The Ninth London, England, United Kingdom

My fiancé and I have followed Jun Tanaka from afar since he was responsible for the Pearl Restaurant at the Renaissance Chancery Court. This is now the Rosewood London.

We had always wondered where he had gone to and were happy to find out he had a new restaurant, called The Ninth, and holding 1 Michelin star. It is his 9th restaurant hence the name.

The cuisine is inspired by Jun Tanaka's travels.

In July/August 2017 we spent a long weekend in London, so we booked a table for dinner at Jun Tanaka's newest venture.

It is located on Charlotte Street, within ca. 20 minute walking distance to the British Museum. There are other Michelin stared restaurants in the area, one even on the same street, and the Charlotte Street Hotel is just across the road.

Again the front is unassuming like The Portland (see review) and we walked past The Ninth once, when looking for it.

At the time the weather was nice, so patrons could choose to sit outside on the small terrace and enjoy the sun.

We were greeted warmly by the Maître d' and brought to our table. Our jackets were taken.

Tables were close together, so we could easily overhear the conversation of our neighbors. If you are looking for privacy or a more peaceful atmosphere this isn't the place to go to. It was probably the loudest of the four Michelin stared venues we had lunch or dinner during our three nights/four days in London in July/August 2017.

Our fellow diners were international and one group celebrated a birthday.

Soon afterwards we were asked if we would like to have an aperitif or a bottle of water. We asked for still water, which was The Ninth Eau de Vie.

We also had a The Ninth Cocktail. It was a refreshing summer drink and we liked rather much, it's made with Hendrick's Gin and served as a Martini.

Since it was our first time at The Ninth we were explained that all dishes on the menu were made for sharing and we should choose five to six each. They would arrive whenever they were ready. If we wanted we could have a break after a certain amount of dishes arrived.

The waitress and we had a discussion about Bilbao and oxtail, since one of the dishes we had ordered was oxtail croquettes. We had eaten this particular delicacy the first time at the Cafe Metropol at the Gran Hotel Domine in Bilbao last year. She had been to Bilbao and the Biskaya too, but more for the wine. The croquettes came highly recommended by her, though.

 

One of our neighbors ordered it, too, but the rest of his family wasn't interested, even so he tried to convince them to try some.

Our choices were as follows:

Four oxtail croquettes,

Burrata, Datterini and fresh almonds,

flamed mackerel, dill, cucumber, capers,

sea bass Carpaccio, salsa Verde and pickled Kohlrabi,

Osso Buco tortellini,

rabbit lasagna,

chargrilled cauliflower, tomato and yogurt,

one slice of Comte cheese, 36 months aged with crackers,

Pain Perdu and the caramelized lemon tart.

All dishes looked appetizing and were outstanding in flavor.

The oxtail croquettes were moreish.

The Burrata was creamy and worked well with the crunch of the almonds and the juicy, sweet-tart Datterini tomatoes.

Both fish dishes were refreshing and beautiful.

The Osso Buco tortellini and rabbit lasagna were astoundingly light, considering that these are traditionally heavier dishes.

The cauliflower was crunchy, while the yogurt was soft. Flavor was added by the tomato. Jun Tanaka is famous for his vegetarian dishes, so you should try at least one.

The Comte was stronger in flavor, still not over powering, ideal for a taster.

The Pain Perdu was thick, crispy on the outside but soft on the inside and large. It tasted heavenly with the vanilla ice cream.

Normally I'm not a big fan of lemon desserts. It's more his thing, so I was pleasantly surprised when the lemon tart found the right balance between being sweet and tangy. The slice was ideal for sharing too.

The bill was 110.81 GBP / ca. 125.20 Euro / ca. 142.80 USD including service charge.

We would return, because we like the sharing concept, the colorful and tasty dishes and the warm and personal staff. Value for money is very good too in our opinion.

©2017

Galvin at Windows @ The London Hilton on Park Lane, London, England, United Kingdom

Galvin at Windows at the London Hilton on Park Lane was longer on my fiancé’s and my radar. Since we had four days in London end of July/beginning of August 2017 and one of those was a Sunday, we decided to try the famous and only Michelin stared Sunday Lunch at Galvin at Windows.

A few days before our lunch we received a call from Galvin at Windows to confirm we were joining them as planned.

