If you didn’t know already, there’s a winter wonderland situated within a restaurant and bar in the heart of St Andrews.

While a venue like this may not exactly be the first place that comes to mind when you think of après ski, that’s exactly the theme of Hatch on South Street’s new offering for the next few weeks.

Owner Julie Dalton and her team have transformed the place for the festive break, hosting Freezing Friday events every week with DJs and snow machines in full swing.

Intrigued as to what kind of atmosphere a venue could offer up with this sort of theme, I booked a table for my friend Megan and I when we paid a visit to the town for the day.

Outside Hatch in St Andrews. Image: Kim Cessford / DC Thomson

We visited on a Saturday lunchtime and while there wasn’t any faux snow flying everywhere like there would have been the previous evening, the beats were in full swing which immediately got us jiving away in the doorway.

A pleasant member of staff greeted us and offered up any of the seats. She suggested a table for two beside the window so we could people-watch, but also get a view of the full venue.

Megan was driving so I suggested she tried out the non-alcoholic spiced apple punch (£2.95) which was steaming on arrival. I could smell the spices and she loved the non-alcoholic nod to a boozy Christmas favourite.

The spiced apple punch with The Grinch cocktail. Image: Julia Bryce/DC Thomson

I on the other hand was intrigued to try one of the cocktails. I’m not the biggest fan of Christmas so The Grinch (£9.95) drink spoke to me. Made with Belvedere vodka, creme de menthe, Baileys and topped with a toasted meringue, this seemed more tailored towards being a dessert drink, but I didn’t care.

I watched as the meringue was toasted with a handheld blow torch at the bar area where it was being made, crisp on top and fluffy in the middle. It was refreshing, creamy, and best described as an After Eight in a glass.

The Grinch cocktail. Image: Kim Cessford/DC Thomson

The food

After deliberating for far too long about what food to order and getting recommendations from our server and the executive chef, we were finally ready to order.

We’d toyed with the calamari and dirty fries but in the end ordered the baked camembert (£6.75), prawn and chilli popcorn (£6.25), the hotdog and the potato spirals (£4.25).

While we waited we bopped along to the music, with the likes of Basshunter and other 00’s DJs tunes playing. I’ve never been to an après ski party, but the music was exactly what I’d have expected.

Inside the après ski-themed Hatch. Image: Kim Cessford/DC Thomson

Skis were hanging from the ceiling and cosy faux fur throws were on the backs of seats to add to the aesthetic. There was also snowflake transfers on the windows and mirrors, festive garlands and wreaths and plenty of Christmas lights to add to the ambiance.

The first dish to grace our table was the prawn and chilli popcorn (£6.25) with Asian slaw, closely followed by the potato spirals with paprika, garlic and onion (£4.25).

The potato spiral. Image: Julia Bryce/DC Thomson

While I thought we were going to get more than one potato spiral, it was massive and had been sliced up on the wooden skewer which meant every edge of the slices was crispy. The middle was fluffier and it had been cooked or finished with garlic oil which was just delightful. I’d have loved a dip with this just to finish it off, but to be honest, it was one of my favourites. You can’t go wrong with potatoes when it comes to comfort food.

The prawn popcorn was more like a bhaji in consistency and size. I had envisioned small balls of battered prawn and chilli, but these seemed way chunkier. There were four of them and while they were nice, we both agreed these really needed a dip as they were a little on the dry side. A sweet chilli or even a sriracha or garlic mayo would have sealed the deal. We did ask if there were any other condiments and selected mayo out of the two options available.

Prawn and chilli popcorn. Image: Julia Bryce/DC Thomson

By this point the dishes were flying and the baked with a leek and cheese load (£6.75) and the hot dog (£6.95) arrived.

The melted cheese was certainly a highlight, as was the frankfurter, and probably our top two of the experience.

There was a big camembert round in the middle and it was perfectly gooey inside. It had a very enjoyable and had a sweet saucy tomato and chilli jam over it which had made its way into the centre of the round.

The camembert cheese was a hit with my friend and I. Image: Julia Bryce/DC Thomson

Its only downfall was that it came served with three pieces of the loaf which we requested more of. The bread was absolutely fantastic and we had so much cheese leftover that we didn’t want it to go to waste.

As for the hot dog, there were no complaints. This was perfect and one of the best I’ve had off any festive menu or Christmas market.

The hot dog was also a favourite. Image: Julia Bryce/DC Thomson

It was drizzled in mustard and ketchup and sauerkraut was hidden underneath the perfect sausage. The crispy onions on top added a subtle crunch and the chopped spring onions added a freshness to it all. The sweeter soft bun cut through this and balanced everything beautifully. Every bite was as enjoyable as the last and we were both gutted we had to share it with one another.

It isn’t Christmas without a wee glass of mulled wine. It came served in a wine glass, which made me feel quite fancy, and had a cinnamon stick on top and a wedge of orange on the rim of the glass.

Who doesn’t love a glass of mulled wine at Christmas? Image: Julia Bryce/DC Thomson

Last but not least was the buttermilk chicken burger with Korean sauce and slaw (£6.95).

I had high expectations for this as I love fried chicken and Korean sauce, but it wasn’t what I had built up in my head. I expected it to come smothered in sauce and had a pickled slaw, but instead it was a small bit of sauce underneath the bun and a creamy slaw.

The chicken was cooked beautifully, succulent but crisp on the outside, and the bun was sweet so really worked well with it. I’d have loved a bit more sauce as I felt the slaw dominated the flavour.

Buttermilk chicken burger with Korean sauce and slaw. Image: Julia Bryce/DC Thomson

We were too full to order churros for dessert, as much as we wanted to, and neither of us had room for a hot chocolate, which we were keen to finish the meal off. By the time we were leaving the place was really filling up, with groups of ladies all toasting with bottles of prosecco and plenty of festive cocktails. It was great to see the place come to life, and see that others also appreciate a bit of Basshunter and 00’s DJs too.

The verdict

I really love that Hatch is doing something a little bit different and bringing Christmas to St Andrews.

There are some stellar dishes on the menu, and I’d definitely encourage you to share them and try a few. My only advice would be not to overthink what will arrive. If I hadn’t, I think I’d have enjoyed a few of the dishes more.

We had a great time grooving to the music while catching up, and all of the drinks were superb. Be sure to order that hot dog and the camembert though when you go, you won’t be disappointed.