With life almost back to normal for most of us these days, it’s easy to forget that this time last year we were still dealing with some Covid restriction and the hospitality industry had endured another year of disruption.
Thankfully, this year has been smoother, albeit still challenging for many businesses.
By announcing The Press and Journal’s top 10 restaurant reviews of 2022, we take a look back over a year filled with delicious food, as we highlight those who went above and beyond to serve up top quality hospitality.
For the first time in three years we’ve managed a full 12 months of restaurant reviewing.
As always we have covered the length and breadth of our circulation area and we will hopefully continue to inspire you to enjoy a whole range of venues next year.
Seafield Arms – Cullen
By Jane Cumming
We last visited The Seafield Arms about 20 years ago but had heard great things about it since it had been modernised.
As soon as we arrived we were greeted with a warm welcome and the service remained top-notch throughout our visit.
The menu was excellent – long enough to give a choice but short enough to give you confidence this was a kitchen that cared about providing freshly prepared and locally sourced food.
My husband decided he had to give the Cullen skink a try and he was impressed, both in terms of quantity and quality.
To follow, he said the venison loin tasted as fantastic as it looked. I always think a steak is a good way to test how good a kitchen is and they passed with flying colours. This was one of the best sirloin steaks I have had in many a year and it was cooked to perfection.
It is well worth taking a trip to Cullen for a meal here. The quality of the ingredients was outstanding and there was a real emphasis on local produce.
Score: 14/15
Read the full review here
Kildrummy Inn – Aberdeenshire
By Lesley Taylor
There were five starters, eight main courses and five desserts on offer but even then we found a quick choice almost impossible.
For starters, we ordered the basket of homemade breads with whipped butter and smoked salt and a balsamic and rapeseed oil.
The warm bread had delicious herbs through it while the salty butter was so creamy and moreish. Our other starter, wild mushrooms, was served with tarragon butter and topped with a poached egg.
For the main event I eventually plumped for the beef “two ways”. Elegantly presented on a large serving plate, slices of tender beef rested on an array of vegetables.
My favourite had to be the shredded slow-cooked beef croquette which added some crunch to the dish. The accompanying jus was flavoursome but not too heavy to overpower the delicious flavours of the perfectly cooked ingredients.
I then had one of the finest desserts I have ever tasted. A warm, gooey chocolate brownie with Horlicks ice cream, chunks of honeycomb, pistachio and boozy cherries.
Kildrummy Inn is a gem in Aberdeenshire. The bar is full of character and the charming staff and exquisite food make any journey to it worthwhile.
Score: 14/15
Read the full review here
Milton on the Corner – Aberdeen
I had been eyeing up Milton on the Corner, a venue previously known as Cognito on the Corner, after it was taken over by the team behind Milton Brasserie, in Milton of Crathes.
I was intrigued to see what improvements the new owners had made to the venue and the food offering.
To my delight, my absolute favourite dish was still on the menu, and I was also pleased to note the stylish décor remained much the same.
My vegetarian wife was well catered for and started with some bruschetta. For her main course, she liked the sound of a cherry tomato, chilli and basil tagliatelle, and described it as simple, authentic and bursting with fantastic flavours.
The moment I had been waiting for arrived in the shape of the Fisherman’s Platter. It contained grilled shrimp, king prawns, battered haddock goujons, smoked salmon, pickles, bread and tartare sauce.
The shrimp was utterly divine. The texture was incredible and the flavours lovely too. It was the highlight of the meal, and the best seafood I have eaten in years.
Score: 13/15
Read the full review here.
Mara at Links House – Royal Dornoch
By Julia Bryce
Dining out for a special occasion should be an experience, especially when the restaurant is in a five-star luxury hotel.
Arriving for dinner, suited and booted, we enjoyed a glass of champagne and a salmon canape in the lounge area next door to the restaurant in front of a burning fire.
The first course was mackerel with rhubarb and onion which came served with a white wine. The fish itself was beautifully cooked and the rhubarb sauce it sat on and the small cubes of the fruit it was served with really brought out its saltier, creamy flavours.
Up next was pork cheek with celeriac and apple which was also served with a white wine. This was one of our favourites of the night as the meat was succulent and cut easily with my fork.
Another contender for best dish was the crab tortellini with bisque. This was a work of art. Each dish was beautifully presented and the staff were incredibly knowledgeable about every course.
I was incredibly impressed with all aspects of Mara and Links House at Royal Dornoch.
Not only was the food utterly delicious, but it was the ambience, the knowledge of the team, and the attention to detail which really made the offering stand out.
Score: 15/15
Read the full review here
Fife Arms Hotel and Bistro, Turriff
Wall-to-wall windows that lead to a charming patio area bring in plenty of light, while countless pieces of artwork are on show to admire.
The salt and pepper fried calamari is usually a staple at The Fife Arms. But I wanted something different, which turned out to be the crispy langoustines. Encased in kataifi, the three delicate langoustines melted in the mouth.
The chilli and lime mayonnaise, zesty and creamy, was a great accompaniment.
My boyfriend’s two Asian beef short rib tacos served with Asian slaw and salsa were a great indication that the establishment is not afraid to experiment with different flavours and ingredients.
My Gressingham duck breast with carrot and orange puree, crumbled feta, pomegranate and kale was more subtle than my boyfriend’s plate but no less delicious.
Turriff is lucky to have The Fife Arms Hotel and Bistro. It’s a must-try for those after an enjoyable foodie experience.
Score: 13/15
Read the full review here
Amuse by Kevin Dalgleish – Aberdeen
By Julia Bryce
While Aberdeen’s restaurant scene may not be as diverse or bustling as Edinburgh’s, you need to look beneath the surface to uncover those hidden gems.
