Fort William Eating
Eating
Fort William isn't exactly the culinary capital of the Highlands, but there are some top quality restaurants and a decent choice across the range.
Most of the hotels offer lunch and dinner, and the best of these is the Inverlochy Castle. It's expensive but the food is superb and the surroundings are the last word in grandeur. Open daily 1230-1345, 1900-2115. Otherwise, by far the best option is the excellent Crannog Seafood Restaurant, on the Town Pier, Tel. 705589, crannogallan@msn.com Housed in an old smokehouse, the seafood is as fresh as you can get and the surroundings are unpretentious. It gets very busy and service can be slow, so book ahead and take your time (lunch cheap to mid-range; dinner mid-range). Four miles from town is An Crann, Tel. 772077. Take the A830 to Mallaig, then turn right to Banavie on the B8004. This converted barn is a local favourite and offers good Scottish cooking in a friendly atmosphere. (Mid-range prices.) Lunch 1230-1500, dinner 1700-2100, closed Sun. Open late Mar to mid-Oct.
A great place for baguettes, filled rolls and pastries to eat in or takeaway is Café Chardón, upstairs at Peter Maclennan's store, in a side lane off the High St, Tel. 772077. Fort William boasts a very fine curry house, the Indian Garden Restaurant, at 88 High St, Tel. 705011. It does a cheap lunch, takeaways and is open late.
The Grog & Gruel, 66 High St, Tel. 705078, is a pub-cum-restaurant offering good-value pizza, pasta and Tex Mex, and a wide range of superb cask ales. Open till 2400/0100. Also on the High St is McTavish's Kitchens, Tel. 702406, serving steaks and seafood at mid-range prices. In summer it hosts nightly Scottish music shows, with dancing and bagpipes, from 2030.
In Glen Nevis, near the SYHA hostel, the Glen Nevis Restaurant, Tel. 705459, serves a cheap-mid-range 2-course lunch and mid-range 3-course dinner. Open 1200-2200, Apr-Oct. Nearby is Café Beag, Tel. 703601, a cosy place with log fire. Good vegetarian food.