Browns Restaurant at Nevis Bank Inn

Someone from this business manages this listing.

975 reviews

#5 of 51 Restaurants in Fort William££ - £££, European, British, Scottish

+44 1397 705721+ Add website

Hours

Sun

12:00 - 14:3017:30 - 21:30

Mon

12:00 - 14:3017:30 - 21:30

Tue

12:00 - 14:3017:30 - 21:30

Wed

12:00 - 14:3017:30 - 21:30

Thu

12:00 - 14:3017:30 - 21:30

Fri

12:00 - 14:3017:30 - 21:30

Sat

12:00 - 14:3017:30 - 21:30

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What is Travellers’ Choice?

Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.

Ratings and reviews

4.5

975 reviews

#5 of 51 Restaurants in Fort William

Travellers' Choice 2023

RATINGS

Food

Service

Value

Atmosphere

Food and ambience

Local cuisine, European, British, Scottish, Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options

“First evening the goat cheese and haddock.”

“The cod and lamb dish we got as main course will not get a special place in o...”

“The mushroom and leek soup was the best soup I've ever had.”

“We had the Lamb and the Duck, both very nice.”

Location and contact

Belford Road, Fort William PH33 6PF Scotland

+44 1397 705721

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Does this restaurant accept bookings?

Yes

Unsure

Details

Manage this business?

About

30 Bedroom Four Star Hotel with Superior Restaurant and Bar situated close to the town centre. Menu features freshly prepared dishes to order.

CUISINES

European, British, Scottish

Special Diets

Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options, Gluten Free Options

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Brunch, After-hours

FEATURES

Reservations, Seating, Parking Available, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Free Wifi, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service, Gift Cards Available

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4.5

975 reviews

Excellent

552

Very good

296

Average

Poor

Terrible

Paulwy1955

Sandy330 contributions

Returned for a second dinner in 2 days.....

Jun 2021 • none

My cousin was staying at the hotel, so we suggested trying the restaurant as we had just walked halfway up Big Ben.... they were fully booked but offered us an early sitting but we were limited to 2 hours which was plenty for a bottle of wine & a mains..... Menu is adequate as anything larger would make choosing harder! I had the seafood platter & my wife had the 'special' of Langoustines, fresh from Loch Linnhe, superb quality & excellent size portions. Service was impeccable so we decided to rebook 2 days later & again the food & service did not disappoint. Highly recommended. Thank you for looking after us.

Written 6 June 2021

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Suzie Mike & Sam

Wallington228 contributions

Good food and big portions!

Oct 2020 • friends

One of the best restaurants in Fort William. The decor is nice and staff friendly. The food was v good and portions huge. Goats cheese starter probably could have done me for a main! Delicious. I had the veggie Thai curry and that was nice and spicy with lots of different types of veg. To improve I would suggest another veggie main as then pasta dish sounded very dull - tomato and basil with pasta is not exciting. Also the bell to tell the staff that a dish is ready is way too loud. We were near the bar and honestly it was very very annoying. I can’t imagine how frustrating it would be when the place is full. There must be a better option than a very loud doorbell that everyone can hear..I think even the guy at reception could hear!

Written 8 October 2020

CDarb

3 contributions

Best meal of our trip

Aug 2020 • couples

We are here for our first meal of our holiday and I have to say nothing compared for the rest of the trip. Reasons for 5 stars, well firstly the staff are amazing, friendly and go above and beyond to make you feel like the only people in the restaurant. Secondly they are extremely accommodating for gluten free requirements and could alter the menu to suit what I wanted. I honestly think I could have eaten there every night of my trip and still had the great experience.

Written 11 August 2020

pisces1996

5 contributions

Disappointing

Sept 2020 • none

Booked this restaurant based on what we had seen on here (largely positive feedback) but left disappointed and regretting our decision . The choice of draft lager is very limited unless you like belhaven best or IPA. Wine menu is extensive though so if you like wine you will be happy . The portion size for the starters are a joke.I ordered the chicken and prawns to start and I got two tiny prawns and two slices of cold chicken on a bed of salad , very poor considering the £6.50 cost . We both ordered sirloin steaks , they were just ok but certainly not worthy of the £30 price tag . We decided to leave dessert but still found the bill totalling £113 which we felt was quite experience considering the standard of food . Service was ok not great and there was no real buzz about the place , granted it’s during covid but it just didn’t have that wow factor I was expecting , we did feel safe as all the guidelines were in place it’s just a pity about the standard of food .

