When some travelers think of dining in Scotland, they tend to oversimplify. Their minds go straight to the stereotypes: haggis, meat pies, and perhaps a lamb shank. Though these are all certainly present around the country, the restaurants of Scotland have come a long way, and now every major city and large town in Scotland has a wide variety of food options, from hearty pub food to genuine fine dining.
Each year, 5pm.co.uk chooses the Scottish Restaurant Awards to recognize the finest the country has to offer in food. This year, one restaurant took two of the most prestigious awards, putting it head and shoulders above the rest. The Peat Inn won both Restaurant of the Year and Chef of the Year, putting it firmly on my to-do list the next time I find myself in Fife.
Edinburgh and Glasgow, always rivals, tend to be pretty evenly matched when it comes to food, and this year’s awards showed that parity between the cities. Edinburgh won four total awards: Best Fine Dining, Best Indian, Best Specialty, and nearest to my heart, Best Pub Grub. Glasgow finished just second with three awards, for Best Italian Restaurant, and Best Asian and Family-friendly fare.
Visitors to the Highlands have some great food to look forward to as well, as Inverness‘ own RocPool Reserve Hotel took the award for Best Newcomer Restaurant.
Here are all the winners:
Restaurant of the Year: The Peat Inn, Fife
Chef of the Year: Geoffrey Smeddle – The Peat Inn, Fife
Best Fine Dining Restaurant: Restaurant Martin Wishart, Edinburgh
Best Italian Restaurant: Osterio Piero, Glasgow
Best Indian Restaurant: Mother India, Edinburgh
Best Asian Restaurant: Nanakusa, Glasgow
Best Specialty Restaurant: Calistoga Central, Edinburgh
Best Family-friendly Restaurant: Di Maggios (West End), Glasgow
Best Pub Grub: The King’s Wark, Edinburgh
Best Hotel Restaurant: Ardeonaig Hotel & Restaurant, Perthshire
Best Rural Restaurant: Cail Bruich, Bridge of Weir
Best Urban Restaurant: Opus One Restaurant, Perth
Best Seafood Restaurant: Ondine Restaurant, Edinburgh
Best Newcomer Restaurant: Rocpool Reserve Hotel, Inverness
Best Healthy Workplace Restaurant: Eurest (Scottish Power)
Photo by robertpaulyoung
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{ 2 comments }
How do I submitt a nomination for the Scottish retaurant awards?
Just some feedback from a vist last Saturday evening.
We went there as a party of 4 at 1930. Place was quite busy but not full.
Plenty of waiting staff.
First concern was an avid attempt ny staff to sell their house wines.
I later had a glass of the red, which was passable.
Starter was very good – antipasti meats, though they had no oysters.
The Pinot grigio was unusually good – mellow and lemony.
They attempted to serve the main courses part way through our starter and
then were clearing plates before we had finished.
Main courses – I had rabbit, which came with luke-warm potatoes.
Waitress expressed regret and went away.
Two of the party ordered Lamb Shank – which should be
slow-cooked for a time and delivered in a thick sauce and almost
falling off the bone.
Both came unadorned with a gravy bowl and were dry and firm.
Steak forks had to be ordered to help and eventually one was
brought to the attention of staff, for which we were not charged.
For dessert, we could only have ice-cream in various guises.
No dishes such as zabaglione, crepes etc.
All in all, given the price reduction, the event was passable,
but sufficiently disappointing as not to be re-visited.
I am a past college-trained hotelier anbd my colleague and I
cook all meals at home and have done so for years.
To be voted as a winner restaurant, this was a let-down.
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