Worthy restaurants in Scotland

[pierre45]

i am planning a 11 day tour of scotland.

3 days in edinburgh

2 days in inverness

2 days on skye isle

2 days in oban

2 days in glasgow

i am looking for restaurants ,where the chef uses good quality ingredients in preparing dishes that are very tasty and scottish inspired. cost up to $50 a person

appreciate any suggestions and help.

[Suzi Edwards]

Everything you ever wanted to know about Edinburgh food

is a great place to start. edinburgh is known as a food town and you won't struggle to eat well there.

i don't remember threads about the other places you mention, but you can try searching and seeing if i have missed anything.

there's also a recent thread about edinburgh purveyors of fine food which was pretty interesting.

hope this helps.

[spanky]

When you're on Skye, get yourself if you can to the the Three Chimneys. It's still on my to-do list (although given your $50 dollar threshold, lunch might be more of an option than dinner).

I haven't eaten in any restaurants in Oban, but for a quick snack there's a great seafood stand on the walk to the ferry that does the best freshly cooked scallops in garlic and prawn sandwiches I've ever tasted. Friends tell me that the Waterfront Restaurant is very good, but as I say I haven't eaten there myself.

Have a great trip!

Spanky

[Duncan]

2 days in inverness

We were near Inverness for a week last summer.

Try the Rocpool (1 Ness Walk) in Inverness. It's definitely a cut above the other restaurants in the area. If you can, go on a Friday evening as they have a special seafood menu on that evening in addition to their usual menu. It was probably the only restaurant we visited in the area which did not have haggis anywhere on the menu.

The other place I would recommend, although it might push your budget too far, is

Boath House at Auldearn a few miles east of Inverness. It is much more traditional Scottish country house hotel style, but at a higher level than most such establishments.

[Amuse Bouche]

When we were staying (near, not in) Inverness, we had a great meal on the Black Isle in Fortrose -- there's only one major inn in Fortrose, which is a tiny town, and it's owned by an American, but we had a delicious meal -- I remember venison with blackberries? I think it was called the Royal Hotel, but looking it up on the web it's now the Anderson. www.fortrosehotel.co.uk Not the Plough Inn, the other one. I'm trying to figure out where we ate on Skye -- I think we had one meal in the bar of the Eilean Iarmain hotel which was OK, but not great, and one meal in our hotel, Viewfield House, which was lovely, but they only serve to guests I believe. I know another hotel on Skye is owned by Lady Claire Macdonald -- Kinloch Lodge, and she has several cookbooks out -- the food is supposed to be quite good.

In Edinburgh, we enjoyed Stac Polly a great deal, but we focused on what I believe is their strength -- game dishes. I think we had duck and venison. We went to the location on Dublin Street.

The Witchery, which is mentioned in the other thread, is expensive, but the atmosphere is lovely and they have a light lunch for L10 for two courses, which is a nice thing to do.

Taste of Scotland is a great resource.

[rlibkind]

When we were staying (near, not in) Inverness, we had a great meal on the Black Isle in Fortrose -- there's only one major inn in Fortrose, which is a tiny town, and it's owned by an American, but we had a delicious meal -- I remember venison with blackberries?  I think it was called the Royal Hotel, but looking it up on the web it's now the Anderson.  www.fortrosehotel.co.uk

The website for The Anderson is http://www.theanderson.co.uk.

I just returned home to Philadelphia this afternoon from a 16-day jaunt through various portions of Scotland, including Edinburgh, Ayrshire, Royal Deeside, the Applecross peninsula and Glasgow. Full report to follow once I recover, but I enthusiastically endorse the recommendation for The Anderson in Fortrose, where we stopped en route from Ballater to Loch Torridon. Jim Anderson is the American (as it turns out a formerly Philadelphian who lived in my neighborhood, though I did not know him then) whose passions include beer. That said, The Anderson has a selective collection of whisky worth investigating. More later.

[rlibkind]

As promised (or threatened) here's a full report on dining and eating during my recent holiday in Scotland.

