The Foveran Restaurant in Orkney Islands

We had another fantastic evening at the Foveran. Changes we made to our booking were accommodated very helpfully. The service and food were absolutely first class. All three generations of our family thoroughly enjoyed every part of our meal and our fussiness was catered for without any negativity, as usual. We felt very reassured by all measures in place to meet the guidelines about Covid, and this didn’t detract from the experience of a lovely evening at the Foveran. The owners and staff can all be so proud of what they offer locals and tourists alike.

During our visit to Orkney we stayed in a cottage at the Bay of Skaill and the information folder recommended this restaurant. The restaurant is split into two separate areas and apparently the views are spectacular (unfortunately it was dark when we arrived). The food was of a high standard (particularly the steak), and portions were generous and well presented. All dishes had a wonderful combination of flavours and textures. Service was nicely paced and the waiting staff friendly and efficient. Cost for 3 courses with wine was £50 per head.

In a nice room,staff were good, food was very good. Menu not too big. Steak was great , fish and veggie options

This restaurant is beautiful with stunning views from the huge windows. Waiting staff were courteous and friendly. Our meals were beautifully cooked and delicious. This is a must do experience - we can’t wait to go back!

Food and service were faultless. The staff were extremely friendly and efficient. We had a 3 course meal which was delicious, the soufflé starter was a particular highlight. Tables are well spaced out with a screen on one side. It was midweek we visited and the restaurant was fully booked, easy to see why.

We had such high hopes after reading the reviews and had been told locally it was a great fish restaurant. Perhaps I should have looked at the online menus first. Relatively limited - 3 steaks, lamb, chicken, scallops & vegetarian & 2 fish specials. My starter of scallops was only just warm. Had it been a main course I would have sent it back. My wife’s main course of scallops was warmer. The ribeye I ordered wasn’t available so sirloin was offered as an alternative. Service was good but far too quick

We have just returned from four nights staying at the Foveran and we are so glad that we chose to base ourselves here for accommodation and dining.It is perfectly positioned for scenic views over Scapa Flow and as a jumping off point for touring Mainland. A 20 minute drive from Stromness and less than a five minute drive to Kirkwall. Plenty of parking space available as well.Our room was absolutely fine - a decent size, tea and coffee facilities, hairdryer, good wifi, plenty of storage space, comfortable double bed, modern en suite with a powerful shower. Really, the kind of room you’d expect in a high end three star hotel bordering on a four. Hence, much more than just a restaurant.Breakfast freshly and beautifully cooked to order, and a wide ranging breakfast menu.Evening dining an excellent experience. A fairly limited menu (don’t let that put you off though) but augmented by blackboard specials. Food was expertly cooked and attractively presented. Portions more than ample. For instance, I ordered a baked cod with lentil crust from the specials board which was as huge as it was delicious. They do all sorts of good things in preparing and flavouring their locally sourced vegetables. A good wine list and a broad choice of other drinks, including some of the excellent Orkney ales.Service at every point was outstanding. Polite and helpful, and the waiting staff really understood the menu.We felt very welcome from start to finish and can’t recommend this place highly enough. As others have said, the restaurant is very popular so if you’re booking accommodation and want to dine in, we’d advise pre-booking your table for dinner at the same time.Thanks to everyone at The Foveran for making our stay so pleasurable.

Great place, stunning views, very friendly helpful staff, excellent location, short taxi ride from kirkwall

We received a couple of vouchers for the Foveran and used them to celebrate both my birthday and my wife's birthday. Absolutely superb food again, could not fault any of the dishes we had. First class service again as well.

The best food I have had in six months. Pricey for Orkney but not compared to Edinburgh or Glasgow. Limited menu but with vegetarian and pescatarian options. Good wine list and excellent service. Booking absolutely essential as always full , and for good reason.

This is a very clean, modern looking restaurant with windows all around the room, allowing for a beautiful view. The food was good, not fancy, not quite reaching the quality that they are trying to attain.

Great food and staff well worth a visit good atmosphere very clean and tidy nice lounge for a drink and pre-order, plenty of room to back car.

The Foveran might be down a small road but don't expect it to be a small restuarant, it is actually quite large with seating in one big room albeit with excellent views across the bay.The food is excellent, both meat and fish, with attentive waiting staff and comfortable seating.