Arriving at the London Hilton on Park Lane we asked the concierge how to get to the restaurant. We were directed to the elevator bank, where we had to type in the floor we wanted to go to. In our case the 28^th. The display showed us which elevator we had to take. Security is good, because no one else can join you and you can only go to the designated floor. A key card is needed, when going to a guest floor.

The elevator was fast and within a minute or so we were at our destination.

The hostess greeted us warmly and took our jackets. She offered us to have drinks at the bar first or go immediately to our table. We decided to head straight for lunch.

The dining room was classic and beautiful with cloud inspired artwork.

At first the restaurant wasn’t very busy. The longer the afternoon progressed the more diners arrived. The clientele was international with most of them being couples. There was also a family with two small children. The kids were overall well behaved and had fun with the sommelier.

The chef patron is Chris Galvin with head chef Joo Won in the kitchen from South Korea, so the classic French dishes had some Korean influence too.

Our table at the double height floor to ceiling windows had views over the Intercontinental Park Lane, Piccadilly and other London landmarks towards Victoria and Battersea Power Station.

We were given the wine list and menu. When asking for the cocktail menu this wasn’t a problem either, it was promptly presented to us.

We were asked if we might be interested in olives.

We agreed and didn’t regret it. The Spanish green Gordal olives were delicious and addictive.

Our bottle of still Acqua Panna water and a bread basket with butter arrived soon afterwards.

We had one alcoholic cocktail called The Foreigner made with Nomad Whisky, Pedro Ximenez sweet Sherry, Palo Cortado dry Sherry and orange and one non-alcoholic, Betty’s Garden, made with raspberries, strawberries, lemon juice, Vanilla syrup and cranberry juice. The sommelier said Betty’s Garden was a good choice and it definitely was my kind of cocktail. It was sweet and fruity, while The Foreigner was definitely a manly drink. He liked it very much. It was slightly too bitter for myself.

There were about 20 cocktails created by the bar manager Tiago. The inspiration was travel.

Our waitress said that the chefs could work around our dietary requirements.

Our appetizers were Galvin smoked salmon, beetroot, horseradish and dill and seared foie gras, Iberico pork, brioche and tomato chutney.

The first one is a “signature” classic. Both were delicious and moreish.

The size of the dishes was generous, so I thought in order to have a three course I should choose something smaller or lighter. I tried the tart tartin with zucchini, aubergine, onion and tomato. My fiancé had the roasted breast of Cotswold Chicken, chilli barbeque glaze and vegetables.

The savory tart tartin reminded me of holiday in the Mediterranean, while his chicken was finger licking good and the glaze was the highlight. The meat itself was tender and virtually fat free.

As desserts we chose a lime and strawberry mousse cake and a hazelnut and almond Paris Brest with praline cream and chocolate ice cream.

There was a show element included. The desserts were brought to the table on a trolley and the cake was cut in front of us. The size of each dish again was fairly large.

The Paris Brest was covered in chocolate sauce by the waitress at the table.

Wonder what a Paris Brest is? The choux pastry was created in 1910 by Louis Durand, a famous French patissier, at the request of Pierre Giffard. It was named after a bicycle race from Paris to Brest and back. The pastry is circular shaped to remind of a bicycle wheel.

The mousse cake was light and summery. The Paris Brest was heavier, but the size was right and the flavors worked well together.

To round up the meal we ordered two cappuccinos.

As surprise we received dark chocolate and chocolate orange pralines.

The pralines have been memorable and the sommelier must have overheard us discussing that it would be nice to have more of them, if we weren’t so full, because of this he came with another set.

 Of course we couldn’t refuse the gift, so we ate further….

The staff was attentive and genuinely interested in us, for example we chatted about golf with the sommelier, inspired by the polo shirt my fiancé was wearing. We had bought it at the Elba Palace in Fuerteventura.

After our beautiful Sunday lunch it was time to settle the bill, which came with a large glass jar of marshmallows (mint and strawberry). Both tasted moreish and are fluffy and refreshing.

There was a slight mistake with the bill. We were charged for the 3 course dinner, not the Sunday lunch. It was fast corrected and the member of staff was very sorry about the mistake.

The bill was 179.61 GBP (ca. 202.80 Euro / ca. 231.45 USD) including service charge.

We would return for the Sunday Lunch again. It reflects good value, the cuisine is excellent, the portions generous and the staff efficient and warm, plus the location on the 28^th floor added a magical setting and wonderful views too.

