The Jugged Hare, London

Tucked away under the Barbican in London, on a street corner sits an unassuming gastropub – The Jugged Hare. Looking in from the outside you could be quick to dismiss, as the smallish bar area often looks rammed. It’s worth popping in and seeing if they have a table in their large restaurant which extends…

The Taybank, Dunkeld

We were looking for a night away not too far from home for a birthday treat and a pre Christmas break. I had read of The Taybank in the lovely town of Dunkeld on social media but also in some newspaper articles and it had therefore been on my list of places to visit for…

House of Tides, Newcastle

House of Tides has been on our list of places to eat for a long time, its only an hour and half by train from Edinburgh, so we decided to treat ourselves to an early Christmas dinner. Of course we had to pick the weekend of massive flooding and train disruptions to visit, so not…

Flour & Grape, London

A work trip had me spending my days in the vicinty of London Bridge. This area has no shortage of good eateries, however since the Flour & Grape was on my ‘to visit’ list and was a short walk from the office; it was a no-brainer really. So one night after a relatively late finish,…

The Tollhouse, Edinburgh

Located in Canonmills on the cusp of Edinburgh’s New Town, sits The Tollhouse perched beside the bridge over the Water of Leith. This latest offering from the people behind the popular Dine restaurant is a far cry from its previous incarnation … a derelict public toilet block! It was a Friday night straight after work…

Gorse Syrup

Maybe I am taking to country living a bit too much, but at the moment the cottage is surrounded by Gorse Bushes. That coconut smell is filling the air and from a distant memory of a foraging course I did, you can consume gorse! So, I thought I would make some gorse syrup to add…

Orrin Restaurant, Elgin

Orrin is the new kid in town, having opened in mid November, it is a very much welcomed addition to the food scene in Morayshire. Offering fine dining which is accessible to all, Orrin certainly hits the mark in terms of food, drinks and service. The restaurant is located on South Street, a corner position…

The Station Hotel, Rothes

Since ‘moving’ up to Moray 6 months ago, we have on a number of occasions driven through the village of Rothes and I spotted The Station Hotel. On doing a little searching I learned that not only do they have a great restaurant, but also an award winning whisky bar – The Spirit Safe, who…

Sun-Dancer, Nairn

As summer was drawing to a close, we had a visitor to the cottage – my Mum! She is someone who loves to eat out (she can’t cook and frankly doesn’t like to cook, so I have no idea how I survived childhood!) so being relatively new to the area, the hunt was on for…

The Little Chartroom, Leith

Back in April, I was sitting on my sofa drooling over all the delicious food being cooked on the Great British Menu. My attention was peaked watching Roberta Hall-McCarron from The Little Chartroom work her magic. So I, on a whim booked us a table. However, such is demand for this wonderful tiny restaurant, it…