Argyll And Bute Restaurant Guide

Brave the “unforgiving, long and narrow road to reach this haven on the shores of Loch Fyne” – a “stunning venue” in a former fisherman’s croft whose “light-filled Scandinavian aesthetic” nods to the background of founders Pam Brunton and Rob Latimer, the two Noma alumni who launched it in 2015. There’s a “distinctive lightness and freshness to the cooking”, with “excellent seafood featuring” and an accent on “homegrown veggies”, ensuring that “even the side salad (from their polytunnel down the road) is amazing”. Should you wish, you can overnight in equal style (“we loved the custom-built mini-cabins and vinyl records”).

“The freshest of fish landed outside the window” keeps seafood aficionados coming back to the MacLeod family’s famous venue – a “lovely spot” right on the North Pier at Oban, Scotland’s ‘fish capital’, which fans say “does a tremendously good job”. Top Menu Tip – “the oysters are divine” (fresh every day from Lock Creran).

2022 Review: This squat former croft with a red tin roof overlooks the Inner Hebrides from the Knapdale peninsula and hosts Clare Johnson’s “brilliant” cooking of the wonderful ingredients on her doorstep: game, rare-breed meat and most of all seafood fresh from the famous surrounding waters such as Isle of Gigha halibut and lobster, crab, scallops and langoustines landed at Tarbet. Clare and her partner David Wilson moved here in 2004, and quickly established an enthusiastic following.

2022 Review: “A shack at the pier head” in Fionnphort at the far end of the Ross of Mull, “selling the freshest seafood” – most of it caught by owner Alex Cameron’s husband, Andrew, and other divers in the sea immediately behind. “We only had a lobster sandwich, but both bread and lobster were good. It’s not a restaurant because there’s only some outside seating – but on a good day, what’s not to like?”.

2022 Review: “Worth the journey” to this far-flung Inner Hebrides island – this whitewashed eighteenth- century hotel offers “amazing views” out to the neighbouring isle of Jura. The “lovely” dining room is more gastropub than formal restaurant, but the locally sourced food is no less “great” for that.

2023 Review: “Lovely small restaurant” in an old bank building that’s carved a niche for itself over the past two decades with “great cooking” that makes good use of Argyll’s “local and seasonal produce” – with seafood, meat and game all featured. Chef-patron Richard Fowler and his wife Nicola are “lovely people” and offer “great service” – “we dropped in for an impromptu lunch and it massively exceeded our expectations”. It’s “good value too”.

2023 Review: “A beautiful and romantic setting” – this small hotel and golf resort has an idyllic, away-from-it-all location on a small tidal island at the entrance to Loch Creran. Still too few reports for a rating, although such feedback as we have on Ernst Van Zyl’s cuisine is upbeat.