©2017

Nobu Shoreditch, London, England, United Kingdom

My fiancé and I discussed which hotel to take for our stay end of July/beginning of August 2017 in London, this was dependend upon purpose, availability/budget and location of our visit. There were three choices: a budget hotel in Shepherds Bush, an upscale hotel in Camden or a brand new luxury hotel in Shoreditch.  The budget hotel we've stayed earlier in the year, the upscale hotel had the right location for one of our full days, which included lunch at The Portland, a visit to the British Museum and dinner at The Ninth.

On the other side we could connect relatively easy by Tube to all the places we wanted to go to, when staying in Shoreditch, so it was a memorable call to try the newly opened Nobu Hotel, which we have followed since hearing about plans it was going to be built a few years back, it offers 150 rooms/suites with a design and feel which cinnects certain elements of Asia, especially Japan with the heritage and surroundings of London Shoreditch connocted in a beautiful 5-star environment. When it opened on 1st of July 2017 it was the only Nobu Hotel in Europe.[More Nobu Hotels are planned worldwide incl. Ibiza and others in Europe].

We used their opening offer. It included a reduction of 40 % on the overnight rate and breakfast. Having stayed there now we both believe it is worth to pay full price as we liked the style of the hotel as awhole, it's like a breath of fresh air for a new generation of luxury hotels in London.

We contacted the hotel before our stay via e-mail to request a Deluxe Room (entrance category room) on the higher floors and the in room dining menu. We inquired what the breakfast inclusion meant too. 

A friendly reply arrived soon afterwards. We were advised the highest floor we could have was the third floor. If we wanted to have a higher floor we would have to upgrade to an Executive Room. The breakfast included was the Nobu style "Full English". We were a bit concerned, because normally we don't like a traditional full English breakfast. More about that later. The menu was also attached.

Finally it was time to fly. It was one of the busiest weekends of the year in travel terms, so our flight was delayed by an hour, which had a knock on effect to our plans later on the same day.

We were glad we had decided to buy a Gatwick Express ticket in first class, which made the journey into the city much faster and more comfortable. From Victoria train station we connected to the Tube. Getting off at Old Street Station we had difficulties finding the hotel at first, because the area isn't built in a grid system. Shoreditch is one of the oldest parts of London. 

After searching for about ten minutes in heavy rain we finally found the Nobu Hotel. It is located on Willow Street, which is a side street and very small. The Hoxton Hotel is just opposite. The Nobu takes the whole block and the facade is understated Japanese.

We felt immediately well and I liked especially the little gardens to each side of the entrance.

Reception was straight ahead, while the lounge was to the left.

Check in was friendly and efficient, as expected. 

We were accompanied to our room and some features were explained to us, but there were also some secrets left to explore ourselves.

The Deluxe Room was on the 3rd floor as we had requested. It had views over the side alley which gave us a good reminder about our location.

The color scheme was gold, red, brown, grey, black and white, plus it worked well together.

There was a small hallway with the bathroom to the left.

The room felt large, even so it was "only" 22 m2. 

The style was a combination of Japanese cool and Shoreditch chic.

The floor to ceiling windows had two shoji screens; one for the day, which let in limited light and provided some privacy and a black out screen with a print typical for Shoreditch.

The air conditioning worked fast [cold] and was easy to use. The complimentary WI-FI was fast and reliable throughout the hotel at any time during our stay.

There was a beautiful king sized bed, a swiveable arm chair in one corner and a 55-inch flat screen TV.

The flat screen was hidden in a gold colored Japanese credenza and offered a whole range of regional and international channels, including the whole line up of Sky Sports, CNN, BBC World News, CNBC and Bloomberg.

In the compartments of the lower part of the credenza were the minibar and the tea set - no coffee making facility.

The mini bar contained interesting items, like Nobu Sake, Double Dutch Tonic Water (the classic version and one with water melon and cucumber), Sangre de Vida Tequila, which is shaped like a skull, still Fiji and sparkling Voss water, Hendricks Gin, a half bottle of Veuve Clicquot Champagne, Pocky from Japan and Valrhona chocolate. There were also a phone charger, intimacy and emergency kits for sale and many more items.

The prices were easy to remember, because they were for the same group of items equal, so for the non-alcoholic drinks and snacks it was 4 GBP (ca. 4.55 Euro/ca. 5.20 USD), the alcoholic beverages 9 GBP (ca. 10.20 Euro/ca. 11.65 USD), the Champagne 30 GBP (ca. 33.90 Euro/38.70 USD) and the kits started from 15 GBP (ca. 16.95 Euro/19.35 USD).

