Inverness is a fantastic town to visit at any time of the year, but with inflation on the rise, where are the best budget spots for food?
The food and drink team have put together a list of their favourite restaurants in Inverness when sticking to a budget.
We’ve covered the full range of restaurants, from sandwich bars to breakfast joints to diners – everything you might need for a budget-friendly, food-filled day out in Inverness.
So pack up the family and get eating.
Comfort Foods
Address: 22 Church Street, IV1 1EB
Cheap eats combined with large portions is exactly what you want when on a budget. And this family-run café on Church Street delivers exactly that.
As the name suggests, Comfort Foods offers a wide selection of hearty, home-made meals such as full Scottish breakfasts, baked potatoes and burgers.
The prices are as low as anywhere in town, and the portions are satisfyingly large.
Try the traditional Scottish cooked breakfast if you are especially hungry.
Coyote Burger
Address: 21 Academy Street, IV1 1JN
Another spot with large portions, Coyote offers big burgers for around a tenner.
Stuffed full with everything from streaky bacon to Monterey Jack cheese, the burgers will satisfy most.
The restaurant also offers combo deals for budget-conscious diners.
Lettuce Eat
Address: 6 Stephen’s St, IV2 3JN
This salad bar and sandwich shop delivers boxes stuffed with a combination of healthy greens and beans, all at excellent prices.
Flexibility is the name of the game here, and you can devise your own deli sandwiches and salad boxes. There is also a great selection of soup, with many portions available for less than £1.
Fill your boots.
Lauders Bar
Address: 16 Church St, IV1 1EB
Lauders, in the heart of Inverness, is a traditional Scottish pub that also does a great line in well-priced pizzas.
Sidle up to one of the many characters in this wood-panelled bar and order a pizza to eat in or takeaway for a fiver.
Lauders also does some of the cheapest pints in town. Wash down the pizza with a Belhaven Best for under £3.
The Three Little Bakers
A family-run establishment that took top spot at the recent Scottish Baker of the Year awards, this long-serving bakers is the best place in Inverness to pick up a morning roll.
The rest of the selection isn’t bad either, as far as the baker of the year judges are concerned, anyway.
Three Little Bakers beat out stiff competition from some of the country’s biggest baking names to take the coveted award, and co-owner and head baker Paddy Murphy plans to celebrate for the rest of the year.
McLeod’s Fish and Chips
Address: 29 Grant Street, IV3 8BN
Fish and chips might be getting more expensive, but pound for pound they remain among the best value restaurants.
And McLeod’s is a prime example of a chipper done right – local fish cooked to perfection. No wonder the shop, under the eye of owner Dave McLeod, keeps picking up awards.
Dave has more than 30 years’ experience in the hospitality industry having started as a chef in hotels at the age of just 16.
