The Roman Camp, Callander

It's easy to miss the entrance to The Roman Camp which is off the main street of the busy little town of Callander. But as you turn into the tree-lined driveway of the 20-acre estate you instantly forget the 21st century hustle and bustle. Originally built as a hunting lodge in 1625, the Roman Camp was converted to a hotel in 1939 and has been run by Eric and Marion Brown since 1989.

The Roman Camp takes its name from remains that can be seen to the south of the gardens, dating from the 1st centrury AD when the Romans set up a line of defences against the highlanders, to protect their lowland conquests. The building has a fascinating history, constructed by the Earl or Moray, and being home to Reginald Brett, 2nd Viscount Esher, who extended and re-modelled the house extensively, including the addition of the extremely beautiful garden set within a curve of rubble walls embellished with a marble wellhead of the Romanesque period and an elaborate columnar sundial.
The hotel is full of old-world charm, such as the drawing room above with its over-stuffed sofas and orginal silk wall-covering, where afternoon tea or pre-dinner drinks are taken. Wood-panelling and low 17th century ceilings feature in other parts of the house, as do welcoming open fires.

The Roman Camp's restaurant has always enjoyed an excellent reputation. The style is definitely 'fine dining', but using local ingredients and with nods to Scottish culinary tradition. We settled into the comfortable chairs of the overspill dining room, having already perused the menu over a glass of Champagne and canapés in the drawing room. Our fellow guests seemed mostly to be residents on this occasion, though the set five-course dinner at £47.00 and à la carte at around the same cost are popular with non-residents too. A little amuse of a melon shot with a Pimms foam was delightfully fresh and tasty, and then came a basket of good breads included a malted soda bread and excellent sourdough rolls. 

Highlights of the meal included seared Scottish scallops which were expertly cooked to a golden crisp outside, with soft, yielding texture in the mouth. A little lightly-curried velouté sauce also sported tiny fragments of candied hazelnut, which was a clever way of adding subtley nutty flavours that matched the scallops, pin-points of sweetness and a bit of textural crunch. My main course of Scottish venison was also cooked extremely well, with each component of the dish carefully thought through and the flavours vivid and refined. Desserts (inlcuding a delicious little vanilla and raspberry pre-dessert) were superb too. The wine list here is a good one, with plenty of splash-out big names for those so inclined, but we were happy with a half bottle of house Champage and another half of Charles Joguet's Chinon Cuvée Terroir from the ripe 2003 vintage at around £30.

Summing up

Taking cofee and petit fours back in the drawing room, I considered my first impressions of The Roman Camp. There is absolutely no doubt the food here is of an extremely high standard. The kitchen is serving very sophisticated, very refined cuisine, and the ever-changing menu reflects the best of the season. The service in the dining room was also impeccable, the wine list was good and - once the day's wedding guests had departed - the whole hotel exudes a feeling of cosy, familial warmth: it doesn't have the air of a grand or imposing country hotel, but of a rambling and welcoming family home.

Roman Camp Country House Hotel
Off Main Street
Callander
Perthshire
FK17 8BG

Phone 0871 426 5373

Type of Cuisine Modern Scottish
Chef Ian McNaught


Lunch 12.00 - 2.00pm
Dinner 7.00 - 9.00pm

Corrieri's, Causewayhead

The Corrieri family originated in Lucca, Tuscany, an area renowned for its unique culinary traditions and famous wines. Our grandfather came from Italy to Ayrshire, Scotland in 1897, later moving to Kelty in Fife where he opened a traditional fish and chip shop and small cafe specialising in homemade Italian style ice cream. Our father and his brothers later followed into the family business.

In 1963 our father, Bobby Corrieri, moved to our present site in Causewayhead, Stirling where he and our mother, Saida, continued to run a very successful traditional Scottish-Italian ice cream and fish and chip shop.

We have been involved in the family business from a very young age, later taking over the running of the Cafe and recapturing our Italian roots by offering a range of authentic Italian cuisine. The business expanded in 2000 to meet growing demand and has continued to appeal to both visitors and locals of all ages, to whom we are extremely grateful for their loyalty and appreciation of our hard work!

