Dining at Glenapp

Good Food Guide ~ Scottish Restaurant of the Year 2007

Award-winning Glenapp Castle, the five star Relais & Châteaux hotel in Ayrshire, South West Scotland, has been named "Scotland’s Restaurant of the Year 2007" by the prestigious Which? Good Food Guide.

Good Food Guide Inspectors wrote that Head Chef Matt Weedon’s cooking is:

"achieving heights of dizzying refinement with his daily changing six-course no-choice menus."

An appetiser of velvety asparagus velouté "impressed" at inspection and a chicken and foie gras mousse, with morels, broadbeans and a foaming Gewurztraminer sauce is described as "a triumph of gentle strength".

"Soft textures, bold seasoning and rich sauces define dishes such as a traditional fillet of beef in a red wine sauce, served with potato gratin and braised onions."

Dessert might be:

"a more complex nougatine dome filled with an intense strawberry sorbet and set on a 'well nigh perfect' vanilla parfait in a pool of iced raspberry soup."

Regarding Glenapp's elegant dining room with stunning sea views, the inspectors wrote:

"While the atmosphere is properly formal, it is far from intimidating"

With an overall score of six points, Glenapp is now ranked among the best places to dine in the U.K. Matt, who already holds three Rosettes from the AA, is thrilled with the award.

"We are always trying to find creative and satisfying ways to enhance the food at Glenapp," said Matt.

"That the judges recognized this is wonderful."

The coveted Good Food Guide award is Glenapp's third major accolade this year. The hotel is currently AA Hotel of the Year for Scotland and Northern Ireland, as well as Scottish Castle Hotel of the Year. Glenapp’s owners, Graham and Fay Cowan, said today that they are

"very happy that Matt and the kitchen and restaurant teams have received this great recognition for all their skill and hard work. Matt has moulded a great team, as has Manager John Orr, with the dining room staff. We are really proud of them, and of what they have achieved."

The castle is open to non-resident diners from April until the end of November seven days a week. Prior reservation is required.

Click to view Food Reviews: Which? Good Food Guide | The Herald