macaroni, a steak ciabatta and a Highland burger. We then waited approximately 50 minutes for it to arrive even though only one table had food during that time. When the food did arrive the steak ciabatta didn’t have fried onions or corn on the cob as stated on the menu. There was a generous helping of onion relish though. The meal could have been hotter but it was really, really tasty and the steak was cooked the way I liked it and the ciabatta was packed with steak. It would have been better with thicker chips and not stringy fries. The Highland burger was also tasty but it was only warm. The kids macaroni tasted like ready made sauce and had no cheese on top. It was almost cold. We asked for a second cappuccino but it didn’t arrive. Overall, we will come back. The food is good, just not hot enough and it takes far too long to arrive at the table. The front of house staff needs assistance. He’s definitely over worked at busy times. This could be a great restaurant if the niggles are sorted.

Nice enough food & some nice whiskies

Had a lovely musical Wednesday evening here. Bar staff helpful, though it got very busy. Wonderful selection of traditional Scottish music Great fun foot tapping evening.

Although understaffed we were well served after minimal wait. The Highland Burger was fantastic along with the best frites in Scotland!!

Decent food, bit slow service. Would go early for food, they stop serving around 8pm ish.

Als wir das Restaurant betraten, standen direkt nach dem Eingang zwei Mitarbeiter, die uns zunächst ignoriert haben, obwohl sie uns gesehen hatten. Es dauerte dann 20 Minuten, bis wir die Bestellung aufgeben konnten. Die Vorspeisen Brot mit Oliven und Öl sowie Nachos waren zwar ok, aber kein geschmackliches Highlight. Die Hauptgänge, Fishermans Pie und Chicken Pie, kamen erst nach 90 min und waren kleine Portionen, geschmacklich gut, aber teilweise kalt. Aufgrund des schlechten Services, wir glauben die hatten keine Lust, würden wir das Restaurant nicht mehr besuchen.

Recommended restaurant for those who go to Thurso: excellent service and very good food. The place looks good. Prices a little high, but then again it is in the far north of Scotland.

Unfortunately, we couldn't eat anymore because the kitchen was closed! We were there at 20.30! Big disappointment! More information about opening hours would greatly improve your judgement...

Good tasty food in a cool atmosphere. Waiting staff went out of their way to ensure my dinner partner was looked after with an additional late request. Food was superb.

One of the few places open to have breakfast after arriving on the ferry. Average food, friendly but rather slow service.

It's not great quality food or the portion size. It's not worth the money

Nice Place but service Slow & Food Portions too Small for the Price Paid! Also the Main Course was described as Salmon Fillet with Sauted Potatoes but they were in fact Boiled New Potatoes. Salmon Fillet was slightly Overdone. Cheesecake looked more like a Chocolate Mousse when Presented & did not have any Cream! Never Mind😞 If your Staying in the area the Thyme at Premier Inn has Classic Food at Good Value!

No pork Ribs, no baby back ribs, no chicken wings, no ale, NOTHING (time 5 pm) Keep Distance!

Having had lovely food on visits in previous years was looking forward to dinner tonight however most disappointing - I ordered steak frites with the steak medium what I received was on the verge of burnt, no grilled tomato or corn in the cob as per the menu just an inedible onion ring and all lukewarm at best, husbands fish pie was almost inedible and sister disappointed with lukewarm chips & burger. Not worth the £66 bill

Wir waren kurzentschlossen dort und waren zufrieden wir hatten Burger und Strak. Das Steak war leider sehr dünn und daher durch anstatt medium gegart. Der Burger war gut und die Bedienung sehr freundlich. Alles in allem ein Restaurant, in das man gute gehen kann, aber keine zu hohen Erwartungen haben sollte

Very friendly and welcoming staff. The fish & chips are excellent. My husband took it. I, on the other hand, am vegan and managed to eat. They don't have a wide selection, but some options are available

Nice fish and chips but lacking in customer service and atmosphere. Bar staff were to concerned talking to each other and their friends to do their jobs. Long wait for food and drinks even though the place was empty. 😏

Food and service was outstanding. Keep the good work up!

Walked in at 19.40 on a Monday to be told the kitchen was closed no more bookings being taken. Place was empty, don't, don't deserve custom!