A short taxi ride from Kirkwall, Foveran is situated overlooking Scapa Floe. My wife and I enjoyed a superb meal, fine wines and attentive service. This is a "must visit" restaurant.

Ottima location per una cena da leccarsi i baffi Ho preso la loro carne con una spalmata di haggis e un’ottima salsa al whisky; da non perdere!Posto consigliatissimo; meglio prenotare.

Excellent service and great food made a welcome respite from the usual fare up this way. The wine list was adequate.

We stayed there as a party of 4 for 3 nights. As it was a field sports weekend, we kept odd hours but they could not have been more helpful or accommodating with the catering and generally looking after us. Lovely atmosphere and delicious food. The rooms were warm and comfortable. Highly recommended.

I wish I could give this another star. This restaurant with rooms was recommended by our self-catering place. It sits, just outside of Kirkwall, overlooking Scapa Flow. We we had lovely views out to the west, for dinner. The food was amazing. I started with the crispy grimbister farmhouse cheese. It was like a cheese curd, but using this fabulous, slightly sharp local cheese. Then I had the lamb. It was so juicy and tender, but the red wine and red currant sauce was unbelievable.

Really great traditional Scottish menu with a modern twist. We all had a great meal and would certainly return. The dining room had a great vibe and the service was also flawless. Definitely deservingly the top rating on Orkney.

The loin of lamb was over cooked,dry,tough and tasteless, the 'jus' barely there and had a strange smell.

Stunning setting while eating,views amazing. Food excellent. Staff very friendly and very attentive.clean and fresh.. if you have allergies etc chef very accommodating.. would highly recommend this place.

Second visit here Both in transit between ferries

I could not fault our meal here. From start to finish we were treated so well by the staff. All the food was delicious and beautifully presented. The seafood was cooked to perfection as we expected from previous reviews.It is most certainly worth making a booking to eat here as I suspect you will struggle to get a table otherwise. However although every table was occupied, the spacious interior allowed for plenty privacy around each table so it did not feel overly crowded.We will definitely return here when in Orkney again.

Second visit in eight days and many more over the years! The FOVERAN never disappoints and often brings pleasant surprises! Tonight was no exception - a warm welcome and service from local staff who knew the menu inside out and were always cheerful and helpful. The food was just out of this world - generous portions, freshly cooked vegetables served in a warm atmosphere where there was a buzz of conversation. Three fillet steaks and two lamb - preceded by a bisque and followed by delicious Orkney ice cream! Evenings to remember and cherish when we return to the deep sooth! THANK YOU to the chef and all the staff.

Wonderful staff, delicious meal! good wine list. We ate one night and rebooked for the next evening. I wish we could have stayed here but we left it too late.

Spent three nights staying and dining at the Foveran. It was outstanding in every way. Quiet rooms, beautiful views of Scapa Flow, excellent food, and great service! What more could you ask?

Had a meal at The Foveran tonight, started with the Grimbister cheese, Fillet steak was to die for and then not that we were needing it but wanted to try was the Lemon Meringue cheesecake, out of this world! Food and service is second to none, an amazing dining experience, well done Foveran!

Starters - absolutly stunning smoked olives (the best possible treatment olives can get) and seafodd plate, which was quite average - you don't have to make pate out of everythig!

The local products are terrific and so fresh. The wine menu has some great choices.

Great menu featuring almost entirely local produce, complemented by local gin and whisky. Steak was excellent and the view across Scapa Flow was lovely.

Nice people Tried hard We thought this was the best restaurant meal we had. Would be interested to know how the accommodation compares.

Lovely meal have by all. The view from the restaurant of the bay was wonderful. Great night out. Shame about the midges outside afterwards! But those were unavoidable!

Excellent food, excellent service, excellent views. We throughly enjoyed our meal. Definitely worth experiencing. Be sure to make a reservation!

We were gifted a generous voucher and enjoyed a superb meal at Foveran tonight. Weather cleared so enjoyed the views down to Scapa. Staff are pleasant and attentive. Good selection on menu made ordering difficult. Our cheese and scallop starters were delicious and we both chose the fillet steak from specials board. Orkney ice cream to finish then a coffee back in the lounge area. Portions are not huge but plenty for us. very happy

We were a party of 20 and we had a set meal which was excellent.