Being of a parsimonious disposition, we spent our first week in Scotland in an Edinburgh self-catering flat, obtained a mere week before our departure from Philadelphia at a “late break” price because our previously-arranged Gayfield Street flat became unavailable due to the landlady’s incompetence. Instead, our Morningside flat, with a decently outfitted kitchen, was marvelously situated around the corner from a branch of cheesemonger I.J. Mellis (thank you, Spanky), and we took full advantage of the stinky offerings. I particularly enjoyed a raw milk cheddar from Mull. I also journeyed via bus to Stockbridge to visit, at Adam Baltic’s recommendation, George Bowers for meat (house smoked bacon) and Armstrong’s for fish. (It is strictly coincidental that fire destroyed Armstrongs a mere five hours after my purchase of a kipper; the fire certainly had nothing to do the fact that when I unwrapped the fish two days later I found not a kippered herring but a rather odoriferous “fresh” herring. Must have been my unintelligible Philly accent that caused the fish switch.)

One of our objectives in leasing a flat is to cope with the high price of eating out in the U.K. The old saw holds true: If you would pay $30 for a meal in the U.S., expect to pay £30 in the U.K. for a similar meal. At today’s exchange rate, that means dinner in the U.K. is nearly twice the price of what it would be in the U.S. One more reason why we ate spaghetti in the flat twice during our week in Edinburgh.

Our most enjoyable meal in an Edinburgh restaurant was at Fishers Bistro in Leith. I opted for the cold seafood platter, overflowing with prawns, smoked salmon, crabmeat, herring, anchovies and many other good things to eat (including a Loch Fyne oyster), while She Who Must Be Obeyed enjoyed a nicely prepared piece of halibut with a fruit accented sauce. With two starters, two glasses of wine and two puddings, the tab came to £48 before gratuity. (All prices cited below are without tip.)

Another worthwhile stop was Plaisir du Chocolate. Forgettable pre-made sandwiches, memorable chocolate cakes. I thought the chestnut accented one was a nice change from what we see in the States.

While touring we stopped at a few pubs for less expensive meals, some passable, others best passed by. The surer bets appear to be cafes at cultural institutions. We thought highly of the sandwiches and soups at the National Portrait Gallery. Good eats also could be had at the Edinburgh Botanical Gardens.

After our week in Edinburgh we took a leisurely and highly indirect route to Royal Deeside by-way-of the Fife coast, stopping for lunch at The Waterfront Café in Anstruther. For £14 we enjoyed very decent haddock and chips along with non-alcoholic beverages.

In Ballater that evening we dined at the Rowan Tree. I went for a starter (chopped salad) and the lamb cutlets, a nice portion and suitably lamb-y. She Who Must Be Obeyed did the gammon steak with egg. Certainly no great culinary event, but a decent meal for weary travelers, fairly priced (£27 with one cocktail, one wine, and two puddings).

The next day, tired from our exertions, I dined at our hotel’s restaurant while SWMBO dined on her portable chocolate supply. The restaurant at the Monaltrie Hotel offered a Thai menu, so I tried it. It was filling. Enough said.

After two nights in Ballater, it was onward to Kenmore on the Applecross peninsula. But first, lunch in Fortrose, a short detour from the direct route, but well worth it. Let me explain.

Prior to our departure from Philadelphia I visited my local pharmacist (chemist) to stock up on needed supplies, including prescription medicines. When I told Walter I needed more than a two weeks’ supply because we would be traveling in Scotland, he abruptly went into his back office and returned with a business card for a restaurant called The Anderson in Fortrose. It seems the town’s hotel was acquired a little more than a year ago by a fellow Philadelphian, indeed, a fellow who lived in my immediate neighborhood, Jim Anderson, although I did not know him. I did know of him, however, because he had published a newsletter, Beer Philadelphia, all about (can you guess?) beer in Philadelphia. So, I e-mailed Jim and made reservations for lunch on the day of our Ballater-to-Kenmore journey. (His restaurant only opens for lunch upon advance request.)