Stopped for dinner, was a random choice as not many choices on Thurso. We got lucky apparently as it was almost fully booked, with many tables being reserved when we got there ( around 5pm on Friday 10.08.24 ) We been seated decently, quite a long wait until we got to order. We ordered highland burger, cajun chicken burger and fisherman pie as main and pulled pork nachos with chicken wings as starters. Pulled pork nachos where the best... Both burgers came with cold buns, and the highland burger was dry, quite over cooked... expected better... The Orkney Gold lagger from tap was a good choice ... The waitress did came couple of times to ask if everything ok... Overall 3 stars... Can give it a go if you're in Thurso or on your NC500 route...

Warning - I had a room reserved but on the day of arrival, after I was on my way there, I was called by the general manager to say my room had a technical problem and was no longer available. I was offered an alternative. However, this was 30-40 minutes away and I did not want to add this to my daily commute to work. When I asked if there were other options in Thurso the general manager told me that as I had not paid in advance, merely reserved the room, he didn't see it as a responsibility to help me find an alternative in Thurso. Absolutely terrible service. I get that things go wrong, and at short notice, but the lack of help was crazy. Luckily I was able to find an alternative otherwise I would have been stranded.

Went in here with friends on my last visit home. Waited ages for our order to be taken. I had a piece of paper in my coleslaw.... Food was ok. Service not great. Menu varied. Slap in the middle of town. I would try food elsewhere on my next visit to Thurso.

Pretty grim really. The staff tried and struggled. The food wasn’t nice. Surely Thurso could do better.

Absolutely terrible service in there ended up walking out it took so long.

Turned away as the place was ‘Fully booked’ and the place was less than half full… might just because we have English accents…

We had a large group and booked a reservation in advance and were told we needed to order in advance. We did, and at arrival were told that we could just order what it was that we'd like. Our main server was great with our group, but one other of the staff got a bit snappy. Most of my groups thought their food was "alright". Nothing seemed to be a standout dish.

Customer service awful, 6 of us turned for food, asked if we had booked when there was only 6 tables filled. Turned us away and said we couldn't be seated. Do question as to why you did this?

After tuning up there today a Sunday at 6pm as a walk in for 6 people I was looking up and down and asked if I had booked there was only 4 tables taken and more than half the tables were free not a pleasant man would recommend

Really enjoyed staying here, nice quirky place, excellent food and staff.

Food quite tasty, service below average. Ordered an appetizer together with a portion of nachos. The nachos came after 10 to 15 minutes, the drinks only when the nachos (it was not a small portion) were FINISHED. Immediately after serving the - belated - aperitif, the food arrived. At the time of serving, we again ordered some accompanying drinks with the request that they be delivered faster. Again the waitress only managed to bring these when the plates were empty.

Very bad experience when my family and I attempted this place for lunch yesterday. Empty tables full of dirty plates everywhere. We were seated at a table with dirty plates on it, then the table was cleaned whilst we were at the table. I had to get my own menus from the bar after a 15 minute wait. Then after 30 minutes of waiting. No drinks order. No food order. Nothing. We were not the only party that left without being served. Very disappointed unfortunately. Also this is my first ever review I’ve left for any restaurant ever. It had to be done tho.

Went there for breakfast a few times and also lunch while working in Thurso , food was great quality and the service was excellent

Staff was very nice Had a ynot burger Meat was hardly or not seasoned at all In addition, it was completely raw in the middle because it is beef. That's ok, but it doesn't have to be, the meat tasted burnt I found the ambience to be okay now

The food was good, the burger was juicy, the fries were crispy, I have nothing to complain about here. Only the service could be a little more flexible and nicer 🙈

Nice, clean and friendly. Lovely place, good food.

Would review but did not get served after sitting at a table ages.

According to the "cook", this is what a half-rare steak looks like. The complaint was not accepted because the "customer was visually impaired". Steak 30£... Amateurs

Lots of vegan options listed online on menu but only 1 when you get there- falafels. And they came with no sauce or anything to go with them and were so dry and lacking any flavor. NOT vegan friendly!

What a disappointing burger. The texture feels like they compressed the meat onto a mold to make a burger shape. This has caused the burger to take on the consistency of rubber. It also tasted over salted. The chips where so crunchy, they where almost hard. No fluffy soft interior to speak of. The single tablespoon of good coleslaw wasn't enough to save the rest from being well below standard

Food was good and the service was excellent. I was passing through Thurso and hadn’t booked but was clearly told I would have a fairly short wait, which was exactly what happened. Even so a small discount was made to the bill because of, surprisingly, the wait! Much appreciated by the customer and hence wholly recommend to others.

