Smithfield Hotel

Had dinner in the restaurant at The Smithfield last night, service and food excellent. I am on a gluten, dairy and egg free diet and my choices were incredible.Very good menu. I had the Skara Brae burger without a bun (my choice) with dairy free cheese, mushroom, onion and bacon. It came with the freshest most delicious salad, beetroot relish, 2 hash browns and chips. Absolutely yummy. The Orkney beef is very good. I thoroughly enjoyed it and ate every bit. My friend had a delicious pasta dish and my Mum a steak, all thoroughly enjoyed. I highly recommend.

Dinner on an autumn Sunday. Lovely setting at sunset. Friendly but slow service - still waiting for our wine while a later-arriving couple was sipping theirs - but to be fair, our server was working two rooms and they were probably understaffed. The wine was excellent. So was my wife’s dinner. I tried langoustines for the first time and was underwhelmed. I’m used to U.S. shrimp, but still. I mentioned the relative tastelessness (and perhaps a bit chewy?) to a server at a seafood-specialty restaurant a week later; she said they’re usually enjoyable and that mine were probably overcooked. So I’d skip those. The rest of dinner was very good.

We had two evening meals and were pleased with the menu. Better than basic pub meals. Some lovely flavours. Very helpful to cater for my vegan wife. Food nice and hot and staff very friendly Only negative was being charge £5 (yes ! ) for a large Lemonade from a syrup hose dispenser. Didn’t taste at all good. The beer was cheaper but I don’t drink. Had water the following night served nice and cold from a nice stoneware bottled.

Highly recommend The Smithfield for an evening meal. Lovely menu and the food was absolutely delicious. The 3 waitresses on duty were all very smart and really nice and friendly a real bonus to the hotel. We will certainly be back.

Lovely hotel. Great food and friendly helpful staff. Comfortable rooms and great, really tasty, locally sourced, food in the restaurant. Good choice for all tastes and good vegetarian options are available. Booking for restaurant is advisable, but not alway necessary.

Whilst holidaying we have been to the restaurant twice (with a third time booked). They have an amazing menu and most of the dishes are gluten free or with a gluten free option; including the desert menu. This is great as a coeliac. The food is delicious. Service is great and the venue itself is lovely. Yvonne waited on us for the first two evenings. She gave us a warm welcome both times, was super helpful and friendly. Would highly recommend.

Stayed here for a few nights in a great location for the main neolithic sites and walks around the cliffs etc as well as Brochs and viking settlements. The hotel is ideally situated no great distance from Kirkwall or Stromness. Rooms were well furnished and staff were cheery and helpful. Food in the restaurant is excellent and while there were some issues for them in opening the bar due to lack of staff (not unusual in these "pandemic" times) as residents we could always get what we wanted to drink. Good variety of large cooked breakfasts on offer

Went here for a funeral 'tea'. Would've been a nice touch for someone to greet the mourners instead of letting us all troop around the building, trying to get in - one door locked, another told by staff was the 'wrong' door, finally allowed in via the bar. The food itself was fine, although plain and nothing fancy - but the soup was fantastic! Little things to consider; this was a meeting after a funeral, the tables would've been better grouped together so that family could talk to each other. A bottle or jug of water on the tables would have been welcome. The crockery etc looked like they had been set by my toddler grandson - no real professionalism involved, plates all over the place! Staff were pleasant and polite, as always; just the thought behind the booking needs addressing.

In the current climate where every restaurant and business and hotel is short staffed and service patchy, the Smithfield Hotel manages to provide absolutely first class service. I cannot praise them highly enough! Our stay was just lovely. Dounby is a lovely wee village about half way between Stromness and Kirkwall and is perfectly placed to visit everywhere on Orkney. The hotel is fabulous. The rooms are well appointed and accessories provided are very high quality. The breakfast is hearty and cooked beautifully to order. We didn't have lunch but dinner in the restaurant was fantastic. Really, really wonderful. We were so impressed, particularly when we could see that, like everywhere else, staffing is an issue. That brings me to the staff. Without exception, they were amazing. Warm, friendly, welcoming and for the young people working there, a great positive attitude. All the staff made our stay there enjoyable. I genuinely would highly recommend the Smithfield and I'd absolutely book again on my next visit to Orkney. Well done Smithfield!!