Travel review: Banchory Lodge in Aberdeenshire is a foodies haven

Great food and drink were top of the list when Brian Stormont and his wife, Karen, visited Banchory Lodge Hotel on Royal Deeside.

The opportunity to head off on a pre-Christmas night away was not an option myself or my wife, Karen, were going to pass up, so the chance to head to Banchory Lodge Hotel for a relaxing stay was a real treat.

Travelling from our Angus home in the winter sun, we set off on a lovely drive through the northern part of the county into south Aberdeenshire and over the Cairn O Mount as we headed for the lovely town of Banchory.

Having arrived a little early, we had a wander around the town which has a lovely centre before booking into the hotel that was to be our base for the night.

Check-in was simple and the knowledgeable young woman at reception kindly explained everything we needed to know regarding dining in the evening and when breakfast was served.

Settling in comfortably at Banchory Lodge

The room was lovely with a king-sized bed, and a nice view over the grounds with the River Feugh, a tributary to the River Dee, to the left. A couple of bottles of water was a nice touch and there was plenty of choice in the tea and coffee-making facilities that had been provided.

The bathroom was lovely, very well appointed and spacious with a white toilet, bath and hand basin, a great shower and a wide selection of toiletries for us to use – just as well as someone had forgotten their shampoo! The grey stone-effect wet wall completed it.

While the room was a delight, we were not planning on spending a long time in there and we freshened up before heading to enjoy a few pre-dinner drinks.

Karen opted for Dark Matter rum, rather appropriate with it being distilled in Banchory, while I took the opportunity to sample some of the large selection of pale ales and lagers on offer.

We enjoyed relaxing in the lounge where some people were also enjoying food. The atmosphere was good and the bar staff were extremely helpful.

Time for dinner

Soon it was time for the main event, our dinner.

Having perused the menu online, I was really looking forward to the meal. The choices looked fantastic and I was excited, yet undecided, about what I
was going to eat.

First of all, I must mention our server. He was an absolute star, being both entertaining and knowledgeable about what was featured on the menu. I could not decide between the pork and scallops or the chicken livers and bacon, but as Karen had opted for the chicken livers, I decided to try the pork and scallops.

The pan-fried scallops were served with crispy Ingram’s pork belly, celeriac and apple jus.

Perfectly cooked, the scallops had that amazing creamy texture and combined beautifully with the pork belly, celeriac and apple caper jus.

The jus added a lovely sweetness to the dish and I tried to take my time as I savoured each mouthful.

I was, however, casting an envious eye at Karen’s plate of chicken livers and fortunately she allowed me to try one – for article purposes of course.

The chicken livers and bacon were served with toasted farmhouse bread, creamy wild mushroom and a shallot crumb.

And boy they were good. I love chicken livers and these certainly did not disappoint. The creamy wild mushroom took them to another level and this was an outstanding dish – something I would return to again and again.

The main event

Moving on to the main event, I was delighted to see there were great seafood dishes on offer.

Although I regard myself as a reasonably adept cook, I am not fantastic at cooking fish, so whenever I see it on a menu when dining out, I have to indulge my love for seafood.

Being a real fan of hake, and it featuring on the menu served with pea and bacon, I quickly made my mind up that I would order that.

The absolutely stunning hake fillet was served with pea puree, bacon lardons, tenderstem broccoli, crispy potato and shallot cream sauce.

Everything married together perfectly, with the pea puree and the crispy potato making me think I was eating an up-market fish and chips. It was a joy to look at but even better to eat.

The meaty fillet of hake could not have been cooked any better and it broke up into mouthwatering chunky pieces as I savoured every morsel.
This dish was a real crowd-pleaser and if you visit Banchory Lodge I would heartily recommend it.

Karen had chosen fish, too, but she had opted for the pan-fried sea bass.

The pan-fried sea bass with an Asian twist,

The Asian touch on this dish elevated the sea bass to something completely different.

Served with sticky rice, raw salad, prawn crackers and green Thai sauce, it really was an inventive way to serve what I regard as underrated fish.

Karen did feel the sauce was just a little spicy for her, but she enjoyed the dish nonetheless. For me, being a bit of a spice head, it was spot-on, and the sea bass went very well with the Thai influences.

Wonderful wine

Banchory Lodge has an impressive wine list which can suit all budgets. I particularly liked the explanatory notes, pointing out that if you like Merlot, for instance, then you might like a particular wine.

We took one of those recommendations, ordering a Mucchietto Primitivo Puglia which was a lovely drop of red, being very fruity but also with a little bit of spice on the nose.

The view from Banchory Lodge. Picture by Paul Glendell.

We both declared that we were too full for dessert. However, after some gentle persuasion from our server, I did opt for the cheese board which was delicious.

A Cambus O May cheese selection was served with chutney, oatcakes, crackers and grapes and, for me, it was the perfect way to finish off what had been an excellent dining experience.

We retired to the bar where I was keen to try a couple of the malt whiskies from their extensive selection, while Karen opted for one of their signature cocktails.

All too soon, it was time for us to head to bed and we dreamed of what had been an excellent evening spent in a fantastic hotel to where I will certainly return.