Located proudly in the centre of Scotland’s biggest village, Brown & Blacks is inviting for those looking for a spot by the fire as it grows colder.
The Scone hotspot poses the ideal haunt for a friendly family meal or a couple in search of an affordable but tasty date night – which is exactly why we decided to try it.
When you arrive outside of the building, the traditional pub look is prevalent. There is a beer garden out front for those willing to brave the elements.
However, even our several layers were not quite enough to huddle up outside in November, maybe we will return in spring to revaluate, but in the meantime we decided to duck indoors where we were then met with warmth, laughing punters and Christmas decorations draped across every wall.
Brown & Blacks
I normally think November is far too early to even consider Christmas, but I decided to not be a Scrooge and scrapped the bah humbug for a slap-up dinner. Despite it being a busy venue as everyone had the same idea of tricking indoors for some heat, we were met by an attentive, smiling server who escorted us to a booth at the back of the eatery.
One thing that was clear from our entering Brown & Blacks was that it is a popular local for those in Scone and Perth. Denizens were drinking at the bar, chatting away at the fire, and sitting tucking into a hearty meal at the back.
Its geographic footprint has moved down a different path from what many would consider the norm, but management’s decision has proved a blinder.
After six and a half years nestled in Perth’s café quarter alongside the crown jewels of Perth’s hospitality sector, the restaurant upped sticks to Scone, moving into the former Kinnears Inn premises on the village’s Angus Road.
That shift, in 2020, saw the restaurant move away from the bustling City Hall renovation site to a more historic home.
Brown and Blacks relocated restaurant is just two and a half miles from their old St John’s Place home, but feels distinctly more welcoming than most choices in the city-centre-restaurant market it previously operated in.
Scone, like the team’s old home of Perth, is growing at a rapid pace and no doubt provides steady turnover, but it’s clear management aren’t looking to rely on purely local trade. And why should they?
Flitting out of the city has shown no signs of a downturn in footfall, and having driven past the venue’s on-site parking plenty of times, it was no shock to walk into a lively bar area.
And although the front half of the building is a bustling bar, the dining area to the rear manages to still feel cosy, intimate and separate.
Reportedly, £75,000 worth of renovations were completed to transform the vacated Kinnears Inn into Brown and Blacks new home, upgrading the bar, toilets, kitchen and upholstery.
Two years of busy trade hasn’t tarnished the subtle and sophisticated interior, or the distinctive paintwork which matches its moniker.
The Christmas décor extended to the table as well, with a wrapped present ornament resting on each. With the smell of food wafting from the kitchen and rumbling bellies, we got to looking at the menu.
The food
With it being so busy inside, it was especially warm so we decided to get a large jug of fresh water between us. We were keen to dig right into the mains and get a dessert each after, but for those with plenty of room, it is well worth digging into a three-course meal and getting a starter also.
There was a wide selection of delicious dishes to choose from, with a separate vegan menu available as well, and our server was only too happy to provide this to me.
Diving straight into our mains, my partner went for the smoked haddock and leek fishcakes (£15.95), crested with a poached egg, which were an instant winner, packed with flavour.
The fishcakes were served on a small field’s yield of baby new potatoes – an easy favourite but one that, for my boyfriend, often ends up a neglected portion of the plate which is given little thought.
At Brown and Blacks, the spuds are not neglected.
The creamed leeks and wholegrain sauce those tatties were bathed in was a highlight of his visit. The mustardy sauce perfectly paired with the potatoes and the fishcakes, especially as the egg yolk oozed through.
Skipping a starter, we were unsure if the main courses would cut it in our bid to silence the growls from our stomachs, so we ordered a portion of homemade onion rings (£3.75) just in case.
Don’t get me wrong, they were cracking onion rings – thick cut with crispy batter and ample in number – but the truth is that the main course would absolutely have been satisfying enough alone. That didn’t stop us wolfing them, though.
There were traditional pub classics available, from steak, fish and beef plates, but also cuisine for those looking for a bit more spice, and I was only too delighted when I spotted that the restaurant had a cauliflower, chickpea and spinach coconut curry, served with coconut rice and a garlic naan (£14.95).
The curry arrived with steam pouring off it and I was very eager to take a bite and see if the holly jolly cauliflower could get me into the Christmas mood – it did not disappoint. There was a sweet aroma that came off the meal, but on first taste it had a fiery kick, with the naan bread ideal for dipping into the sauce and covering in rice.
The coconut from the sauce and the rice added a delicacy to the dish, rivalling the spice of the chickpeas, and this was a creamy bowl of comforting curry that had me about stuffed by the last bite.
Brown and Blacks is clearly a bar as you walk in the front door, but the restaurant through the corridor is discernibly more boutique than where you’d typically expect to eat most village pub meals. These healthy servings though are a reminder that the team aptly fulfil both roles.
A peruse of the dessert menu and my partner was instantly sold on the billionaires Eton mess (£7.50) – which came with no indication of how it had reached the upper echelons of Eton messes.
The fruit had been replaced, presumably after it banked its first few million. Ice cream, meringue, shortbread, cream and all sorts of sugary, chocolatey sweetness arrived in a sundae glass you could swim in. I’m not sure decadent does it justice – it was one of the most hedonistic pudding’s we had both encountered. But it didn’t last long.
We certainly didn’t need breakfast the next morning.
I settled on the vegan brownie as my ‘something sweet’ with vanilla ice cream (£6.25), after seeing someone at the opposite table ordering the same thing – it looked delicious!
I was not wrong, and found that despite the filling previous meal I still had a small bit of room, so I sank my spoon into the warm soft brownie and added a dollop of ice cream, alongside a strawberry which was a garnish on my plate, and had a taste.
The combination of the warm brownie coupled with the cool ice cream made for a delicious staple pudding and one that I would not hesitate to order again.
The verdict
Brown & Blacks is the perfect winter hangout and allows for diners to have either just a drink or eat a wholesome meal. It is an affordable venue that is suitable for all members of the family, even those fussy little ones!
Whether you are looking to sit by the fire with a glass of merlot, dig into homely grub or enjoy a live set of music, Brown & Blacks is open to all and I will certainly be making my way back.
Information
Address: 8 Angus Road, Scone, Perth, PH2 6QU
T: 01738 444987
W:
Price: £46.80 for two mains and two desserts
Scores:
- Food: 4.5/5
- Service: 5/5
- Surroundings: 5/5
