Cromars St Andrews

By Mystery diner

December 21 2016, 8:00am

What is it?

What is it? An award-winning fish and chip restaurant and takeaway where, if you’re of a certain vintage, you’ll recall PMs used to be for many years. Cromars was voted best fish and chip shop in Scotland 2016.

First impressions?

The restaurant is compact and a little cramped but our table had a bench running along the wall offering plenty of room.

What did you have?

Mum decided without hesitation to have the famous fish supper with bread and butter and pot of tea, £14. Dad, a fan of Peterhead skipper and star of TV’s Trawlermen, Jimmy Buchan, chose the Amity scampi at £14.95, while our son went for the Cromar steak burger, £10.95. With drinks and desserts (sticky toffee pudding, £5, and Janettas ice cream, £3.95) the total came to around £50.

Much of a wait?

The drinks appeared quite quickly and the rest of the food arrived about 15 minutes after ordering.

How was the food?

The fish was perfect and lived up to its award-winning reputation. The batter was crisp and moreish, and the chips were flavoursome. The mushy peas and homemade tartare sauce complemented the meal well. Dad said the scampi was the best he’d ever had – succulent and cooked to perfection. The Cromar burger was a meaty triumph while the sticky toffee pud was rich and moist. The Janettas ice cream – choc chip mint, and strawberry – was beautiful and the quality shone through.

Good for kids?

There’s an inviting kids’ menu but because the restaurant is quite small, there’s no room for running around and negotiating buggies is a bit tricky – it’s easier to come in through the takeaway door than the restaurant door.

Good for the rest of the family?

The menu is quite extensive and all the sea food is certified and sustainable. It’s not the cheapest family meal out but it makes a nice outing for a treat and it’s good to find out what award-winning food really tastes like. Booking is a good idea as it’s a very popular wee spot.