Latest news with #JohnDory
The National
4 hours ago
- Lifestyle
- The National
I tried the new menu at luxury St Andrews restaurant
Executive chef Graham Paulley has created a menu that celebrates Scotland's beef, game and seafood with produce sourced locally and directly from suppliers, and the offering is set to evolve through the seasons. On arrival at this exceptional venue which overlooks the 18th fairway and down onto the famous Valley of Sin, we were able to grab a taste of some cocktails including a zingy daiquiri and the bar team's own take on an espresso martini. Both went extremely well with watching brave groups of golfers make their way down the last amid a beautiful sunset. READ MORE: The events across Scotland you need to know about this June We had some tough choices to make from the menu we were presented with. We started with some snacks of marinated olives and sourdough, the latter of which came with the most moreish butter I've ever tasted from The Edinburgh Butter Company. We had worried about filling ourselves up too much before the main event, but that butter made it so worth it. (Image: NQ) Moving onto starters, the offerings included an aged beef tartare and a lobster and salmon raviolo, but it was the baked St Andrews cheddar souffle (above) I had my eye on and it absolutely delivered. It had a melt-in-mouth texture and a punchy mature cheddar flavour that really sung through. The mustard in the sauce gave it extra depth. It was a moment of food heaven. I can also highly recommend the grilled scallops which were beautifully cooked and presented, served chilli butter and topped with samphire – a salty herb that cranks every seafood dish up a notch. (Image: NQ) For the main course I was lucky to be able to sample the grilled John Dory. I will say this comes with a bit of an eye-watering price tag of £70, but to the chef's credit it was absolutely divine. The fish was cooked to perfection, it fell off the bone and was wonderfully buttery – once again served with samphire and seaweed emulsion. Despite it's slightly intimidating size, it was surprisingly light. That said, I'd recommend ordering modest courses either side of it as it is a bit of an undertaking. The top side of the night was definitely the crispy anna potatoes served with a mind-blowing black garlic aioli. For dessert, the sticky toffee pudding with butterscotch sauce is just a classic. The clotted cream it is served with adds extra decadence and it is a comforting way to finish your meal. READ MORE: Things to do in Melrose, a 'well-to-do oasis' in the Scottish Borders For those who don't have a sweet tooth and haven't gorged on the John Dory, the Scottish Cheese board would be a good option offering a tasty combination of Arran Blue, Anster cheddar and Blackmount goats cheese. This luxury restaurant is a real treat, with the prices of dishes reflecting the high-quality ingredients and iconic location they are served in, but I can assure you, you will not regret pushing the boat out. Our experience was unforgettable from start to finish. Aside from the usual a la carte menu, from Wednesday to Saturday, 12-3pm, 18 also offers afternoon tea overlooking the Old Course. On Sundays, guests can enjoy 18's take on a traditional Sunday roast, with a choice of aged rump of Scottish beef, roast organic Scottish chicken, or marmite and truffle butter roasted celeriac, accompanied by all the trimmings. From 6pm on Wednesdays and Thursdays, 18 also offers a grilled bavette steak with fries, salad and peppercorn sauce with a glass of red wine for just £32.
The Herald Scotland
3 days ago
- The Herald Scotland
Argoe in Newlyn crowned one of the UK's best eateries
Argoe featured on the list from OpenTable, along with a few other Cornwall eateries. The restaurant reservation site compiled a list of its top 100 spots around the country. In a statement, they said: "If you're looking for the perfect place to dine outdoors this summer, this list has it all. "Visit diner favourites in your area and enjoy a shared experience in the sun with friends, family, and even your dog!" The full list of the UK's best outdoor dining spots for 2025 can be found on the OpenTable website here. Why is Argoe among the UK's best restaurants for outdoor dining? The list by OpenTable is generated from more than 800,000 reviews from verified OpenTable diners and dining metrics from April 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025. Restaurants with a minimum threshold of diner reviews were considered and evaluated through various factors. These included: Diner ratings Percentage of five-star reviews Number of alerts set Percentage of reservations made in advance Percentage of capacity and direct searches Metrics were weighted to comprise an overall score, with restaurants then filtered by having outdoor dining. Argoe is said to be a "tribute" to Newlyn's fishing heritage as well as a "celebration of those that continue to fish here today". According to its website, its purpose is to bring "some of the country's best produce from the sea to our tables". Some dishes on their sample menu include hand-dived scallops, Piri Piri Monkfish, whole lobster and John Dory. What do visitors think of Argoe? Argoe has been well-received by visitors, earning a 4.5/5 score on Tripadvisor from 133 reviews. One person wrote: "As everyone says, expect beautiful food, good wines and attentive service. "Sharing platters for a whole fish works well with vegetables or salad, your choice. Deserts and cheese are also excellent." Best Beaches in the UK Another said: "Great welcome and some amazing fish overlooking the harbour. Some delectable wines and amazing Cornish Gin. Recommended reading: "The grilled scallops simply the best and the Newlyn Crab is quite perfect." A third shared: "Wanted to go here for a long time and not disappointed, I would say the best fish I've ever tasted, flavours amazing. "The staff are lovely and friendly a great dining experience."