I love ynot it so amazing the workers are spot blooming on and lieah molleali was just so fab she served us quick and kate was also lovely both have very nice teeth x would recommend to family x

We waited over an hour to discover that our order had been lost and the kitchen had closed in the meantime... So we left without eating anything and finding all the other places closed

Stayed overnight had dinner and breakfast before catching a ferry to Orkney.The room was spotless .Good tea tray.Accommodation is fine .Breakfast was very good.I had poached eggs and avocado on toast.My husband had a full breakfast.Good reasonable priced accommodation.Good service by young staff.

Service: slow and insincere. Food: Not as described on the menu (missing items with no explanations), low quality ingredients, poorly presented, greasy, tasted like old oil is being used, latterly stomach upsetting for multiple members of the party. Toilets: Poorly maintained (both sexes). The mens toilet was awash with urine below the mens urinal (Disgusting). Price: for what you are served - extortionate. Give this establishment a wide berth.

Went their tonight for a nice meal with my partner and stepgrand daughter. We ordered 1 çhilds portion of macaroni cheese and 1 portion of adult macaroni and cheese and chips. Both arrived the same portion size. My partner ordered a beef chiĺli with nachos and rice and flat white pitta bread. The cheese was stringy in the extreme and my grandaughter gave up after a few bites. The chips were skins on and quickly got cold. My partners chilli was tepid and had no chilli in it, just simple mince. A horrible experience.

I agree with other reviews, this is a jem of a restaurant, excellent food, good quality for a very good price. Top marks for a very enjoyable experience 👌

I don't understand the majority of good recessions. The staff is very friendly and the restaurant is furnished "okay", but the food... chicken that had been on the grill for 6 hours was bland - spaghetti poured into a can of tomatoes and heated up, not even seasoned - and fish and chips had no taste at all or only after frying oil…

Great place for having a fine meal after a long day of travel. Good food and good service. Highly recommend the nachos and the fish and chips.

Lovely food . I had steak in a ciabatta which was tender and tasted very nice. I liked the salad , slaw and the sweetcorn which was so sweet. We had our dog with us so we were taken to its sister bar just a few doors up called the Grove. Food cooked by Y Not in same kitchen and same menu . It was perfect . Very yummy . Hubby had haddock mornay. It was very tasty. It came with potatoes but not with other vegetables . It may be worth looking at sides menu to complement it. Very reasonably priced.

My burger was great when it eventually arrived, but 2 others in my party said that their burgers were burnt hence the 3 stars. The food took an awful long time to arrive hence the 2 star service. We have been before and it was busier so that wasn't the reason why the food took so long in getting to us.

Totally disappointing experience, felt like the place was on the verge of shutting down. Stayed locally for one night and booked a table, arrived to see a sign on the door saying no walk ins and were pleased we had booked. Once inside there were a few tables occupied and a couple empty but with dishes on. We were seated in a dark corner next to two other occupied tables and one with plates left on. Staff were friendly and took our order quickly. Two food items not available after ordering. Drinks didn't arrive so once we were given our starter we mentioned this. Still didn't get our drinks and had to go up to the bar to ask, found staff chatting. During main course a member of staff came to the unoccupied table with plates on and put the chairs under the table but didn't clear dishes away. After eating main meal went to the bar to ask for the bill. Staff never asked how the meal was and did not seem concerned that we were leaving so quickly. Would not recommend.

Nice meal in a relaxed atmosphere. Staff very pleasant and meal very reasonable and piping hot. Chips excellent. Very quiet town!!

We waited a very long time for our food, no one asked if we wanted something else to drink, even when we had finished our drink. the food was average spaghetti overcooked and the sauce tasteless, but it looked very good on the plate, the restaurant is also very nice, the toilets are clean. we left the restaurant earlier disappointed with the service.

We were touring the top of Scotland last Saturday and needed somewhere for lunch. I picked this place due to both being near where we were and the rating. When we got there, they were quite busy even though it was after lunch. The food quality was excellent. I especially liked the soup and the Mac & Cheese. The atmosphere is also really pleasant. The staff were excellent and attentive. I would certainly recommend here for lunch. Its an easy walk from the pedestrian zone.

Delicious food in a beautiful large building.

Friendly, courteous staff and great food. I like this place

Centrally located in town, there is a good selection of different dishes here. We had chicken burgers and mac n cheese. Both were delicious. There is plenty of seating indoors. We found the atmosphere a bit uncomfortable, but of course that's a matter of opinion.