A Dundee restaurant has become the first independent city eatery to hold two prestigious AA rosettes
Remarkably, it has also done so within its first year of business.
Castlehill restaurant has earned rave reviews from both customers and critics alike since it opened in Exchange Street earlier this year.
The fine-dining restaurant is headed by award-winning young chef Adam Newth, a previous winner of the Young Scottish Chef and Young Scottish Seafood Chef of the Year awards.
Owner Paul McMillan said: “We never expected this to happen so quickly. We aimed to try and deliver the best service that we could, but we never thought that in such a short space of time we would be winning an award such as this.
“Considering this is Adam’s first head chef position and my first restaurant we are absolutely ecstatic to be awarded two rosettes the first independent Dundee restaurant to have such an award.”
The restaurant is celebrating a double helping of good news as it has also made the final shortlist in the Scottish Restaurant of the Year Awards.
And Paul believes the first-class service and food that the AA’s mystery diner received is something that all customers can expect.
Paul continued: “He didn’t receive any different kind of service from anyone else and that is the most pleasing part as we didn’t know he was here and he still got a service at that level.
“It’s not just about the food, but also the service, the place itself, the menu, what your ingredients are and how local it is, so there are all different parts and elements.”
Paul also believes they are helping attract people into town and are part of the brighter economic prospects that the waterfront development has brought to Dundee.
“We are still a new business and have still got things to learn, but we’re getting there and trying to do the best that we can.
“We are a young team. Adam as a head chef hasn’t even turned 24 yet and we have got 12-15 members of staff.
“Our reviews from our customers are very high on TripAdvisor and we had a good review with The Courier as well.
“It’s nice to get a few mentions from critics, but first and foremost it’s down to the customers coming in and their reviews are very good.”
The ceremony for Scottish Restaurant of the Year will take place on September 9.