Ready to fill up on haggis and Scotch pies with sides of seasonal veggies and herbs straight from the garden? You’ve come to the right region.
Perthshire
It’s easy to find Perthshire restaurants serving an abundance of produce from the local area. You’ll find yourself in Bridge of Earn after a 10-minute drive from the centre of Perth. It’s home to The Roost Restaurant, which is renowned for home-grown vegetables and foraged mushrooms crafted into dishes cooked in an indoor wood-burning oven. A must try is the Scotch beef, hand selected by the butcher and dry-aged for 35 days.
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- Sample some delicious local Scotch beef at The Roost Restaurant
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- The Pitcairngreen Inn, just outside of Perth
On the North Port is the suitably named North Port Restaurant, where ingredients are carefully selected and supplied by small growers, breeders and foragers. The traditional and cosy interior contrasts with beautifully presented modern dishes. But, if you want nothing more than to keep the jeans on after a big day exploring and simply order a decent beer with hearty fare, options abound in Perthshire.
The Roost Restaurant, is renowned for home-grown vegetables and foraged mushrooms crafted into dishes cooked in an indoor wood-burning oven
Pop into the Pitcairngreen Inn on the outskirts of Perth to eat country-style food in the beer garden. In Pitlochry, take your appetite to The Moulin Inn & Brewery. A pioneer in the microbrewery movement in Scotland, it first opened in 1995. The beer is – obviously – highly prized, but you’ll also enjoy the usual pub fare at the gastropub level.
Looking for views with your food? Head to the Verandah Restaurant overlooking the Tummel Valley for wholesome dishes of game and fish. The Carse of Gowrie has long been known as a fertile area for growing soft fruits, something that the Cairn O’Mohr winery seizes with both hands to make fruit wines. Visit what they dub their ‘Strange Scottish winery’, to sit on the sun-drenched deck with views of wooden sculptures and sips of fruity tipples. The Pickled Peacock serves treats like venison chorizo with chicken, spinach and Allan’s smoked chilli jam.
Angus
It’ll come as no surprise that the Angus coastal towns offer superb fish, but nowhere more than Arbroath with its famous smokie – a piece of moreish smoked haddock. Smokies originated a few miles north of Arbroath in the tiny fishing village of Auchmithie. Here, fishwives smoked the fish in half barrels, trapping the smoke under layers of hessian sacking. Therefore, it’s only right that The But n Ben finds new ways to feature it on the menu, including the mouthwatering smokie pancake.
Enjoy a locally sourced menu at The Drovers Inn
Taking advantage of the strong fishing link in Arbroath, The Marina restaurant features all your local fish shop favourites for takeaway. Another Angus speciality is the famous Forfar bridie. Similar to a Cornish pasty, the shortcrust version is filled with meat and vegetables. The best known in town come from Saddler’s of Forfar on East High Street. For farm-to-fork food in a rustic but elegant setting, have a long, leisurely meal at The Drovers Inn at Memus.
North of Alyth, Peel Farm is a farmhouse kitchen that’s a popular stop for cyclists. The Coffee Shop serves particularly scrumptious breakfasts, including Peel Farm sausage with free-range scrambled eggs and beans on toast. With views out to the misty loch and a wood stove for home cooking and baking, the Wee Bear Café at Lochside is an ideal stop before or after exploring the Angus Glens.
Dundee
Start your day with a Scottish pancake loaded with sausages, bacon, egg, black pudding and mushrooms at the Pancake Place and get set for so much more! Dundee brims with family-run restaurants serving seasonal food and traditional fare, like Simpsons on Exchange Street. Tuck into a full Scottish breakfast here, with haggis and a tattie scone. On the same street, you’ll find The Flame Tree Café for home bakes.
You can’t leave the city without trying one of The Flame Tree Café’s famous rainbow bagels
Fantastic, traditional pub grub is always just a few steps around the corner in Dundee. At over 150 years old, the Phoenix doesn’t even need to have a website or social media. It’s simply a given that you’ll eat good food with the football here. It’s all about beer, barbeques with local produce and bands at Duke’s Corner, with starters like Duke’s Scotch Egg with habanero ketchup to go with craft beer.
Seafood fans flock to Broughty Ferry and Collinsons for imaginative dining – think Pittenweem clams with smoked haddock, prawn chowder and crispy pancetta. For more, The Ship Inn boasts a waterfront location on the Tay River and claims to serve the freshest local fish throughout the year. Dine in or get your takeaway from the family-run Murray’s Fish and Chips on Gray Street.
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