][1]Congratulations to The Lovat hotel on Loch Ness. The Station Road restaurant at the Fort Augustus hotel has just been awarded three AA Rosettes.
It’s the only Scottish restaurant to have been given three rosettes in the latest round of awards from AA hospitality.
According to the AA, three Rosettes are only awarded to ‘outstanding restaurants that achieve standards that demand national recognition well beyond their local area. The cooking will be underpinned by the selection and sympathetic treatment of the highest quality ingredients.
‘Timing, seasoning and the judgment of flavour combinations will be consistently excellent. These virtues will tend to be supported by other elements such as intuitive service and a well-chosen wine list. Around 10% of the hotels/restaurants within the AA Restaurant Guide will have three Rosettes and above’.
The Lovat was also a finalist in the Sustainable category at last year’s Scottish Restaurant Awards.
Looking dapper
This is what the AA had to say of The Lovat:
‘The house has been here, in an elevated position at the southern tip of Loch Ness, since Victorian times, and it’s looking rather dapper having been rescued after years of neglect and given a major overhaul by the current owners.
‘Today’s hotel not only has a glossy sheen – a successful combination of period charm and modern style – but it’s run on sound eco-friendly principles (ask about the biomass wood chip boiler), so you can be sure everything you’re served in the restaurant is as local and sustainable as possible.
‘In fact, there’s a lot going on in chef Sean Kelly’s world, for as well as being extremely choosy about the ingredients he uses in his five-course dinner menus, he’s also incredibly imaginative and creative, producing dishes that never fail to bring a smile to your face.
‘The restaurant (there’s a more informal brasserie too) is an elegant room with high ceilings, wood-panelled walls and views across the grounds to Loch Ness through large bay windows, while the friendly staff are fully versed in the intricacies of each dish.’
5pm restaurants with 3 AA Rosettes
The Lovat joins other three AA Rosette restaurants such as The Airds Hotel and Restaurant; Pompadour by Galvin, Martin Wishart at Loch Lomond and Hotel du Vin Bistro at One Devonshire Gardens – all of which are 5pm Dining members.
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