After being saved by manager Christopher Strachan at the end of last year, popular Perth restaurant 63 Tay Street reopens today (February 1).
Former head chef and owner Graeme Pallister ran the Tay Street restaurant for 16 years. He announced the closure in November last year, blaming 11-month-long roadworks.
Having been manager since April 2021, Christopher wanted to continue the 63 Tay Street story.
“If anybody can make this work it’s me,” he says.
“It would be such a shame to go past here and see another empty unit.”
Confidence in restaurant
As the restaurant has more than 20 years of history in Perth, Christopher is not worried about taking it on in the current climate.
Despite the cost-of-living crisis, he is confident it will be a good year for the restaurant.
He says: “It’s not like I’m opening a brand new restaurant. It’s got regular guests that have been coming once a month for the past 22 years, so the client base is already there.
“If we were talking about opening a brand new restaurant I would not do that right now. I’m confident this year is not going to be as bad as the scaremongering is entailing it will be.”
As the only front of house staff member, he built a close relationship with diners. He therefore feels confident they will return when he opens again after being closed since Christmas Eve last year.
63 Tay Street new menu
Heading up the kitchen in 63 Tay Street’s next era is chef Stuart Black. The 36-year-old has 19 years of experience in the kitchen.
After a few years out of the industry, he cannot wait to start cooking again. He’s even had a few sleepless nights, staying up to plan his menus.
“The menu will work really closely with the seasons,” he says.
“Generally, it will change from week to week, depending on the dish. I’m going to let the customers lead the way.”
He will offer a set four course lunch from Thursday to Saturday for arrivals between noon and 1.45pm. Dinner includes five courses and is served Wednesday to Saturday for arrivals between 6pm and 8.45pm.
The menu each day will be a surprise, and Christopher can offer a paired wine flight with the meal. If booked in advance, Stuart can cater to allergies and dietary requirements.
While he will be using Scottish produce, inspiration for his dishes also comes from further afield.
Stuart says: “Quality has to come first for me and the unfortunate truth is a lot of quality lies outside of Scotland.
“There’s a lot of English produce I want to bring up here and obviously French.
“That’s what it’s about to me, serving something customers have never had before, so rather than having to go to France to have a nice meal, they can have it here.”
Rosettes and Michelin dreams
By focusing all his attention on the five dishes of the day, Stuart hopes to showcase his skills and passion in the best possible way.
He believes that part of his job as a chef is to create memories for his customers.
Another one of his goals includes lifting 63 Tay Street even further. Currently holding two AA Rosettes, Christopher and Stuart hope to one day reach three.
“Within two or three years, we want to take it up and hopefully get three. We’re both more than competent enough to do that,” says the new owner.
Stuart continues: “There’s no point mulling along at two. When three comes along, we’ll aim for four.”
Back in its early days the restaurant held a Bib Gourmand, which is a Michelin award that stands for good value for money.
As Christopher has experience from both one and two Michelin star restaurants, the duo has hopes they can one day lift 63 Tay Street to new heights.
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