The Kitchen, Inverness

The Kitchen, Inverness

A couple of school visits to Inverness and the recommendation of a taxi driver brought me to this lovely new restaurant with great views over the River Ness.  I really like Inverness – it’s a little Paris, I think.

First visit, I suspect I found the restaurant’s forté. Sea bass fillets were on the menu, served with mozzarella and cherry tomatoes on a salsa.  An eccentric combination – never mix fish with cheese, they scream on Masterchef – but it works well, largely due to the meaty, fresh, perfectly cooked fish.  As for dessert, I’ve never yet found the ideal apple tart – I reckon it’s a Platonic myth – and this isn’t it either, but it’s sweet and sloppy and very nice, thank you very much.

Second visit this evening, I went for its other speciality, local beef. It’s a good sirloin with a peppercorn sauce that is a sharp, peppery jus rather than the creamy goop you get in more careless kitchens.  The caramelised shalots could perhaps have done with a bit more caramelising, but the sweet potato wedges are great.  As for dessert, it’s the best bit yet: a wedge of custard tart bursting with plump blackberries, accompanied by a tangy coulis.  I was sorely tempted to order another slice.

It’s great to see a simple, elegant and reasonably priced restaurant that offers really fresh and local food well-cooked and served with pride, and certainly made up for a   five hour train journey with only a mid-afternoon Greggs’  sandwich to keep me going.  A real find.