Shetlands Nightlife, Food and Drink

The Shetland Islands offer some great evenings out, with generous and friendly local hospitality.

Food and drink

Being well known for fresh seafood, fish, lamb and hardy fresh vegetables, the Shetland Islands’ restaurants do know how to look after their visitors. For lunch, why not try roast lamb on a bread bannock, washed down with some local Valhalla Ale, and a bowl of fresh potato soup?

Or, for dining out in the evening, try the SaxaVord’s Restaurant and Lounge Bar on Unst – the UK’s most Northerly restaurant. Award winning for their dining out experiences, use of fresh local products and their partnership with local market gardens, they have a wonderful array of dishes on offer. The lounge bar’s live and traditional music lend it a special atmosphere.

Monty’s Bistro and Bar in Lerwick is cosy, welcoming, friendly and uses seasonal fresh and local produce to bring you a delicious menu – for example, try Terrine of Highland Pheasant, Duck and pistachio nuts, served with their savoury rhubarb chutney – fantastic!

Shows

A surprising number of events take place throughout Shetland – music, drama, literature, comedy shows and more. Have a look at the Shetland Box Office link to find and book events all over Shetland’s various venues. At the time of writing, advertised events include: showings of some big name Hollywood movies at Mareel, a Martin Simpson concert (English folk performer – acoustic and slide guitar), an annual performance in Shetland dialect, and various amateur events, including a performance of CATS. A good cross section of performance events!

Pubs and clubs

Try the Lounge Bar on Lerwick for a relaxed lively atmosphere, live music and good beer. Similarly, pop in for a beer at Captain Flints, one of the liveliest locations in Lerwick… And if even that’s not lively enough, do try Powers at Lerwick’s Grand Hotel – the Shetlands’ only nightclub!

Throughout the Shetlands are a good number of comfortable, homely pubs, many of which offer live, traditional music, home cooked food and a pleasant, relaxing atmosphere.