We arrived with Jim’s favorite brand of razor blade (Gem single-edge, unavailable in the U.K., supplied by Walter) and he returned the favor with a most delicious lunch. SWMBO ordered a perfectly done Highland beef sirloin. After a starter of Arbroath Smokie I selected boneless French chicken stuffed with skirlie (an oat and onion concoction and quite savory). Since I had a few more hours of driving ahead of me, much of it on single-track lanes, I limited myself to a half-pint of Celis White, while SWMBO indulged in a soft drink. We shared an excellent and dense chocolate cake. Tab: £60.

Jim sent us off with two bottles of Grimbergen Blonde, a nicely rounded abbey brew that made a refreshing accompaniment for dinner that evening at our B&B, Tigh a' Chracaich, in Kenmore: a cold seafood plate filled with five or six langoustine prawns, both cold and hot smoked salmon, crabmeat and prawns in marie rose sauce, accompanied by salad, hard cooked eggs and hot potatoes. Mrs. MacIver (whose husband’s creel caught the langoustines) added less than £30 to our tariff for the meal.

Our next night on the beautiful Applecross peninsula we dined at the highly recommended Tigh an Eilean Hotel in Sheildaig on Loch Torridon. At a prix fixe of £35 for three courses we expected an exquisite meal. We were mildly disappointed. The ingredients were top flight, the food well prepared, but lacking the extra dimension needed to make a memorable meal. Certainly the surroundings were enjoyable: a pleasantly blue accented dining room looking out on the loch. And the amuse bouche duo of venison salami and herring seemed to be a good omen. My starter of mushroom almond soup hinted of Spain and also promised better things. We both ordered the filet steak, which came in huge portions, though SWMBO thought it inferior to The Anderson’s. Predictably, SWMBO ordered the profiterole with chocolate sauce (declaring it a success) while I went for the refreshing rhubarb fool. Two glasses of syrah increased our tab to £77 (my Tokaj pudding wine arrived gratis because it was not delivered with the pudding). A good meal, but not, IMHO, worth the price.

The next evening, at The Potting Shed Café in the Walled Garden in Applecross, was more to our liking and budget. SWMBO skipped the starter, but I devoured my confit duck leg: duck butter! SWMBO had a hankering for venison and was highly satisfied by the chef’s casserole mounted upon a colcannon utilizing red cabbage, mustard and apples, the plate topped with deep fried threads of celeriac. My pork filet rested upon a more traditional colcannon (savoy cabbage rather than red); an apple and blue cheese sauce topped the meat. For pudding, SWMBO once again decided to try the profiterole with chocolate sauce (strictly for the advancement of science) and pronounced it perfect; had she not been so full she would have replicated the experiment, as any true scientist would. My butterscotched banana chunks baked in a phyllo-like pastry and adorned with honeyed, herbed nuts was a quintessential adult pudding. With a bottle of Tempranillo our tab came to £52. We considered it the best value meal of our Scottish holiday. The chef at The Potting Shed made his mark at the Applecross Inn and is now out on his own. The restaurant's setting, in a glassed-in potting shed in a historic walled garden, was delightful. Only eight tables, and it is only open for dinner Thursday, Friday and Saturday, so booking is essential. Light lunches are served most days.

We finished our trip with a couple of days in Glasgow. Other than the obligatory tourist stop at the Willow Tea Rooms, our only meal of note was a visit to The Ubiquitous Chip, where (keeping in mind my parsimonious nature) we dined downstairs on the upstairs menu. SWMBO loved the butternut squash soup with red bell pepper; sweet vegetables are her thing. I equally enjoyed the razor clam farcis; although we have razor clams in the States, I have never seen them on a menu, at least on the East Coast. Mains were a smallish chicken breast in turnip cream sauce with veggie haggis for her, and Perthshire pork belly (very yummy, incredibly rich and piggy) over clapshot (mashed tatties and swedes, a.k.a. rutabaga) and greens for me. I found the greens added a welcome tactile snap to the potato and turnip mash. The potent Addlestone's cloudy cider was a perfect quaff for the pork. She skipped pudding but I went for a piece of cheddar and followed that up by introducing myself to the wonders of whisky. Never having had it before I dove straight in, forsaking the softer stuff for an Islay malt: Caol Ila. I could get used to this stuff! Our tab for the evening (after I asked for a correction to the addition, in which we were charged erroneously for four starters and four mains) was £40, and our venture into the Upstairs menu provided good value. In retrospect, it appears our money would have been better spent on the downstairs menu here than at the similarly-priced hotel dining room in Sheildaig.

