River House Restaurant in Highland

Make reservations, this is a must go! The restaurant was small but beautiful inside, the service was amazing. Affy (sp) was attentive and wonderful. We went for oyster happy hour and also got the cullen skink soup and some drinks. Overall one of our favorite dinners!

Absolutely amazing! A must try while in Inverness!

Absolutely wonderful dining experience. We've eaten seafood all over the country and Europe and this was hands-down the best we've ever eaten. The service was first class and the atmosphere was warm and welcoming. Very small restaurant so it's best to book in advance, but it's well worth the wait. I had the halibut with samphire and warm tartar sauce- stunning!!

Definitely a place to visit if you love seafood! You need a reservation, it seems to be usually fully booked.

Great little restaurant with amazing food and atmosphere. Exceptional experience.

Divine! The food was a dream, the service exemplary! The scallops is a must try!

With great fortune we secured a reservation for dinner on a busy Saturday evening. The owner and his staff delivered well crafted mixed drinks and tremendous food. Fresh shellfish is the star of the game, so much so that I indulged in 2 appetizers. The oysters trio and the mussels Islay style, delicious. The open kitchen allowed for a view of the staff hustling to prepare the delightful meals with smiles on their faces. River House is a special place. It receives my highest recommendation. Thanks Alfie.

This was such a cool place to eat. The atmosphere was fun and people really seemed to love their jobs. The young chefs in the kitchen were really “cheffing” their butts off but smiling and joking the whole time. The seafood arancini was a delight and the hake was especially good served over lobster bisque. This is a tiny place and very popular so book early.

Adorable bistro on the river! I went in for oyster hour during the off season and was able to get a seat, but I highly recommend booking a table as this place is small. I started out with a Venetian spritz (Aperol) and half a dozen oysters. The lemon and caper sauce was my favorite. Service was prompt and excellent, and the server reminded me of my opera director in graduate school (in a good, animated, throwback kind of way!) I’m not a huge oyster connoisseur, but they were great briny little guys. I’d come back to try more!

What a stunning place, from the decor, service, and food. This was the best food & service we've had in the UK and Ireland in the past 5 weeks. Everything was fresh and cooked to perfection. Flavor was spot on. The starters of oysters were so fresh and clean and very large. The seafood arincini was incredible. Our mains were The River House Stew, which was the best I've had and I'm so glad I got it. The Hake was delightful in the lobster bisque. The sticky toffee apple pudding and peanut butter cheesecake dessert were each so unique it was difficult to decide which was better. This was a perfect meal from start to finish. We're so glad we got to experience it.

My son took me here for mother's day and it didn't disappoint.. the food was amazing as were the cocktails ..fantastic menus.. can't recommend enough... staff were very friendly and the owner Alfie who was very attentive and humorous..had a lovely time.... can't wait to come back ....shout out to my son Jerry for such a fabulous treat 😋

The service was excellent and the food was delicious. We went here for our second year anniversary and it’s such a beautiful and memorable place. We had the following: • Crab Thermidor • Seafood Linguine and Sirloin Steak • Sticky Toffee Pudding Highly recommended for a memorable experience!

The hospitality is amazing, the food is delicious. A real gem. Thank you for a lovely last evening in Inverness.

Small cosy restraunt with a fantastic team who looks after your every need without being overbearing. The food was 1st class, wonderfully cooked and presented. I was with a party of 4, and each person agreed that their meal was superb. Thank you again for a fantastic night

Such a lovely place! The service is amazing, Alfie and the staff makes you feel at home immediately and it is a delight to watch this very crew working together. After listening to what we like, he recommended the perfect wine for us. We had oysters, anchovies and scallops for starters and they were all delicious. We had the halibut, which was out of this world and seafood linguine and the River House fish stew, both of which were good but a bit bland for us. Next time we are in town, I would be trying some mussels!

Couldn't fault anything. Food was first class and beautifully cooked. Highly recommended

Went due to high review on trip advisor and it was deserved. Loved the seafood. Had fish stew and seafood crumpet would have both again. Knocked star off because seat was right next to door and was cold when people opened it-we had booked and there were empty tables not at door which would been better. Also waiter knocked over glass of wine landing on my partner. Not a big issue and as I said would go back.

