I recently discovered the magical town of Dunkeld is a rather sleepy one.
Nightlife doesn’t really exist here, and if you do want a drink later in the evening, I’ve found being a resident in a local hotel really does help.
Staying in The Atholl Arms Hotel recently, I found myself to be one of the lucky few who could enjoy a drink after 10pm.
Don’t get me wrong there is the odd venue that does stay open later, but they are few and far between.
While staying at the hotel I decided to sample some of the food, making a reservation for both evenings.
The first evening taught me a lot of things about the venue. To begin, there’s two dining areas, one being the trendy RiverView Restaurant and the other more casual Z’s Bar and Bistro where dogs are welcome. There’s also the option to dine outside during the day on the terrace, too.
My boyfriend and I booked for the RiverView Restaurant both nights to enjoy the view from the window of The Tay. The menus in both areas are the same, so no one misses out on the pub-inspired dishes or the more refined ones either.
The second thing I realised was that the portion sizes really should come with a warning. Every dish I had was very, very generous. The chef obviously likes to ensure customers are well fed.
And the third? The team can’t do more for you.
On the first night we were craving something hefty as we were pretty hungry so the pub dishes appealed the most. I was defeated by my chilli cheese nachos (£11.50) starter which came with wasabi crème fraiche and guacamole, and Calum just managed to finish his duo of salmon (£11.50) that consisted of hot and cold smoked fish, oatcakes, parmesan and rocket.
It was a struggle to the finish line from then on. My main of Thai red curry with prawns (£20.50) was utterly delicious, but again, a huge portion. And the creamy mac and cheese with bacon (£17.50) looked monstrous next to mine.
The next night though was a slightly different story as we knew what we were walking into.
Atholl Arms Hotel
The RiverView Restaurant is elegant and decorated in subtle pink and grey hues. The seating is primarily finished with velvet and as well as the few individual tables dotted around the room, the rest of the seating is half booths that hug the walls.
We were seated in view of The Tay and it was a gorgeous night with the sun glaring in.
David, the head chef, had introduced himself and suggested we try the chicken skewers, however we were more intrigued by the duck and steak mains.
I found myself humming along to the background acoustic music as some of my favourite pop songs played, observing how busy it was at 7.45pm with every table occupied.
We ordered a Diet Coke each and revisited the menu, just to confirm our choices. Our server was back in a jiffy and placed our drinks on the marble table.
The food
I ordered the Shetland mussels mariniere with white wine, garlic and cream (£11.50) and duck breast (£22.95) while Calum decided on the haggis bon bons (£9.95) and ribeye steak (£29.95) cooked rare with peppercorn sauce.
The first thing indicating food was on its way was a big red pot. “This is for your mussels,” said the server.
Shortly after a big bowl and thin plate graced the table, the bowl with mussels towering in it and the plate with handmade fried balls.
I should have known there would have been in excess of 40 mussels given the size of the nachos the night before, but I managed them all. The sauce pooled at the bottom, so the ones nearer the end certainly had much more flavour to them.
I used half a slice of bread to dip in and soak up all the sauce which was incredible There was a lot of garlic in there with small pieces of chopped white onion. Every mussel had opened too, which told me they were fresh and well cooked.
On the other side of the table Calum was silent. The light smoked whisky crème fraiche served with the peppery haggis was delightful, and the addition of vegetable crisps on top of the salad leaves was appreciated. Not something you usually find on a dish like that.
The bon bons were rustic and weren’t uniform, a little rough around the edges you could say. But they were fried well, crisp on the outside and the soft meat inside was excellent with the peppercorn spice really coming through.
Mains were just as enjoyable, with Calum raving about how well the steak was cooked.
Both plates again boasted a substantial portion and stacked on top of the meat sat a grilled tomato, Portobello mushroom, three chunky onion rings, and micro herbs. On the side was peppercorn sauce and skinny fries.
Every element worked together and while the juicy mushroom was commended highly, he couldn’t see past the tenderness of the meat and the sweet yet pepperiness of the sauce, which there was plenty of.
My duck came with pak choi and thin vermicelli noodles in a honey and ginger sauce.
The bird was succulent and slightly pink in the middle, just how I like it. The Asian flavours worked well and the dish was plated beautifully with the noodles hidden underneath and the veg on top.
Calum managed to finish his while I left a little pool of noodles in anticipation of dessert.
We’d come prepared this time and skipped lunch to make sure something sweet was on the cards.
After clearing our table our server didn’t need to bring us the menu as I’d eyed up the sticky toffee pudding (£8.50) with ice cream and the Atholl crumble with warm custard (£8.50) had Calum’s name on it.
We’d gone in more confident and quickly realised that maybe dessert was too much of a push after all. Each in their own right was superb and we certainly enjoyed trying to devour them, but the amount of food we’d consumed was just too much.
The quality is certainly there for the food but it is a challenge to make it to the third course.
I’d also argue that while some of the prices of a few of the dishes were on the expensive side, due to the amount of food you get, I actually think they are pretty fair. I thought the steak was well priced for the quality and portion.
We ended the evening with a nightcap in the lounge where residents are welcome to drink after 10pm. Non-residents however aren’t able to indulge in this luxury, so it does pay to stay in Dunkeld.
The verdict
Nothing was too big an ask at The Atholl Arms Hotel and the portion sizes are very generous.
It is hard to get through three courses (even with a big appetite) due to the amount of food on each plate, so choose wisely, or sharing starters or desserts may be a great option.
The RiverView Restaurant made for the most gorgeous setting and while it looks big, it only seats around 26 to 30 people in one sitting, so be sure to book in advance if you want to try it out.
There is, for those with dogs, the separate bistro area where you’ll find plenty other four-legged friends at this dog-friendly hotel.
Overall it was a very hospitable dining experience and one I hope to enjoy again soon.
Information
Address: Bridgehead, Tay Terrace, Dunkeld PH8 0AQ
T: 01350 727219
Price: £98.15 for three courses each for two and two Diet Cokes
Scores:
- Food: 4/5
- Service: 5/5
- Surroundings: 4/5
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