The traditional tea set was from Kyoto and the tea was by Ikaati - the flavors were Royal Breakfast, soothe Herbal and Jasmine Song Premium Green Tea.

There was also a set of glasses for diverse drinks, coasters and recipes to make cocktails on your room with the contents of the minibar.

Even the compartments of the credenza were interesting.

For example the part that was hiding the TV contained a small mirror and all the drawers were red lacquered and had prints inspired by silk weavers and birds inside them.

The headboard of the bed was intricate too. It was extended and felt beautiful, it covered not just the bed with purpose, it was a design/quality statement at the same time. The design remembered us of Bottega Veneta's intricate leather work.

On both sides of the bed were outlets for electronic devices. 

The globe shaped lamps were suspended via orange rope from the concrete ceiling, which gave it an industrial feel and reminded us a bit about the Inntel Hotels Art in Eindhoven, which is set a former Philips light bulb factory in which we steayed in Sep. 2016.

The seating area was cleverly designed. It could be also used as storage unit. There was a bench with the luggage rack and a large drawer underneath it, and a chair. 

On the round wooden table, which reminded me of a tree or a mushroom, was a copy of the 24 hours in room dining menu, which was comprehensive, the menu functioned also as the Nobu Hotel guest magazine, plus there was a typed welcome letter reminding us that there could still some building works to be heard and that not all Nobu Hotel offerings are open yet incl. their fitness and wellness facilities/Spa.

The room was carpeted and grey with colorful stripes, which reminded us about Asian design sensibilities, especially Japanese design.

The shoji screens continued along the hallway, hiding two wardrobes and the bathroom door as well as one side where the seating area was.

There was limited storage space in the wardrobes. One drawer contained the safe. It was easy to use and there was no risk of the safe door falling suddenly down due to the design of the safe.

A full sized mirror was provided too.

The light was dimmable.

Turn down service was provided every evening with two small bottles of Fiji water and Japanese slippers [especially for her/him versions] inclusive.

The room was comfortable and we liked spending time there, even though we were very busy.

The bed and black out curtain allowed for restful sleep.

The bathroom was large and reminded us about the one we had at Das Stue in Berlin. It was completely white overall with some gold accents.

The material used was unpolished granite for the floors, stone and tiles. The gold sink and tap were a nice contrast to the dominating white.

There was of course a toilet and a large shower with a step up and a hanger to one side. The shower head was large and white too.

Water temperature and pressure were good.

A window with orange glass was located in the shower. It wasn't see through, but shadows could be seen, so this room type might be not suitable, if you aren't a couple or close family members. Using the light during the night in the bathroom could also disturb the sleeping companion, but all this was very subtle and didn't disturb us at all.

The bathroom amenities were by Natura Bisse Barcelona for Nobu Hotels with rosemary and white tea, which we loved.

Yukatas were provided [all Nobu branded and very soft] along with dental kits and other supplies.

As mentioned we had breakfast included at the Nobu Restaurant as part of our package/opening offer, the first one to do so. Some dishes were specifically created by Nobu Matsuhisa for this location.

The restaurant was located in the basement, but was double floor height and had massive floor to ceiling windows at the bar area with seating at the outdoor terrace. There was a pocket garden with Bonsai trees.

The bar contained many interesting Japanese Whiskeys and sakes.

The industrial and Japanese design continued throughout this fascinating space.

The maître d' greeted us friendly and brought us to our table.

There were booths on both sides and tables in the middle.

We preferred the booths, because they provided privacy, while sitting on one occassion in the middle we felt a bit exposed.

Our waiter explained we could choose the Nobu Style "Full English" or if a lighter breakfast was preferred the Nobu Style "Continental".

The "Full English" included green tea or coffee, orange juice, British and American bacon, Japanese style sausages, shiitake mushrooms, Japanese poached egg, crispy boudin noir (blood sausage), cherry tomatoes, adzuki beans with tomato jalapeno jam and Japanese buns.

We tried the full English with green tea on the first morning. It was delicious. The combination of all ingredients created an umami flavor. We liked especially the poached egg, the Japanese style sausages, the adzuki beans and Japanese buns. It was satisfying and left us definitely not hungry.

