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The Drovers Inn, by Forfar (42/50)

By Kerry Moores

February 3 2018, 8:00am

I have always heard people speak fondly of The Drovers Inn, whether recalling a boozy Sunday lunch, a celebration or just a cosy tea by the fire.

Taking refuge from a dreich, dark Scottish day, a wave of warmth hit us as we opened the door to the old inn. The bar was a bustle of people eating and drinking and I just had a feeling that this was exactly where I wanted to be. It is a traditional inn with a traditional bar. Nothing fancy or formal, just cosy and relaxed.

We hadn’t booked a spot for lunch and all the tables in the bar were occupied so we were offered two choices – eat in the restaurant but risk having it all to ourselves, or perch at the bar. I haven’t sat and eaten at a bar for years so we chose two stools by the glowing fire and settled in.

I must say that because of so many factors such as the fire, the gentle chatter around us, gazing at the many bottles of gins and generally being nosy about what was going on at the bar, I am so glad we chose to sit where we did and I think we actually had a nicer time than we would have being seated at a table. It felt cosmopolitan, relaxed and lovely.

We were given both a set menu and the favourites menu and struggled to decide what to order. The favourites includes some classics such as scampi and liver & bacon as well as some more refined choices; the set menu reflects the chef’s specials.

Despite the fact I was dining with my friend who berates me for my love of goats cheese, that’s exactly what I had for my starter. The plate that arrived was elegant and very pretty with thin slices of deep purple beetroot, a large disc of the earthy pan-fried cheese, a tall stack of curly leaves and a neat drizzle of dressing. The dish was not a rustic, homely dish so much as one that would suit being served on white linen. Needless to say it was right up my street.

My friend chose the crispy beef strips with curry mayo which turned out to be a very generous portion of chunky, tender beef, coated and deep fried until delightfully crisp. It was served with a mustardy side salad and a small ramekin of the dip. I have had crispy beef from a Chinese takeaway many times but this was on a totally new level as the ingredients oozed quality and flavour without needing a sugary coating to mask them.

We had so much debate about our main courses when we ordered and so took some advice from our waitress. My friend was leaning towards the smoked haddock risotto but was worried about its richness and so was advised to go for the smaller starter portion. I do so love it when a place down-sells as it shows they understand what their customer is looking for.

It’s a good job she went small as even the starter portion was generous. The bowl of creamy rice was piping hot and stacked full of the undyed fish. The icing on the cake was the perfectly cooked, runny poached egg which, when pierced, oozed its sunshine into the mix.

I decided to go kitsch for my main course and ordered the spinach and ricotta cannelloni. I have been burned by this choice in the past when dense pasta has been served stuffed with a green paste that could be anything and smothered in a generic red sauce. This was certainly not that.

The filling of the pasta tubes was a mixture that could be easily identified – shredded pieces of bright green spinach, not overcooked and watery but lightly wilted and vibrant, mixed with the light creamy cheese and seasoned well. I felt that just as much effort had been put into the tomato sauce which was chunky and sweet and delicious. To top it off was a layer of melted cheese to give just the right amount of sharpness. The dish was very clearly home-made and recently baked as it was hotter than lava and I felt comforted and rosy and full after eating it.

We were delightfully satisfied after our meal and couldn’t manage dessert but still stayed at the bar for coffee and more chats. I found the Drovers to be a fabulous capsule away from the rest of the world. We arrived at 1pm and could have happily settled in for the afternoon and evening.

The staff were delightful, the food delicious and the atmosphere unbelievably warm and cosy. The Drovers is shortly to be under new ownership so look out for some exciting new developments. One thing’s for sure though – next time, we’ll ditch the car and settle in for the long haul, blethering enough to make room for dinner. I can’t think of a better place to sit at the bar, eat drink and get merry and that’s exactly what I plan to do at the soonest opportunity.