The Peat Inn is a charming little Restaurant with rooms located about 6 miles from the golfing town of St Andrews on the east coast of Scotland. The capital city,Edinburgh is about an hours drive and Dundee about 30 minutes . Its a great location for exploring all of the above in Michelin style. The village of Peat Inn actually derives its name from the Inn itself which has stood in its present spot for about 250 years . The Peat Inn has always had a great reputation for hospitality and the town growing up around the Inn itself is a lovely historical story . Anyhow I digress as usual , nowadays the Inn is owned and run by husband and wife team Geoffrey and Katherine Smeddle. Geoffrey is the Award winning Michelin Star Chef/Patron at the heart of the Kitchen.
I had eaten at The Peat Inn around 10 years ago and its one of the Restaurant's I talk about to this day,so the anticipation was high .
I was welcomed in to the cozy reception room with a welcoming roaring log fire before stunning looking little hors d'oevres were served .
Next i was taken to my table passing a further two unique dining rooms ,to be seated at a lovely open bright dining room with a stunning view over the Fife countryside . Alpacas were grazing moodily in the background on this very foggy cold winters day.
Amuse Bouche was simply sublime – A venison haggis with neeps and the creamiest tatties , oh my !!. There was a huge basket of simply brilliant sourdough breads and raisin malted bread and this was before my starter …..
My starter plate was Home smoked monkfish with avocado cream and ginger soya , almost like a tartar but more creative – refreshingly light and you could taste the sea.
My second course was the 12 hour slow braised beef with Mousseline potato,parsnips,pearl onions and a red wine jus. Can I just begin by saying,anything I write about this main course will not do it justice,not even close. The beef was blackened and fell from the fork like butter , the taste ,flavour and texture the like of which I have never tasted before . I honestly will now talk about this dish for the rest of my life – pure genius.
But I was here for the dessert course and what was to follow did not let the rest of the meal down ,Hot mandarin souffle with dark chocolate and rum sauce .
The souffle was as light as a feather and as perfectly formed and risen as I have ever seen. The theatre was provided by the lovely waitress who opened the souffle expertly without deflating and pouring in the most decadent hot chocolate. Simply brilliant execution of a difficult dessert to pull of to perfection .I finished with handmade chocolates which again were the best I have tasted to date . I simply cant recommend this Restaurant highly enough . A thoroughly deserving Michelin Star to a Chef who creates and makes absolutely everything you see and taste by hand . Long may you reign.
