KILFINAN HOTEL, ARGYLL After that, I was glad of a seat in the cosy
wood-panelled bar at the back of the hotel and a chance to gaze at the sunset over a glass of French red. While we changed upstairs for dinner, the staff sweetly set up a table for two in front of the log fire to save us from sitting in the otherwise empty dining room (the only other guest was out for dinner). I liked that they weren’t fazed by being quiet: they’d been busy the week before, and were expecting more guests the following day. From across the water at Tarbert came my
starter of four langoustines (£8.95), halved and grilled with butter, and so large and meaty they filled a big dinner plate. I loved the simplicity and the clean, sweet flavours (any garlic, happily, had been very subtly added to the butter), but most of all I loved the sheer self-confidence of this ultra-Scottish dish. Partner’s dish of king scallops (£8.50) was just as substantial. Four meaty molluscs, lightly pan-fried with crispy bacon strips, nestled in two shells and were dressed with oven-dried sage leaves – a nice balance of complementary flavours. Partner opted for an organic ribeye steak
from the nearby Isle of Bute (£17.95). Again, this was so large as to fill the plate and was cooked beautifully medium-rare as requested. Wisely, the chef had not attempted to squeeze anything else on to the plate to detract from it. Instead, it was accompanied by a little dish of roasted cherry tomatoes plucked just an hour before from the glasshouse in the garden, another with pan-fried mushrooms, and a helping of fat home-cooked chips which, sadly, didn’t look or taste as if they’d just been made. Much as I love a steak, I was glad I went for
the grilled cod (£13.50) – a massive beast, again confidently cooked with Bearnaise butter, and served atop smashed garden potatoes with a side serving of newly harvested French beans from the garden. This was grown-up, no-fuss food that seemed to bask in its local seasonality without feeling the need to shout about it. I wasn’t so enamoured with the St Clements
FIELD FACTS
PRICE Dinner for two, without wine: £60.65 RATING
Kilfinan Hotel, Kilfinan by Tighnabruaich, Argyll PA21 2EP Tel: 01700 821201
www.kilfinan.com
Cate Devine is food writer at The Herald
steamed pudding (£5.50), though. It didn’t look homemade and tasted very sweet and cloying, its lemon flavour overwhelming the orange, if it was there at all. The cheeseboard (£6.25) comprised two blues, a brie and a cheddar, oatcakes and lots of grapes. That said, this was an excellent meal of
great provenance, where everything was made to order and as fresh and local as it could be. It was made all the more memorable for its unexpected tranquility and intimacy. To pro- long the sense of wellbeing, we decided to drive on to Colintraive, take the ferry over to Bute and down to Rothesay and across to Wemyss Bay by CalMac. Certainly worth the detour.
EDITOR’SCHOICE Restaurants featuring a ‘Kil’ prefix
ARDEONAIG, KILLIN, LOCH TAY South African Pete Gottgens made Ardeonaig one of the country’s top restaurants, and reports suggest that progress has been maintained now that it’s
become the flagship of the Adamo group. If so, this Loch Tay restaurant will be well worth a visit. 01567 820400;
www.ardeonaighotel.co.uk
KILLIECRANKIE HOUSE HOTEL, PITLOCHRY
Traditional and beloved of friends who live nearby, the hotel has two AA rosettes and a Cesar. Head Chef Mark Easton was deservedly last year’s Real and
Local Food Chef of the Year. Expect a classic country house hotel menu and a good wine list. 01796 473220;
www.killiecrankiehotel.co.uk
KILDRUMMY INN, ALFORD, GRAMPIAN Few restaurants make more of an effort to source locally than the hugely popular Kildrummy Inn, which is a great base from which to explore the Grampians.
The surprisingly extensive menu is excellent value, and the portions commendably man-sized. 01975 571227;
www.kildrummyinn.co.uk
LOCH MELFORT HOTEL, KILMELFORD, ARGYLL
The hotel’s two-rosette Asknish Bay Restaurant certainly has spectacular sea views, but you pay an eye-watering bounty for them. Still, the table d’hote price
is just about bearable and the food is excellent. 01852 200233;
www.lochmelfort.co.uk
OLD MILL, KILLEARN, STIRLINGSHIRE This is an antidote to the fine dining options: a good value, characterful local pub that welcomes walkers and which serves no-nonsense pub grub at
prices that virtually everyone can afford. 01360 550068;
www.old-mill-killearn.co.uk
KILBERRY INN, KINTYRE The Scottish Restaurant of the Year in 2009, Clare Johnson and David Wilson’s remote rural restaurant remains small but perfectly formed with a cult
following for joyously confident fine dining. 01880 770223;
www.kilberryinn.com
YOURSAY
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WWW.SCOTTISHFIELD.CO.UK
WWW.SCOTTISHFIELD.CO.UK 129
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