8 Best Restaurants in Orkney and Shetland Islands, Scotland

Fjarå

$$ Fodor's choice
Sitting on rocks on the ebb (or fjara in Faroese) of Brewick Bay, the views from this large wood-and-glass house allow you to look at otters and seals between courses. The menu is very simple: big breakfasts, coffees, and cake—including an array of gluten-free items—soup and huge salads, as well as Shetland mussels or fish-and-chips for lunch. In the evening there's grilled fish, Shetland lamb, or an always-interesting vegetarian option.

Frankie's Fish & Chips

$ Fodor's choice

Proudly claiming to be the northernmost fish-and-chips shop in Britain, this "chipper" is also the best of its kind on the islands. The combination of superfresh seafood—skate wings, squid, and crab legs—and light and crispy batter (including a gluten-free option) means Frankie's is everything a chip shop could be. Try the local mussels: you won't find any that are fatter or juicier in the United Kingdom. Sit on the deck or in the lovely dining room with views toward Busta Voe. The restaurant closes at 8 pm.

Julia's Café Bistro

$ Fodor's choice

Right on the quayside, this casual spot serves the cakes that make you forget about calories. Expect huge slices of lemon drizzle, coffee layer, raspberry cream, and other cakes, as well as scones and traybakes (cakes baked in pans and cut up). Baked potatoes, quirky salads, and quiches round out the savory side of the menu, while real espresso and cappuccino seal the deal.

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Lucano

$$ Fodor's choice
This modern trattoria-style Italian restaurant has been taken to the heart of Orcadians, and rightly so, as it delivers an abundant menu of good Italian food. From pizza to classic pasta dishes—with fulsomely meaty carbonara and Bolognese and very tasty vegetarian burro e salvia (butter and sage) and pesto—to excellent secondi piatti such as chicken in rosemary, it's got something for every appetite. Decor is clean and stylish, with a tile floor, wooden tables, red chairs, and chalkboard menus on the wall. The ice-cream puddings make for a nice finish.

The Peerie Shop Cafe

$ Fodor's choice

Who would believe you could get such good cappuccino at 60 degrees north? In back of the popular Lerwick knitwear shop is a modish, consistently good café that sells filled sponge cakes, lip-smackingly good soups, and, yes, the best coffee on the islands. It's always busy and Shetlanders do like to talk, so be prepared to hang around for a table during lunchtime. Open at 8 am, it's perfect for those coming off the boat.

Café Lunch $ Fodor's Choice
Esplanade, Lerwick, Shetland Islands, ZE1 OLL, Scotland
01595-692817
www.peerieshop.co.uk
Known For
  • excellent coffee
  • full Scottish breakfast
  • crowds of locals
Restaurants Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. No dinner

Braewick Café

$

With a stunning position overlooking the Drongs (rocky columns standing in the sea), this eatery serves famously large portions popular with visitors and Shetlanders alike. Browse the local crafts in the shop while waiting for a crispy battered-fish supper, or just sit back on the sofas by the huge picture window and watch the dramatic sea and sky. Don't pass up the many tempting home-baked desserts like sponges, cheesecakes, and giant scones. Reservations are required for Sunday lunch.

The Cornerstone

$
The unfussy menu here features dishes such as soups, quiche, and sandwiches by day or steaks and lasagna by night. It isn't fancy, but it is made and served with great enthusiasm and generosity. You're unlikely to find a scone anywhere else as large as the ones here.

Victoria's Vintage Tea Rooms

$

Run by a Devon girl who knows a thing or two about cream teas, this vintage-style café does a roaring trade right on the water at Haroldswick. The Shetland smoked salmon on Skibhoul (the local baker) bread is a sandwich worth getting excited about, as are the cakes, especially the Victoria Sponge and scones. And the coffee is as good as you'd get in Rome—but with the added attraction of gray seals and otters outside the window.