Time Out
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Photograph: Angelina Previous Next /10
Japanese and Italian may seem unlikely bedfellows, but this mash-up – also known as itameshi – dates back to the 1920s in Japan. And though Angelina opened up on Dalston Lane Terrace's restaurant strip in 2019, it's still a pretty unique concept in London. Inside, it's a restaurant of two halves: the front is all monochromatic fancy dining with ashen marble tables, bold foliage and lantern lighting, while the back is home to a bustling L-shaped bar overlooking the kitchen. On offer is a 13 dish kaiseki tasting menu for what feels like a rather reasonable £68 a head. Though it changes every five weeks, our most recent visit saw the production line of laser-focused chefs rattling out creamy and crispy (and pleasantly sizable) starters, such as cod cheek karaage and tempura courgette flower stuffed with miso ricotta. Fun to eat and even more enjoyable to say is the wagyu ragu, which comes layered on a pleasantly goopy dashi and egg custard. A nori-dusted focaccia is a revelation, served with a marmalade and uni butter that tastes like breakfast in the best possible way. There's more wagyu to come, slivers of A5 dolloped with citrus ponzu, before a ravioli souped in a tonkotsu-style broth. Previous visits have seen velvety soy butter on a John Dory fillet, sea bream sashimi delicately infused with bergamot, and bonito-dusted doughnuts with anchovy aioli. Time Out tip If you fancy an a la carte taste of itameshi, Angelina have a second space in Spitalfields. Osteria Angelina specialises in pasta, with the likes of tortellini with truffle and kombu, and ravioli with soy cured egg yolk and asparagus on the menu. There's also a whole selection of crudo and fritti as well as dishes cooked on the binchotan grill. What should I drink?
The National
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
Why Stockbridge Eating House might be the perfect place for date night
Is it really a date night until you've watched your beloved chew on a fish eyeball? I'm only partly joking. There's something irresistible about the informality of sharing a big fish across a little table and the team at Stockbridge Eating House know it. Today's catch is a huge whole John Dory. It's beautifully grilled, the flesh sweet and delicate, and served with generous wedges of braised fennel, piles of nutty ratte potatoes, all doused in a wild garlic butter. 'I love watching couples take care of the flip,' says restaurant manager Eddie as we work together to turn over the fish. It's a two-person job and we manage it without splashing butter or fish bones on ourselves or neighbouring diners, so I'll call that a win. 'Sharing plates' in common restaurant parlance has come to mean lots of little dishes, often awkward to actually share (half a langoustine anyone?). With this muckle beauty of a fish I'm reminded it can also mean simply sharing a dish that would genuinely be too much for one person. Delicate eating this is not, but it's joyful, fun and delicious, and I'm here for it. Stockbridge Eating House is a new venture from Dale Mailley, formerly of the much-missed Gardeners Cottage and The Lookout on Calton Hill. The venue was for decades Bell's Diner, and in tribute to its legacy of burgers and good times, Mailley has kept the iconic sign above the door and the cheery yellow exterior. The whitewashed interior is simply decked out with three long communal tables covered in red-checked tablecloths, plus a handful of seats in the window concealed from the street by little cafe curtains. At a squeeze there's room for 30, and squeezing in is all part of the fun. The menu changes daily, with seafood from David Lowrie in Fife, and meat from Stockbridge butcher George Bowers and the Balcaskie Estate. On-the-bone cooking and following the Scottish game calendar are culinary priorities for Mailley. The starters are fresh and uncomplicated and mostly served with toast. We go for whipped cod's roe, a pleasing smooth and salty mound to dip and scoop, served with crunchy raw radishes, then meltingly tender cured wild trout: unfussy with dill and a spritz of lemon, and a scoop of horseradish sauce. This evening there are two individual main courses: a whole mackerel with sprouting broccoli, or mutton chops with potato gratin. There are also two choices designed to share: the aforementioned mighty John Dory and a plate of veal chops, piled high with hand-cut beef dripping chips and mustard sauce. That's it. It's a simple and honest menu, chalked up daily – and put on Instagram every morning in case diners want a teaser. Short menus are, to me, a signal that a chef has confidence in their offering and is prioritising seasonal produce. An overly long restaurant menu makes me assume the kitchen has a very large freezer. Here I love seeing how the day's produce pops up in different dishes across the menu. (Image: Stockbridge Eating House) Our fennel is slowly braised in vermouth, it also appears in a shaved salad that I spy accompanying the chops for our table mates. It's exactly as it should be – today's freshest ingredients used creatively across the menu, before something different arrives the next day to take its place. On the sideboard, there are a handful of red wines open, and the same again of whites, a cava and a Champagne chilling in a bucket of ice. All the wines come by the glass, generously poured