“We like to think of ourselves as a hidden gem.”
When Laura Muirhead, director of the delightful Achray House Hotel said this, I completely agreed with her.
But, as I gazed at the guests who were enjoying an evening drink in the late spring sun, I wondered how long the hotel would remain one.
Achray House Hotel is in one of the most picturesque areas of Perthshire – based at St Fillans. Looking out over Loch Earn, it boasts some absolutely incredible views.
From the hotel, it’s a short wander to see the mirror man, a popular sculpture that has recently returned to the loch.
A hotel with a fantastic reputation
Achray House was awarded AA four-star Gold restaurant with rooms status last August and has retained two AA rosettes for a fourth consecutive year.
Hungarian chef David Racz is classically trained, working predominantly at The Greywalls Hotel in Gullane and Martin Wishart in Edinburgh before joining the team at Achray House around 5 years ago.
He is known for wonderful flavour combinations and interesting takes on classic dishes.
General manager Claire Nicol is a true people person, I discovered. She creates an amazing buzz and atmosphere in the restaurant.
Vitally, her knowledge and passion for drinks shines through in an accessible way.
Trying the Taste and Stay package
I was visiting the Achray House Hotel with my daughter, Cari, to try the Taste and Stay members’ club package.
This is not the first innovative experience launched by the hotel. During covid, the hotel offered dine-at-home food boxes.
The Taste and Stay package does what it says on the tin – pay a membership of £195 per duo and you receive free bed and breakfast for 12 months when you come and pay for dinner and drinks.
You can come and stay as many times as you want during the year-long membership.
The hotel started the scheme last October. It now has more than 100 members.
As a member, you receive a welcome drink each time you visit, early check in and discounts on hotel events.
It sounds too good to be true but – on this occasion – it isn’t.
First impressions of the food
The dinner choice at Achray House Hotel includes both à la carte and a five-course tasting menu.
I love a tasting menu so I plumped for that. You can also add a wine pairing, which I did to enjoy the full experience.
The vibe as we started the tasting menu was fantastic. Claire’s enthusiasm and knowledge shined through.
Her humour was infectious, and she was a hugely important part of the experience.
That said, the food was the star of the show.
First up, we were treated to Orkney scallop, vadouvan curry (French curry), endive, verjus and puffed wild rice. This dish was paired with a Chateau Rives Blanques Blanquette De Limoux, France.
The scallop was beautifully cooked, and it paired perfectly with the light curry.
The endive provided some texture, and the puffed wild rice was an unexpected part of the dish that worked very well indeed.
Tender meat steals the spotlight
Next we enjoyed a dish of Ayrshire pork cheek, goat’s curd, burnt apple, caper and hazelnut. The accompanying wine was a Tenuta Santa Maria Torre Pieve Chardonnay 2020, Italy.
Chef Racz really displayed his skills with this dish. The pork cheek simply fell apart with the touch of a fork. Its rich flavour was divine.
Burnt apple was an ideal accompaniment, and I loved the addition of the goat’s curd. It offered a light and clean flavour.
Fantastic flaky fish
North Atlantic cod loin, red wine braised squid, leek barigoule, fregola and tomato fondue was the third dish. It was my favourite of the night.
The wine pairing was Bosman Family Vineyards Grenache Noir 2021 from South Africa.
The cod was meaty and flaked beautifully, but the star of this dish was the red wine-braised squid. It was incredibly tender and packed a lot of flavour thanks to having been cooked in the wine.
Cari had never eaten squid and was not keen to, but she couldn’t hide her delight once she tried a piece. The small balls of fregola and the fondue completed a well-balanced dish.
The fourth course of Perthshire pigeon breast, sausage, salt-baked celeriac, spring vegetables and jus gras (a fatty sauce) was another astonishing creation.
The pigeon was absolutely on point while the sausage and jus gras added a huge amount of flavour.
The saltiness of the celeriac and the freshness of the spring vegetables complemented the main elements perfectly.
The wine pairing was Ad Libitum Monastel De Rioja 2021, Spain.
Before dessert, you can choose to have a cheese course which I opted to try.
The Spanish Cabrales Blue, Brie De Meaux and Ossau Iraty – both French – were very enjoyable, especially when paired with a Quinta De La Rosa 10 Year Old Tawny Port.
Finishing with a dreamy dessert
Finishing on a high, dessert was banana dumpling, salted caramel crémeux, milk chocolate mousse and green tea ice cream.
Alongside it, I sipped on a glass of Quinta Do Piloto Moscatel De Setubal 2021 from Portugal.
The dessert was dreamy. The flavour of the banana worked well with the incredibly light and airy crémeux.
The mousse and the ice cream added yet more complexity to this nuanced dish.
A hidden gem indeed
Achray House Hotel is most definitely a hidden gem. I could not fault a single thing I ate or drank.
The atmosphere was amazing with everyone at the different tables chatting to each other and comparing tasting notes throughout the evening.
The food is absolutely exquisite and, as mentioned, the service is top drawer. The food and drinks are delivered with knowledge, incredible enthusiasm and a lot of laughs.
It is clear that the chef and front of house team are right at the top of their game.
The members’ club deal is something I have never seen anywhere else. It is undoubtedly a bargain worth taking advantage of.
Information
Address: Achray House, St Fillans, Crieff PH6 2NF
T: 01764 685320
W: achrayhouse.com/membersclub.html
Price: £190 for a year long membership. The five-course tasting menu costs £75 per person. The wine pairing starts at £45.
Scores
Food: 5/5
Service: 5/5
Surrounding: 5/5
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