The Loft: I review Scotland's most romantic restaurant

What is it about The Loft Restaurant near Pitlochry that makes it Scotland’s most romantic restaurant?

The family-run eatery in Bridge of Tilt was awarded the title of Romantic Restaurant of the Year at the Scottish Restaurant Awards.

I couldn’t help but wonder, what is it about the venue that creates this element of romance?

Is it mood lighting, gorgeous views or spectacular food that sets The Loft apart and helps sparks fly?

With my boyfriend otherwise occupied – his loss – my friend, Cara, stepped up to the plate as my date for this review.

We joked that if this restaurant is really as romantic as they say it is, we may end up in love by the end of the night.

Picturesque setting with gorgeous views on The Loft restaurant review

The venue was certainly in a picturesque setting, both of us ooh-ing and ahh-ing as we take in the Perthshire skyline on our drive.

Tucked away down an unassuming lane, we aren’t sure we’re in the right place at first.

But soon, gleaming gold signage at the entrance confirms we’re there.

It’s not the venue one may typically think of when you imagine romance. I don’t know about you, but I picture something dark, gloomy and modern, where you and your partner are perhaps positioned snugly in a booth.

The Loft Restaurant, Bridge of Tilt. Image: Mhairi Edwards/DC Thomson

Instead, The Loft Restaurant has an unapologetically homely atmosphere to it, with the owners cheerfully greeting and amusing staff left and right.

You feel like you’re part of the family in the best of ways.

But this homely feeling doesn’t mean the service or quality of food is lacking.

Starters stand on their own two feet – for once

A range of music plays in the background of our meal, including the love song Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes) by Edison Lighthouse.

It’s not long before we tuck into our starters.

These, I am happy to say, were excellent.

Oftentimes, starters can be decidedly meh, a bland preview which, if considered without the rest of the meal, rarely stand on their own two feet.

But at The Loft Restaurant, our starters were far from bland or meh.

Cara ordered the grilled goats cheese and black pudding (£9.99).

Grilled goats cheese and black pudding. Image: Mhairi Edwards/DC Thomson

This was a combination that surprised us both and I can’t lie, I expected the rich flavours to be too much.

But it actually worked well, and was a surprisingly light dish. The black pudding was not at all dry or dense as can often be the case if it is even slightly overcooked.

The rich flavours paired well, especially with the the delicious and sweet cranberry vinaigrette on the accompanying salad.

I had the tender fried calamari (£10.50) for my starter. Again, this was a success.

Tender fried calamari. Image: Mhairi Edwards/DC Thomson

There was plenty of flavour to the light breading, which coated the sizeable chunks of squid.

These had a great texture to them, not at all chewy. The breading wasn’t soggy or falling apart either.

Romance set alight by attentive staff – literally

I suppose one element of a dining experience which could inspire romance would be attentive staff.

You might be thinking, why, shouldn’t all your attention be on your partner?

But hear me out.

If the staff are attentive and meet your every need, then you are able to focus entirely on your date and allow romance to bloom, without sighing, checking your watch or trying to get a waiter’s attention to remind them you’re waiting on a dish.

The staff were there to meet our every need on our visit.

Noticing that our lamp wasn’t lit, co-owner Nicoletta was quick to light this for us, announcing with a smile: “this will make it even more romantic for you”.

The little lamps on every table made for a romantic feel at The Loft. Image: Mhairi Edwards/DC Thomson

And it did – the flickering flame in the old timey lamp helps create that cosy atmosphere where you can’t help but lean in to whisper to your date.

We managed, though, to take a break from gazing lovingly at one another – I hope my boyfriend knows I’m kidding – to eat our mains.

These were beautifully presented. Both of us had gone for the carnivore option, myself the lamb and Cara the venison.

The Perthshire rump of lamb (£21.99) was served with utterly divine and smooth parsnip mash and a tasty black cherry and mint sauce.

Perthshire Rump of Lamb. Image: Mhairi Edwards/DC Thomson

We were both a little disappointed in our accompanying veg, at it appeared to simply have been steamed. Cara deemed this “uninteresting”.

However, the meat was succulent and cooked to perfection.

The lamb was perfectly tender which made up for the simple veg.

Cara wasn’t as big a fan of her roasted fillet of Highland venison (£23.99), though this may be down to taste.

Roasted Fillet of Highland Venison at The Loft Restaurant. Image: Mhairi Edwards/DC Thomson

The accompanying Taylor’s port-sour cherry sauce didn’t do it for us, and to me tasted like liquorice. The turnip mash alongside was a bit lumpy too, in contrast to my smooth parsnip mash.

But the venison was cooked well and when we found a bite without sauce, we had no complaints.

Pudding pyrotechnics on our The Loft Restaurant review

The slight disappointment from Cara’s main wore off quickly.

Nicoletta soon arrived with the best crème brulée (£8.95) I have ever had.

I don’t know about you, but usually the flames are out by the time I get my hands on a crème brulée.

But this time, it was lit right in front of me. We watched in awe as Nicoletta lit the sugar topping with a match and flames soared.

The crème brulée from The Loft Restaurant. — The best crème brulée Joanna has ever had. Image: Mhairi Edwards/DC Thomson

This added a great element of fun and display, and it also made us feel like valued guests.

Though it was listed on the menu as being infused with lavender and wildflower honey, I didn’t taste this flavour.

But it was so delicious I didn’t mind one bit. And the inclusion of a wee shortbread biscuit was a great dunking device.

Cara’s sticky toffee pudding (£8.50) was just as well-received, though she would have liked the sauce to have been a bit hotter.

The pudding itself was delicious, not too sickly sweet either which for me proved it was homemade.

Verdict

Our The Loft Restaurant review served as proof of its romantic setting.

Not only were we sat by the window with gorgeous views out towards the hills, able to watch the sun setting, we were also given the utmost care and attention.

Nicoletta also made a point of checking if we were happy throughout our meal. My response was “so full and so happy”, to which she cheerfully replied: “that’s what we like to hear!”

This considerate and welcoming atmosphere absolutely contributed to the romantic feel throughout our visit.

The candles, oil lamps and European feel to the venue’s décor also helped with that.

I would highly recommend visiting the romantic Loft Restaurant, where you’ll be able to fall in love not only with the food, but also with the feeling of being treated like a princess.