Bella location con una bellissima vista cibo buono e di qualità un po’ caro ma nella media delle isole orcadi.

tutto cio che abbiamo assaggiato era veramente squisito . in 8 giorni tra shetalnd e orkeny non abbiamo mai avuto un simile piacere per il palato. raffinato, ben presentato e servizio in sala eccellente, con visita notevole

Deservedly number 1 restaurant in or near Kirkwall, The Foveran is modern establishment with glorious views over Scapa Flow. We had a top notch meal and were looked after by delightful attentive staff. Go on, treat yourself!

Booked by phone a month in advance for a Friday night to celebrate a birthday. When we arrived they had no record of booking although my husbands phone had record of call . However they managed to squeeze us in. Then 3 days latter on Monday we had a phone call to ask why we hadn't turned up for our table booked for that night. So worthwhile checking a week in advance they have your booking for the right night.

Absolutely first class food and service! Great choice on both the food and drinks menu. Highly recommend.

A very pleasant evening - even when several of those present had a variety of allergies / food intolerances. Helpful and unobtrusive staff. A well varied menu; the food was well cooked and well presented.

Une grand salle moderne avec de grandes baies vitrées donnant sur Scapa Flow. Stylé mais pas guindé. Excellente carte avec des produits locaux parfaitement cuisinés. Les saint-jacques, le carpaccio de boeuf juste saisi, l'agneau de North Ronaldsay, les fromages tout était parfait, délicieux. Service bien.

what a delightful restaurant (even if the mist comes down and you cant enjoy the view) , Great menu and the food is outstanding - best scallops I have tasted -very large and cooked to perfection, the service is also excellent and I would certainly recommend a visit if you are staying on Orkney

Belle soirée et excellent dîner. Isolé dans la campagne et dominant la mer ce restaurant a une grande salle avec des ouvertures sur la mer et la campagne. Le dîner était très bon (1/2 homard, lotte et pavlova rhubarbe-fraise). Les poissons et fruits de mer étaient parfaitement cuits, les assiettes généreuses et le service efficace et souriant. Le seul petit bémol concerne le bruit dans la salle dû à 2 grandes tables avec de nombreux enfants.

Beautiful restaurant with stunning views over Scapa Flow.

Had a fabulous meal and great caring service. Next time will book a table by the window. Food just needed a little seasoning but it was on the table so was able to season it to our liking. Loved that the food was all sourced locally.

We wanted a special seafood dinner with our great friends with whom we were sharing a week on Orkney. We settled on The Foveran and thank goodness we did. It was a brilliant choice in every way. Wonderful seafood, beautiful wine and lovely lovely service and staff. We were so overwhelmed with how friendly the Orcadians are and how delightful the Foveran Girls were. Everything we chose was fantastic. Very highly recommended. Just make sure you book. Says it all really.

We stayed here for six nights breakfast and supper. The rooms have been upgraded and the one we stayed in was quite large. The food was wonderful we all enjoyed very diverse dinner meals all excellent. Breakfast was was also excellent my husband particularly enjoying the haddock and myself the kippers. As before the service was efficient and friendly. The atmosphere is really good.

A truly wonderful evening experience at The Foveran in Orkney ! Our party of 4 arrived early, were welcomed in the lobby, where we had G&Ts; made with wonderful Scottish gins, and were subsequently accompanied to the dining room ( with truly spectacular views of Scapa Flow ! ). The food and service were equally excellent – we strongly recommend the Foveran !

We really enjoyed our dinner in this popular restaurant and reservations are a must. The Orkney scallops melt in your mouth/Slow roasted North Ronaldsay mutton was divine/Plaice with lemon butter and dill was delicately flavoured and our lemon tart with berry compote/Strawberry Pavlova were a treat. Good wines and Orkney Ale. Lovely views over Scapa Flow, so do ask for a window seat.

Good service and food, especially North Ronaldsay mutton. It has great views. Wine list ok but not up there with the food. Staff all very friendly and well trained.

