The Times
Chitra Ramaswamy had Sunday lunch at the “sumptuous” country-house hotel owned by tennis maestro Andy Murray and his wife Kim, where “the vibe is rich, busy, Victoriana-with-a-wink and noticeably tartan-free”.
The conservatory dining room was a bit of a let-down, feeling “closer to a daytime brasserie”, and will apparently be replaced next year by a new ‘fine-dining’ restaurant, but the food from chef James Mearing (“clearly a talent” who “is only just getting started”) is “exactly the kind of food I want to eat in high summer, in a high-end hotel”.
Puddledub pork loin and belly was “bang on” and arrived with an “inspired” apple caramelised in pork fat and coiled into a rose, as if for a sweet tart. Salt-aged duck with charred red chicory, kohlrabi and rhubarb was a “fabulous, elegant, crowd-pleasing dish”. The chips were also “sensational”, while a slab of French pear and almond tart with rum-and-raisin ice cream and “fat juicy brambles, foraged I presume from Cromlix’s glorious estate” was “so delicious we don’t bother telling the staff it’s not what we ordered”.
Chitra Ramaswamy - 2025-08-03
