Tag: dining

Peat Inn, St Andrews Wins Award

PerryGolf Staff

Suggestions for good restaurants are always high on a client’s list; as the time for their trip draws closer, we are often asked for our recommendations.  

The Peat Inn, St. Andrews
The Peat Inn, St. Andrews

There are certain restaurants that come highly recommended that we do advise are booked in advance to avoid disappointment.  The Peat Inn is certainly one we recommend to book ahead of time; the restaurant is located about 10 minutes from St. Andrews and was recently awarded Restaurant of the Year 2010 at the Scottish Restaurant Award Dinner.  It was a great night for The Peat Inn as the chef-proprietor Geoffrey Smeddle was also named as Chef of the Year 2010.  Other winners that also feature in our PerryGolf dining guide were Ondine Restaurant, Edinburgh for Best Seafood Restaurant and the Best Newcomer Restaurant was received by Rocpool Reserve Hotel, Inverness.

During your trip we suggest booking certain restaurants in advance, perhaps on evenings where it makes sense with your golf/sightseeing schedule, but also to not make reservations for every evening as we find this too restricting when one wishes to relax and enjoy their golfing vacation.

By Denise McKee.  Denise has been with PerryGolf for over 10 years and is a member of our admin team.

SHARE

Alternate Dining in Scotland

PerryGolf Staff

As is the case with most leisure travel, many of our clients ask about things they can do to get a real flavour of Scotland during a trip.  Obviously there are many things that fall into this category, but one thing I would recommend that any visitor should do when in Scotland (particularly if they are interested in local food) is to try a “fish supper” for dinner on one night of your trip.  This consists of fish and chips (fries), usually wrapped in newspaper and served with salt and vinegar.  It is basically fast food and can make a tasty alternative to the formal dining that you may be doing for the majority of a trip.

Fish and Chips
Fish and Chips

As with all restaurants, quality varies but usually if you are by the coast (where the Links courses are located) the quality is pretty good.  I would especially recommend a visitor to do this if they are in the St. Andrews area as the Anstruther Fish Bar is just a short drive from St. Andrews, and is consistently voted one of the best, if not the best “Chippy” in the UK.  I suggest you go early though as it gets very busy.  Enjoy!

By Alastair Niven.  Alastair has been with PerryGolf for over 9 years and is one of our Golf Travel Specialists.

SHARE

Isle of Skye

PerryGolf Staff

Visitors to Scotland generally have a ‘must see’ list which includes Edinburgh, Loch Lomond, Loch Ness and the Isle of Skye.  The latter, although slightly less accessible, draws a significant number of couples blending a golfing holiday with a once in a lifetime trip.  For many it will be a trip ‘home’ tracing their roots.  It’s important to remember that Skye was as much affected by famine and the clearances as the Highlands.  The clans of MacLeod and MacDonald were the main players, but Clan Mackinnon also had settlements there.  Few children grew up without hearing the romantic story of Flora MacDonald helping Bonnie Prince Charlie to escape by rowing boat and this brave young lady is buried in Skye.

The scenery, the striking Cuillin Hills and the food gathered from the fertile agricultural areas and intricate coastline make Skye an island well worth visiting as suggested in Dan Saltzstein’s excellent article in the New York Times recently.  Click here to read on.

By Yvonne Shaw.  Yvonne has been with PerryGolf for over 10 years and is a member of our admin team.

SHARE

New Restaurant in Newcastle, County Down, Ireland

PerryGolf Staff

We always like to keep up to date with new restaurants that our clients would enjoy, and so far this year the new Vanilla restaurant in Newcastle, County Down has been getting some very good reviews from our clients.

Opened in October last year the restaurant specialises in preparing dishes from the finest local ingredients. You can see full details of the menus if you click here.  Yum!

By Alastair Niven.  Alastair has been with PerryGolf for over 9 years and is one of your Golf Travel Specialists.

SHARE

Cooking School, Italy

PerryGolf Staff

If you are travelling to Italy, the one activity that we find both golfers and non-golfers alike love, is an authentic Italian cooking class.  An ideal location to experience this is in the Lake Como area where cooking classes take place in the Culinary Institute, “Gianni Brera” – which is considered one of the best institutes in Italy.  Lessons are hands-on and before beginning the cooking process, the participants will be taken to the nearby food department store where the chef will introduce you to the culinary habits of the Italians.

The classes are based on the preparation of the lunch or dinner that will then be eaten by the participants themselves at the end of the class.  Importantly, the meal is accompanied by fine wines!

PerryGolf can incorporate as many cooking classes as desired into a vacation and would be delighted to arrange transfers from your hotel (ideal in order to allow you to enjoy the wines on offer during the day).

Click here to download a brochure for the Foundation Course in Culinary Arts.

A perfect addition to your Italy vacation.

By Denise McKee.  Denise has been with PerryGolf for over 10 years and is responsible for our Mediterranean destinations.

SHARE