I visited this restaurant nineteen years ago following a local's recommendation, so return was a mix of nostalgia and wondering whether it would be as good as 2000. It was as good, if not even better. The restaurant has been expanded and has great views southwards across Scapa Flow and northwards to Kirkwall which were beautiful in the sunshine. The food, especially the main courses were perfection. I have rarely tasted a better fillet steak and the mutton was equally good. The starters of scallops were excellent, whilst the bere profiteroles demonstrated real imagination. Desserts of sorbet and crumble capped a great meal. Service throughout was friendly and well organised. I can't think of many places that are as good if not better so many years after your first visit, but experience suggests Foveran have got something special.

Hier stimmt einfach alles. Der Empfang war herzlich und das ganze Abendessen absolut professionell organisiert, trotzdem sehr freundlich. Das Essen war ausgezeichnet, sowohl Qualität wie Zubereitung und Präsentation. Das Salzlamm war perfekt zubereitet, wobei ich mir nicht sicher bin, ob ich den Unterschied zu einem normalen Lamm gemerkt hätte. Die Zubereitung war schlicht perfekt. Dieses Erlebnis sollte man sich unbedingt gönnen. Die Leistung rechtfertigt den Preis bei weitem.

I can't help feeling that if this place didn't have a great dining room with fabulous views over Scapa Flow it wouldn't get such good reviews. The food is okay but hardly exceptional.

I was recommended this restaurant and was not dissappointed. Local ingredients immaginatively prepared and served in a bright consevatory with magnificent views made for a memorable experience

Touring Orkney again in our motorhome and a stop at Forvoran for dinner is a must.

Wir haben den Ratschlag anderer Bewertungen beherzigt und eineinhalb Tage zuvor einen Tisch reserviert, dies funktionierte ohne weitere Probleme.

Ate here last week after booking a few weeks ago. Fantastic location overlooking Scapa Flow although it was wet and misty the night we ate. Superb food and service and the fillet steak quite simply was the best I ever tasted despite extensive travelling. Do not miss the chance to eat here if you can

Fantastic location and lovely venue with great views. Staff were attentive and friendly . The food is nice but I think they are trying a little bit too hard (fancy sauces that don’t quite work) - I think they should let the amazing produce speak for itself. They did this perfectly with the starters - lovely scallops and langoustines but both our mains had been ‘over worked’. Still definitely worth a visit and I will be back.

The food, service and atmosphere was all first class. From the moment we arrived we felt relaxed and so well looked after. Food was delicious and fresh - the seafood platter was a standout. A stunning setting and well worth a visit

We had a fabulous dinner here. The views are stunning, the service was fantastic, and the food was simply fantastic. If I ever make it back to Orkney I will be returning (and think this would also be an amazing place to stay as well).

Local and international beers in the lounge and terrace overlooking Scarpa Flow watching rabbits and oystercatchers - life doesn't get better than this! Then you go into dinner and realise that it does - delicious Ronaldsay mutton, steak that cuts like butter, platter of local seafood all with excellent service and in a dining room with panoramic views. We had planned only one night here but returned again and again as this really is the best place to eat in Orkney.

Perfekt Setting Perfekt food accompanied by exzellent drinks and a wonderful view over the bay ist worth more than just ohne visit.

Thank you for another wonderful meal and dining experience at Foveran. We dine here every time we come to Orkney and food, ambiance is always consistently good. The scallops are sublime. Great Orkney gin menu too.

Booked this as a special birthday meal while away in Orkney. Every local we told, from our landlord to our taxi driver, clicked their tongues and said “ Good choice”.

We booked a table for two the night before and were pleasantly surprised by how amazing the staff and food were. The food was so fresh and perfectly cooked it was an experience that tops our holiday. My father, who was trained in France for patisserie and Cordon Bleu was blown away saying he could not have done better. (High compliments from the man who always say "I can do better at home!"). We will most definitely be back and highly recommend!

This is a highly recommended restaurant. The staff made us very welcome and continued to be attentive throughout the evening. The views from the restaurant are stunning as they look out over Scapa Flow. The menu isn’t extensive which allows the chefs to create beautiful food. Not the cheapest meal but oh so worth it!!