I’ve limited my discussion here, naturally, to some of the vittles encountered during our 16 days in Scotland. What I have not done justice to is the beauty of the countryside and the friendliness of nearly everyone we met (few dour Scots crossed our paths). My only regret is that I did not eat more lamb!

[spanky]

Glad you enjoyed your Scottish excursion, rlibkind! From your description of your Morningside location, I've a sneaking suspicion that you stayed in the same street that I live on! Spooky, huh?

Cheers,

Spanks

[rlibkind]

Our flat was in Millar Crescent. Tres convenient.

[spanky]

Indeed--the very one! It's a small e-Gullet world! And I'm off to Mellis's in a mo to stock up on some cheese for a family dinner tonight. Now shall it be the 18-months Keens cheddar or...?

[rlibkind]

Small world, indeed.

The sweet Italian sausage at IJM makes a perfect addition to a red pasta sauce when removed from casing, crumbled into tinned tomatoes, scented with lightly sauteed garlic and tempered with some milk. Hardly a slowly simmered Bolognese, but tasty nonetheless.

A neighborhood haunt we were tempted to try but did not was The Canning Man. After reading a review in The Scotsman a few days after we left Edinburgh, I'm glad we did not, even though we like Danish-style sandwiches. Much too stuffy sounding.

Anyone been there?

[dellis453]

I'd suggest looking through this guide

http://www.list.co.uk/ead/fr1.htm

The List review most of the restaurants in Edinburgh and Glasgow with a few outside town. The reviewers are not identified until after they have had their meal - so you get an honest opinion. It is the local's bible for good food.

I'd suggest the set menu at the Atrium; Palourde for excellent fish, Sweet Melinda's for fish (if you are there on a Tuesday, you pay what you think the meal is worth); Circus Cafe for great salads; Always Sunday cafe for a great lunch ...

For outside the city, get yourself a copy of Scotland the Best by Peter Irvine. This also featured hotels, places to visit, etc.

Hope this helps!

Danielle

www.discoverthetaste.com

[spanky]

A neighborhood haunt we were tempted to try but did not was The Canning Man.

Don't get me started on this subject.

They might have a bajillion malt whiskies clinging to their nicotine-slathered walls and they might not have changed the dust and stour for 150 years ("ambience", don't you know), but breadth of choice and quirky decor can't quite make up for the owners' obscenely arrogant attitude to customers they don't know and their fawning over the gouty old trouts who've been pickling themselves at the bar for the past century or two. They take inordinate pleasure in making you feel as if they're doing you a favour serving you and take even more pleasure in throwing you out if they don't like the looks of you. Oh, and you have to ask for the key to the toilet cubicle. Personally, I wouldn't shed a tear if some act of God levelled the place.

Okay. Rant over. Not a bad (but hugely overpriced) "smorrebrod" lunch, if you like that sort of thing.

Cheers all

Spanks

[Suzi Edwards]

what's a smorrebrod lunch? is this a terrible gap in my knowledge?

[rlibkind]

what's a smorrebrod lunch? is this a terrible gap in my knowledge?

"Smørrebrød" are Danish open-faced sandwiches, which come in a seemingly endless variety. To give you some idea, here is a list of some of those available at Ida Davidsen, the classic Smørrebrød restaurant in Copehnhagen.

Smørrebrød is not to be confused with Smøgasbørd, which would be a buffet table laden with many of the same ingredients that make up the sandwiches. For the latter, you could visit Lundum's in Old Brompton Road in London on a Sunday afternoon.

Edited June 7, 2004 by rlibkind (log)

[spanky]

Certainly The Canny Man's boasts a menu with about a hundred choices of topping--including Georgian dust bunny, old fag fug and floor-dried catarrh. Darn it, I told myself I wouldn't get ranty again today!

