Having the luxury of a week’s leave from work last month, I spent it as many would, indulging in far too much food and drink.
However, having been on a diet for a large part of the year I believed it was important I enjoyed myself while getting some much-needed R and R.
I am always on the lookout for restaurants to eat in that I haven’t visited or dining at eateries that I have admired from afar – mainly through pictures on their social media feed.
Nowadays that is certainly the way to catch my attention as I scroll through Facebook or Instagram.
And it was the latter where I spotted The Stag in Forfar.
I had been following their Insta account for quite some time and loved the look of their food.
So it was on the Thursday of my holiday that I got the opportunity to eat there after my daughter, Cari, and I jumped in the car and headed to Forfar for a wander.
I mentioned in a previous review of Sinclair’s Kitchen that I have a great deal of affection for the town. All my family hail from there and I spent a lot of time there as I grew up.
And, would you believe it, as we trailed the streets of Forfar, which has a really decent shopping centre, including a very fine whisky shop on the East High Street, we bumped into my auntie and uncle who were off to do their shopping.
A catch-up with them was great and they were quizzing me on where my next review would be, which made us all chuckle when I revealed that was where we were headed.
There is a really good choice of restaurants in Forfar, including the legendary Castle Club, which has been serving great food for many decades.
Chapter and Verse, too, has a good reputation, while I am told The Rupali Indian is worth a visit.
However, we were not to be swayed and it was our original destination that we landed in.
The Stag
Situated at the top of Castle Street, The Stag is a good-sized venue featuring a bar, restaurant and café, which wasn’t open during our visit but is scheduled to reopen in mid-July.
You won’t miss it, as the black and white-painted building is imposing and dominates that end of the street.
They proudly boast of serving the county town for more than 100 years with fine drinks, great food and friendly service.
It is a fair assessment, particularly where the service is concerned.
The restaurant seats 30 covers and offers traditional Scottish fare, alongside Mediterranean-influenced dishes.
They offer Tuesday burger night, Thursday steak night, Fish Friday, Saturday tapas and Sunday roasts.
A recent pilot of afternoon teas proved successful and more are planned for July 1 and July 2.
The restaurant is family-friendly and also has a kids’ menu.
The Stag won the 2021 Scottish Licensed Trade Beer Quality Award in 2021 and were finalists last year.
On arrival, we were quickly shown to our table and I was interested to see that they were serving a new menu.
The food
I was impressed with what was on offer, with five dishes on the starters and small plates section, including balsamic mozzarella bruschetta and haggis fritters, both of which caught my eye.
However, it was the king prawn with chorizo and roast peppers (£7.95) that I plumped for.
Cari decided to forego a starter, as she had already eyed something pretty special on the dessert menu.
However, I was delighted that I had gone for mine.
Plump king prawns were served in a hot bowl with delicious chorizo, roasted peppers and cherry tomatoes. The dish was accompanied by three beautifully charred pieces of ciabatta.
There were also three roasted cloves of garlic in the bowl, which I eagerly spread on each piece of bread before covering them with the dish’s components.
The prawns were simply lovely, sweet and moreish which went well with the salty slivers of chorizo that had just enough kick to them.
The sweetness of the roasted peppers and tomatoes cut through the saltiness and this was a harmonious feast that I could have eaten so much more of.
Moving on to the main event, I didn’t need to ask Cari what she was ordering – I had spotted fajitas (£16.95) on the menu, so I could make an educated guess that she would choose them and so she did.
Fajitas are not a dish I personally eat when out, mainly for two reasons; I like to make them at home and I can get myself in an embarrassing mess.
What I would say about these when they arrived was: they had the wow factor.
The sizzling sizzler was overflowing with huge chunks of chicken, green, red and yellow peppers, onions and red chillies.
Four wraps were provided to load up your fajitas and generous helpings of cheddar cheese, sour cream, guacamole and salsa.
The juicy chicken, onions and peppers were smothered in Mexican spices that were not overpowering and these fajitas 100% delivered in flavour, while the peppers and onions maintained a good bite.
The dish had a real smoky flavour and Cari munched through all four of the tortillas, all of the chicken and all of the vegetables before looking rather satisfied with herself.
Cari had also ordered a side dish of salt and pepper fries (£4). These “tasted just like the Chinese” she said, although she ultimately failed to finish everything, such was the helping.
I was tempted by the rump sizzler but opted for something I had never eaten before: chicken Parmesan (£15.95). I don’t quite know why I had never tried it previously anywhere else, having seen it on many menus.
A lovely piece of crispy breaded chicken was topped with tomato sauce and mozzarella, accompanied by a healthy portion of skin on fries and salad.
The batter was perfectly crispy and was lovely and gooey where it was mixing with the sauce and cheese.
The chicken was lovely and moist, while I loved the balsamic dressing that was coating the salad.
The dish was vibrant with the tomato sauce and mozzarella playing a big part in that and I did struggle to get through it. Note to self – next time don’t have a starter.
Regular readers will know that I am always a starter and main, while my daughter or wife, if accompanying me, are always main and dessert.
Not having a massive sweet tooth, it is unlikely I am ever going to hail a dessert as the star of the show, but it was on this occasion.
Cari had opted for homemade strawberry and white chocolate cheesecake (£7.50) to finish.
I watched her face light up as she took her first mouthful and then insisted that I try some – and, my oh my, this was good, seriously good.
The strawberry and white chocolate served with vanilla ice cream was a dreamy combination, it was light and fluffy while the biscuit base provided that lovely crunch.
This cheesecake, which was garnished with fresh raspberries and strawberry coulis, was perfectly set and I looked on with envious eyes as my daughter completely cleaned the plate.
The verdict on The Stag
I am really pleased I finally got around to visiting The Stag. Their food impressed me and I would be eager to return and try some of their traditional dishes.
The service was outstanding, we were constantly checked to ensure everything was good, while the food arrived in a timely manner.
I would certainly recommend popping in there for lunch or dinner – just remember you must order the homemade cheesecake. Whoever makes it should be very proud of themselves.
Information
Address: 140 Castle Street, Forfar, DD8 3HX
Tel: 01307 468564
Price: £56.95 for one starter, two mains, one dessert and two soft drinks
Scores:
- Food: 4/5
- Service 5/5
- Surroundings: 3½/5
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