The best seafood restaurant with great service

Absolutely divine!!!!! Tyler was our server and the cutest sweetest lad and did not steer us wrong. We ordered: 2 oysters with tomato relish, 4 oysters rockefella, mouclade mussels, steamed halibut, river house fish stew and the sticky apple toffee pudding. Can not say 1 bad thing about anything the food was outstanding, so delicious and flavorful. I eat a lot of places around the world and have incredibly high standards and the food and service was impeccable.

Great experience, tasty food, very fresh seafood and so friendly people work there! Recommend to visit and enjoy. Possibly prices are a bit high for a little town, but the quality is excellent!

Absolutely incredible. Best meal of our lives. Waiters were attentive, fast, and very funny. Oysters were incredible, and I can highly recommend the sea trout. Everything about the meal was perfect, finished the night with a great whisky so couldn't ask for me.

One of the best meals I ever had! Great atmosphere and staff as well. Will definitely be coming back.

Very nice service, super cozy restaurant. But the food is a total shame!!! The oysters were ridiculous, full of milk or too small or too meaty. It legit felt like all the left over and probably was since my girlfriend was sick for one day after.

WOW…. What an exceptional evening from start to finish. The food was nothing other than outstanding, from the oysters to the mussels and then onto the fish stew. We were so full but couldn’t leave without trying some desserts…. Pavlova and the Nutella cheesecake was to die for!! We finished our evening off with a Cranachan martini….amazing!!! If you are thinking about having a meal at the river house… DO IT…. You will not be disappointed. The staff were lovely and welcoming. We will definitely return. Thank you River House for a great evening!

Excellent seafood restaurant food is amazing on every visit and very friendly staff

Had my second experience here on Saturday and it was as fabulous as I remembered. The food was just simply amazing and the atmosphere is lovely, the staff were very warm and attentive. Beautiful restaurant

That couldn't get better. From the moment we booked it and till the moment I finished Pavlova desert that was a pleasure and hastronomical orgasm. I will keep quiet about the toilet rooms and super friendly and welcoming girls who meeting you. Food. Well imagine your favorite fish and come here. You will find it and it will be better than your best expectation. Oysters were fresh and delicious, my starter was octopus and I enjoyed every piece. I chosen halibut as a main course and it was just pure pleasure. Halibut was steamed, surrounded by little crevets and accopmpanished by baby potatoes and asparagus. I didn't notice the time with lovely Abby looking after us and Chef himself. Glasses of Champagne and bottle of Chardonnay also was a lovely touch. My best compliments to the Chef and his team. This place worth Michelin stars. We will definitely come here again. Thanks for a fantastic food and service! ❤❤❤

Nice, cosy restaurant . Great service and wonderful food, perfectly cooked

We had an amazing time there in the summer. The seafood & food we ordered were all very delicious. We will definitely be back again soon.. 🥰💖

Wer Inverness besucht denkt natürlich automatisch auch an guten Fisch. Dafür ist das River House eindeutig die erste Adresse der Stadt. Sowohl Qualität als auch Service sind hervorragend. Ich liebe Fisch und habe wirklich selten so gute Kompositionen und Frische erlebt. Absolut empfehlenswert.

A fantastic way to start our visit to Inverness. Delicious fresh seafood.

I ate here with my family back in December on vacation, and truly one of the best meals and experiences of my life. The owner and staff were so wonderful and the food was truly amazing. I would 100% make a trip back to Inverness from Chicago just to eat here!

The wait for a table is worth it. Everything was exemplary. Next time I'm in Inverness, I'll try and book a month in advance.

What a cute spot! Super tight space (I think we counted accommodations for 22 max) and small staff that were all over it. It has a ton of charm and the staff were so very attentive. We had the Crab Thermidor, the trio of oysters, and the River House Fish Stew. The crab dish and the beer buttered oyster were the best bites. Also enjoyed a lovely Tomatin based cocktail on a new menu that was so tasty. Make sure to make reservations well in advance and dress to be warm due to the close seating. As everything is, the restaurant was a easy and lovely walk to dinner by the river of Ness. Make sure you bring cash to tip!

