Pittenweem, British, Modern Restaurant Guide

“Fabulous” and “innovative modern cuisine” have earned an outstanding reputation for this “welcoming and unpretentious” village inn from chef James Ferguson and front of house Alethea Palmer, who worked together at London’s Rochelle Canteen. One reporter hailed it as their “current favourite Scottish restaurant”, while Chitra Ramaswamy of The Times, in her January 2025 rave review, was brought “close to tears” by warm madeleines at the end of a “peerless” meal. Top Menu Tip – “the flatbreads, humble as they may be, are outstanding with a warm garlicky bean purée”.

“The Smeddle Family has consistently turned out very good food served by very knowledgeable and capable waiting staff” (all backed up by a heavyweight wine list) at this famous, upscale inn – sensitively modernised over the years and set “in a tiny village just outside St Andrews”. One reporter gives us the local lowdown: “As it happens the family have just announced that the business is up for sale. (March 2025). They have run it for twenty years and took it to one Michelin Star. Before them the legendary David Wilson ran it for thirty five years. Watch this space for details of the new owner…” [no transaction has yet been announced as of October 2025]

2022 Review: “A very classy experience with little or no fault to find”, say fans of the Roux-branded operation at this well-known Lutyens-designed golfing hotel, which looks towards the Firth of Forth, although it again attracted only a limited volume of feedback. Also acclaimed: “a lovely country-house ambience for a perfect afternoon tea, with spot-on service”. (Albert Roux, who passed away in early 2021, had been in charge of managing the cuisine here, but now it’s handled by his son, Michel Roux Jr).

Tom & Michaela Kitchin’s restaurant-with-rooms in the village of Gullane on Scotland’s East coast sits just a stone’s throw from Muirfield golf course, and a 30-minute drive from Edinburgh. All reports are complimentary without ever hitting any heights – viz. “great place to stay and a good restaurant, if you do stay the breakfast is spectacular”.