Choosing a spot for lunch in St Andrews can be a daunting proposition.
There is so much to consider – from the food’s origins and the venue’s formality to the atmosphere and views, not to mention the parking – so when a friend and I were faced with this decision, we decided to take a punt and go somewhere we hadn’t been before.
The Oak Rooms at Ogstons is a bay window-fronted room adjacent to the bar in this boutique hotel, popular with golfers. The décor is all dark colours and banquettes which I would imagine create an intimate atmosphere in the evening, although at lunchtime it feels slightly like a side room off the bar rather than the main restaurant. Outside, our eyes had been drawn to the specials blackboard and so we had high expectations for lunch – and the accompanying gossip.
I chose one of the special starters of seared scallops with artichoke puree and Parma ham crisps (£7.95). The scallops were well cooked, still with a wobble, and the puree fresh and zesty. My friend’s Thai fish cakes (£4.95) with Thai pesto from the main lunch menu were nicely dense – and not heavy on the potato as they so often are – and overall we were pleased with our choices.
For the main course, I again ordered from the specials menu and went for the lobster linguine, grilled veg, tomato and wild mushroom (£19.95). The dish that arrived was not what I was expecting. I had hoped to be receiving a plate of pasta with chunks of lobster, veg and wild mushrooms. What I actually got was linguine with a perfectly pleasant tomato sauce dotted with chestnut mushrooms, (not wild) accompanied by grilled vegetables on the side and half a lobster in its shell. The lobster was clearly fresh and not at all rubbery but perhaps the description could have been clearer.
My lovely friend stuck with the specials menu and chose the pan-seared sea bass, crushed new potatoes and salsa verde (£19.95). It was dainty and tasty with the salsa verde the star of the show. For the steep cost we were incredibly surprised at the very small fillet of sea bass though and, while there was nothing wrong with the dish, another fillet or a reduced price tag might have gone some way to induce these customers’ satisfaction.
We followed with a sticky toffee pudding (£4.25) and a butterscotch cheesecake (£4.95) which were perfectly fine.
Having looked at the main lunch menu, where main courses start from £7.95 for a burger, we might have got better value and more satisfaction from the listed options. Perhaps it was in venturing to the specials board that our high expectations were dashed. On our next girly outing we will certainly be trying somewhere else, as – on this occasion at least – Ogstons has not warranted a place on the very small list of St Andrews haunts destined to become a regular lunch spot.
Info
Price: Starters from £3.50, main courses from £7.95 and desserts from £3.50.
Value: 5/10
Menu: 6/10
Atmosphere: 5/10
Service: 6/10
Food: 7/10
Total: 29/50
Info: The Oak Room at Ogstons
Address: North Street, St Andrews
Tel: 01334 473387
Web: ogstonsonnorthst.com/
