With traditional views on cooking, Head Chef Garry Kenley thinks it’s important not to compromise and makes everything from scratch, from the breakfast jam to the pastry in the game pies. “I always enjoy seeing our huge stock pot simmering away top make another pot of consommé to use for the base of our sauces”.

Text continues below advert

The food is Contemporary Scottish with eclectic influences and each menu offers a unique style of cuisine from which diners can pick and choose. You might want to start with something from the Traditional menu, like Haggis, Neeps and Potato Bridie with Mescaline of Leaves served with a Wholegrain Mustard and Onion Sauce (£5.50).

For main you might be enticed by the intriguing Japanese Style Roasted Vegetables and Egg Noodles with Ponzu Sauce and Fried Seaweed (£13.50) from the Vegetarian menu. Non-meat eaters will find themselves spoilt for choice which is a rare thing even in this day and age.

From the Traditional menu we tried a starter of Crayfish, Orkney Cheddar and Caramelised Cauliflower Soup (£5.95), which on paper shouldn’t work but tasted rich, hearty and as deep as the sea. After that our confidence grew as dish after dish proved that Garry makes unusual combinations work, and work superbly.

My main of Filet of Local Cod on Potato Puree laced with Garlic served with a Pollock and Sorrel Sausage, marinated Fennel & Parsley Essence Emulsion (£16.50) heralded from the Gourmet menu and was a flavour revelation. Without fail Garry’s food was matching up to the mouth-watering descriptions.

For dessert I had the moist and extraordinarily good Chocolate Chestnut and Rosehip Cordial Truffle Cake with Goats Milk and Chocolate Chunk Sorbet (£6). It was worth every penny and I was beginning to wish I had signed up for more nights so I could carry on trying different dishes.

Garry started out with a four year apprenticeship working under Jim Macdonald and then Denis Woodli, before going on as Head Chef at the Atlantique Hotel, Guernsey which was awarded two AA rosettes and was also the double winner of the Guernsey Restaurant of the year award.

Local produce is used where possible with Garry’s meat coming from local supplier Stuart Grant of Grantown on Spey. Garry’s fish and shellfish are from Billy McGlinn of Highland Seafood and Keltic Seafare in Dingwall; Keltic also provides seafood to Buckingham Palace and Gordon Ramsay’s restaurants.

If you are ever in this part of the world and are looking for great food at a reasonable price, I recommend you check out the Coul House Hotel and Restaurant.