Fife Seafood Restaurant, St Andrews Eating Out, Dining Review East Scotland, Fish

Fife Restaurants – Eating Out

St Andrews Restaurant, Fife: Eastern Scotland Dining Information

Fife Restaurant Information

Featured Fife restaurant

Dining Review by Adrian Welch: Spring 2005

Perched over the sea defense wall the St Andrews Seafood Restaurant is an intriguing addition to this original Scottish university town.

I knew the site from childhood visits whilst staying in nearby Elie. I had also seen images of the building in the Press.

My wife, son (7), and daughter (6), arrived on a blustery March evening: the restaurant was a beacon on the barren foreshore, glowing within the dark seashore gardens. First impressions were positive as we stepped out of the howling wind into the bright interior. Our welcome was polite and officious.

However, on being seated we immediately became aware of the cold. We also couldn’t help noticing a rather cheap smell of vegetable oil, akin to dining within a fish shop. I think we were told, soto voce, in the flurry of unwrapping coats that the air conditioning was broken, but neither of us were sure.

To be fair to the Seafood Restaurant we were probably unlucky and judging by the other diners who wisely retained coats, the smell and cold were maybe an unfortunate one-off. However, with steep prices and a refined dining setting there was a definite mismatch afoot.

Nevertheless the service throughout the rest of the evening was exquisite.

Although we struggled with our pre-briefed children’s antics – sticking parsley in his ears ‘just like in Asterix’ – we thoroughly enjoyed the food, setting and service and would recommend this restaurant – just check the air-con is working again!

We started with oysters and the presentation was better than anywhere else we have eaten in the UK, from Edinburgh to Skye, Aberdeen to London. Everything was celebrated and the attention to small special details was immaculate.

This Fife restaurant guide will start to list architect-designed restaurants & cafes in 2006. These restaurants will be mostly contemporary. The key classics, such as The Peat Inn, will be inserted to give depth. Most Fife restaurants will be reviewed for surroundings, food & service but will always include telephone numbers and addresses.

Although the St Andrews Seafood Restaurant owners also have an establishment in the East Neuk, the other restaurant that often scores highly in reviews and listings is The Peat Inn, just inland from the East Neuk fishing villages:

The Peat Inn, Peat Inn, Cupar, Fife : 01334 840206

Like the Three Chimneys in Skye this restaurant is a humble wee building in the scottish countryside but has received rave reviews over the years. It won a Michelin rosette in 1987.

The Anstruther Fish bar is widely recommended but we found the most congenial place for dining in Anstruther was 100m west along the seafront.

restaurant recommendations: service + interior + food & wine
* fair
** good
*** excellent
^ unreviewed

Edinburgh Restaurants

Fife restaurant recommendations or revisions are welcome.d: info(at)edinburgharchitecture.co.uk

The Peat Inn – Website: www.thepeatinn.co.uk/ourhome.htm

Have you visited the St Andrews Seafood Restaurant? Please send your review

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