In addition to our well-loved fish and chips, Corrieri’s Cafe is renowned throughout Scotland for its delicious thin crust pizzas, freshly prepared using the finest pizza flour, homemade tomato sauce and fresh mozzarella cheese, and cooked in an authentic Italian pizza oven. Famous too for our pasta, freshly prepared lasagne and pasta sauces, in which we strive to use only the very best ingredients - fresh fruit and vegetables, meat and fish sourced locally or freshly imported from Italy. To complement our delicious food we offer a carefully selected list of our favourite Italian wines and a selection of beers, soft drinks and legendary milkshakes, made with our award winning Corrieri’s Ice Cream. With over 100 flavours, Corrieri’s Ice Cream is freshly made on the premises, using the finest ingredients sourced both locally and from Italy. Or why not relax with a cup of our delicious Italian roasted coffee from our home town of Lucca.

Our open plan kitchen which allows you to see your food being prepared, the buzz of our busy restaurant, its walls adorned with old family photos and authentic Italian memorabilia, and our friendly staff all add to Corrieri’s legendary atmosphere.

We look forward to welcoming you at Corrieri’s Cafe.

 

http://www.corrieris.co.uk/menu.htm

Reserve a table Tel: 01786 472089
		Reserve a table Tel: 01786 472089

http://www.corrieris.co.uk/location.htm 

Champany Inn, Linlithgow

The Restaurant

Where’s the beef?
The answer has to be Champany Inn.  It is a restaurant that, while dedicated to beef, has the presence of mind to offer a wide choice of alternative and supporting dishes, accompanied by a most eclectic selection of world-class wines.

It is, in short, an experience. The experience starts, as indeed it should, in the bar. Here you may either sit at the bar or relax in the supreme comfort of easy chairs  while you make those all important decisions about what you are going to eat and drink. Your eye will surely be taken to the rock pond that forms an integral part of the bars décor. This is no mere decorative roadhouse “wishing well”, but a keep for glorious Loch Gruinart oysters and lobsters fresh from the Western Isles that will be fished out and prepared for those who appreciate the cunning combination of “surf and turf.”

There is no shortage of what the menu succinctly calls Starters. These include a most delicate Highland Black Pudding, home smoked beef dressed with single vineyard olive oil and fresh oregano, and fillet of salmon hot smoked to order. In winter the kitchens are proud of their soups which include a traditional Highland favourite with the name of Cullen Skink. This is a soup made from smoked haddock. However the Stilton soup, made from award winning Colston Basset truckles of stilton, is a sure haven for the less adventurous diner.

As you walk from the bar to the restaurant you will pass a chilled counter filled with the finest selection of beef that you will ever encounter. It is from these that the chefs will select your choice of Sirloin, Rib Eye, Porterhouse, Prime Rib or Chateaubriand and cut it for cooking on their specially designed charcoal grill. Clive Davidson is proud of his meat. He selects his beef from herds of prime cattle grazing off acres of lush Aberdeenshire countryside. The carcasses are hung for a full three weeks during which all the succulent flavours that have made Scottish beef such an internationally renowned delicacy, are held and matured.

In order to grill his beef to the exact degree of perfection that he wants Clive Davidson actually designed his own range. This was hand-built to his precise specification and reproduces the exact levels of heat that are required by Clive to seal and cook prime Aberdeen Angus beef. It also incorporates the smoke pot for preparing the hot smoked salmon.

Although Scotch beef holds centre-stage at Champany Inn, the menu does offer a number of alternative dishes. These include the most succulent and sweet roast breast of chicken—or, for fish eaters, a choice of grilled salmon, langoustine, or deep fried cod and chips.

Before indulging in one of the restaurants special desserts it is well-worth sampling a wedge of their stilton. A few years ago this accidentally won an award, when the judges for a national Stilton competition were dining together at Champany Inn. Even though the Davidsons had not entered their cheese, the judges were so impressed that they awarded it first prize!

When it comes to puddings—a fine old Gallo-Roman word that describes them perfectly—then Champany is once more full of sweet surprises. While the main restaurant menu is changed seasonally, the list of desserts is changed almost every week. This enables the fresh fruits, for which Scotland is famed, to be included in one guise or another.

