I love it when I hear on the grapevine of a great new place to eat. From the first “a friend of a friend told me”, it is fantastic to hear word of a growing reputation.
Usually it only takes the first rumour and I am phoning to book a table so, having heard good things about the Allangrange Arms, it’s surprising it took so long to try it.
A traditional whitewashed inn set in a pretty Highland village on the Black Isle yet only eight miles from Inverness, it makes a handy escape. With so many great walks nearby, it is a fantastic location. The present owners have only been running it for around nine months and are continuing to develop it with the first guests for the soon-to-be refurbished bedrooms expected before Christmas.
It’s advertised as a pub with “gourmet food” and looks the part. Stone floors, exposed wooden beams and a well-stocked bar give it the genuine feel of a country hostelry. This would be a wonderful haven on a winter’s night where the warmth of the fire would be matched by the warmth of the company. On the downside, traditional buildings such as this have few windows and on a bright summer evening it perhaps felt a little gloomy as we were shown to the restaurant area at the back of the bar.
The menu is not large, but I see that as a good thing. I always dread the waiter bringing me a heavy tome containing page after page of options. Unless there is a whole brigade of chefs through the back, you know what will arrive on your plate has been delivered to the kitchen freezer by a mass caterer.
But at the Allangrange they take pride in using local produce. On the menu they credit the suppliers of their food, including hand-dived scallops (thank you Donnie) or fish (nice one, Fraser).
They are equally proud that what they serve is made on the premises, including the fresh-baked bread. While not strictly the focaccia we have learned to enjoy on Mediterranean holidays (it came without the olive oil and salt crust), when we are talking about homemade bread it would be unfair to criticise because, in true artisan style, everybody’s version will be different. And a good thing too, I say.
The starters sounded great and I could have had any one of the four on offer. I love Cullen skink and was sorely tempted but plumped instead for the potted shrimp. This is not something I eat regularly but have sampled a few versions over the years. These came without the layer of spiced clarified butter on top that can sometimes dominate the whole dish and they were also much more subtly spiced than other versions where the pepper, mace or all the spice can be overpowering. Instead, the shrimp were enveloped in a fresh-tasting buttery sauce and served slightly warm.
They were accompanied by humble oatcakes. I fancy myself as a bit of an oatcake connoisseur and I loved these. They were neither too coarse nor too fine, too thick or too thin. They were baked to perfection and were a fantastic example of how a simple peasant staple can still bring delight to our modern, spoilt palates.
My husband had the Kylesku mussels in cream sauce which he said were so fresh they must have been gathered that day.
Traditional fish and chips, beef and venison burgers were on offer alongside a delicious-sounding scallop and langoustine linguini or sweet potato and courgette curry. I picked the burger while my husband chose the fish and chips – tending more towards pub grub than the “gourmet food” we anticipated when we booked, but we knew that if cooked well this can still be food fit for a king.
The burger was an architectural triumph – a mountainous burger topped by a cairn of pulled pork. By its side, towering six inches into the air, were a couple of beautifully battered onion rings. The salad and homemade chips, together with a glass of merlot from an enticing wine list, completed the dish. The fish and chips were not quite as artistically served but the golden fresh batter cloaking a large fillet of moist flaky fish was accompanied by chips cooked to crispy perfection.
To me a brownie is all about chocolate so I was intrigued by their butterscotch and almond variety. It was more cakey than many of the gooey brownies I have consumed, but lovely all the same. My husband had no complaints about his cheesecake. I never got a word out of him as he devoured it.
Gourmet food or excellent pub grub? I don’t really care. It won’t be long until I am back.