I sipped on a cold pint of beer in The Shoregate at Crail, staring out into the night sky, Batman and Robin went racing down the street as fast as they could.
And I was more perturbed a few minutes later when The Joker coolly sauntered past in the opposite direction.
Had the Caped Crusader met his demise at the hands of his arch nemesis? No, it was the night after Halloween and Crail’s teens and 20-somethings were marking the occasion – in style, it seemed.
I was in the quaint seaside village to enjoy the six-course Taste of Scotland tasting menu on offer at the restaurant.
It was one of those “why doesn’t it just rain properly” nights as my wife, Karen, and I made the hour-long journey to the seaside hub that throngs with visitors in the summer.
However, The Shoregate was lovely and cosy as we settled down at our table.
Initial impression
The pub and restaurant with rooms is in the centre of the quaint Fife village and underwent a complete renovation around two years ago.
As a result the premises are decorated to a very high, modern standard and that “almost new” type aroma is still in the air when you enter.
The restaurant area is spacious and was fairly busy as we dined, while next door the bar appeared to be lively with Friday evening revellers.
What’s the menu like?
While an a la carte menu is available and features some delicious sounding offerings, we had opted to sample the Taste of Scotland menu.
Each course was named after a town, city or area of Scotland – and it was Arbroath that kicked things off.
Karen is Arbroath born and bred and she was purring passionately about the Arbroath smokie dauphine, cold press rapeseed with caviar and chive as it was set down in front of us.
Visually the dish was perfect, but delving in revealed its true delights – creamy smokie, potato and cheese, with the cold pressed rapeseed providing a lovely addition to a simple but clever dish that was a melt-in-the-mouth moment and a real insight into what lay ahead.
Off to the Hebrides
Next, we were off to Mull, the offering being hand-dived scallop, Stornoway black pudding, quince and rosemary.
Scallop and black pudding is a classic combination, with the sweetness of the scallop providing the perfect foil for the spices of the black pudding.
However, I find the Stornoway variety is sweeter and creamier than other versions and this made the experience even better.
Adding the quince into the equation, along with a beurre blanc sauce, this was a dreamy course which was alerting all my taste buds.
A rich Auld Reekie espuma, confit Arran Victory potato and tarragon took us off to the Cairngorms.
This was a sumptuous, rich and creamy delight with the confit Arran Victory potato providing a lovely bite to the dish.
The onion ash on the top was a clever addition and brought another level to the flavour. This moreish delight set us up perfectly for the main course.
Which foodie destination next?
You could visit Kinloch Rannoch or Peterhead for the main event and I chose to head to Aberdeenshire with stone bass, fregula, spiced crab fritter and partan bree.
My stone bass was absolutely spot-on with gorgeous crispy skin giving way to lovely meaty flakes of fish.
The spiced crab fritter was crispy, bringing a different texture to the plate, as did the fregula (Italian semolina pasta) which was new to me and most enjoyable.
The partan bree (crab sauce) was light, packed full of flavour and I eagerly cleared my plate.
Karen opted for Kinloch Rannoch – roast loin of venison, red cabbage choucroute, butter roasted carrot and haunch stovies.
The venison was roasted to perfection, and the lovely slivers of beautifully pink meat just melted in the mouth.
The haunch stovies were a great way of adding something different to the dish, while the carrots and cabbage were not just bit parts and really packed a punch.
Course five, Dundee, was a dessert of fruit cake, drunk pears and marmalade ice cream.
I was concerned that the fruit cake would be dense, but my fears were dispelled as I devoured an amazingly moist creation.
And on to dessert
The pears were lovely and sweet, and still had a bite to them.
The flecks of marmalade through the ice cream provided a delicious citrus twist and the addition of some brittle added a crunchy texture.
I am not a big dessert fan, but this was a real treat and a superb finale to a fine tasting menu.
Our last trip was to Islay – coffee and an Ardbeg whisky macaron that had a lovely smokiness and paired well with the sweetness.
The verdict
I do enjoy a tasting menu and this is up there as one of the best I have sampled.
The courses at The Shoregate flowed well and the head chef is clearly on top form – and is clever and creative in the dishes they are conjuring up.
I loved the inventiveness of the courses, the elements of which complement each other extremely well flavour-wise.
The concept of naming each course after an area in Scotland is a simple one but added charm to the occasion.
Service was fantastic and our server was extremely knowledgeable, describing the dishes to us before we tucked in.
I look forward to returning, which I am sure is hugely popular during the summer months.
Information
A. The Shoregate, 67 High Street North, Crail, Anstruther, KY10 3RA
T. 01333 451815
Price: Taste of Scotland menu is available until December 1, priced at £55 per person.
Disabled access: Yes
Dog-friendly: In the bar, guide dogs only in the dining room
Scores:
Food: 4.5/5
Service: 4.5/5
Surroundings: 4/5
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