into tall, chunky wine glasses at the table. It's like being at a very well-stocked house party. Puddings tonight are rice pudding with blood orange, Morbier cheese with honeycomb, and a sorbet. The rice pudding is outstanding, gently chilled and very creamy, the zesty pop of poached orange providing a lovely lift. It's very simple and that's all part of the charm. If tasting menus and small plates have left you feeling jaded (or hungry), let a trip to Stockbridge Eating House remind you of the joy of eating out. This convivial restaurant, with excellent service and hearty delicious cooking, is Scottish hospitality at its best. Servings are generous and prices very fair for the quality ingredients and culinary skill on display. Stockbridge Eating House also currently offers a complete steal of a weekday set lunch: a dish of the day, plus bread, charcuterie, salad, chips, pudding and a coffee for £14.95. Form an orderly queue. A la carte lunch and dinner menu from £36 for two courses. Set lunch £14.95 7 St Stephen St, Edinburgh EH3 5AN
The Herald Scotland
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Why Stockbridge Eating House might be the perfect place for date night
Today's catch is a huge whole John Dory. It's beautifully grilled, the flesh sweet and delicate, and served with generous wedges of braised fennel, piles of nutty ratte potatoes, all doused in a wild garlic butter. 'I love watching couples take care of the flip,' says restaurant manager Eddie as we work together to turn over the fish. It's a two-person job and we manage it without splashing butter or fish bones on ourselves or neighbouring diners, so I'll call that a win. 'Sharing plates' in common restaurant parlance has come to mean lots of little dishes, often awkward to actually share (half a langoustine anyone?). With this muckle beauty of a fish I'm reminded it can also mean simply sharing a dish that would genuinely be too much for one person. Delicate eating this is not, but it's joyful, fun and delicious, and I'm here for it. Stockbridge Eating House is a new venture from Dale Mailley, formerly of the much-missed Gardeners Cottage and The Lookout on Calton Hill. The venue was for decades Bell's Diner, and in tribute to its legacy of burgers and good times, Mailley has kept the iconic sign above the door and the cheery yellow exterior. The whitewashed interior is simply decked out with three long communal tables covered in red-checked tablecloths, plus a handful of seats in the window concealed from the street by little cafe curtains. At a squeeze there's room for 30, and squeezing in is all part of the fun. The menu changes daily, with seafood from David Lowrie in Fife, and meat from Stockbridge butcher George Bowers and the Balcaskie Estate. On-the-bone cooking and following the Scottish game calendar are culinary priorities for Mailley. The starters are fresh and uncomplicated and mostly served with toast. We go for whipped cod's roe, a pleasing smooth and salty mound to dip and scoop, served with crunchy raw radishes, then meltingly tender cured wild trout: unfussy with dill and a spritz of lemon, and a scoop of horseradish sauce. This evening there are two individual main courses: a whole mackerel with sprouting broccoli, or mutton chops with potato gratin. There are also two choices designed to share: the aforementioned mighty John Dory and a plate of veal chops, piled high with hand-cut beef dripping chips and mustard sauce. That's it. It's a simple and honest menu, chalked up daily – and put on Instagram every morning in case diners want a teaser. Short menus are, to me, a signal that a chef has confidence in their offering and is prioritising seasonal produce. An overly long restaurant menu makes me assume the kitchen has a very large freezer. Here I love seeing how the day's produce pops up in different dishes across the menu. (Image: Stockbridge Eating House) Our fennel is slowly braised in vermouth, it also appears in a shaved salad that I spy accompanying the chops for our table mates. It's exactly as it should be – today's freshest ingredients used creatively across the menu, before something different arrives the next day to take its place. On the sideboard, there are a handful of red wines open, and the same again of whites, a cava and a Champagne chilling in a bucket of ice. All the wines come by the glass, generously poured into tall, chunky wine glasses at the table. It's like being at a very well-stocked house party. Puddings tonight are rice pudding with blood orange, Morbier cheese with honeycomb, and a sorbet. The rice pudding is outstanding, gently chilled and very creamy, the zesty pop of poached orange providing a lovely lift. It's very simple and that's all part of the charm. If tasting menus and small plates have left you feeling jaded (or hungry), let a trip to Stockbridge Eating House remind you of the joy of eating out. This convivial restaurant, with excellent service and hearty delicious cooking, is Scottish hospitality at its best. Servings are generous and prices very fair for the quality ingredients and culinary skill on display. Stockbridge Eating House also currently offers a complete steal of a weekday set lunch: a dish of the day, plus bread, charcuterie, salad, chips, pudding and a coffee for £14.95. Form an orderly queue. A la carte lunch and dinner menu from £36 for two courses. Set lunch £14.95 7 St Stephen St, Edinburgh EH3 5AN