Written 28 September 2020

Stuart

1 contribution

Disappointing Evening at Browns

Aug 2021 • none

I am now writing a review on our disappointing evening at Browns in August 2021. Initially it took 15 minutes to be served after being seated. When our drinks arrived after a further 10 minutes, my pint of beer was flat. I decided to put up with it but in reflection I should have sent it back. We were sat directly under the air conditioning unit which was blowing out freezing cold air and was not comfortable to sit in. My partner had to keep her jacket on for the entire duration of our visit. We ordered a sirloin steak medium/well done and when it arrived it was extremely rare and blood surrounded the plate when it was cut into. Instead of staff coming to check if everything was alright, we were the ones who had to grab staff attention to raise the issue. To be fair the staff and chef apologised and cooked us another steak while keeping our other food warm. When the food arrived back it was much better. We felt as though the servers were lovely, very apologetic and did attend to our problems, however we had to wait for long periods of time between them coming to the table. We went out for a meal the following evening in another restaurant in Fort William which came to less then half the price of our meal at Browns and the standard was far higher so I would recommend going elsewhere if considering where to eat in Fort William. I wrote to Browns on 30/08/21 on the feedback section of their website to raise my concerns privately however received no response from them. I feel as though I have given Browns plenty of time to contact me to discuss and rectify my concerns although they obviously feel as though this is not necessary. Poor customer service.

Written 26 October 2021

Victor K

Hong Kong567 contributions

Six Stars

Sept 2021 • couples

We came here as the last dinner of our 2 weeks holiday. It turns out to be the first review that I write about Meals during the holiday. It is attached to a proper hotel, offering a wide range of menu. Serving staff behaves as those in a high class restaurant. Tables are set with substantial distance. I am unsure if it is usual or as fully respecting the rules of social distancing. We ordered mussels and chicken parfait as starters. We are very fond of mussels and this is the best we have ever had. The quality of the mussel is a rare find and it came in a big portion, unique sauce and is inexpensively priced. The other dish was very good too. We ordered for each of us a seafood platter, which is of satisfying portion. All dishes are surprisingly priced at most at the medium range of moderately priced restaurants. Together with a glass of wine my wife ordered, it ended up with a bill less than 60. I believe we would return for most evenings of our next visit to Fort William to try out other dishes.

Written 1 September 2021

Ella Bella B

44 contributions

Delicious food

Sept 2020 • couples

Just came back from a week away in Fort William and this is the second year we have eaten at Browns. We thoroughly enjoyed it last year and this year didn't disappoint. I felt well catered for as a gluten intolerant customer with items clearly labelled on the menu. There were plenty options for me and also for vegetarians. Order the fish pie...its amazing! I will try to recreate it at home! Staff were friendly and welcoming too, even with the regulations etc! Thanks for a lovely meal and relaxing evening out 😁

Written 20 September 2020

Travelguru1007

Saffron Walden127 contributions

Stale atmosphere doesn’t set a good mood.

Jun 2021 • family

Decent menu and food was ok. We was looking forward to the deserts here as they all sounded delicious but we were underwhelmed as the taste was pretty bland. I think the main problem here was how drab the restaurant felt which is weird because the decor and fittings are very modern and tasteful. We decided it was down to the depressing background music and weird holiday camp bell every time the waiters were called to serve a meal. An easy fix but surprised that a restaurant that has clearly spent a lot of money to impress makes errors like this.

Written 17 June 2021

Laura

London9 contributions

Service let’s everything down, feel sorry for the Chef

Jul 2021 • couples

The food was great…that’s where the positivity ends. The service, the atmosphere and the quality of decor was not great and we will not be returning. Regarding the service, I think I speak for a lot of people here but I am fed now of walking into a restaurant and one of the staff shouting from across the room ‘have you got a mask’ whilst miming a mask on their face in front of a packed restaurant. To which I replied ‘I am exempt’ to then be yelled at again by the staff member ‘do you have proof?’ to which I reluctantly pulled out my exemption certificate to show the whole restaurant. That set the tone. Usually when service is bad it’s because of lack of staff, however this place seemed to have a lot staff doing very little or not really knowing what they were supposed to be doing. Younger staff members hanging around not making eye contact even when you’re trying to get their attention. They seemed nervous and uncomfortable and two older staff members doing most of the work albeit with very little pleasure. No one seemed happy to work there. The decor is dated and really really cheap. The tables are too high for the seats. The table area we were given was right by the kitchen, bar, staff service area and very unappealing. Not very intimate for an anniversary meal, they should have just said they were fully booked instead of having this table available. We weren’t keen on staying longer than we needed to because of how uninspiring the whole experience was and we wanted to move onto a nice bar we knew was closing in 45mins. When we tried to ask the waitress for the bill but she waved her hand and told us to wait for 2 seconds. I couldn’t believe it. Then low and behold she forgot. And we had to ask again. 20mins it took to pay the bill! I truly believe this review will make no difference to the service as this restaurant thrives on the fact that this area is a tourist haven and there isn’t a huge array of dining options and so they know they don’t really need to make much effort as passing trade will always be there. So they only need people to go once. The only saving grace is that it’s not expensive. Feel bad for the chef as the food is great Needless to say we won’t be back or recommending.

