The Hamnavoe Restaurant

An absolutely stunning restaurant showcasing Orcadian cuisine at its best. Between hand-dived scallops, freshly caught pan-fried cod, and Orkney lobster dishes, the chefs showcased the incredible breadth and quality of their local environs with utter perfection. Each dish was better than the last and served with an exquisite attention to detail. Sauces and sides weren't just thrown onto the plate to add a splash of colour or different texture but used to illuminate and enhance the Orkney fish dishes at the heart of each course. A spectacular and resounding success of a meal. Despite the restaurant's relatively humble environs it's clear that the chefs are true masters of their craft. This place is not to be missed for foodies.

If you have one special night out in your time in the Orkney's, pick the Hamnavoe. Just brilliant. I had an early sitting, but was not rushed in the slightest. To start, I had the vegetable tempura, with pickled cucumber and chilli and an excellent For main, I considered the scallops, but opted for the lobster. What a good decision (though I'm sure the scallops were also great). Lobster was served with noodles and incredibly delicious mushrooms. Zomg. Also had the green bean side - excellent, and perfectly cooked. For dessert I had the chocolate tart which was astonishingly good - particularly the shell, crispy and sweet. Richness nicely offset with creme fraiche. Lovely service, great atmosphere, just 10/10.

Lovely dinner of Lobster, ginger & spring onion noodles, shiitake, dashi & mirin butter sauce followed by guanaja chocolate mousse, poached pear, pistachio. Good variety of wine

Really delicious spot- with creative dishes that are exciting and being in flavors from abroad! Had a delicious lobster and udon noodle dish with kimchi and a dashi broth. Smashed potatoes and broccoli side dish are great too. Service is great and prices are fair. The room is a bit noisy so just FYI (low ceilings and we were seated by a very giggly group of people who laughed very loudly).

Wonderful restaurant, a hidden gem in stromness! Highly recommend

Unlucky night… or overrated? We were thrilled about dining in a Michelin rated restaurant , a hidden gem in little Stromness! But perhaps we had too high expectations… because except for food, everything else was rather inadequate… Starting from the BOOKING: you must phone them. But… if you’re living in another country?! Or you can write on their Fb page, and BE VERY PATIENT FOR AN ANSWER… DIRECTIONS once in Stromness: ??? We had the chance that two locals accompanied us there, thank you guys. Restaurant SIGN(S): CONFUSED… Interiors: quite pleasant. Unfortunately, however, VERY NOISY. But over now the commiserations… the SERVICE: to be honest, they were more than KIND, profusely apologizing for the food delay (we were booked in)… for MORE THAN ONE HOUR!!! Unfortunately when the FOOD finally came, it was GOOD, yes… but not so outstanding to make us forget the (too) long WAIT. And the hefty bill… Just an unlucky night? Who knows...? Maybe we’ll give them a second chance, one day…

My husband and I went to the Hamvanoe Restaurant during our time on Orkney, and it was one of the best meals we've every had. We had a proper 3-course meal. The portions weren't big, the food was exquisite and the atmosphere was friendly. We loved that the food had an Asian touch as it made each dish unique. Definitely coming back next time we're on Orkney. Highly recommended!

Great little restaurant with excellent service and extremely tasty food.

We had such a nice evening here. The staff was wonderfully friendly and pleasant. We laughed with them and felt very welcomed. There was a lovely little peat fire burning. The decor was so inviting-bright, contemporary, stained glass and large tables with plenty of room to spread out. The hairy tatties were an excellent starter and paired well with a reasonably priced Sauvignon Blanc. I had a lovely steak, cooked perfectly, and my partner had the fish pie. The seafood in the pie was bountiful and each element was cooked exactly as it should be. It was exquisite. Dessert was a wonderful cheesecake made with Baileys: very creamy and yummy. All in all, we had an exceptional evening. Thank you!

Considering the remote location on Orkney in the Northern Hebirdes, Hamnavoe does a good job of moderate to fine dining. It is set in one of the older homes on the main street of Stromness (which, by the way, looks like a 300-year old North Sea fishing village designed by Disney, except it really is a a North Sea fishing village where 300 year-old buildings are the norm). Back to the restaurant - After two weeks in Scotland -- being beaten down by deep fried stuff, no greens and just plain bland food -- I was the perfect recipient for the well-prepared, thoughtful menu of the Hamnavoe. The service was good and the menu featured moderate-to-fine dining style cuisine using a large number of local ingredients. The high points - Good and attentive service (young people doing their best to manage 20 pieces of cutlery per diner); a good wine list - not huge but adequate for most tastes and budgets; and the appetizers. My husband and I shared a crab gratin that was one of the best things I've ever eaten. Plus, sharing was necessary because it was so friggin' huge. The gratin and salad and wine would have done the both of us quite nicely, I think. We also had the seafood chowder which, had I not tried to gratin, I would also be considering as a peak food experience. Creamy and full of seafood but also lots of nice vegetables and herbs to deliver a lot of texture and flavour. No serious downers at HR but unfortunately the mains were just so-so. My duck breast had a nice fruity sauce but it was a bit tough and not remarkable. My husband's cod had a very nice sauce (peppercorn I think?) but the fish itself was a bit overcooked making the texture too soft. Better to have stuck with the appetizers, I think. Also, the bread on table could have been a touch fresher. Husband had a pretty good chocolate terrine for dessert. Overall we felt it was a satisfying dining experience and a menu with some definite '10s'.