Restaurant review: Gather in Carnoustie caters for everyone and boy can they poach an egg

By Brian Stormont

October 1 2022, 6:00am

Some of the brunch offering at Gather in Carnoustie.

Over the years, I have often heard people saying they were going for brunch or enjoyed brunch, but it wasn’t something I had ever tried.

I was more of your three meals a day kind of guy with elevenses – or at 10ish – thrown in.

However, that has all changed for me now after the discovery of Gather in Carnoustie.

The seaside town is quite famous for its golf – and the fact that Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) from the Star Wars films comes from the town.

Ben Hogan won the Open Championship at the famous links in 1953 on his only time playing in the Open and Tom Watson bagged the first of his five Open Championships there too.

They have also had a Scottish winner in the shape of Paul Lawrie when the course was labelled “Carnasty” back in 1999. Not that Lawrie cared as he took home the claret jug.

And staying with the sporting theme, junior side Carnoustie Panmure have reached the third round of the Scottish Cup – yes, the real Scottish Cup – at the first time of participating.

But there are many other reasons to pop into Carnoustie – and food is high up the list. There are a number of well-respected hotels and restaurants in the town. For a small place, it definitely punches above its weight.

Move to Dundee Street

Gather began life as a deli and fruit and veg shop in the town’s High Street which proved popular.

However, the move to larger premises in Dundee Street has seen them grow and develop in recent years into one of Carnoustie’s established eateries.

Now, I have a confession to make. I wanted to review this place. I absolutely love it and pop in once or twice a month.

I wanted to share the joy.

I was, however, being entirely truthful when I talked about brunch. I have only recently got into it – and it was at Gather where I earned my wings.

You will be equally welcome on a visit for breakfast, lunch or just a cup of coffee.

Arriving at Gather in Carnoustie

You get a great welcome on arriving at Gather which can offer quite an intimate setting with some booths to the right as you go in the door.

Adjacent to these are a few other tables with the food prep area to the rear.

They have also recently done a little revamp to introduce two other tables to the left of the food prep – a really good move. This is a busy place and you are best to book.

At the front door you are greeted with cakes and muffins, freshly made daily, along with their sourdough that plays a key part in much of their offering.

They are licensed and stock craft gins and whiskies and craft beers from nearby brewers such as Dundee’s 71 Brewing.

Once you are shown to your table, you are automatically given a bottle of chilled water to enjoy which is provided at no cost – a lovely touch.

The food

One thing I will say about Gather is the first thing to do is cast an eye over the specials board. The menu items are all worth trying – but they have some real gems from time-to-time on the specials.

Recently I tried sourdough topped with chilli jam, roasted Mediterranean vegetables served with Gather salad. It was delicious and I would try it again.

They also once did a Scottish breakfast shakshuka which I didn’t sample – but wish I did.

I have, however, eaten the normal shakshuka which is a delightful combination of free-range eggs served in a spicy tomato sauce, topped with harissa and served with toasted sourdough.

If you like a spicy start to your day it won’t disappoint.

On our most recent visit, I opted for the eggs Benedict with bacon. It was sublime.

My beautifully crispy smoked bacon adorned a toasted muffin with two perfectly cooked poached eggs nestling on top. This would have been enough, but drooling over the eggs and bacon was their delicious Hollandaise. It was sweet and creamy, with just enough acidity to take the edge off the sweetness.

It was a joy and I savoured every morsel.

My wife, too, had opted for eggs bene. But she had chosen smoked salmon with hers.

I did sample it – swapping her for a bacon treat. I genuinely wish I hadn’t. As amazing as mine was, the smoked salmon was a truly perfect accompaniment with the smokiness of the fish going hand-in-hand with the Hollandaise and runny yolks of the poached eggs.

On that note, I don’t know how they do it. But, boy can they poach an egg at Gather.

I have eaten a lot of poached eggs in my time, but nothing gets close to the ones they dish out here.

They are perfectly cooked every time with the most luscious yolk you could dream of. If you don’t try them on a visit you are doing yourself a disservice.

The other dish we had ordered was the salmon stack. Once again, it was a winner.

Toasted sourdough topped with wilted spinach, scrambled eggs and smoked salmon, it is the younger brother of a lunchtime treat on the menu – the smoked salmon sandwich.

Did I say they could poach an egg? Well they aren’t too bad at scrambling them either and this was a delightful combination. Smoked salmon paired with scrambled eggs made me think it was Christmas Day – it is often how I like to mark the morning.

On the lunchtime offering, it is terrific, too – open toasted sourdough that has been spread with the tastiest lemon mayonnaise, capers, smoked salmon and a poached egg. If you are in for lunch, it’s another winner.

Being licensed, they offer a range of cocktails, wine and gin. However, they also do some incredible fresh juices – simply named The Orange One, The Green One and The Purple One.

I opted for the orange one which was carrot, orange and ginger quaintly served in a jam jar.

I wasn’t sure about it when ordering, but it was absolutely terrific. And it was nice to try something that wasn’t tea or coffee and probably full of nutrients.

Just to add, as a side note, they also offer sweet treats, such as the waffle stack – two Belgian waffles stacked and served with a side of Canadian maple syrup, and a granola trifle.

The specials board is again the place to keep an eye on for other sweeter delights.

The verdict

Put simply, Gather is great. It ticks all the boxes with dishes for all to enjoy. Vegan, vegetarian, meat eaters or gluten-free, they cater for everyone.

And they are also dog friendly so your four-legged friend gets pampered too.

They champion local by using fresh local produce as much as possible. Their food is fresh, it’s homemade, it’s vibrant. You can buy their sourdough, their cakes and their muffins to take home as well.

You get a fantastic welcome and if you like a poached egg, I have never had better.

My advice is to Gather up your family and friends and give them a go.