RESTAURANT REVIEWS
A SHORE THING
Look no further than Crinan Hotel for the best of Scottish
seafood
Words
Richard Bath / Photo Walter Neilson - Scotland
on Sunday - June 2006
I have travelled the length and breadth of
the country and eaten in some wonderful places, but I can
honestly say that nowhere else I've been in Scotland matches
the Crinan Hotel for sheer beauty. I'm not talking about
the building itself which was once a classic Victorian country
hotel, but after a couple of fires is now a rather curious
architectural mish-mash. I'm talking about the breathtaking
views across to the rugged north end of Jura and the Gulf
of Corryvreckan; about the picture-perfect little hamlet
perched around the series of locks that connect the Crinan
canal to the sea.
This is Scotland in the raw: minke whales
and basking sharks are regular visitors to the coast here.
So, too, are dolphins and porpoise, while seals and gannets
are two-a-penny. There is even a resident pair of otters,
which amble across the towpath on most winter mornings.
Given its proximity to some of the best waters
on the west coast, it's hardly surprising that the Crinan
Hotel's ground-floor Westward restaurant has followed in
the footsteps of Lock 16, sadly now defunct, which long
ago established itself as one of the country's best-known
seafood venues. Many people visit this area for the scenery;
but the hotel's reputation wasn't won on the back of the
views. It was for the food, and specifically for the seafood.
Because of this, Bea and I decided to go native,
both choosing starters and main courses made up of things
that could scuttle or swim. Unfortunately; though, we couldn't
persuade our kids to join in: all three steered clear of
the fish choice on the excellent children's menu. It is
worth mentioning that, despite a buttoned-up clientele (the
inevitable result of a £50-a-head set menu), the hotel
goes out of its way to cater for children, being both welcoming
and offering outstandingly good value - one hefty course,
which is all many youngsters need, costs just £3.50,
while a three-course children's meal comes in at a tenner.
After canapes of crab and foie gras on brioche,
Bea began with brochettes of scallops with a balsamic reduction,
while I opted for the poached lobster with celeriac remoulade
and apple jus. The provenance of the ingredients was painstakingly
chronicled and ranged from Skye to Jura to Loch Fyne. It
certainly paid off to go local because both dishes were
fantastic.
Bea's scallops were not huge, but there were
loads of them and they were succulent and tender.
My serving of lobster was equally generous and well prepared.
A gloriously velvety sweet-potato soup spiced
with white truffle oil provided a momentary diversion from
seafood, and then we were back on track, with Bea ordering
a main course of lemon sole with smoked salmon pomme purée
while I plumped for the Loch Crinan jumbo prawns.
Bea's sole was excellent, and the potato accompaniment
unfeasibly smooth. My bowl of prawns was the biggest I have
ever seen: a dozen monsters that had been landed just three
hours earlier. The kids watched in mock horror as I greedily
devoured the lot, all the while giving thanks that only
one son was sufficiently adventurous to help me out.
The meal ended as it had begun, with food
of glorious simplicity and great depth of flavour. Both
puddings - my chocolate fondant with vanilla mascarpone
cheese and a red-wine reduction, and Bea's chambord mousse
with caramelised-almond shortbread - lived up to the Crinan
credo: crisp but unprissy preesentation: no unnecessary
frippery; fresh, high-quality local ingredients; uncomplicated
twists on classic combinations.
All of this added up to a meal of outstanding
quality served in a peerless environment. And it also offers
an easy explanation for why, even with such a hefty price-tag,
the Crinan Hotel's finest remains one of Scotland's top
destination restaurants.
VITAL STATISTICS
Westward Restaurant,
Crinan Hotel, Crinan,
By Lochgilphead,
Argyll
Ol546 830261
OUT OF POCKET
Set menu
£49.50 per head |
