It was a lovely winter evening and a beautiful sky was revealing itself as we headed down the A92 to the Dean Park Hotel in Kirkcaldy.
Great food and drink was what my wife, Karen, and I were hoping for as we made the hour-long trip to sample the new menu at the Lang Toun hotel’s modern fine-dining restaurant, The Grande.
We were fortunate to be spending the night at the Dean Park and we got checked in to a beautiful room that was tastefully decorated and comfortable.
We popped down to enjoy a pre-dinner drink in the Dukes Lounge, which kicked off the evening in great style.
The Dean Park Hotel
The Dean Park Hotel opened in the 1970s and is a popular venue, catering for events such as weddings and parties.
Colin and Margaret Smart, who bought the venue in 2019, have been busy refurbishing the premises. In fact, while we were there, an extension to the Dukes Lounge was being completed.
The rooms have been upgraded to a high standard and the furnishings around the hotel are charming.
It is a venue where you really feel at home, which is helped by the staff, who were an absolute joy.
The ambience in the restaurant is welcoming and relaxing, with the background music perfectly pitched, being loud enough to enjoy but low enough so you can chat.
The food at The Grande, Dean Park Hotel
Restaurant manager Ryan Wallace greeted us at The Grande – which has two AA rosettes – and seated us for pre-dinner drinks.
Ryan was fantastic as he went through the menu, highlighting that they use fresh local produce and providing lots of information.
His enthusiasm and charm is there for all to see. He is ideally suited to the role, and Karen and I thought he was a joy throughout the evening.
We were then served two delicious canapes – a falafel bon bon and a chicken and ham terrine, both of which were delicious.
Being the fish lover that I am, as soon as I saw the menu I knew that my starter would be halibut with Arbroath smokie, potato, leeks and caviar.
The fish was beautifully cooked, with the meaty texture giving way to delicious flakes of fish, which was perfectly accompanied by the smokie and the caviar.
The leeks were a real treat and something of a surprise as they were firm, sweet and smoky. The dish was finished with a lovely cream sauce that I could not get enough of.
Karen had gone for wild mushroom risotto with a crispy hen’s egg and black truffle.
The risotto simply melted in the mouth, with the selection of wild mushrooms adding a delicious earthiness, while the egg was perfect and runny, which complemented the dish.
For the main, I again opted for seafood – a Peterhead hake, saffron and steamed Scottish mussel risotto, day boat squid, salsa rossa, chervil and a citrus emulsion.
There was nothing not to like about this dish, which certainly had the wow factor, being very attractive and colourful.
Two large pieces of hake that flaked apart beautifully were nestled alongside the squid, which was on the bed of risotto, with the salsa dotted around the edges.
This was a marriage of flavours I was not expecting.
As well as the delight of the perfectly cooked hake, the salsa added a little piquancy, while the mussels added a delightful texture.
Squid is easy to overcook but I had no complaints, with the two lovely pieces slipping down effortlessly. The risotto was rich and elegant.
Karen had chosen wild Cairngorm venison loin, roscoff onion tarte tatin, parsnip, green peppercorn, pickled mustard and red wine jus.
As much as I enjoyed my own main, I did have a little case of the green-eyed monster when I saw the dish arriving as the venison looked so appetising.
Karen’s knife effortlessly cut through the tender loin, for which the peppercorn and red wine jus was the perfect foil.
The onion tarte tatin was an excellent accompaniment and she said that each mouthful provided something different, such was the complexity of the dish.
We were rather full but, after a short rest, we thought we’d manage dessert.
Pear souffle, almond crumble, compressed pear, amaretto praline and toasted almond ice cream was Karen’s choice, a dessert Ryan had recommended.
Served in a teacup, the light, fluffy souffle had risen beautifully.
You immediately got the pear, which was lovely, while the crumble and praline added some crunchy texture to what was a stunning finale.
I went for mille-feuille, passion fruit curd, mango cremeux, creme patisserie and dark chocolate.
The chocolate and passion fruit married so well, while the pastry fell apart and melted in my mouth.
There was bitterness and sweetness to the dessert that I found absolutely divine. I am not usually a sweet tooth but the mille-feuille almost converted me.
The verdict
Executive chef Morten Rengtved has created a very special menu at the Dean Park Hotel. He and his team should be very proud of what they are doing.
There is an elegance about the food they are serving and clearly a great deal of pride goes into what they do.
Karen and I sat afterwards enjoying a drink in the lounge and we could not stop talking about what we had just enjoyed.
Service, too, deserves a special mention. Every person we dealt with was absolutely lovely – polite, friendly and simply could not do enough for you.
If you are planning on heading out for something over the festive season or in the new year, I would put the Dean Park at the top of your to-visit list.
Information
Dean Park Hotel
A. Chapel Level, Chapel, Kirkcaldy, KY2 6HF
T. 01592 261635
Price: Three courses for £46.95 per person; two courses are available for £39.95
- Scores:
Food 4.5/5
Service 5/5
Surroundings 5/5
