The last few days have given a number of Scottish restaurateurs good reason to smile.
The 2015 edition of the Michelin Guide was published last week and it was good news for Three Chimneys on Skye and the Isle of Eriska at Benderloch, Argyll, as both won their first Michelin star.
Good food, affordable prices
The Guide also announced a new tranche of restaurants to be awarded their Bib Gourmand status for offering good food at an affordable price. In Glasgow, The Gannet and Ox and Finch made the grade as did Passorn in Edinburgh.
Less happily, Glenapp Castle in Ballantrae, Ayrshire, and the Inverlochy Hotel, near Fort William, had their stars deleted.
All of Scotland’s other Michelin starred restaurants remained as they were. Andrew Fairlie’s restaurant at Gleneagles continues to be Scotland’s most highly rated restaurant with two stars.
The Michelin Guide has had its knockers over the last few years. The main complaint is that it favours classic fine dining over the new breed of less formal places which prefer a more adventurous approach in the kitchen. The Guide would argue that their Bib Gourmand award shows that they do recognise a wide range of restaurants.
The 5pm Dining blog can see both sides of the argument. What we are absolutely certain of is that most chefs would happily sell their families and kitchen team in order to get their hands on a star.
And the winners are…
Last week also saw the AA Hospitality Awards in London. At the ceremony, Edinburgh’s Timberyard was named the AA Restaurant of the Year Scotland; The Peat Inn, near St Andrews, scored the AA Wine Award Scotland and the Bridge Inn at Ratho took down the Scottish
][5]Pub of the Year gong. Meldrum Country House Hotel, in Aberdeenshire, was named the AA Hotel of the Year, Scotland.
The evening also saw a number of new AA Rosettes awarded. Restaurant Mark Greenaway in Edinburgh and the Bistro at Hotel du Vin in One Devonshire Gardens, Glasgow, were both awarded three AA Rosettes.
The last two restaurants mentioned are both 5pm members. Click on their names to see what offers are currently available.
At the moment, we are also running a very tempting Big Deal Champagne lunch for two at One Devonshire Gardens.
And finally, later this week, look out for an afternoon tea Big Deal at Hotel du Vin in both Edinburgh and Glasgow.