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HOTEL REVIEWS


The finer things in life


There comes a time in every foodie’s life when only the best will do, so we sent five pairs of gourmets to sample the top places to stay and enjoy the luxury of fine dining


The Airds Hotel, Port Appin Reviewed by Janine Ferguson and Tony


Scratcher from Haddington After a wild day on the nearby Appin mountains, Airds Hotel was certainly a welcome sight. Despite being muddy, wet and wind-blown, we were met with a very warm welcome. We were shown to our immaculate suite, and provided with a complimentary whisky Mac to warm the cockles. It was nice to relax in luxurious surroundings after our exertions. If we were to find any fault then we felt there were perhaps too many televisions in the suite, which for us actually distracted from the ‘country hotel’ feel. Otherwise, the whole building was smart with a contemporary, yet traditional feel. The owner’s attention to detail was evident everywhere. After drinks and canapes in the relaxed lounge we were looking forward to Airds’ highly-regarded and recommended fine dining experience.


The Caledonian, Edinburgh Reviewed by Trevor and Mandy Brady from Livingston


The ‘Caley’ has recently undergone a massive refurbishment, which I am delighted to say has sensitively retained the character, charm and history of this elegant and ornate building. This is a world of timeless and understated elegance, outstanding service and exquisite dining right in the heart of Edinburgh. The staff at every level were exceptionally courteous and helpful and went out of their way to make our stay as pleasant as possible. Our suite was spacious and tastefully decorated, with everything we could possibly need, including the most luxurious bathrobes, which were heavenly! As a fine dining review, we experienced all the catering the hotel had to offer over the weekend including ‘The Brasserie’ and ‘The Pompadour’ restaurants, their cooked breakfasts and, finally, Sunday afternoon tea in ‘Peacock Alley’. Breakfasts offered plenty of choice to cater for all tastes including continental and full English as you would expect. Both restaurants offer haute cuisine menus with an emphasis on Scottish produce. The Brasserie offers very good value for money in our opinion at this level of cuisine. All of our dishes were delicious, from the vichyssoise and lobster bisque ravioli, to the blackberry soufflés. The Pompadour offers more sumptuous and formal dining including the option of a very helpful sommelier together with a gourmand or ‘taster menu’. This was a 3hr dining experience not to be forgotten. Some in particular were heavenly, including the roast monkfish. Both restaurants excelled on menu choice, flavours, presentation and service and were extremely helpful and accommodating of my husband’s difficult dietary requirements. And last but not least, afternoon tea in the cleverly refurbished former


station platform now known as Peacock Alley, with the delightful Ben at our service. A superb selection of teas are available accompanied by dainty sandwiches, freshly baked scones with jam and clotted cream and a selection of dainty French pastries. The Caledonian with all it’s classic Victorian elegance both inside and out, fine dining and exceptionally courteous and obliging staff is definitely to be recommended if you are looking for a finer hotel or dining experience. DBB from £105 pppn for a min 2 night stay


130 WWW.SCOTTISHFIELD.CO.UK


The dining area overlooked the loch and was just the right size to be convivial and intimate at the same time. The décor was tasteful, with a perfect west coast ambiance. We elected to have the taster menu which proved to be sumptuous and continually surprising in the variety of tastes and textures. The accompanying wines were well considered and matched the food perfectly. We agreed that the hot apricot soufflé was the best pudding we had ever eaten!


The experience of superb quality food was uniquely enhanced by the impeccable front of house service. The staff at Airds have mastered that rare balance of friendliness and formality with great aplomb. This is what sets this hotel apart from other luxury establishments. It is clear that owners Sean and Jenny have invested in their staff and that is evident from the way their customers are treated. DBB from £105 pppn for a min 2 night stay


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