When I think of pineapple, I’m instantly transported back to the nineties when my mum would serve up what I thought was the most exotic dessert ever: tinned pineapple chunks mixed with rice pudding.
Up there with Angel’s Delight and Viennetta, I just couldn’t get enough of this sweet, juicy, tropical fruit, often begging my mum for Hawaiian pizza for dinner instead of mince and tatties.
This nostalgic trip down food memory lane was sparked on the drive to the Pineapple Grill and Seafood restaurant at Meldrum House Hotel.
Intrigued by the name and the restaurant’s reputation for excellent cuisine, I had a funny feeling that tinned fruit or Hawaiian pizza wouldn’t be appearing on the menu.
Pineapple Grill and Seafood restaurant
Hay bales glowing in the last of the day’s sunshine, the scenic autumn drive from Aberdeen to Oldmeldrum was like a Visit Aberdeenshire advert.
After just 40 minutes, it felt like we were in another world as we made our way up the hotel’s long driveway, past the world class golf course and a large pond, to the hotel.
Baronial in every sense of the word, I could instantly see why the fairytale-esque 13th century manor house complete with turrets is a popular wedding venue.
‘The restaurant oozes modern country estate vibes’
Arriving a tad early, we headed through to the Cave Bar for an aperitif – a ginger beer and lime for me (the taxi) and a Fierce beer for Andy.
With its exposed stone walls, flickering candles and ancient portraits, I couldn’t help but think that the 800-year-old bar would make the perfect setting for a TV period drama.
Refreshed and ravenous, we made our way through to the Pineapple Grill and Seafood restaurant where a friendly server showed us to our table next to a window overlooking one of the turrets.
With olive green hues and tartan touches, the restaurant oozes modern country estate vibes.
Visiting the restaurant off-peak on a Thursday evening meant that apart from a few couples and a table of tourists, the restaurant was quite quiet.
Warmly greeted by Ritchie, our friendly server for the evening, we ordered a few drinks before scanning the menu.
The food
Headed up by the executive chef Alan Clarke, a Forres native who forged his career path when he won the Chef’s UK Accor Challenge Award for Britain, aged only 21, the menu strongly reflects his love of using Scottish produce.
Featuring seafood fresh from Peterhead and meat from G McWilliam Aberdeen and Balmoral Game Ltd, the menu really is a celebration of the local larder.
In addition to the main menu, there is also a separate menu with vegetarian, vegan, dairy free and gluten free choices.
Seafood fans are in for a treat
Perhaps sensing our hunger, it wasn’t long before some dainty mini loaves of complimentary freshly baked bread arrived at our table.
Warm, doughy, salty and sprinkled with rosemary, the bread was so good that I wished there was more.
Turning our attention to the main menu, my eyes instantly lit up when I spotted Fraserburgh crab as a starter.
Sweet and salty, the crab meat tasted as good as it looked with thin flakes of potato rosti adding a slight crunch.
Next up, the sea trout…
Across the table, Andy, who is a massive seafood fan, was impressed by the sea trout.
Mild and delicate, the subtle flavours of the sea trout worked wonderfully with the punchier flavours of the orange and fennel while the red cured cabbage and the dill and cucumber tea balanced everything out.
In between courses, we sat back and relaxed, overhearing the couple next to us explaining to the server that they were enjoying a birthday meal out.
And now for the main event…
After giving us enough time to set the world to rights, our mains arrived.
Although the treacle cured sirloin beef caught my eye, I couldn’t resist the halibut.
Meaty yet light and flaky, the halibut was cooked to perfection as were the tender almost silky scallops.
Bringing depth and flavour to the dish was the creamy garlic mash and the aromatic saffron fish sauce while the crispy chicken wing added texture.
But the venison was the real showstopper…
While I absolutely loved my dish, I definitely had food envy when I saw Andy’s venison main.
From the tender cuts of venison loin and the braised haunch of venison pie to the sweet raspberry jus and the earthy Swiss chard, every element combined to work beautifully.
Andy also ordered a side of roast garlic mash with smoked cheddar and crispy onions which was so delicious that I could’ve eaten it on its own.
Even the desserts had the wow factor
Usually I’m too stuffed for dessert but one glance at the sweet treats on the menu and I miraculously made room.
Due to my aforementioned love of pineapple, the inner child in me couldn’t resist the pineapple white chocolate mousse with coconut cremeux and coriander.
A huge step up from tinned pineapple, it was hard to put into words just how incredible this dessert was, from the melt in the mouth shortbread like base and the moreish white chocolate chunks to the velvety and creamy coconut cremeux, it really was dessert heaven.
Cheese board with honeycomb…
Opposite me, Andy was happily digging into a cheese board complete with a selection of Scottish cheeses, bee pollen oatcakes, grapes and celery.
But the star of the show was the lavender honey which came with real chunks of honeycomb.
The verdict
It states on their menu that ‘the pineapple symbolises welcome, friendship and great hospitality’, which is a sentiment that couldn’t be more fitting for this wonderful restaurant.
Faultless from beginning to end, the Pineapple Grill and Seafood restaurant is a food love letter to Scotland.
Hats off to the executive chef Alan Clarke and his team in the kitchen who are true champions of local produce and to their lovely serving staff who looked after us very well.
OK, it’s not the cheapest meal out but for a beautiful meal in beautiful surroundings, it’s worth every penny.
Information
Address: Meldrum House Country Hotel & Golf Course, Oldmeldrum, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, AB51 0AE
T: 01651 872294
Price: £139.50 for two starters, two mains plus a side, two desserts plus a large glass of Pinot Noir and a mocktail.
Disabled access: Yes
Dog friendly: Dogs aren’t permitted in the Pineapple Grill and Seafood restaurant but they are permitted in the Cave Bar, the dining domes and in the stable rooms.
Scores:
- Food: 5/5
- Service: 4/5
- Surroundings: 5/5
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