No.1 Bar and Grill was one of those gems that sadly closed down recently. But the venue lives on and has had a new lease of life thanks to local chef Kevin Dalgleish.
The first thing I noted was the fish course, which you don’t often see on many menus in Aberdeen now, and having been recommended the langoustine (£15), we decided to order one portion between us.
Out of the four starters, the risotto (£12) and quail (£13) stood out the most.
Both dishes looked great but while the quail was better presented, it was
the flavours of the risotto that really won us over.
The fish course of lasagne of west coast langoustine with scallops on a bed of buttered hispi cabbage was to die for. The shellfish bisque it sat in was the most flavourful liquid I have ever tasted.
The medallion of aged beef fillet (£33.50) was gently covered in Diane sauce. It was cooked to perfection and justified the restaurant charge.
My grilled whole tail of monkfish (£28.50) was different to anything I’ve seen in Aberdeen, and it was one of the best things I’ve eaten in a restaurant in a while.
Score: 13.5/15
Read the full review here
Hou Hou Mei – Inverness
By Jane Cumming
While Inverness has a number of decent Chinese takeaways, I have never found a really good sit-in which offers a taste of the Far East. Until now, that is. Hou Hou Mei has been getting rave reviews. It’s clearly popular, as getting a space was not easy.
Inside it looks nothing like your average Chinese restaurant, more like a modern European cafe. It is bang on trend.
The menu also looked different to the usual Chinese restaurant fare. It is a much more restrained and select offer.
The bao char sui pork belly was fabulous. Sticky and deliciously savoury, every mouthful came with a sliver of tender pork coated in melt-in-the-mouth fat cushioned in a fluffy steamed bun. The garnish of pickle cut through the pork wonderfully.
For mains I had chosen paw paw chicken curry. The chicken was cooked in a perfectly crispy panko crumb that added texture to the dish. The curry itself was spicy with a real depth of flavour. It was complex, aromatic, silky and so delicious.
What a joy to have a classy and supremely competent Chinese restaurant on our doorstep.
Score: 14/15
Read the full review here
Tarragon by Graham Mitchell – Aberdeen
Tarragon by Graham Mitchell burst on to the Rosemount food and drink scene late this year.
The first two words that sprang to mind on entering the restaurant were ‘sleek’ and ‘sophisticated’. I almost felt as though I had been transported to the 1920s during the Art Deco age.
I opted for confit duck terrine, while the pan-seared wood pigeon caught my boyfriend’s eye. The dishes looked unbelievable, especially the pigeon.
The chunk of meat was very juicy and rich and was accompanied by a puy lentil and black pudding pithivier and a quince puree. The light texture of my duck was spot on. It came with spiced plum gel and plum compote, both of which added a gorgeous sweetness that complemented the meat superbly.
My boyfriend’s parma-wrapped chicken ballotine looked very inviting. The artichoke puree and sauteed mushrooms were earthy, the cavolo nero was pleasantly bitter with a slightly sweet aftertaste and the beurre blanc was tangy. But the highlight was the ballotine itself.
I tucked into the pan-seared halibut. With steam dancing around it, it was delicate in taste and flaked away with ease. Small cubes of apple, which had a slight sourness and bite to them, added extra interest to the plate.
Score: 15/15
Read the full review here
Ness Walk supper club – Inverness
By Julia Bryce
After booking a spot at the supper club in the five-star hotel’s dining room, Torrish, we arrived to quite the entrance.
Four courses, two glasses of wine, an arrival glass of fizz and three whiskies almost sounded too good for £50 per person.
An amuse bouche – a smoked tomato and paprika veloute – was served. Garnished with micro herbs, the crispy garlic-filled bon bon in the middle of the light veloute oozed as I stuck my fork and knife in. It was delicious and a great way to start.
The first wine, a white Quinta de Chocapalha Arinto 2019 from Portugal, was introduced before the pan-seared Orkney scallop was served. The wine was light and fruit-forward which meant it complemented the squid ink risotto, organic sundried tomato and the chorizo and chilli foam.
We then enjoyed the second wine, a red Quinta de Chocapalha Tinto 2017, also from Portugal. It went splendidly with the roast Gressingham duck breast served with port-soaked cherries, smoked beetroot puree, braised chicory, port glaze and orange confit. The duck was cooked medium rare, just how I like it.
A dark chocolate and port truffle, and an orange and whisky pate de fruits, were served at the end, and I took great pleasure in enjoying them slowly with my trio of drams.
Score: 14/15
Read the full review here
Douneside House – Tarland, Aberdeenshire
By Julia Bryce
The Library is where diners enjoying the tasting menu or dining club events are seated. It is intimate and cosy, a glamorous warm hug wrapped up in
a room.
The night commenced with a trio of canapes. Duck samosa, gravadlax and gougere.
The gravadlax (cured salmon with dill) was my favourite. Refreshing and punchy in flavour, it stood out the most. However the choux pastry gougere stole my boyfriend’s heart when the melted cheese oozed delicately out.
The second course saw one of the team, Bethany, present the dish. This was her creation – the mushroom tortellini. A quail’s egg sat in the middle of three delicate, filled pasta shells. Poured over it was a miso and mushroom tea broth.
Mushroom was deliciously pungent throughout and it really showed up. This dish was stunning.
Our third wine was another white, from Burgundy, to go with the cod dish. The buttery beurre blanc sauce on which the fish sat was sublime. Anything covered in it would taste good, but this was excellent. Quite honestly, I’ve never had a piece of fish like it.
The last course was another favourite. Chocolate ganache served with
chocolate caviar, praline, cremeux and a dollop of malt ice cream, it was a chocolate lover’s dream.
Douneside House is like no other fine-dining experience you will experience in the north-east.
Score: 15/15
Read the full review here
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