An evening at Taypark House has been on my bucket list of places to visit in Dundee for quite some time.
So, along with my partner, we headed there one Saturday evening to brighten up our January blues.
The beginning of the year can be tough for food establishments as our bodies and wallets recover from the abundance of food and alcohol consumed over the festivities.
There are also those well-meaning New Year’s resolutions, which don’t help to fill the tables at quiet restaurants throughout the month – at least for the first two or three weeks anyway.
I wondered how Taypark House was faring amid all this after writing about the hotel and restaurant during the winter of 2021 when the resurgent Covid-19 variant hit the UK and forced many of us to cancel our Christmas nights out.
It left Taypark House with hundreds of cancellations and fears they could lose up to £30,000.
The unfairness of the situation always stuck with me, particularly as we continue to see businesses close up for good due to the lingering effects of the pandemic combined with the cost-of-living crisis.
So, I was especially pleased to see plenty of busy tables as I arrived at Taypark House on the first Saturday of the year.
Taypark House
I’ve been desperate to pay a visit to Taypark House ever since the hotel introduced its exciting outdoor dining domes at the end of 2021 – an entirely new type of dining experience for Dundee.
And that’s not to mention their mouth-wateringly good food served up by award-winning head chef, Glenn Roach, who made his mark in the industry as former head chef at the triple AA rosette-winning Rocca Restaurant at the Macdonald Rusacks Hotel in St Andrews.
The hotel introduced the domes a year after Glenn and his business partner, William Salve, reopened the venue in association with the Crieff Hydro Family of Hotels.
They hoped to put Taypark House back on the map. And that’s exactly what they’ve done.
The hotel and restaurant are tucked away on Perth Road in the west end of Dundee and are a popular venue for weddings and weekend getaways.
Twinkling fairy lights glimmered amongst the trees as we made our way to the entrance of the hotel’s glamourous baronial mansion, which was beautifully lit up against the night sky.
Despite my longing to dine in the outdoor domes, we booked a table within the hotel’s restaurant as it costs between £20-£45 to book a dome, depending on the time of day.
Between work and our own individual social lives, myself and my boyfriend Connor hadn’t had much of an opportunity to actually go out so the restaurant was the perfect setting for a romantic date night.
Upon arrival we were asked for our reservation details and guided to our table in the mansion’s former library and drawing room.
The service was excellent from the outset, with two patient waitresses serving throughout the night creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere.
The dining room was beautifully decorated and had a rustic feel, with our table arranged without too much clutter.
The extensive drinks menu left me asking for more time as I decided what to try out.
The cocktails were a little more on the expensive side – as was expected – but nonetheless I was eager to try something unique from the selection and opted for the Velvet Lady cocktail (£10).
The cocktail itself was delicious and brought me back to being a kid with its Parmaviolet sweet-like flavour, but disappointingly the glass was only half-full.
Meanwhile, Connor went for a glass of red wine (£9.50) recommended by our waitress.
It was clear she knew the wine list extremely well and could even describe the taste of each wine based on our preference.
The food
Before our courses had even arrived we overheard the table adjacent to us giving their compliments to the chef while paying their bill, which was a sign of good things to come.
For starters, I ordered the hand-dived scallops (£14) while Connor chose the picked Scottish crab on toast (£10).
The scallops were beautifully cooked with a tender centre and were served presented on a shell.
My dish was accompanied by a delicious white wine sauce that perfectly complimented the starter.
The scallops were the same price as most of the mains on the menu, but it was evident why.
Connor said his crab starter had a good balance of flavour with fresh crab and sweet chilli – but we both agreed that the scallops stole the show.
It wasn’t long until our mains arrived.
I had the crispy pork belly (£14.50) while Connor ordered the roast cod fillet (£15).
The crisp pork belly was really spectacular, combined with the haggis mash I couldn’t get enough.
It was clear a lot of thought had gone into matching the flavours, with an apple purée that paired excellently with the sauce and flavours of the pork belly.
The dish had me scrapping my plate and I thought about it for days after.
Connor equally enjoyed his roast cod fillet, which had been paired with chorizo, sea herbs, potato and capers.
By the end we were torn between which dessert to order and, as usual, asked for a recommendation from the waitress who suggested the sticky toffee – apparently a big hit with customers.
Sticky toffee puddings aren’t usually my go-to dessert, but I’d order this again without a second thought.
I think it was the honeycomb that did it for me, the crisp texture gave it a perfect blend of soft and crunchy with a chocolate sponge that provided a perfect melt-in-your-mouth sensation.
Since my visit, Taypark House has launched a fresh new menu for the new year; it looks just as delicious as the last and still features a few of the dishes I tried with an extra twist – including the scallops, cod, and of course, the sticky toffee pudding.
The verdict
If an evening at Taypark House has been on your bucket list I highly recommend you get down there and treat yourself – and if it’s not on your bucket list then it definitely should be.
The quality of food in comparison to the price was extremely reasonable, with three courses and an alcoholic drink each for around just £80 in total.
The service was impeccable and it really was the romantic date night my partner and I had been looking for.
That being said, it’s still the kind of place you could take your parents to impress them.
I can’t wait to visit again and try out one of the spectacular domes.
Amie Flett is a journalist with The Courier’s live news team based in Dundee covering breaking news across Tayside and Fife.
She loves to spend hours scrolling on Instagram and TikTok to find the best places to eat and trying new and unique restaurants that put exciting twists on food.
Information
Address: Taypark House Hotel, 484 Perth Road, Dundee, DD2 1LR
T: 01382 643777
Price: £81.50 for two starters, two main courses, a dessert, a cocktail and a glass of wine.
Scores:
- Food: 5/5
- Service: 5/5
- Surrounding: 5/5
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