From pre-dinner drinks overlooking Scapa Flow with views across the islands, this was a meal to remember.

Went for dinner. Lovely food - my first taste of mutton and it was beautifully tender, and the waitress helpfully explained what all the cuts were. We like good food and this was the best meal we had in our two weeks in Scotland, and only £10 more than a mediocre pub meal we’d had a few nights earlier. Lovely staff and beautiful views. Highly recommended for a special meal.

The restaurant with rooms is in an amazing location not far from Kirkwall, and overlooking Scapa Bay. The design of the restaurant makes the most of the views. The menu is delightful, and the food delicious. I’ll head back from Devon at the earliest opportunity!

of The Foveran is the staff, all, without exception, gracious kind and helpful. The waitresses deliver the delicious food with a smile (often proudly wearing a piece of Sheila Fleet jewelry) and nothing is too much trouble. Six of us stayed 3 nights in 3 rooms, all cozy with well designed bathrooms. The views from the restaurant windows took our breath away, from St Magnus Cathedral to the green buoy over The Royal Oak in Scapa. On our last evening a Hen Harrier flew by clear as day at 10pm. This is a very well organised and well-run establishment, one of the delights of the Orkney Islands.

Just returned from a two night stay at the fantastic Foveran. The food was simply wonderful, beautifully cooked and presented. Staff were very attentive. Rooms were modern, clean and spacious. Will definitely return.

food was excellent (i had seafood platter/N Ronaldsay mutton/ watermelon and vodka sorbet) staff were attentive, friendly and knowledgeable, the setting is lovely with views over Scapa Flow...altogether a first class experience

We were lucky enough to boom a table last minute and feel incredibly lucky that we managed, the food was delicious. As someone who eats fish, but not meat, I was delighted to see so many seafood items in the menu that didn't involve the sneaky bacon rashers or black pudding. The monkfish for main was cooked perfectly, but the real surprise was the side of vegetables served with the meals, I have never had carrots so tasty! My partner finished his entire steak, which I have never seen him do, and declared it was the best one he had. The dining room is light and airy, with lovely views out over the water and the staff were friendly and welcoming. I can see why this restaurant has so many great reviews.

Had booked a table two weeks in advance as had heard it is very popular and can see why, the views, service and food are wonderful. We enjoyed our meal so much we booked again for another night and that too did not disappoint. Both evenings the weather was clear and the views stunning over Scapa Flow, would highly recommend a visit.

We booked The Foveran for our wedding anniversary and we celebrated in style. They had decorated our table with anniversary confetti and made us feel special. It’s nice to sit in the lounge with a pre dinner drink whilst reading the menu, then get taken through when our first course was ready. We both enjoyed our food, the mutton was exceptional.

This restaurant really delivers on many levels: superb service, an excellent menu and great location. We actually liked it so much that we wanted to come back the following day but they were fully booked!

What a tremendous restaurant My compliments to the chef - the mutton was outstanding - would unreservedly recommend to any visitors seeking to high quality locally sourced food

We had been meaning to visit this restaurant for some years. It was better than expected. Food delicious (fish and steak). Constructive criticism if there were to be any: the room is big enough to position the tables for both diners to enjoy the view and perhaps invest in a proper coffee machine. This is not a complaint btw! Still lovely!

We had a super meal here, the best of our week of dining out in Orkney. Great views, ambiance, interior decor and menu (which included excellent and exciting vegan options). The food itself was imaginative, beautifully cooked and delicious.

Excellent setting at the Foveran, Quality Fresh produce and for me, cooked to perfection, front of house staff all very friendly and polite. Nice views to be had from dining room, food reasonably priced and very nice, well done to all the staff👍👍

The food was of the highest quality with good service and outstanding views . Price was very reasonable

On the ferry over to Orkney we happened to see this sea food restaurant advertised in the Islander magazine and decided we’d make a point of visiting it,

Really lovely food and fairly priced given the quality, not cheap but not prohibitively expensive either. The Orkney beef fillet with haggis was superbly cooked and delicious. The presentation of dishes was beautiful, I was the only one of our group who had the dessert, but the pavlova was as light as a feather eventhough it looked daunting at first. Sadly the evening we were there it was raining and overcast, but on a good day the views from the restaurant across Scapa Flow would be stunning and to sit on the terrace with a coffee and liquer after dinner drinking in the view would be such a pleasure. Only think a little exasperating was no one to answer the phone in person when enquiring about booking for the restaurant.