Written 3 July 2021

holli s

Urchfont6 contributions

A dissapointing visit. Uncooked Lamb.

Apr 2022 • couples

Out for a meal with my partner. The starter was the best part of the meal, scallops with mini fiskcakes and the ham hough terrine were lovely. We both ordered the rack of lamb for our main and when asked, preffered it be cooked medium. When it arrived and we cut in to it it was apparent it was still raw and on inspection was cold to touch. We sent it back and after 15 minutes were brought a fresh plate. We are not particularly picky people, but unfortunately this version was overcooked. The waiter then informed us, that as an apology, we would get a free desert. I ordered the cheese board and my partner the banana tart tatane. Unfortunately again, the banana served on undercooked puff pastry didn't go down well. The cheese board was nice although the chutney was off, had a slimy look to it and tasted like sick I actually told the waiter to check it was in date. Very disappointed, and will not be back which is a shame. We are locals and this was a treat night out for our anniversary. Sorry to report that the best part of the meal was the wine.

Written 9 April 2022

Sazparella

Chesterfield126 contributions

Pretty mediocre

Sept 2021 • couples

My partner & I had dinner in the restaurant last night. We were quickly greeted & shown to our table. The restaurant wasn’t terribly busy & initially service was ok, however the waiting staff became less attentive as the evening went on. The complimentary bread was delicious,& the starters were much enjoyed. We asked for the wine list as our mains were delivered & this was brought to the table, however no one actually returned to the table to take our wine order. The duck skin wasn’t crispy & the pancetta cubes were hard & over cooked making them inedible. The cod skin wasn’t crispy & the samphire was over cooked. The champ was under seasoned. Both mains looked & tasted like they hadn’t been cooked fresh, which is a shame as both dishes were tasty. I had an Irish coffee which was pleasant,& my partner had the cheese board which was also ok. We ended up asking for the bill after being ignored for some time after finishing our meal. I don’t really understand the excellent reviews for Brown’s as we found it rather average. Overall, I wouldn’t recommend.

Written 1 October 2021

GKTravellers

Harrogate1303 contributions

One of our best meals on our 18 night Highland tour

May 2021 • none

We were impressed on arrival with the stylishly furnished modern bistro style restaurant. Covid disciplines were good with tables well spaced and separated by well designed screens. From the varied menu we selected the pan fried fillet of salmon with parmesan crusted potatoes, coconut chutney and lime emulsion (£15.95) and pollo e pancetta with linguine (£14.95). Both were well enjoyed with the pasta dish over flowing with plenty of large pieces of chicken and chunks of pancetta. A fancy apple tart with ice cream finished an excellent meal.

Written 23 May 2021

leeha12017

29 contributions

Good starter but disappointing main

Mar 2020 • couples

Visited on a quiet Sunday night, nice atmosphere and lovely staff. Was very impressed initially with haggis Bon bons. However the main for both of us was quite a let down, ordered slow cooked beef rib - of which there was a lot of fat on display which was slightly off-putting - and also the beef burger which was okay but nothing special. I did appreciate that a member of staff offered to replace my main meal to which I declined. Enjoyed the sticky toffee pudding for dessert. Overall enjoyed starter and dessert but just wasn’t value for money due to the disappointing main meal.

Written 1 April 2020

FlowerofScotland

17 contributions

Outstanding!

Jul 2021 • none

We visited the restaurant on Friday 23 July and despite arriving a little after the official 9.30pm time for ordering food, the staff could not have been any more helpful and accommodating. And when the food arrived it was amazing with just as much effort as if we’d been the first customers of the night and not the last. I ordered the beef rib and it literally melted in my mouth. And the Scottish gin selection was also amazing. We’d been away for 8 nights doing the North Coast 500 and had eaten in a different place every night and Browns was tying in first place with Peets in Lochinver however Browns just snatched an outright win for serving their amazing gin in proper gin glasses! I honestly can’t praise the staff , the excellent service and the great food enough 💙

Written 25 July 2021

RoadtripMommy

163 contributions

Lovely but expensive dinner

Jun 2023 • family

We ate at Browns since we were staying at Nevis Bank Inn. The location of the hotel is a bit of a walk from the town center so we decided to book a dinner reservation at Browns. The food was solid - we ordered linguini, chicken supreme, and another dish I forget. We also got a lovely sticky toffee dessert. Service was fine and my only complaint is that the meal was very expensive for what we ordered. Nearly $25 for a linguini with chicken is a bit much for a dish that is mostly pasta.

Written 2 July 2023

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