Crail, Scottish Restaurant Guide

Chef James Ferguson and partner Alethea Palmer relaunched this country pub about five years ago and it’s acquired quite a reputation (and received a glowing review from The Scotsman’s Rosalind Erskine in November 2023). Our feedback is also good if slightly more mixed: fans say it’s “simply fantastic” with “a relaxed atmosphere, plenty of space between tables and a sunny garden; not to mention excellent cooking with robust, delicious flavours using much local produce including seafood”. One critic, though, found the menu “hit ’n’ miss” and another reported some friction having “dared to criticise” a dish.

“THE place to eat in St Andrews” say fans – “… in an unassuming street near the 18th tee of the Old Course”, Dean Banks presides over this ambitious venue (in the former ‘Golf Finn’) where the “bare wooden floors mean it can get slightly noisy at peak times”. “Local seasonal produce is to the fore” and although at lunch there is the option of eating à la carte, in the evening the menu is a tasting menu format only, with eight courses for £125 per person. Top Tip – “there are also a few rooms for you to stay, but these are booked up quickly by golfers in the know”.

“Built right on the seafront in St Andrews”, this striking glazed venue sits “yards away from the iconic Old Course – a stunning location with views across a two-mile stretch of sand”. “As you’d expect in Scotland at this price level, ingredients are super-fresh and of exceptional quality. Lobster and langoustine are landed fresh at the local harbour” and their preparation is “good and solid”. “The downside is that it can be mega busy in peak season and is extremely popular with high-rolling US golfers, so reservations are a must. But with views like this, who cares?”

This two-year-old revival of an 18th-century watering hole in “the culinary no-man’s-land between Dundee and Edinburgh” is “just perfect”, with a “confident, pared-back menu” from chef Craig McAllister that has “an emphasis on local produce” and is “reasonably priced for the quality of the cooking”.

2022 Review: Just shy of its centenary, and hard at work sprucing up its gardens (designed by the creator of Balmoral’s gardens no less) – an “elegant” country house hotel whose “airy restaurant” combines “super, fresh, beautifully cooked and presented food with professional and friendly service”. The kitchen garden is at the heart of the operation, and there are further dining spaces outdoors.