The second morning we had the continental, which looked like a piece of art. It consisted of exotic fruits, Nobu granola parfait and a green tea croissant. It gave us the option to try other a la carte items, which we paid for, and our dietary requirements could be easily accommodated.

We had the infamous Matcha Waffle and Chicken with smoked maple ponzu and pecan miso butter twice and also tried the Japanese Matcha flat muffin.

All the items we tried were of high quality, delightful, tasty and moreish.

If you haven't breakfast included, the full English costs 16 GBP (ca. 18.10 Euro / ca. 20.65 USD),the continental 13 GBP( ca. 14.70 Euro / ca. 16.80 USD), the Matcha Waffle and Chicken 16 GBP (ca. 18.10 Euro / ca. 20.65 USD) and the Japanese Matcha flat muffin 3 GBP (ca. 3.40 Euro / ca. 3.90 USD).

There were signs that the hotel is still in soft opening. Some examples are here:

The spa and fitness center and some of the rooms were still under construction. We heard a bit of building site work in the mornings, but it didn't influence us.

On our first evening we needed an umbrella, because we had a dinner reservation and it was still raining. I called the operator, inquiring about one. We were told housekeeping would deliver it to our room, only to receive a call a few minutes later being advised that we could request it from the doorman.

Shoe shine service was only available during the day, since housekeeping wasn't available during the night, we hope they might find a suitable solution to solve this "problem" in the future.

The breakfast inclusions should be better explained. On our first morning we weren't told that Matcha green tea wasn't included and cost 6 GBP (ca. 6.80 Euro / ca. 7.80 USD) extra. The second morning we were asked if we wanted one, so since we thought it's green tea too, it was included. When the bill arrived we queried the charges. We were okay with the explanation by the manager that the tea is rare and quite expensive and wanted to pay for it, since we had consumed it. He kindly took it off our bill.

Overall, it was surprising how smoothly the hotel ran after having opened only a month and given enough time the minor hiccups we encountered should have been worked out in due time.

The staff was friendly and personal. When we returned in the evenings, the gentleman, who checked us in had time for a chat and inquired how our days went and what we had done.

Check out arrived as always too soon and was equally friendly and efficient.

We loved our stay and would return again and we might try other room types offered in our future too. By the way, the suites offer balconies with views over their pocket garden which over time and good weather conditions will get "buzzy" IMHO. It's a beautiful and fascinating hotel which bodes well coupled with their location in equally fascinating Shoreditch, one of the oldest parts in London which feels creative and innovative at the same time, it's up and coming. 

©2017

The Restaurant at the Blythswood Square (Hotel)

While staying for 1 night in September 2016 at the Blythswood Square Hotel in Glasgow we went to dinner at The Restaurant, their style-driven yet elegant eatery.

Like the Sands Grill at the Old Course Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort, The Restaurant offered a Market Menu at a good value.

Both the hotel and the restaurant were glamourous. There were for example huge lampshades and inside were different classic cars printed which reminded us about their heritage.

The friendly and attentive staff took good care of us.

The only thing we didn't like that much was that in the middle of the meal the light was suddenly so much dimmed we barely could see what we were eating. While a more romantic atmosphere can be indeed achieved with dimming the lights, but when it's too dark it can get slightly annoying. Otherwise we enjoyed our dinner very much.

We ordered one bottle of still Strathmore water, a Bumbo Cocktail - it was inspired by adventures while travelling to exotic countries around 100 to 200 years ago -, a glass of the Champagne of the month, in this case Baron de Villeboerg Brut NV, two hot chocolates, two mackerel pate with chorizo, salad and bread disc, two butternut squash tortelloni with soya butter and micro herbs, one S'mores cheese cake and one plum frangipane.

All was delicious, modern and very nicely presented as expected from such an upscale venue.

The bill was 81.70 GBP (ca. 92.30 Euro / ca. 105.30 USD).

We would return and try their new restaurant offerings since the Blythswood Square has has/will join the Principal Hotel Collection which should further enhance the appeal of this beautiful landmark hotel in the heart of Glasgow.


©2017

St. Andrews Cathedral St. Andrews, Scotland, United Kingdom

While in St. Andrews in September 2016 my fiancé and I visited the St. Andrews Cathedral.

The entrance to St. Andrews Cathedral is 5 GBP (ca. 5.70 Euro or ca. 6.45 USD), but the graveyard and ruins can be explored free of charge. Tickets can be bought online.

