CASTLEHILL You will eat well here. A starter of Kirriemuir
wood pigeon on a bed of barley and studded with nuggets of feta and bacon was a pocket battleship kind of dish: pungent and earthy and punching well above its weight. So much so, in fact, that it would have made a fine main course. Meanwhile, monkfish cheeks served with celeriac, pomegranate and a hazelnut dressing showed the kitchen’s lighter
touch:
plump cushions of pan-fried fish balanced by the sweetness of the fruit and the nuttiness of the dressing. I thought my slow-cooked lamb shoul-
der, served with a slice of liver, wild garlic, little gem lettuce
and garden peas, was
uncomfortably dry and sadly under-sauced. I regretted not selecting an assiette of pork featuring loin, belly, cheek, crackling and black pudding. Better, on the other side of the table, was a mighty slab of Shetland plaice accompanied by a shellfish gremolata, cucumber and quinoa. Again, the competing flavours were balanced splendidly and the fish perfectly cooked. Puddings were, if anything, even better.
A thick slice of chocolate pave was leavened by pistachio ice cream and partnered with candied nuts and popcorn. It is a fashion- able mixture of ingredients but, when done as well as it is here, none the worse for that. Even better, however, was a vacherin mousse served with lemon meringue and stripes of soft, sweet rhubarb. This triumphant combi- nation offered more evidence that
this is a
kitchen as happy with subtle elegance as it is with letting off fireworks. Not everything is perfect. An intra-course
veloute of carrot was over-seasoned and under-carroted, for instance. Similarly a pre-pudding citrus panna cotta lacked much in the way of a discernible citrus flavour. But these are minor details and small quibbles that should not detract from a much more signifi- cant success. Remarkably, all this was available at £34
FIELD FACTS
PRICE £34 a head for a three course dinner
RATING
Castlehill Restaurant, 22 Exchange Street, Dundee. Tel: 01382 220008
www.castlehill
restaurant.co.uk
a head for three courses plus a trio of intra- course entertainments. Wines from a sensibly short list were well-chosen and just as attrac- tively priced. If dinner is a bargain at that price, a three-
course lunch for £15.95 might, on the evidence available, be the best-value meal in Scotland. Service, led by owner Paul McMillan, who oversees the front of house operation, is atten- tive but not intrusive. Castlehill’s debut is already impressive but
what really excites is Newth’s potential. As first gallops go, this is a good one but you will – I assure you – look forward to returning to discover what happens next.
ONDINE, EDINBURGH Ondine stands out head and shoulders. You can tell that Roy Brett has a background in the West End of London – it has shades of Le Caprice. The service is very good,
even when you’re eating on your own at the bar, which is a skill. 0131 226 1888;
www.ondinerestaurant.co.uk
BOATHOUSE, KINGAIRLOCH ESTATE, ARDGOUR, FORT WILLIAM It’s a nice restaurant overlooking the loch that doesn’t try to be anything it’s not. You get good, fresh seafood cooked by Roger McKie and good wine, along with
excellent venison from the local estate. There should be more places like this in Scotland. 01967 411232;
www.kingairloch.co.uk
BALCARY BAY COUNTRY HOUSE, AUCHENCAIRN, CASTLE DOUGLAS The best Sunday lunch in Dumfries & Galloway. Traditional, good, real roast beef every Sunday for £25. 01556 640217;
www.balcary-bay-hotel.co.uk
NO 29, ROTHESAY, ISLE OF BUTE Jonathan and Lauren have created a really interesting restaurant on Bute. This is a little oasis of modern, intelligent, thoughtful, carefully-presented food. Plus you
can bring your own wine. It’s contemporary and good. 01700 500685;
www.no29bute.co.uk
BLACKADDIE COUNTRY HOUSE HOTEL, SANQUHAR, DUMFRIESSHIRE Ian MacAndrew cooks very well. He does Michelin-style food (in a former life he held a Michelin star) and the last time we went there we had a really good sautéed canon
of lamb. It’s the kind of food that has a lot of complexity and requires a lot of time and effort. 01659 50270;
www.blackaddiehotel.co.uk
YOURSAY
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF ANGUS’S CHOICES? LET US KNOW AT
WWW.SCOTTISHFIELD.CO.UK
WWW.SCOTTISHFIELD.CO.UK 165
CHEF’SCHOICE Six favourite restaurants of Angus Fordyce, chef and owner at Cavens Country House Hotel in Dumfries
DEL AMITRI, ANNAN Martin Avey is a very talented cook. It’s innovative food for Dumfries & Galloway. I went recently and had his house pâté, a ham hock terrine, which was very good. I also enjoyed
his loin of venison with a cottage pie of venison mince and dauphinoise-style leek and garlic. 01461 201999;
www.del-amitri.co.uk
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