Was The Riverside in Dunblane the perfect place for a midweek meal?

I’ll let you in on my secret to finding new and interesting places to eat: Ladies who lunch. Yes, I also use the internet and of course recommendations from other food writers, but the ladies who lunch are the key to my success.

Why? Because they know absolutely everywhere locally that serves food, have probably already been there (or know another lady who lunches who has) and can give you a steer as to whether to give it a try or avoid it. But more importantly, if it’s a place a lady who lunches goes to frequently, there must be something good about it.

So when one of these woman-shaped vaults of information told me that The Riverside in Dunblane had shot its way to the top of her places to go, I knew I had to try it for myself.

A pub-restaurant at the side of the Allan Water

Located at the bottom of the High Street and looking out onto the Allan Water, The Riverside is an imposing stone building in the town and you may think that, typical of older buildings, inside would be quite dark. However, it is absolutely stunning and flooded with natural light thanks to the floor-to-ceiling windows lining one wall (and leading to the outside seating area). The woodwork and decor has also been kept light, which helps.

The lightness continued during our visit when we were greeted with a big smile by one of the members of staff, who showed us to our seats and took a drinks order.

There is a breakfast menu, lunch-only options, separate menus for dietary requirements, and the main menu boasts a great range for all courses.

Small plates giving big flavours

King prawns and Tuscan sausage at The Riverside in Dunblane.

For my starter I chose the king prawns with Tuscan sausage (£11.85), which were smothered in a rich sun-ripened tomato, garlic and basil sauce and served with some chargrilled sourdough bread.

This was an unexpectedly rich starter – the prawns and sausage were perfectly cooked and robust enough to hold their own against the tomatoey sauce, which was thick and bursting with fresh flavours. The bread was tasty and the grilling helped avoid it getting a bit limp and soggy when paired with the prawns and sausage. You got the hints of garlic and basil through the sauce, which was strong on the sun-ripened richness.

It was a decent sized portion – not too much or too little to avoid being overwhelming or left wishing for more.

The other starter we had was the King Scallops (£14.95), which came atop a potato pancake. Over the scallops was a chunky tomato and basil oil and then sprinkled all over was shards of crispy pancetta.

King scallops at The Riverside in Dunblane.

Scallops are so easily ruined by overcooking but these were full of flavour and delicious. The softness paired well with the crispiness of the potato pancake, which was a bit like a rosti or a hash brown in that it was crunchy on the outside but soft inside.

The tomato and basil oil added extra flavour in a way that was delicate and didn’t steal the show from the scallops and the crispy pancetta added salty flavour and texture, again in a very subtle way.

Main courses that were sheer perfection

For our mains we chose the seafood and spinach risotto (£16.80) and the slow-cooked rolled breast of lamb (£21.50).

Seafood and spinach risotto at The Riverside in Dunblane.

The risotto was soft and a good consistency – not too runny or like wallpaper paste. It was packed full of seafood, including squid, mussels and king prawns that were all cooked perfectly. The spinach was a nice addition and well-proportioned so it didn’t take over the plate. A good sprinkling of parmesan over the top brought the umami, salty flavour that just rounded the dish off.

Slow-cooked rolled breast of lamb at The Riverside in Dunblane.

I love lamb, so I always give a lamb dish on the menu a good look over. And I can honestly say I think this is the first time I’ve seen lamb breast on a menu as a standalone main course (I’ve seen it as part of a trio of lamb before). The thing about breast of lamb is that it is a cut that can be tricky to do well because it can be quite tough and chewy.

The Riverside nailed this, and I think the slow cooking is the reason why. It needs that “low and slow” treatment to let it loosen and become almost melt in your mouth. And of course, to give the accompanying roasting jus time to soak up all the flavours!

The dauphinoise potatoes are a classic side to lamb, so they naturally worked well together, as did the garden pea medley and the minted garden pea puree.

It was a true British classic taken and elevated and it shows that The Riverside can make an everyday dish something wow-worthy.

So what was the verdict on The Riverside?

The Riverside was absolutely perfect (and that’s not a word I use lightly). From the bright and lovely atmosphere, the friendly staff and the amazing food, there was not a single thing I could fault during my experience.

It is ideal for a meal, a coffee and slice of cake or just a cold drink on a warm spring day. Dunblane is extremely lucky to be able to call The Riverside its own.