Visiting Inverness this week we were fortunate to get a table in this cosy independent restaurant. Enjoyed a wonderful welcome from the owner, a natural front of house, and a really delicious dinner . I enjoyed fresh oysters, followed by halibut accompanied by a dry Muscadet

Tried to book here last year and couldn't get in, but the wait till this year was worth it. Its atmosphere is very french bistro giving it a nice warm feel. The staff are very friendly, especialy the chef who walks around at times and chats to you but is never intrusive or over bearing, on the contary it just adds to the friendlyness. I started off by having the crab mourney, a bit more cheese than I expected, but it made much better for it, I realy enjoyed it. The other half had the tempura monk fish, she said it was the best tempura dish she'd had in a long time. My main was the cod with the cheese and pepper seed top. The fish was cooked to perfection and the top was just the right amount not to cheesy and not to peppery. The other half had the halibut which she thought the sauce was creamier than she mite have expected, but again was cooked to perfection. Finaly I had the sticky toffee apple pudding, it was more like an apple dumpling than tradditional stp, but again no complaints, the toffee sauce kept the balance right. Food of this standard is worth the price you pay, and the atmosphere was warm and casual. We loved it.

I can't remember the last time I enjoyed a restaurant so much. The food, the service, the atmosphere, it was all amazing. I doubt there's a wrong choice on the menu. The sea bass and the cod are excellent. The oysters are a must have as well. There is also a great selection of wine, drinks and local craft beer. Thank-you to all the staff, and the cook, for a wonderful dining experience!

You have to eat here!! The Smoked Mackerel Pate was so delicious that I ate it too quickly before taking a picture!! Delicious!! Also, the River House Fish Stew was very tasty. The service was great and had us in stitches!l If you have the chance, book your reservation now!

I had dinner here yesterday evening. Warm atmosphere and delicious fresh food. Please keep in mind that this is a small restaurant with a small team and they are doing their best. Be patient and very importantly, book in advance! On a more disappointing note, it was not indicated anywhere (maybe at the end of the menu in tiny characters) that the service is not included in the prices. Even if I was told by the most experienced waiter that tipping was up to me, the dirty look the younger one gave me when I handed the money made me leave a small bank note quickly before exiting. Had I known earlier, I would have adapted. So if you are on a budget, keep this in mind as well.

Seafood pasta was great! We also got the bread appetizer. Servers were really friendly and great! Would recommend to anyone. They were able to get us in because of a cancellation but make sure you get a reservation! Some of the best food in the UK!!

One of the most popular and best seafood/fish restaurants in Inverness, for good reason. We had two very good (though not perfect) meals here. Quality food and generally very well prepared, though a little on the expensive side. Very good service. This restaurant books out well in advance and we saw many people being sent away. Recommend a visit.

Everything was great! Excellent recommendations for pairing wine with oysters. And food was delicious!

Great place for seafood. Had a late lunch here. Good food and service. Note that they only accept cash tips.

We found the food a little disappointing given the stellar reviews on the web. Michelin star prices.

Perfect place to eat and to take the cosy atmosphere. Best meal I ate in Scotland.

Fabulous meal. Small quaint restaurant specializing in seafood. Pictured is the Cullen Skink. My wife said it was the best soup she had all year. Service was excellent.

We loved it here, would come back any time. Lovely little restaurant at the River Ness, kind staff and cozy atmosphere. The mussels were amazing.

Lovely restaurant, really great seafood.

River House Restaurant was hands down the best restaurant in Inverness.Impeccable service, delicious food, tasty wine, great & professional staff.

Staff were friendly and helpful. Particularly, the 16 year old sever who had a great rapport with customers. The venue is a little small and parking can be an issue. We parked at a nearby Tescos (free parking for 2 hours).

Beautiful location, delicious food and exceptional service

Never let's us down ... amazing freashfood. Fantastic service

Loooved the seafood here and the place and the service!! Our table wasn't ready for us when we came and we were offered free drinks outside while we waited for the happy hour oyster folk to go home. We shared 2 startes and had mixed seafood pasta and cod with beans + crushed potatos for main and pavlova and panna cotta for dessert and almost had to be wheeled out of there and back to our hotel! Would have gone again tonight, but prebooking is a very important factor here, otherwise you will not get in! It is expensive but worth it.

Alfie went over and above to make our experience absolutely perfect. River House seats about only 20 guests leading to a cozy setting. The wait staff were very attentive but definitely not disturbing to our experience. Two of our group enjoyed the seafood linguine while I had the encrusted cod. All were prepaid perfectly and presented fabulously. When in Inverness, do not miss River House for a fantastic dining experience !!

Recommended by a local and this was absolutely delicious. 10/10 in every aspect!

Cadre, nourriture et service excellents !

Amazing small restaurant at the river front. Food is absolutely delicious! We only had time for a quick lunch but I’d be very curious to see what the chef and the team can whip up for dinner. If we’re back in Inverness one day, we’ll be coming back for sure!

