Food & Drink
Local Cafés and Restaurants
Caithness has some of the best food and drink in Scotland. When you visit a café, bar or restaurant, you’ll find some of our fantastic local larder, whether that’s fish, meat, vegetables, sweet treats or alcohol.
Every good day starts with breakfast, and a full Scottish certainly sets you up for the day! A proper Scottish breakfast should contain black pudding (a blood sausage traditionally made with pork or beef, fat and cereals like oats), haggis (a savoury pudding containing sheep offal, spices and onion), and lorne sausage, along with the traditional items of eggs, bacon, and a tattie (potato) scone. If that is too much for you, you could choose a breakfast roll with one or two of your favourite elements, or a warm bowl of porridge made with salt or sweetened with sugar or honey. It’s truly Scottish when you stir it with a spurtle! Try a local café or cook your own food made with local produce from the Castletown Butchers, in your well equipped Celtic Lodges kitchen.
During the day, the Scots like to enjoy a sweet treat, whether it’s a piece of shortbread, an empire biscuit or a scone with jam. Located only 2 miles further down the NC500 are The Tea Rooms at The Castle of Mey and they serve wonderful cream teas with home made scones.
All year round we flock to enjoy Scottish ice cream in a cone or tub – it doesn’t have to be hot or sunny! There are plenty of bakeries and cafés in Caithness where you can pick up a sweet treat.
In the evening, classic Scottish food and drink is on the menu, including steak pie, macaroni cheese, and fish and chips. Much of the fish served in restaurants across Caithness is locally landed at Scrabster Harbour. Mey Selections beef and lamb are quality meats farmed in the north Highlands, and served up with fresh vegetables. There are several places where you can also enjoy modern European fayre. To accompany your meal, you can try a local ale from John O’Groats Brewery, a G&T from one of our gin distilleries, or savour a post-meal dram from Old Pulteney or Wolfburn Distillery.
Our pick of local cafés and restaurants to enjoy local food and drink are:


Mey Hotel Bar & Restaurant
Traditional bar meals.
Mey: 1 mile
The Mey Hotel, Mey, Thurso, Highlands, Scotland, KW14 8XH


Mey Castle Tearooms
Sandwiches, home made snacks, cream teas and cakes.
Mey: 2 miles
The Castle of Mey, Mey, Thurso, Caithness, Scotland, KW14 8XH


Northern Sands
Traditional bar meals.
Dunnet: 3.3 miles
Northern Sands Hotel, Dunnet, Thurso, Scotland, KW14 8XD


Mr Eddy's Pit Stop
Breakfast, burgers, pizza and other traditional cafe food.
Gills Bay: 3.8 miles
Mr Eddy's Pit Stop, Gauze Cottage, Gills Bay, Canisbay, Wick, Scotland KW14YB


Annie's Bakery and Cafe
Sandwiches, soups, sausage rolls, pies, pastries, salads and cakes.
Upper Gills: 4.1 miles
Annie's Bakery, Bridle Way, Upper Gills, Canisbay, Caithness, Scotland, KW1 4YB


Taj Mahal Indian
Indian, kebabs, burgers and pizza takeaway only.
Castletown: 6.5 miles
Taj Mahal, Main street, Castletown, Thurso, Scotland, KW14 8TQ


Castletown Fish and Chip
Traditional fish and chips takeaway.
Castletown: 6.5 miles
Castletown Chip Shop, MacKay Street, Castletown, Thurso KW14 8UQ


DK Chinese Takeaway
Chinese cuisine.
Castletown: 6.5 miles
DK Chinese, MacKay Street, Castletown, Thurso, Scotland, KW14 8UJ


Castletown Hotel
Traditional bar meals.
Castletown: 6.5 miles
The Castletown Hotel, Main Street, Castletown, Thurso, Scotland, KW14 8TP


Seaview Hotel Restaurant
Traditional bar meals.
John O'Groats: 7.7 miles
Seaview Hotel, County Road, John O'Groats, Caithness, Scotland, KW1 4YR


Cafe Groats
Breakfast, sandwiches, soups, pastries and cakes.
John O'Groats: 8.1 miles
Cafe Groats, John O'Groats, Caithness, Scotland, KW1 4YR


Stacks Deli & Coffee House
Sandwiches, soups, cream teas and cakes.
John O'Groats: 8.1 miles
Stacks Deli & Bakery, Unit 3, The Craft Centre, John O Groats, Scotland, KW1 4YR


Flavours
Most northerly luxury ice cream shop on mainland Britain.
John O'Groats: 8.1 miles
Flavours, Unit 2, The Craft Centre, John O'Groats, Scotland, KW1 4YR


Sinky's Beer Garden & Grill
Steak
Thurso: 8.5 miles
Sinky's Beer Garden & Grill, 2 Lochend Holding, Thurso, Scotland, KW14 8TA


Cafe Cardosi
Sandwiches, soups, other hot food and cakes.
Thurso: 11.8 miles
Caffe Cardosi, 1 Traill Street, Thurso, Scotland, KW14 8EJ


Red Pepper Restaurant
Fresh local seafood & steaks, Scottish and vegetarian dishes.
Thurso: 11.8 miles
Red Pepper Restaurant, The Holborn Hotel, 16 Princes Street, Thurso, KW14 7BQ


The YNot
An all-day place for traditional bar food.
Thurso: 11.5 miles
The YNot, Meadow Lane, Thurso, Scotland, KW14 8ER


Olive
Sandwiches, soups, hot food and pastries.
Thurso: 11.6 miles
Olive, 1-3 Brabster Street, Thurso, Highlands, Scotland, KW14 7AP


Park Hotel Restaurant
Traditional bar meals.
Thurso: 11.6 miles
The Park Hotel, Oldfield Court, Thurso, Scotland, KW14 8RE


Pentland Hotel Restaurant
Traditional bar meals.
Thurso: 11.7 miles
Pentland Hotel, Princes Street, Thurso, Scotland, KW14 7AA


Bydand Restaurant
Traditional restaurant meals.
Thurso: 11.8 miles
Bydand Restaurant, 2 Traill Street, Thurso, KW14 8EJ


Spice Tandoori
Indian restaurant and takeaway.
Thurso: 11.9 miles
Spice Tandoori, 18 Princes Street, Thurso, Scotland, KW14 7BQ


Blue Door Diner
Burgers, original ice cream milkshakes and more.
Scrabster: 12.2 miles
Thurso Bay Caravan & Camping Park, Smith Terrace, Scrabster, Thurso KW14 7JY


The Weigh Inn
Breakfast, light lunch, sandwiches and pizzas.
Scrabster: 12.5 miles
The Weigh Inn, Scrabster, Thurso, Highlands, Scotland, KW14 7UG


Capilla Tapas Restaurant
Small Spanish Tapas Bar in the port of Scrabster.
Scrabster: 13.7 miles
Capilla Tapas Restaurant, Scrabster, Thurso, Highlands, Scotland, KW14 7UJ


The Captains Gallery
Seafood restaurant.
Scrabster: 13.8 miles
The Captains Gallery, The Harbour, Scrabster, Caithness, Scotland, KW14 7JU


No.1 Bistro
Traditional bistro menu.
Wick: 19.4 miles
No.1 Bistro, Mackays Hotel, Union Street, Wick, Scotland, KW1 5ED