A lot can be said about a restaurant by the way its front of house team operates.
A smile can go a long way, as can asking questions and helping diners who look slightly confused on arrival – like myself when I visited The Newport Restaurant in Fife a few weeks ago.
I’m not sure if it was the look of confusion or amazement on my face when I walked through the side entrance that the bar staff clocked immediately. I hadn’t visited since their renovations so had been taken aback at the bar area’s stylish new look.
It has been a good while since I was last tucking into squid ink upstairs in Jamie Scott’s glorious three storey restaurant, but I was very much for this new and improved look nodding to the local coastline.
When you walk in its the reminder of home comforts that first hits. Natural colours that complement the landscape nod to the restaurant’s proximity to the Tay and there’s plenty of greenery helping to bring the outside in.
The individual who has making drinks behind the bar had already called for one of her colleagues to welcome us before I’d even managed to open my mouth.
A friendly welcome it was, too, with conversation flowing as we walked through the ground floor restaurant to the upper floor.
The table we were seated at was a long wooden one made from a piece of drift wood and it boasted the most epic views of the Tay across the water. To make sure we both got the perfect view, I joined my colleague, who I had invited along, on the other side of the table where we could overlook the rest of the dining room and out to the water.
Our server for the night was the charming Evie. What stood out most about Evie was her passionate personality. She seemed genuinely interested in us and had so much knowledge about the menu that I felt very reassured that Mariam’s dietary requirements would be met.
She’d asked about allergens and dietary requirements early on, and also recommended mocktails for the two of us. I took her suggestion of The Ambassador’s Assistant – a cloudy apple juice drink with honey and lime (£6). My dining partner opted for the French Mocktini (£6) with elderflower syrup, cranberry and pineapple.
Mocktails really are a hit or miss, so when the drinks came back looking just as good as the alcoholic versions you’d usually expect to find in a top bar, we were delighted.
The food
Sampling the new spring/summer three-course market menu, there were just two options on each course.
The snacks kick off your meal and consisted of The Newport Bakery’s sourdough with Edinburgh Butter Co. butter and a preserved truffle puff.
The bread was served warm with a range of oils and butters, and we lathered on as much as we could to really indulge in their full flavours.
The stand out though was the bite-sized puff of truffle. I could have eaten a trayful, popping each one into my mouth like little sweeties because they were so good. Evie also commented on how much she loves them, and spoke of having to fight her temptation of craving them throughout service.
The soft inside with the sweeter pastry casing and the savoury filling was just a delight.
The starters boasted one of my favourite dishes of the night and probably the best Arbroath smokie dish I’ve had.
Served with a crispy potato terrine on the side, which was perfect for dunking in, the beer vinegar and veloute and the pea emulsion was incredible.
The fish itself was so incredibly soft, but the veloute was light and airy and was packed with flavour.
The potato had been fried and boasted a crisp, light crunch that followed fluffy layers of the tuber.
The other starter was Denhead asparagus and my dining partner commented on well the asparagus had been cooked.
Served with black garlic mayonnaise and emulsion, homemade ricotta and little rye crisps which added a crunch to it, this dish was delightful. The sunflower and sorrel pesto was complemented well with the asparagus that had been dressed in lemon and garlic. It was cooked just right and the dots of fermented white asparagus finished it all off.
There was a slight pause between each course which we both enjoyed.
Mariam and I have worked together for months but had missed out on quality time having been working from home and based in different cities, and The Newport Restaurant seemed like the perfect place to celebrate our coming together.
Evie continued to check in on us and continued to replenish our water glasses.
Our mains consisted of Myreside Farm lamb and Peterhead landed hake.
The lamb was mine and was delightful. A small piece, it was enough and the braised neck was beautiful. The wild garlic wasn’t as overpowering as I’d thought it might have been, and the roasted cauliflower added a whole new texture into the mix.
Evie poured the green peppercorn sauce over the meat. It was delicious and the peppercorns popped in my mouth as I crunched away.
The hake was just as enjoyable, with spring leeks and an anchovy emulsion and mussel sauce all placed on one plate.
The meaty fish sat to the side of the cooked leek which was topped with the mussel sauce. Again, it was beautifully presented and the piece of fish was pretty big so made for quite the eat.
After our plates had been cleared we just had a short wait until dessert.
We’d decided to share them so we could both enjoy a taste of both the sweet and savoury dishes.
The sweet one comprised of local strawberries from Seahills Farm, clotted cream, sweet cicely and Tonka bean ice cream.
It was a little work of art that we were very eager to tuck into.
As we took our first spoonful, we decided we should have started with the savoury option and put our spoons down to tackle the cheeseboard.
The three cheese selection boasted a blue, manchego and cheddar on it and also had a ramekin of honeycomb and another of chutney on the side.
Biscuits, crisp bread and other goodies from Newport Bakery accompanied the cheese and made for the perfect vessel to top it with.
The honeycomb was one of my favourite parts and I put it plus some manchego on top of a crispbread and devoured the lot. The blue cheese wasn’t too pungent and while it isn’t usually one I’d pick, I still enjoyed it.
To finish off the meal we enjoyed a blood orange petit fours delivered by Evie which was a welcome surprise.
The hard outer chocolate shell was beautifully painted. Primary colours on a base of white stood out boldly, but it was the pop of blood orange jelly that hid inside that was incredibly soft and packed with flavour.
There’s something about ending a brilliant meal with a bit of chocolate that appeals to me a lot.
The verdict
While the setting of The Newport Restaurant is an elegant, sophisticated spot that puts its food at the centre of its offering, it is the service, the smiling faces that boast impeccable knowledge of each dish and ingredient, that make you feel like you’re in the safest of hands.
No ask was too big and Evie completely made our evening with her attentiveness and friendly personality.
The mocktails were also worth writing home about and while there are only two options per course, the fact the venue can easily accommodate to allergens and dietary requirements makes it very easy to navigate.
Information
Address: 1 High Street, Newport-on-Tay DD6 8AB
T: 01382 541449
W: www.thenewportrestaurant.co.uk
Price: £37.50 per person
Scores:
- Food: 5/5
- Service: 5/5
- Surrounding: 5/5
Conversation