The are plenty of choices for eating out…
LOCAL DINING
Fresh air and clean water, combined with traditional farming practices mean that our restaurants have access to some of the world’s finest ingredients.
DIGBY CHICK
One of our favourites is Digby Chick in central Stornoway. Local fish and shellfish are a speciality with daily fish specials available with whatever has been landed that day. Vegetarians are well catered for too. www.digbychick.co.uk
AN LANNTAIR
Overlooking Stornoway Harbour, the award-winnning, multi-purpose arts centre offers a delicious all-day menu with daily specials celebrating local produce from the islands. Children’s menu also available. www.lanntair.com
ELEVEN at the CALADH INN
Family- friendly, self-service carvery and buffet lunches and dinners. Takeaway option from the buffet too. Open Sundays for roast carvery. www.caladhinn.co.uk/stornoway-restaurants-2/
NATURAL RETREATS STOREHOUSE CAFÉ AT LEWS CASTLE
The perfect place to enjoy a spot of lunch or a frothy coffee after a stroll around the Lews Castle grounds. Fun castle-themed kids’ menu also available.
COUNTY HOTEL
The County Hotel offers a range of dining options with both a European menu and an Indian menu on offer. The latter deserves a special mention and this is the place to go for a flavoursome curry. www.countyhotelstornoway.co.uk/dining
HS1 CAFÉ BAR and BOATSHED RESTAURANT, ROYAL HOTEL
The Royal Hotel in the centre of Stornoway offers two dining options – the vibrant, contemporary atmosphere of HS1 and the creative cuisine of the Boatshed Restaurant. Early dinners at the Boatshed are great value and a la carte menus include fresh locally landed fish, shellfish, plus quality meats from local butchers and hunting estates. Both open on Sundays. www.royalstornoway.co.uk/restaurant-in-stornoway
THAI CAFÉ
Enjoy authentic, inexpensive Thai cuisine in the heart of Stornoway, courtesy of this no-frills restaurant that serves some of the best-value Asian food in the Hebrides. BYOB. Takeaway also available. www.thai-cafe-stornoway.co.uk
CAFÉ SONAS AT PORT OF NESS
With views of the beach and harbour at Ness, Café Sonas offers a range of delicious fish and seafood dishes in an idyllic location, as well as traditional Hebridean baking. Seasonal opening hours so it’s always worth checking their Facebook page first.
40 NORTH FOODS
Located just off the A858 near Bragar, 40 North Foods is a croft-based food producer and retailer, selling everything from home-cured and smoked meats and fish to homebaked breads and cakes. Perfect for a picnic stop-off while exploring the beaches on the west side of Lewis. 40 North Foods also offers a range of home-cooked ready meals. www.40northfoods.co.uk
CALANAIS VISITOR CENTRE
Work up an appetite with a stroll around the famous Calanais standing stones then enjoy some delicious homebaking in the centre’s cafe overlooking Loch Roag. Main meals, soup and sandwiches also available. www.callanishvisitorcentre.co.uk
HEBSCAPE GALLERY AND TEAROOM
Fantastic scones, hearty soup and panoramic views of Taransay, West Loch Tarbert and the North Harris mountains are all on the menu at this welcoming gallery and tearoom. The views from the tearoom perfectly complement the stunning landscape photography by resident artist Darren Cole. www.hebscapegallery.co.uk
CROFT 36, HARRIS
As well as delivering ready-to-eat meals, Croft 36 at Northton (about 3.5 miles from the Leverburgh ferry) also has a shop selling home-baking, pasties, pies and seasonal veg. The shop is self-service with an honesty box. Worth a visit for some picnic fayre while visiting the beaches of Harris. www.croft36.com
NORTH HARBOUR BISTRO AND TEAROOM, SCALPAY
Don’t be fooled by this establishment’s very modest appearance: this is a tiny restaurant with a big passion for sublime seafood. Booking essential during the summer months. BYOB and remember cash or cheques for payment. www.facebook.com/NorthHarbourBistro
LOCAL DRINKS
The Hebridean Brewing Company in Stornoway produces three fine local dark beers, which are sold at local supermarkets and food stores. The islands are too far north for any vines, but of course there is always whisky, produced again on the islands for the first time in 200 years by the micro-distillery Abhainn Dearg on the west side of Lewis. On Harris, the island’s newest distillery opened in 2015. And while the Isle of Harris Distillery waits for its whisky to mature, it is currently producing Harris Gin, featuring sugar kelp among its botanicals.
LOCAL FOOD
Stornoway Fish Smokers – From the old heart of the herring industry, the famous Stornoway kippers are undyed and unsurpassed. Try the Stornoway smoked salmon for pure excellence and sample the other rare smoked delicacies.
MacLeod and MacLeod (Butcher) – One of the town’s butchers which was instrumental in gaining Protected Geographical status for the world-famous Stornoway Black Pudding. No visit to Stornoway is complete without sampling some “Marag Dubh” .
Harbour Seafoods – located at King Edward’s Wharf, Harbour Seafoods offers a wide selection of delicious seafoods from the waters around the Outer Hebrides.
Stag Bakeries – Quality baking from the Isle of Lewis; their oatcakes, shortbread and seaweed water crackers are all worth trying.
Uig Lodge Smoked Salmon – Scottish salmon fillets hand smoked to a traditional yet secret recipe. The resulting smoked salmon is undoubtedly amongst some of the finest in the whole of Scotland.
To tempt your tastebuds further, check out the Eat Drink Hebrides trail at www.visitouterhebrides.co.uk/food-and-drink/eat-drink-hebrides-trail
