Ardeonaig Hotel, Loch Tay

[bakerestates]

http://www.ardeonaighotel.co.uk

Have returned from a four night stay at the Ardeonaig Hotel on the banks of Loch Tay in Scotland. I recommend it as somewhere to stay or have lunch/dinner at if in the area or want somewhere to escape for a couple of nights. Beautiful seeting. Really comfortable hotel/inn especially the public areas downstairs. Our rooms were a little basic - no TV, phones etc, small bathrooms, dribble of water for showers. Immaculate upkeep, friendly and well drilled staff. Their maitre d, 28 year old Craig, was a wealth of knowledge on wine (all South African) and whiskey.

On the food front, a surpsingly large menu (10 starters, 10 mains, 6 puddings) for the number of rooms and potential guests for that time of year (no more than 20 people when we were there, up to 28). On the whole it was thoughtful, well sourced and respectfully cooked. The fish dishes were much better than meat except for one night. The fish dishes generally had more components with them than the meat and baby vegetables with rack of lamb turned out to be baby beetroot and cherry vine tomatoes!

Out of two 'slabs of beef (rib)', fillet of beef, two racks of lamb - one slab was sent back as well done when requested pink, the replacment was borderline and excessivly fatty/grisley, the end piece I think. The medium rare fillet of beef was very rare (but delicious) and the pink racks of lamb were grey and just pink in the middle. We did wonder whether our requests had made it back to the kitchen. The flavour of the meat was deep, complex and correct.

5 minutes into the second rib of beef Pete (owner chef) popped out to apologise which was a really nice touch. Intrequguingly though, when he had finished cooking and did his rounds of the five other tables, he did not visit ours. Nor did we see him for the other three nights which given our sampling of their excellent wine list and clear interest in his food, was bemusing.

The one night he cooked from a set menu, each course was excellent and the weight of the menu perfect. It was

Crab salad formed into a cake with a seared fillet of red mullet

Hake with a tiny soft boiled egg, grain mustard and leek broth

Loin & kidney of hare, pigeon breats, (the hare loin was brilliant)

Local new season raspberries with a chocolate fondant

Cheese - we had this plate each night and had about 7 different ones each time with delicious truffle infused honey, pickled fruits and heather honey which were amazing with the blue and soft talleggio stlye ones.

Of the wines we had, there was not one dissapointment - except for a Graham Beck Pinotage which was more about my inherent dislike of pinotage. A lot of the wines are shipped direct from the growers and are unavailable in the UK. Craig also found us a couple of older vintages of wines not on the list. On the whiskey front the standout was the Dewer's Rattrey.