SARAH AND I had been lucky enough to be spend a couple of days in Newcastle right before lockdown. For people that travel as frequently as we do, and like so many others, being cooped up at home was taking its toll. We have often discussed our embarrassing failures at not exploring Scotland as much as we could have, so in these crazy times a trip to Loch Lomond seemed apt.
Obviously, I don’t visit places unless there’s a food-driven incentive and the Lodge on Loch Lomond seemed the ideal spot since it’s in-house restaurant, Colquhoun’s, boasted two AA rosettes. My car has virtually sat in the garage since March, so it was a welcome opportunity to give the engine a good work out; I do love a long drive after all.
Following a thorough COVID-19 breakdown from the reception
team we were instantly put at ease. A sensible, easy-to-follow one-way system
was in place throughout the hotel with staff comprehensively trained and
courteous.
We’re instantly drawn to the serene view of the loch on entering our spacious room and the private balcony is a real plus point. The suite comes equipped with a roomy sauna that we’ll wind down in after dinner. It got a bit chilly – god bless the Scottish summer – later in the evening, but we still enjoyed undisturbed panoramic views of Loch Lomond from our sofa with a spot of J.S. Bach and a glass of fizz or two before retreating to a super huge, comfy bed.
At first the menu seems a mismatch of cuisines from around the world that, frankly, fills you with fear, but when you discover food and beverage director, Johnny Aitken, has worked in several different countries around the globe, it begins to make sense.
We ordered a bottle of viognier to drink with our food. The restaurant’s sommelier approached us to inform us that she wasn’t happy to serve us it at the moment, as it wasn’t quite at a cold enough temperature for her liking. Turned out they’d sold quite a few bottles during lunch service. She kindly offered us a complimentary glass of something else whilst the wine was placed in their rapid cooler – a wonderful hospitality gesture, indeed.
The evening menu is priced appealingly, with two courses for
£25 or three costing just £29. I opened with crab salad, which saw the
crustacean accompanied with fennel, apple and cucumber with a lemon gel and
crisp breads. The crab was delicately sweet with the pleasant aniseed notes
from the fennel coming through. The sharp apple and cooling cucumber made this
a perfectly light starter and the crisp breads were an ideal vessel for
scooping up the meat.
Sarah ordered the Korean beansprout and spring onion pancake with firecracker salad and sesame seeds. The patty itself was woody with a slight crispness, similar to a rosti. The salad was zingy, fresh and crunchy, with a bold coriander flavour to it and the Sriracha mayo added even more heat.
For main, the lamb belly and shoulder with chickpea and sweet potato cake, roasted aubergine with fermented chilli sauce perked my taste buds up. A giant press of tender meat was delicious, as was the equally good, fried wand of lamb. I was concerned the cake could be mushy, but the chickpeas held it together and stopped it being too sweet when combined with the lamb. The aubergine arrived as both a puree and a roasted effort, which worked well with the meat. The only niggle was I would have liked more of the chilli jam.
Over the table, the missus was served chicken supreme with charred leek puree, broad beans and peas with crispy leeks and girolle mushrooms. The chicken breast was suitably charred and not too dry with the various leek elements bringing a slight bitterness and a difference of textures. The mushrooms contributed a pleasing umami flavour and Scottish feel with the sweetness of the peas bringing balance. The chicken jus was decent, too.
The desserts were a particular highlight for me. The delicious, decadent chocolate cremeux had a neat brownie base and was the perfect consistency to just scythe your spoon through. The passion fruit sauce worked in tandem with the bitter chocolate and the hint of citrus and temperature of the ice cream cleansed the palate enough to allow you to polish off the whole thing.
Strawberry tart with strawberry sorbet and strawberry and fennel compote was Sarah’s pudding and another example of exemplary pastry work. The base was buttery and the correct thickness with a deliciously balanced sorbet that enhanced the flavour and brought a touch of sweetness. Perhaps it could have been enhanced by macerating the strawberries and adding a crunch of black pepper, but a credible end to the meal all the less.
A fantastic display of hospitality all round at the Lodge on Loch Lomond. The accommodation was just what the doctor ordered and credit is due to the management and staff for the organisation of the whole operation. Too often good savoury dishes are let down by average pastry work, but the puds at Colquhoun's really set off the fireworks that concluded a commendable meal. And then of course there’s those views of the loch…
Web: loch-lomond.co.uk
Phone: (01436) 860 201 (hotel) (01436) 860 145 (Colquhoun's)
Address: Lodge on Loch Lomond, Luss, Alexandria G83 8PA
Open seven days. Dinner: 5.30p.m. to 9p.m., Lunch : noon to 4.30p.m.
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