Fantastic food and excellent service. Had the seafood platter then the sea bass , both were fantastic. Not much room left so had ice cream which was v creamy. You will not be disappointed in any aspect of the Foveran !

We are visiting Orkney in our Motorhome to see the archeology areas of interest and also to attend the music festival in Stromness and Kirkwall.

I had read the reviews of this restaurant and booking is recommended -so pleased we did ! It was just a perfect memorable evening. The atmosphere was great -professional but relaxed and informal. Food was delightful and lovely setting. Tried to return on another evening but regrettably fully booked. If we ever return to Orkney we will be back!

This a modern beautiful restaurant, with sweeping views of the farmland and water. The food and service was equally as good. Book in advance - this place is very popular for a reason.

A £10 taxi fare from the centre of Kirkwall meant we weren’t driving so could enjoy drinks as well as food and we weren’t disappointed. We were there at the beginning of May on a wonderful early summer’s evening. The sea was flat calm, there was hardly a cloud in the sky and the scenery and views were stupendous. What a place to have dinner! The service was discreet and efficient and the food was very good. The scallops were of a decent size and beautifully cooked; the seafood platter was enthusiastically received by all thought the crispy Orkney cheese was pretty bland and unexciting. The steaks were cooked to order, the mutton excellent, various fish dishes were all good and the vegetarian option tarte tatin much enjoyed. It was all presented well on hot plates and was probably the best quality food we had on our Orkney visit. Can only recommend that you visit.

Very helpful and friendly service. Good views from restaurant windows. Scallops delicious, sea food platter a bit bland, nicely cooked vegetables.

We had been soooo looking forward to this meal, our last night on Orkney, to celebrate what’s been a fantastic holiday.

There are spectacular views out over the bay from the restaurant, but this is a bonus as the quality of service and food are worth going alone. Although we arrived slightly late we were welcomed and offered a drink while we looked at the menu. Service throughout was attentive, discrete but friendly. I could have picked several of the starters and mains but food lived up to expectations

Had not eaten in Foveran for a few years. Impressed by renovation of restaurant. Food standard excellent. Service efficient and warm. Between the group be had bare meal profiteroles (Bare meal an Orcadian delicacy!) with cheese, Scallops (local and cooked just right) amongst other starters. Mains we tried included lamb and fillet steak both of which were cook beautifully. Great outlook over Scapa Flow. One to visit.

This is the best restaurant in Orkney by miles. The building is lovely; crisp and contemporary, but comfortable, stylish and welcoming. The simple, muted colours compliment and enhance the wonderful ever-changing view of sea, cliffs, sky and hills. Sitting here for an evening watching the sunset is a joy.

We had a fantastic stay at the Foveran. Orkney certainly isn't short of a good view and the Foveran have really capitalised by this by having ceiling to floor windows in their restaurant, allowing you to look out over the beautiful Scapa Bay.

I enjoyed a wonderful meal at this restaurant with rooms: my Orkney breaded cheese starter was very tasty and a new experience: my lemon sole main was perfectly seasoned and cooked, and simply spectacular. I cannot recommend this restaurant highly enough. Go, enjoy!

The restaurant is lovely, and not too noisy, even when it was fairly full. We were seated next to a log fire before we were taken to our table. The staff are very friendly and the food is excellent.

We thoroughly enjoyed a lovely evening with friends in the welcoming atmosphere of The Foveran. The menu was well balanced with many locally sourced options. All the men in our party chose steak for their main, which looked beautiful and they commented was perfectly cooked. The lemon sole I had was exquisite. Accompanying seasonal vegetables and potatoes were delicious too.

There is a warm welcome at this lovely restaurant situated 5 minutes by car from Kirkwall. A cosy lounge area is perfect for relaxing before your meal. The food is superb and the menu well balanced. Our steaks were cooked to perfection. The outstanding staff are both friendly and thoughtful.

Great place with a good vibe and super food served by friendly staff - certainly worth a special visit if on the Island.