The Dipping Lugger

Should have been better. A few key points where we felt our experience was lacking. 1.⁠ ⁠Wine. We asked for advice on the wine menu twice and told to "pick one from the pairings" and "anything from the menu is good, just pick one". If an extensive wine menu is offered, please understand it enough to offer something from it. Wine pairings complimented dishes well but came with no mention of why or how it compliments the dish. 2.⁠ ⁠Flavour. Each individual item had good flavour but the entire menu felt unbalanced and lacking in experience. Flavours were too big and resulted in a dish that lacked depth and complexity. The food felt more in-line with a menu half the price. 3.⁠ ⁠Attention to detail. Service was slow at times and often confused. The rose wine was introduced as "tasting like berries". No member of the kitchen team came to greet the tables. There was no story line to the menu - which was a total missed opportunity and pretty much a standard at this price point. We still enjoyed our night and there were plenty positives. A few items shined on their own (Deer, bread, and the chocolate pudding). Ultimately, our table agreed that the value is just not there.

My wife and I, together with two good friends from London, had been lucky enough to pre-book a table months ago, and visited for dinner on the 12 June. The food was absolutely outstanding, whilst 3 of us had the normal tasting menu, we had on booking made the restaurant aware that my wife does not like to eat seafood/fish and they have made every effort to replace the two fish dishes on the menu with equivalent vegetarian dishes. This was highly appreciated as we had recently visited another fine dining restaurant where the non-fish replacements for my wife had been rather disappointing. All courses were nicely presented, the flavours were balanced, deep and layered, and in all courses the main protein had been highlighted and not overpowered. The seafood dishes, scallop and langoustine were cooked to perfection. My favourite dish was the main meat course, deer, again cooked perfectly pink and with a juniper rub, which could have easily overpowered the flavour of the protein, but the chef managed to keep it perfectly in the background. My wife's favourite dish was the pea custard with pancetta crumbs, (which in my opinion could have benefitted from ever so slightly more pancetta) and my wife also was delighted to say that she never thought potato soup could be as delicious as in her "Jersey" dish. Both, pre-desert and main desert were wonderful, with the pre-desert providing some refreshing palate cleansing before the main desert. Overall it was a truly outstanding dinner, the service provided by Robert and staff was excellent and they were making us feel welcomed and provided a relaxing and friendly athmosphere. The portion size was exactly right, I personally hate it when a tasting menu is so limited in portion size that it provides almost only one bite and without the ability to try different combinations of the ingredients, very well done indeed. The only minor improvement to the athmosphere could be in bringing all tables into the main dining room. We had a place at a table for 4 which was seperated from the main area and with a bit of through traffic, however this was of no great detriment to our enjoyment of the evening. We will most definitely return to the Dipping Lugger in the future as we travel the Skye and Ullapool region at least once a year.

This meal was starting in a good way. The entire dining area is beautifully decorated, warm and comforting. The service was relaxed while also thoughtful and caring. The food was exquisite. Each dish was presented with refinement and thoughtfulness. I expected a nice meal, I received a world-class dining experience.

The food is delicious and service was very friendly. As we were dining we were told where everything comes from locally, even pear chutney made from the village's pears. It's a cosy restaurant which allowed us to have a beautiful, relaxed meal and a lovely day out in Ullapool. I would highly recommend for lunch if you're looking for a fine dining taste of Ullapool, made with care and local ingredients.

We stayed here for dinner, bed and breakfast and everything was absolutely amazing! Robert and the team took care of us from the moment we checked in. The service was excellent, getting a complimentary G&T to enjoy in the sitting room when we arrived, to getting a tin of sweets at checkout for the journey home - spot on!👌 The food was delicious and very good value for an 8 course tasting menu with wine pairing. The scallops were incredible, as was the venison. As a foodie, I would highly recommend a visit here!

I’m writing this review both as feedback for the restaurant and as a reference point for future customers. Our dinner for four came to £700 with tip (about $1,300 CAD), and that was without the wine pairing menu, which would have pushed it even higher. First, the positives: the town itself is lovely, the restaurant has a cozy charm, and the staff came across as genuinely friendly. Unfortunately, for the price point, I was expecting a Michelin-level experience, and it fell well short in terms of service, storytelling, and most importantly, flavour. Wine: The list was extensive, but when we asked our server for a recommendation, the response was, “they’re all good.” At this level, I would expect a sommelier, or at least someone deeply familiar with the menu who could guide us through it. Instead, we were left to pick for ourselves with no insight or pairing suggestions. Storytelling: Being in such a remote and inspiring part of the world, I expected each dish to be connected to the local ingredients and to come with a story about its inspiration. Instead, dishes were placed in front of us with only a quick rundown of ingredients. No narrative, no sense of place, just food on a plate. Michelin-quality restaurants are masters at weaving stories that make guests feel connected to the land and culture. That was completely missing here. Service: While the staff were warm, the service itself lacked polish. There was no attention to detail—comparable to a casual evening at a neighbourhood pub. At restaurants charging this much, service is usually almost telepathic—attentive without being intrusive. That level of care just wasn’t there. Flavour: This was the biggest letdown. At the end of the day, a restaurant’s job is to deliver excellent food, and across the table, all four of us agreed most dishes were unbalanced. Flavours often clashed or felt flat and one-dimensional. Overall: The food was prepared with solid technique, but in terms of flavour, service, and inspiration, this restaurant isn’t ready for a high-end tasting menu. I think they’d be better off leaning into a smaller à la carte menu at casual dining prices rather than charging world-class rates for an experience that doesn’t come close. I’ve had the privilege of dining at world-class restaurants around the globe, and I’ve had better food, service, and experiences for less than half the price.

We had the menue with wine pairing and non-alcoholic pairing. All the dishes were outstanding in flavour, presentation and the whole did not leave you hungry. We enjoyed truffled madeleines and cheese sablé as snacks, followed by such a good homebaked crusty bread, scallops on a smoked fish risotto, gin cured halibut with curried cauliflower, squash custard, beef, potatoe purree, onions in three textures and much more.. The atmosphere is relaxed and intimate, service by Robert and his colleague very attentive and friendly. Hope to back one day to enjoy more of this phantastic cuisine!!!

Four of us had a fantastic meal here with the wine pairing. We were lucky we got in; we were on the waiting list and a table became available. The food, presentation and service were all excellent. It's not inexpensive, but I think this was the best meal I've had in a decade.