Restaurant review: Number 27 Bar and Kitchen on Inverness

Going out for dinner on a Sunday night is something I could get very into.

I’ll be honest, by the last day of the week my meal plan was made six days before and the fridge is usually feeling sorry for itself.

Liking the idea of avoiding the mad supermarket dash, I booked my boyfriend Aidan and I in for a meal at Number 27 in Inverness.

We recently moved into the centre of the city and the novelty of this has not yet worn off – we still get excited that we can go out for dinner without one of us having to drive.

Inverness is pretty deserted on a Sunday evening, so we practically skipped through it, ready to see what the restaurant had in store.

Number 27 Bar and Kitchen

Neither Aidan nor I had been to Number 27 before our recent visit, but we had both heard positive reviews.

The restaurant serves up a range of traditional Scottish dishes. It is far bigger than it looks from the outside, stretching back off Castle Street as you walk through the door.

Number 27 is located on Castle Street. Image: Jason Hedges/DC Thomson

We were greeted by a friendly and smiley member of staff who took us to a table at the back of the restaurant, handed us menus and left us to make our choices.

Two members of staff served us throughout the evening, both of whom were kind and attentive without being too much. The communication between them was perfect as they never doubled up on asking us how we were getting on, which can sometimes verge on disruptive.

A mention must also go to whoever was controlling the music while we were in. I would happily download whatever playlist was playing.

We were seated at the back of the restaurant for our meal. Image: Jason Hedges/DC ThomsonWith it being a Sunday, Number 27 was pretty quiet, but there were enough filled tables for there to be a lovely atmosphere that continued throughout the evening.

We were seated not far from a window into the kitchen, which we were big nosy fans of.

The food

Much to my surprise, Aidan joined me in ordering a glass of wine to have with his meal – he is usually more of a cocktail guy.

I went for a large glass of the Zinfandel Rose and he chose a Pinot Noir because he was already set on red meat for his main.

The menu at Number 27 isn’t massive which I actually appreciate, quality over quantity and all that jazz.

As always, Aidan’s eyes went for the starters and mine headed for the mains, him being a fan of three courses and me of two, with dessert always a must.

The haggis, neeps and tatties stack. Image: Jason Hedges/DC Thomson

He opted to start with the haggis, neeps and tatties stack, which was served with honey and whisky sauce.

This arrived beautifully presented, piping hot and very promptly. Aidan said the haggis was full of flavour and the neeps and tatties were nice and smooth.

The star in this dish was that sauce which was the perfect balance of rich, creamy and sweet – I can vouch for this as I may have enjoyed a cheeky fork dip.

I don’t often order salmon in a restaurant because I feel confident making it at home, but I was really fancying it so chose it as my main. It was served pan-fried with chive mashed potato, green beans, roasted tomatoes and a garlic butter sauce.

My pan-fried salmon dish. Image: Jason Hedges/DC Thomson

The salmon was perfectly cooked with a lovely crispy skin, the mash was seasoned well and had a lovely smooth texture and the green beans still had a welcome bite to them.

My only gripe is that, while they were a great addition to the plate, the tomatoes weren’t quite roasted enough for me.

Obviously feeling fancy, Aidan went for an 8oz sirloin steak served with chips, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes and peppercorn sauce.

He ordered his steak rare and felt it was maybe slightly closer to blue, but he thoroughly enjoyed it all the same and said the meat was excellent quality.

The peppercorn sauce was a real hit. Image: Jason Hedges/DC Thomson

The accompaniments married well together and were all well cooked. Once again, the sauce shone with a real peppery punch.

One of the few negatives we both mentioned upon leaving the restaurant was the fact the sauces and condiments were given to us in sachets. This felt a little out of place given the price point and the high quality of everything else at the restaurant.

All the portions at Number 27 were generous and the desserts were no exception.

Strawberry and champagne sorbet. Image: Jason Hedges/DC Thomson

Feeling full, I opted for the strawberry and Champagne sorbet. I was served up two scoops of the former and one of the latter. Both were really delicious, tangy but sweet, and a great way to finish the meal.

Tiramisu is one of Aidan’s favourites and didn’t deliberate on what to have for long.

While the dish was great in its own right, it, unfortunately, lacked much coffee flavour which is of course is a pretty central element. He still enjoyed it and polished it off with no problem.