Andrew Fairlie

My wife and I have had the privilege of dining at some exquisite restaurants and booked a meal here while we were staying for a week on-​property. Well over a year later we still find ourselves talking about our meal here. Service was impeccable, food was perfection.

When the Hardens food guide named ‘Andrew Fairlie at Gleneagles’ Britain’s best restaurant earlier this year I decided that, fiscal issues be damned, it was time to make the culinary pilgrimage.
Long Scotland’s only two Michelin starred establishment, its tempting to imagine that the glitz and glamour of its stunning location at the country’s most celebrated hotel has slightly skewed the critical appraisal towards adulation. One mouthful of Fairlie’s food quickly eviscerates this notion.
Those who have yet to sample the delights of the hotel and its grounds in the heart of rural Perthshire will be beguiled by both its charm and beauty. Marry this to
the world class approach to service and atmosphere exemplified on arrival and you will quickly be putty in the hands at the Fairlie theatre of food.
There are three dining options; the ‘à la carte’, the ‘Du Marche’ tasting menu and the ‘Digustation’ menu. At £130 for 9 courses, the ‘Digustation’ menu was described by the waiter as «the chefs favourite dishes of the season. The pinnacle of our menu». Some might shudder at the thought of such extravagant outlay on food but I have always upheld the logic that in a life cluttered with average meals it’s worthwhile to pay double or even treble to experience something truly memorable. When you get to a place like this, you go big or go home!
Of the nine courses, 5 registered a world class level of taste and two were amongst the finest dishes I have ever tasted. The ‘Ballottine of Foie Gras with poached Rhubarb and toasted brioche’ was a sensation. The dish was presented with a deep fried foie gras ball on a small side dish. We were warned by the waiter to place it fully in our mouths where the coating would melt releasing a burst of flavour and liquid taste. Biting into the ball would cause it to explode he said and it had been «a bit of a tie wrecker» in the past. This added a touch of theatre to the proceedings but the taste was out of this world, like liquid velvet and incredibly moreish. The main element of the dish was the foie gras which was fabulous, fresh and tasty. I spread it generously over the gorgeous warm, freshly cooked brioche. The Rhubarb added a layer of sweetness to the dish that effortlessly complimented the foie gras without ever coming close to overpowering the flavour.
The second course that really impressed me was Fairlie’s signature dish, ‘Home Smoked Lobster with warm Lime and Herb butter’. Simply a half Scottish Lobster cooked on smoked whiskey chips for added flavour with some herb butter, it’s probably the simplest dish I have ever seen in a restaurant of this standing. It was also easily one of the best. It is a dish that truly represents a perfect marriage of flavour, texture and smell. Each ingredient comes to the fore but compliments the other with the fresh Lobster rightly the star.
The rest of the courses were excellent with only a pre-​desert mushroom mousse slightly missing the mark. They say that Michelin award two stars for being an excellent cook but to get to the holy grail of three you need to become a restauranteur. This is the next step for Andrew Fairlie because the food is at the right level. The service was very good and attentive but they are not quite as good as the cookery. With a little more attention to detail and personality in this area Scotland could soon have its first ever three star restaurant.
The meal was phenomenal, and truly represents a world class experience. If you are planning to splash out on an experience that you won’t forget, look no further than Scotland’s foodie holy grail at Gleneagles.

We had dinner here on our first night (of two) at Gleneagles hotel. To be honest, it’s probably the only reason we went to the hotel, and it was well worth it!
Upon walking into the restaurant, I just felt really relaxed. The décor is gorgeous, and it makes you feel warm, welcome, and relaxed. After having a glass of bubbly, we opted for the degustation menu (as one should when coming to a restaurant like this) with the wine pairings.
Wine pairings for me are funny things. Sometimes they are good, sometimes they are mostly good (with a few off choices), and a few times they’ve just been terrible. The ones here were amazing. The wines (while sometimes seemed a bit strange to taste) really complemented the food spectacularly.
Now for the food. It was really quite tasty. The frozen foie gras amuse bouche was out of this world. The tomato mousse was delicious with just a hint of spice. The foie gras course was similar to those you’d get at The French Laundry or Per Se, but with a lack of the powerful flavors from Thomas Keller. However, there was a warm foie gras pastry that came with it which I could have eaten all night. The scallops were well cooked, but the star of that course was the scallop cracker (like a prawn cracker) with squid ceviche. The lobster was the best course of the night! It was whiskey smoked and perfectly cooked. And the flavors were amazing. The assiette of lamb lamb was nice was nice, but the best bit of it was the braised lamb. The 18 month aged comte was a great cheese to have for the cheese course, and the passionfruit chocolate mousse was extremely tasty. The only disappointment for me was the cappuccino, as the espresso was extremely burnt and bitter. The fresh tea infusion the other half had was great though.
All in all, we had a terrific meal at Andrew Fairlie. The food was far better than Gordon Ramsay in London. If I ever go back to Gleneagles, I will be dining here.

I can’t believe nobody has reviewed Andrew Fairlie! I came to the beautiful Gleneagles resort and golf complex while on a summer trip to Scotland this year, and had seen that the restaurant Andrew Fairlie was the only two michelin starred restaurant in all of Scotland. I had seen this before going on the trip and made it a required stop on the trip.
Got to the bar a little early and had some great Mojito’s compliments of the very cool bar at Gleneagles.
When we walked into the serene dining room, it was dimly lit with some very cool paintings hanging on the wall. The ambiance of the dining room was elegant yet very refined and refreshing.
The menu consists of three choices. The A La Carte menu, the Digustation tasting menu, and the menu Du marche.
I chose the menu Digustation, and my mum got the menu du marche.
The menu Digustation consisted of:
Ballotine of Foie Gras– Rhubarb carpaccio, and Toasted Brioche
Duet of Scallops– Braised Pig’s Cheek, Yuzu, and Apple
Ravioli of Broad Beans and Wild Mushrooms– Asparagus Veloute
Roast Fillet of Sea Bass– Shrimps and Beurre Noisette
Loin & Slow Cooked Shoulder Of Lamb– Aubergine and Sumac
Griotte Cherry Soufflé– Carmelised Almond Ice Cream
Menu Du Marche consisted of:
Terrine of Butter Poached St. Bride’s Farm Chicken– Watercress and Summer Truffles.
Crab and Soy «Cannelloni» — Squid Ink Crackers
Fricacassee of Lamb Sweetbreads– Peas and Girolles
Fillet of Sea Trout– Tomato and Fennel
Spiced Beast of Squab– Apricot and Saffron Purée
Chocolate Ball
The Chocolate Ball desert was one of the coolest displays of creativity I have ever seen in a dish. It came out as a Red Velvet looking ball, which they poured the tiniest amount of hot chocolate sauce on, then the ball melted in entirety to reveal another chocolate dish inside of the ball, and the ball became the base sauce for that dish. That is by far one of the most memorable dishes I have ever seen. From the French Laundry to Le Bernardin, the Chocolate Ball at Andrew Fairlie is something I will always remember.
All in all, the food was fantastic. It was so fresh, and was extremely vibrant tasting. After a two week Scottish tour, I had come to realize that most of their food is sourced from local farms, from the Scottish coast line, and the outlying sea. So add the Scottish Freshness and attention to quality with the idealistically perfection of French cooking and you really do get something amazing.
The Experience at Andrew Fairlie was a great one. When I return to Scotland I will definitely make sure to come visit Andrew Fairlie again. It was most definitely on par with the michelin starred restaurants in the states. So anyone who says the food in Scotland is bad, Give Mr. Fairlie a try and you won’t be saying that anymore.