[culinary bear]

Oh god - Morningside's finest, the Canny Man.

avoid at all costs.

I've had the degustation menu at Restaurant Martin Wishart, and it was solid, technically flawless cooking... Worth the Michelin star, as is Number One at the Balmoral (Jeff Bland being Edinburgh's other stellated chef). Interestingly, Martin used to head up the Brasserie kitchen at the Balmoral and Jeff was the Exec chef when I worked there.

Duck's at le Marche Noir is reasonable, though can have off days.

The Atrium is still a pretty decent place to go, and James Thomson's clutch of three restauraunts (Witchery, Tower and Rhubarb) are of a fair standard.

Rhubarb's head chef is Kenny Coltman, who used to be Number One's sous chef; anyone would think there was a Balmoral conspiracy going on :)

[curlywurlyfi]

if you have time, go to Braidwoods in Dalry (about one hour south of Glasgow).

here is a link to a review in this month's Waitrose magazine

Braidwoods

I still think about the quail stuffed with black pudding I had for my birthday here.

Fi

[spanky]

I'd third Dellis453 and Culinary Bear's recommendation of the Atrium--not least because I'm getting married and having my reception there in October! Good food, good wine list, very friendly service--although it has to be said that the toilets are on the tiny side and the decor needs to get out of the early 90s. The upstairs bar/cafe Blue, which is owned by the same people, is also pretty good and less expensive (and that's where the night do's going to be).

Cheers all

Spanks

[anderjim]

When we were staying (near, not in) Inverness, we had a great meal on the Black Isle in Fortrose -- there's only one major inn in Fortrose, which is a tiny town, and it's owned by an American, but we had a delicious meal -- I remember venison with blackberries?  I think it was called the Royal Hotel, but looking it up on the web it's now the Anderson.  www.fortrosehotel.co.uk

The website for The Anderson is http://www.theanderson.co.uk.

I just returned home to Philadelphia this afternoon from a 16-day jaunt through various portions of Scotland, including Edinburgh, Ayrshire, Royal Deeside, the Applecross peninsula and Glasgow. Full report to follow once I recover, but I enthusiastically endorse the recommendation for The Anderson in Fortrose, where we stopped en route from Ballater to Loch Torridon. Jim Anderson is the American (as it turns out a formerly Philadelphian who lived in my neighborhood, though I did not know him then) whose passions include beer. That said, The Anderson has a selective collection of whisky worth investigating. More later.

Thanks, lribkin & Amuse Bouche, for your hearty responses to our restaurant. May those meals be the worst you ever have with us! Hey -- what do you mean, "it's owned by an American, but we had a delicious meal"? {:-0

[Suzi Edwards]

hey there! thank you for posting...you realise you'll be innudated with egulleteers banging on the door and demanding stuff. just ask basildog.

[Amuse Bouche]

"it's owned by an American, but we had a delicious meal"?

When I travel (and I assume it's the same for most people on this board), I tend to search out authentic local food. If in Scotland, I want to eat the best Scottish food I can find -- local ingredients, local preparations. I'm not about to travel 5000 miles to eat cut rate New York deli food! However, despite the fact that the owner of the Anderson (you) is not a local, native Scot, you are in fact (gasp) an American, you did not go to Scotland to open a cut rate Philly Cheese Steak stand. You (thank you) are serving excellent local produce and local preparations.

That's all I meant!

[Suzi Edwards]

Nice review of a place called Sangsters in Fife here

[pkeibel]

On your way from Glasgow to Oban stop at Loch Fyne oysters for the freshest and tastiest seafodd. http://www.lochfyne.com/. A worthwhile lunch stop plus the drive throught he Argyll Forest is more than worth it.

[Winot]

Does anyone know a good placec to stop between Glasgow and Dumfries (actually Kirkcudbright)? We're going to a wedding there in a couple of weeks' time and the B&B owner said that if we got to Kirkcudbright after 8.30pm there wouldn't be anywhere to get dinner