Blink and it’s gone. That’s often the feeling I’m left with when visiting Aberdeen. Familiar buildings and streets are constantly being replaced, knocked down and altered, making me scratch my head and think, what used to be there? Of late, I’ve experienced similar feelings in Inverness. The city centre is undergoing something of a regeneration with many landmark buildings hidden behind scaffolding.
There have also been changes on the restaurant scene and in the last month alone, three new establishments have opened. Just over a year ago I was singing the praises of a new Italian, the Little Italy Tapas and Prosecco Bar, an authentic restaurant on Stephens Brae. But the tapas eatery has been and gone and is now the Fig & Thistle Bistro.
It’s run by Karen Smith and her partner of 21 years, chef Steven Dewart. Having spent 12 years in Portugal where they ran a restaurant, The Pig & Whistle, they returned to Inverness and spent a few years looking for the ideal location to open a restaurant in their home city.
Those who enjoy fine food will be very glad they have returned as they’ve created a welcome addition to the Inverness dining scene. The bistro, spread across two floors, has been given a fresh look that’s warm and welcoming during the day but, thanks to candles and soft lighting, takes on a more grown-up, intimate atmosphere in the evening.
We nibbled on a bowl of rather flavoursome marinated olives and sipped on our perfectly chilled glasses of Sauvignon Blanc (£15.95 per bottle) while studying the menu which has a Mediterranean/Scottish flavour with the emphasis on fresh, local produce. It isn’t huge, which I like, as that means dishes are cooked to order.
I happily plumped for a starter of steamed Shetland mussels while my daughter chose a salad with tiger prawns. The mussels were a delight, nice plump treats with a white wine, cream and parsley sauce with just a hint of roasted garlic coming through. The texture of the sauce was good too, not too thick or thin but just right for mopping up with wedges of thick bread.
Had this been a competition to find a dish that looked as good as it tasted, then my daughter’s salad would have scooped top prize. The plate looked wonderful with lots of big prawns and mango while having being sauteed with a hint of chilli and lime, the prawns had a good balance of tangy coolness and sizzling heat. We were off to a flying start.
For mains I chose rump of lamb while my number one girl ordered a black and blue hand-made steak burger served in a brioche bun with blue cheese mayo. While not a devotee of fast food she does like a good burger. Only a few days before we’d tried another new eatery in the town, one specialising in American-style burgers and dogs, and been rather disappointed to find that more emphasis seemed to have been put on the retro decor than on the burgers.
Having been assured by our friendly waitress that Steven made these burgers himself from scratch, she took a gamble – and was rewarded with what she later referred to as “the best burger I’ve ever had in Inverness.” It had a wonderful char-grilled steaky flavour and good texture with just the right level of ‘bite’. The blue cheese dressing was salty and tangy while the sweetness of the brioche bun added another level of flavour. Add to this some really superb home-made chips, lovely fresh coleslaw and crispy onions and she had a veritable feast on a plate.
My rump of lamb also exceeded expectations. Perfectly cooked and full of flavour it was served with a big slab of creamy dauphinoise potatoes, a selection of roasted vegetables and a lovely garlic, tomato and rosemary gravy. Had I been at home, I’d have licked the plate.
Pure greed, and a little persuasion, led us to order a shared dessert – ice-cream-filled profiteroles.
Once more the presentation was immense and the three large profiteroles, split and filled with large scoops of a rich ice cream and a homemade chocolate sauce looked fab.
Unfortunately the ‘roles’ were hard and went untouched while the delicious ice-cream and sauce were devoured. But our waitress noticed, and on learning why, apologised and took the price of the dessert off the bill. Take note restaurateurs, that is the correct way to address a complaint.
Good service, nice surroundings and rather nice food. If they keep this standard up, the Fig & Thistle should be here for a long time to come.
