I had the best roast potatoes of my life at Newport Inn

The Newport Inn is the latest project from Dundee chef Gillian Veal, situated on the riverside at Newport-on-Tay.

It was big news in Courier Country when Gillian revealed she was taking over the venue previously known as the Newport Restaurant.

I met with Gillian at the eatery to discuss her plans, and her excitement for the new restaurant was contagious.

The Newport Inn. Image: Mhairi Edwards/DC Thomson

Now that it’s up and running, I arranged to visit one weeknight, keen to try out the “casual dining” experience she described to me back in May.

I have anecdotally heard that the restaurant has been a hit or miss since opening – for both food and service.

So I planned to find out for myself how the new Fife eatery is faring.

First impressions of the Newport Inn

The staff are friendly and attentive from the moment I enter the venue.

On a weeknight evening in August, the venue is quiet to begin with, but admittedly we are eating early.

I’m seated downstairs beside the window, with a view out over the water. The exposed wood, fairy lights and cushions create a relaxed, cosy atmosphere.

The view is slightly dampened by (what I think is) a cherry picker. But I still find myself jealous of the people sat outside on the terrace, brave enough to face a chilly breeze.

My friend, Cara, is a little late – thanks to a backlog of traffic at the Forgan roundabout – but she shows up soon enough.

The interior of the Newport Inn is cosy and snug. Image: Mhairi Edwards/DC Thomson

We eye our menus, each item more appealing than the next.

While the options are somewhat limited, there is enough variety for a relaxed dinner out, and there are some complex elements to the dishes.

Although the atmosphere is casual, the food on offer is far from pub grub.

Newport, with its exceptionally-stocked deli, quaint, pretty houses and coastal feel, deserves a spot like this.

‘The best roast potatoes I’ve ever had’

We go for a range of the small plates or light bites. Once these arrive it is clear we have underestimated the portions and overestimated our appetites.

One of the first dishes to arrive is the roast potatoes with a rouille aioli (£4.50).

The pile of potato chunks come with a muted orange drizzle, and are topped with chopped herbs.

Combined with the dish’s salt and pepper dusting, my first forkful creates the perfect salty and garlic-y bite.

Roasted new potatoes from The Newport Inn. — Roasted new potatoes. Image: Mhairi Edwards/DC Thomson

These really are the best roast potatoes I’ve ever had. Second best if my mum is reading this.

I was expecting a dish akin to patatas bravas, but this was even better.

The soft, fluffy potato flesh, and their crispy, burst at the seams skin, blew me away.

The sizeable portion of Prosciutto and fennel on sourdough (£7.50) would have been filling enough on its own. Even when cut in half, the open sandwich-style dish is huge.

The “light bite” consisted of a generous and thick slice of crusty sourdough, topped with plenty of salty prosciutto.

Prosciutto and fennel on toasted sourdough, one of the Newport Inn’s “light bites”. Image: Mhairi Edwards/DC Thomson

There’s sun-dried tomato too, another salty but tasty addition to the dish. This is a fun but messy eat, perhaps not ideal if you’re on a first date.

We also went for some greens, trying the green salad with house dressing and parmesan (£4.75).

This didn’t look like much. Long leaves of fresh romaine lettuce layered rather haphazardly on the plate.

But colour me impressed.

Green salad with that delicious house dressing, topped with parmesan. Image: Mhairi Edwards/DC Thomson

The lettuce is crisp, coated with a delicious sweet dressing which combines olive oil, garlic and lemon juice.

Gillian, please start selling this by the jar!

A generous grating of parmesan over the top adds some sharpness to the plate, and balances out the sweetness of the salad dressing.

We both could have licked the plate and would have, had we not two pizzas on their way.

What did we think of the pizza on our review of Newport Inn?

The food all arrived at around the same time, which allowed us to pick at each of the colourful dishes simultaneously, and enjoy them alongside our mains.

Cara went for the Tuscan Vibe pizza (£16).

The pizza had a tomato sauce base, a creamy Fior di latte (cow’s milk mozzarella), slow roasted onions, fennel sausage and thyme.

The Tuscan Vibe pizza. Image: Mhairi Edwards/DC Thomson

The flavour of fennel was strong, but not overpowering.

The pizza crust is well-browned and chewy – just how we like it – served on a big wooden board, which takes up half of the table.

Cara would have liked more sausage on her pizza, but other than that we had no complaints.

I fell in love with my Spicy and Sweet pizza (£15.50).

There’s the same tomato base and Fior di latte, but this pizza has (unsurprisingly) more of a kick.

The spicy and sweet pizza at the Newport Inn. Image: Mhairi Edwards/DC Thomson

I am ridiculously into hot honey, which adds a kick and a sweetness to the pizza. The spreadable Italian sausage, nduja, is plenty spicy and smoky, a perfect combination.

There is just the right amount of it too.

Chunks of peppercorns are snagged in the delicious melted cheese, ensuring that no bite could be considered bland.

Again, a lovely, chewy pizza dough crust.

Verdict:

The food on our visit to the Newport Inn was perfect.

I can see Gillian’s handiwork in the loving treatment of the veg, and the pizzas reflected an attention to detail I rarely see in the common menu item.

The staff were friendly and made no mistakes with our orders, nor had the kitchen ran out of any dishes, which I often experience these days when dining out.