Cafe One in Inverness is the star of the show as our restaurant reviewer takes a trip there to sample the goods.
Time spent in my kitchen slicing, dicing and preparing food is as good for my soul as an hour in a yoga class or mindfulness session.
That said, I’ve grown bored with my own meals, and been longing for a full-blown restaurant experience again.
Being shown to a nicely-set table, having someone wait on you, the sheer joy of reading a menu full of dishes you haven’t made yourself…
Who would have thought that something as everyday as eating out would become a fantasy for millions? But hurrah!
Fantasy has become reality, and at the time of writing, Inverness is sitting at Level One which means you can eat indoors and be served alcoholic drinks at the same time.
Cafe One, a long-established restaurant located directly opposite Inverness Castle, was our choice of first place to visit post lockdown, and we were delighted to find proprietor, and host with the most, Norman MacDonald on sparkling form, greeting us, locals and tourists, like long-lost friends.
As is the way these days, diners are asked to wear face masks until seated at their table; hands are to be sanitised; contact details are taken for Track and Trace, while staff wear masks at all times.
Apart from that, it felt like a welcome return to normality.
The restaurant comprises a small bar area and two linked rooms, neither of which have windows.
But clever lighting and decor, such as one wall dressed with a golden, shimmering material which reflects light, creates stylish and sophisticated rooms.
Adorning the walls are several pieces of modern pop art, which themselves are worth popping into the restaurant to see.
I happened to notice it took exactly eight minutes for our waitress to return to take our drinks order after presenting us with the menus, and had to smile as she apologised profusely for the delay as it’s not unusual to sit for 20-30 minutes in some places before becoming visible.
Meanwhile, a plate of crusty bread, olive oil and balsamic vinegar was delivered – designed to be nibbled while studying the menu, but demolished with indecent haste by us as the aromas drifting from the kitchen whetted our appetites.
The food
From a selection of nine starters, any of which I’d have happily had, I plumped for venison and Nduja meatballs, served with rocket, lemon, chilli, parmesan cheese and toasted pine kernels, while my partner selected scallops with cauliflower, semi-dried tomatoes and a Madras vinagrette.
To aid digestion, a couple of glasses of Sauvignon Blanc were ordered.
The combination of Scottish venison and Italian spicy Njuda sausage was a new taste sensation. Perfectly cooked, my trio of meaty, moist meatballs had perfectly balanced flavours so you could taste both meats – one didn’t overpower the other.
The rocket salad, salty parmesan cheese and fresh lemon were clever accompaniments which enhanced the dish.
Across the table, the trio of fat, juicy seared scallops, wrapped in crisp and salty pancetta, were also declared a hit.
Beautifully fresh and bursting with flavour, while a Madras dressing added a wee layer of heat.
My partner stayed with seafood for his main course of pan-seared escallop of Scottish salmon, Cromarty Firth white crab, fries and a salad with an ingredient I wouldn’t have thought of serving with salmon – fresh mango.
The dish looked amazing, really colourful and appetising, and he quickly made short work of the two salmon escalopes and zingy salad.
He liked the combination of sweet mango with salty salmon, so I stole a wee piece to try it for myself and while it was tasty, I don’t think it’s one I’ll try to recreate at home.
But I’d love to be able to make at home my mains of garlic and rosemary rump of Highland lamb, reared on Cafe One’s own farm, Holly House on the Black Isle, served with black pudding, curly kale, skirlie potatoes and carrot puree.
It was, quite simply, sublime.
The lamb was beautifully tender, and I confess to eating it very slowly as I wanted to savour every mouthful as I was enjoying it so much.
I was equally enjoying the art work, and when the guests next to us vacated their table, I took the opportunity to get up and have a closer look at two of the stunning pop art pieces, one featuring Brigitte Bardot, the other Amy Winehouse.
Reluctant to leave, we decided to end our meal by sharing a cheeseboard, generously loaded with Smoked Dunlop Cheddar, Howgate Brie, Blue Murder (all Scottish), plus Irish Porter and Welsh Black Bomber cheeses, alongside oatcakes, heather honey, quince and grapes.
The verdict
A fabulous dining experience from start to finish and a welcome return to normality for us although, we both said later, it felt a little strange to be eating in the same room as others again, and it took us a few minutes to get used to the sound of a noisy, busy restaurant filled with happy diners.
But will we take that over semi-silence and home-cooked meals? You bet.
Info
Cafe One
75 Castle Street, Inverness IV2 3EA
01463 226200
cafe1.net
Price: £96.60
Scores:
Food = 5/5
Service = 5/5
Surroundings = 4/5