Went with the tempura fillets for starter and steak as main, followed by pavlova - everthing was fantastic. And yes I know steak at a fish restaurant is a wierd choice, but I didnt choose the place ;-) Place so cozy, and good looking so good I forgot pictures of starter and dessert.

Perfect is the word. Brilliant food, service and atmosphere. The stew was gorgeous and the staff was so attentive and professional. Would definetly visit again given the chance.

Man sollte sich nicht durch das schlechte Ambiente abschrecken lassen. Das Essen und der Service sind hervorragend, das Restaurant ist äußerst empfehlenswert, man sollte allerdings einige Tage im voraus online oder telefonisch reservieren

Very small restaurant that is just lovely. I got the time of our reservation wrong and we got there about an hour and a half early but since the next reservation for the table wasn't until seven-thirty they fit us in which I thought was very kind. The smoked haddock chowder was perfection as was my fish. The potatoes under the fish were the best I've ever had. I highly recommend this place.

Must be my 10th trip to the Riverhouse now. Every time its an amazing experience, the food is always to die for, service is impeccable and a nice place to enjoy your meal. Highly recommend.

Locale romantico la sera ma piccolino, meglio prenotare. Offre un menu a base di pesce fresco ben curato e ricercato, con anche il piatti del giorno. I prezzi sono un po’ più alti ma il persone è cortese e veloce. Consigliato l’antipasto di granchio al forno!!

Best seafood we had on our entire visit to Scotland!

Top seafood..fresh and well prepared. If like seafood, it is a must in Inverness

I will definitely be back every time I visit Inverness. The first time I couldn’t eat here because the restaurant was full so I highly recommend booking in advanced. The staff was fantastic, really high level of service. The food was impeccable and I wish I could try everything! Every dish I saw on other tables gave me massive fomo. The oysters were delicious and the seafood pasta was probably one of the best I’ve ever had.

Absolutely incredible restaurant with food that was not only incredibly cooked, it was presented to a very high level. Great customer service, staff/owner were great and just the right level of interaction and banter without imposing on the meal etc, something a lot of restaurants struggle with. We both had oyster starters, natural serving with both the Thai and Caviar options. We then both had the fillet of North sea cod (believe that was the name) and a panna cotta to share, for dessert. All incredible. I highly recommend this place.

Good food with friendly staff with reasonable prices. Perfect place for chilling out watching the world go past.

An unforgettable experience! Exceptional wine, starters and cocktails, great cod & fish stew and friendly service. Highly recommended!

Pir manor house made the reservations for us. Initially we were excited. The location was perfect. The wait staff is good. The food is awful. They tried to pass off haddock as halibut. It was old tasting. Without a price change. Be ware of this place

Nice seafood restaurant right on the river walk. It's small so you should book ahead.

親切なマスターが接客し美味しい料理をおすすめくれました。🐙の足とホタテと海鮮合わせて煮をいただきました。

Excelentes tragos. Muy simpática atención

Everything about this restaurant is what hospitality should still aspire to be. The service, the quality and locality of food, ambiance of the space, and special touches along the experience. I could not have enjoyed my time here more. I had the oysters, scallops, and mussels and wine paired with each plate. Everything was so good - I cleaned every plate. Thank you River House for being so kind and SO good at what you do!!! I cannot wait to come back.

Some of the best dishes we’ve had so far on our trip. Jovial service and well made cocktails. Book well in advance.

One of the BEST seafood restaurants we've been to! From start to finish..cocktails, wine, appetizers, mains & dessert! Lovely staff and GREAT background music. So grateful we got a reservation. Go if you can!

Wow!!!! Food was amazing, just a little restaurant on the river ness but oh my! From start to finish food exceptional staff fantastic and owner Alfie a true gentleman! Thanks for making us feel at home, can’t wait to go back!! Best seafood in Inverness by a mile A MUST! I can’t keep away some more pics OMG just amazing thanks Alfie

Quite possibly the best restaurant in Inverness. Enjoyed a late evening dinner at the River House after both staff and kitchen likely had a long, busy day, and they still nailed it. Cocktails were spot on. Our starter - the Mussels Venetian - were quite possibly the freshest mussels I’ve ever had the pleasure of tasting. On to our mains: Sicilian Seafood Pasta and Haddock. The chef did not miss a thing. The brown sugar shrimp butter reduction for the haddock was phenomenal and so flavorful. The Linguine in the seafood pasta was freshly made, and had the best texture — smaller scallops very slightly over cooked, but easily forgiveable. Our meal was capped off with a limoncello drizzled sponge cake and appropriate accompaniments and left nothing to be desired. The venue also has so much personality. Treat yourself to a curated dining experience in Inverness! But make your reservations now — they fill up incredibly quickly. Bon Appetite!