When dinner is over you should return to the bar for your coffee and a snifter of one of the Early Landed Hine Cognacs that fill a handsome shelf behind the bar. There can be no better conclusion to the Champany experience than lingering over freshly brewed coffee while sipping a digestif.

http://www.champany.com/the-restaurant/
 

Lake of Menteith Hotel & Restaurant

Chef Graham Campbell

A warm welcome awaits you at the Lake of Menteith Hotel, situated beside the Lake with magnificent views to the Isle of Inchmahome and the hills beyond. Their 2 Rosette Conservatory Restaurant offers the perfect combination of fine wine and excellent food, and their friendly staff are eager to make yours an enjoyable and memorable stay. There are wonderful opportunities for fishing, cycling, golf and touring the marvellous countryside. The Hotel lies in the village of Port of Menteith and has 16 bedrooms with ensuite facilities and many with stunning view of the Lake.

Address: Port of Menteith, Perthshire, FK8 3RA, Scotland
Tel: 01877 385258
Fax: 01877 385671
Email: enquiries@lake-of-menteith-hotel.com
Website: www.lake-of-menteith-hotel.com

http://www.lake-hotel.com/eat/restaurant/dinner-menu.aspx 

Yann's at Glenearn House

Yann was born and bred in the Haute Savoie in the French Alps, and started cooking at thEage of 13, making crepes at his parents' restaurant in Chamonix .

At Yann's, cooking is a passion, The emphasis is on good food, kept simple and traditional, and we aim to make you feel at home in our relaxed and convivial bistro and lounge.

The Bistro-style restaurant features many dishes from Yann's home region with specialities such as Fondue and Pierrade on the menu as well as bistro classics like French onion soup, coq au Vin, steak frites and tarte tatin. And of course, we would recommend that you sample the crepes!

Website 

The Wheelhouse, Falkirk

The Wheelhouse Restaurant

The Wheelhouse - Falkirk
Millennium Wheel Drive, Falkirk FK1 4AD
01324 673 490
Review by Nigel Duncan

 

The Wheelhouse sits in the shadow of the stunning Falkirk Wheel, an ambitious £84.5m project to link the historic Forth & Clyde Canal and Union Canal, and the restaurant has witnessed encouraging growth since its opening almost two years ago.

Why? Because the extensive and varied menu offers interesting food at affordable prices. Not surprising then to find the modern diner packed on a chilly Thursday night in mid-November.

It is clean, the service is slick and our fellow customers ranged from children to pensioners, a testament to the universal appeal of the establishment.

The Wheel House prides itself on offering the best, fresh Scottish produce on small and large plates with a twist so, to test them, I plumped for Teriyaki King Prawns on a bed of stir fried vegetables, dressed with chilli oil. I was also tempted by an alternative of Stornoway black pudding fritters with Arran mustard mayo.

 

We stuck to the specials for the main course. Duck leg confit with lemon and cranberry jus was tempting but rump of lamb on a bed of herb mashed potatoes with a creamy blue cheese sauce and seasonal vegetables won.

The cheese sauce was superb and blended beautifully with the lamb. What’s more, the presentation added to the appeal.

Pam plumped for chicken fillet stir fry with mushroom and oyster sauce and fluffy egg noodles. No skimping on chicken here and the sauce was well-received.

We had no room for the pudding selection of trio of chocolate moose or lemon pannacota flan but, instead, washed the meal down with coffee and tea.

The Wheelhouse has an ethical policy emphasised by using fair trade coffee and the latte was spot on. I selected from the range of herbal tea, another plus point for the restaurant.

 

Townhouse Restaurants, who own the establishment, are run by Malcolm and Josie Binnie, named Licensees of the Year this year. They set high standards and achieve them.

The ample bar area allows diners to relax, but it is hard to argue with a restaurant which is on the outskirts of the Central Scotland town but you have to book a table most weekends and is busy mid-week.

The bosses of The Wheel House must be doing something right and that includes a special for the kids menu of one main course and a drink for £4.95.

Brunch is served from 9am to 11.45am and The Wheel House also offers freshly prepared sandwiches, pasta dishes and burgers. Basically, there is something for everybody.

Review

http://wheelhousefalkirk.com/ 

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Sample Dinner Menu