Maritime Bliss - Press & Journal - Saturday March 20th 2004
Press & Journal Eating Out Saturday March 20th 2004
Perched on a cliff edge overlooking Catterline bay and harbour is a cosy pub and restaurant known for its good food.
It predominantly specialises in locally caught seafood, but there is plenty on the menu to temp those who wish to savour something other than the catch of the day.
It was the combination of its spectacular location and fine food reputation that made it an ideal port of call for myself and my parents, who are not only keen on visiting fish restaurants but are avid bird-watchers.
With the nearby Fowelsheugh RSPB Seabird Colony in Crawton being one of the UK's largest mainland seabird colonies, there was plenty for them to feast their eyes on.
We arrived on a Tuesday at lunch time and were given the choice of dinning in the restaurant or slightly more informal lounge area. Both rooms feature open fires and beamed ceilings, both have a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere and both offer the same menu.
We chose the lounge area, which had paintings and etchings by local artists on the walls, some of which were for sale.
The friendly host offered us a drink as soon as we sat down, and although we all had soft drinks, we couldn't help but be impressed by the selection of real ales and the extensive wine list available. The wide selection of wines had been carefully chosen to complement both the seafood and meat dishes, and the list reflected classic styles from traditional regions such as France, Spain and Italy as well as a good choice of New World wines, reflecting current trends.
And so to the food. As well as the regular menu, there was a specials board which changes daily reflecting depending on what fruits the sea provides and offers a wide range of starters, main dishes and vegetarian options.
The decision was a difficult one, but I finally decided on the tomato and roast pepper soup from the specials board, while my patents both went for The Creel Inn crab soup - a house speciality made from local crabs, all served with a basket of Scottish bread and butter.
The tomato and roast pepper soup was thick and full of well-balanced flavours - a warming choice for a cold, blustery day that it was. The crab soup was described as the best they had tasted, It was rich and creamy and full of succulent, large chunks of crab meat.
For the main course, my father and I chose the Seafood Trio from the main menu. It contained three varieties of fresh fish from the market - on this occasion, the trio comprised of rock turbot, sea bass and salmon - pan-seared and served with a curried mussel cream. My mother chose pan-fried bass with sun dried tomato polenta and a smoked paprika sauce from the specials board.
The food promptly arrived, served with dishes of vegetables, including new potatoes, mashed potato, carrot, courgette and beetroot. Once again there was no complaints, just plenty of praise for what was described by my parents as a fish dish as good as any they had tasted elsewhere - and that includes a lot of fish restaurants, the curried mussel cream sauce was delicious and the dish worthy having for that alone. It was full of flavour without being overpowering and complemented each fish variety perfectly. The pan-fries bass with sun dried tomato polenta and smoked paprika and crab sauce was also described as outstanding, again with plenty of flavours to tantalise the taste buds.
We had just enough room left for dessert - I chose a homemade baileys Bread and Butter Pudding with sultanas, cinnamon, citrus and baileys custard, oven-baked and served with cream, which I can only describe as the best bread and butter I have tasted. My father went for Old Fashioned Rice Pudding which was a traditional homemade rice pudding with saltanas, cream and a hint of cinnamon, served with a fruit compote, and my mother chose the Banana Crème Brulee. Again, both dishes received enthusiastic praise. The meal was finished off with coffee and tablet.
The bill came to £65.75, which is excellent value for money for the top quality food we savoured
On the day we visited, it was fairly quiet, but if you want to sample the food in the evenings or have lunch at the weekend, bookings for the restaurant are advisable.
It is a place that is well worth a visit and one I will be returning to very soon.
Score out of 30/28 :
Quality of food 5
Menu Choice 5
Surroundings 4
Location 5
Service 4
Value for Money 5
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