Tolles Seafood Restaurant. Wir haben dort ausgezeichnet gegessen. Das Team ist superfreundlich. 👍👍👍

A very wonderful meal. The freshly shucked oysters and vodka oyster shots were delicious. Particularly enjoyed the mussels both in Venetian and Islay- style. Both were really good. The mussels with Islay whiskey had a smokey flavour that our table enjoyed thoroughly. Service was also very warm and friendly. Would love to go back if I ever travel to Scotland again!

Intimately located by the river, this restaurant delivers fresh delicious seafood items. MAKE A RESERVATION! We tried 4 dishes and they were all fantastic. Hake is a must

My mother has wanted oysters since we arrived in Scotland two weeks ago. We could not find them. I finally found them in Inverness. We went to the River House and discovered they were fully booked. I walked in and asked if I could get four oysters and just eat them on the outside table. The chef came out hearing my questions and I explained the situation and he gave them to me to go! He shucked them wrapped them and gave me lemon. They were so very kind and so accommodating I wish that we could have eaten there. If you want to go there make sure to make a reservation it's definitely worth it! Thank you all again!

Convinced this is the most fantastic meal in Scotland! Alfie and his team are so lovely and accommodating. The food was absolutely fantastic and the staff was so kind. I have Celiac and they were able to make dietary adjustments with no issue. Thank you all for a memorable dinner experience! We will certainly be back the next time we visit.

On our last day in Inverness I really wanted to eat sticky toffee pudding. We walked into the restaurant but it was completely full. We said we were fine with sitting outside as I literally only wanted to eat the sticky toffee apple pudding. They were a bit surprised but super kind. It was fine and I ended up eating the best dish I had in all of Scotland!

Riverhouse restaurant is the finest establishment in Inverness for the highest quality seafood. The staff are amazing and Alfie the owner brings joy to anyone who walks through the door.

Excellent service and the freshest seafood make a winning combination at the riverside restaurant. Do not miss!

Best seafood place in Inverness for sure.

Wouldn't go back expected better food with it being so expensive, not a good atmosphere 😑 giving this place a miss on my next trip

Must visit place for seafood when in Inverness! All the dishes we tried are amazing, even the mocktails. Their oysters are superb! They also do £1.50 oysters in the afternoon.

Excellent food and service. If I lived in the city, it would be one of my favorites. The food was reasonably priced for what you get

The meal was nothing short of excellent and the staff was very friendly and took time to chat with us! The best oysters we’ve had, both fresh and grilled options. The seafood was prepared perfectly, and full of flavour! We highly recommend the seared scallops as a starter.

Just the most amazing place to eat. The food was excellent and the service was too.

This was the best meal we had while recently visiting Scotland. Not only was the food outstanding, the service was amazing. We will be back!!!

Just WOW!! We absolutely loved River House! Amazing oysters - literally the best we've ever eaten. Everything we ordered was delicious (octopus & scallops also particularly wonderful!) The chef and staff were also the best to be found. When in Inverness, don't pass this one up!

Great place to have a meal. The owner/chef was on hand and chatted with all the diners. Worth going in early for the oysters 'happy hour'.

Our dinner at River House was one of the best on our 3-week trip. I enjoyed the best seafood pasta I've tasted and thoroughly enjoyed the knowledgeable and charming front-of-house folks. The tastes were clean, the seafood very fresh and the pasta sauce didn't overwhelm or muddy the taste.

Great little restaurant, very attentive staff, lovely menu… food/drink was delicious!

Fantastic seafood, friendly service.

Delicious!! Tiny restaurant so you need reservations. We loved the oysters (largest we've ever seen! Maybe Scottish oysters are always bigger than American oysters??), grilled octopus, crab (forgot the name) and lemon ricotta brushetta appetizers. Also the Halibut and Sea Breem dinners. Foe dessert, we had the pavlova and lemon ricotta ... deliciousness (again, forgot the name!) The people who work there were all very friendly too. Really, a great experience!

We had a lovely meal here last week. The staff were friendly, welcoming, and knowledgeable. The food was delicious. I particularly enjoyed my tempura cod. Definitely worth a visit!