The cathedral was a major place for worship, pilgrimage and religious learning. It all started with the legend that St. Rules (St. Regulus) was ship wrecked off the Scottish coast. He fled Greece, because he had heard rumors emperor Constantine wanted to steal St. Andrew's relics.

The construction of the cathedral started ca. 1160 and continued for more than 150 years. The cathedral was finally dedicated in 1318 in the presence of Robert The Bruce.

St. Andrews Cathedral fell into ruin due to the Scottish Reformation in the 16th century.

Even if there are only ruins left the descriptions leave a clear picture what the building must have looked like and 

what the specific part was used for.

In the graveyard we found the gravesites of Allen Robertson, Tom and Tommy Morris, but there are many professors, writers and other famous people resting there too as we found out during our visit.

We enjoyed the location, we could learn/explore a lot and the atmosphere is fascinating and would return again.

Of note, the University of St. Andrews and St. Andrews Castle are pretty much nearby too.

 

 

©2017

British Golf Museum St. Andrews, Scotland, United Kingdom

During our September 2016 two night/3 day stay in St. Andrews my fiancé and I visited the British Golf Museum. 

St. Andrews, the home of Golf, was where the first ever game was played, so a museum about the Scottish sport was fitting. 

The museum is a must visit for golf fans or all other visitors who want to learn about the sport and glimpse some fascinating insights from the world of Golf in the heart of St. Andrews.

The location is near the sea and romantic.

Entrance was 8 GBP (ca. 9.10 Euro / ca. 10.40 USD) and valid for two days.

There is no option to purchase tickets online, at least at the time, but this might change in the future.

The museum is fairly large and depending how interested you are in golf history and how much time you want to spend there, it’s a good idea to split the visit up.

The different sections were dealing with the beginning of golf, the history, the development of golf clubs, balls and courses, the first professional players, how the rules and 18 holes came about, clothing throughout the centuries, the royal’s influence, the spread of golf around the world, the different trophies and club houses from around the globe from a bygone era. It was fascinating to see what an American club house looked like compared to one in South Africa or India.

It was engaging and educational. There was an interactive quiz and the possibility to design your own golf club. More hands on experiences were playing with two historical (feather and gutty) and a modern golf ball. You could try on typical clothing from the past as well.

The gift shop was a mix between practical, whimsical, local and education. We bought luxury soaps, hand-made in Scotland and would have loved to buy chocolate golf balls, but didn’t because the price sign was stuck over the expiry date. It would be nice if the label would be placed somewhere else.

Having spent nearly three hours there we were hungry and thirsty. The British Golf Museum got that covered too.

The café is located on the top of the museum with magnificent views over the beach and sea. There is outdoor seating as well as indoor seating.

We chose a table indoors, overlooking the sea.

The menu had a small selection of cakes, sandwiches, soups, burgers and fish cakes.

If you want to have afternoon tea it has to be pre-ordered.

Soon we were offered a menu by the friendly waitress. We chose one Fentiman’s Ginger Beer, one Irn Bru, two hot chocolates and two bagels with smoked salmon, cream cheese and cucumber, a classic and the quality was good.

The bill came in at 25.90 GBP or ca. 29.30 Euro or 33.40 USD. 

We enjoyed our visit, felt we had learned a lot and were overall happy the museum itself as with the food quality in the café, but the menu might needs an update, as does the actual setting of the cafe. We would visit again when we hopefully find ourselves in St. Andrews in our future again.

©2017

The Sands Grill @ The Old Course Hotel, Golf Resort & Spa, St. Andrews, Scotland, United Kingdom

On our second evening of our three day stay at the Old Course Hotel, Golf Resort and Spa (please see review) my fiancé and I had dinner at the Sands Grill.

The restaurant was located on the ground floor and had a clubby upscale atmosphere with dark furniture and green upholstery.

The staff was warm and efficient.

Fellow diners were international and of all age groups.

The Market Menu, which is available in lots of Scottish upscale restaurants, was good value at 35 GBP per person (ca. 40 Euro / ca. 45.30 USD) and we liked the choice of dishes, so we decided to go for this and not for a la carte.

The cuisine can be described as light and classic with some experimental touches.

Our drinks were a large bottle of still Highland Spring water, one Tia Maria and two hot chocolates.

Our starters were roasted pigeon breast, chocolate, parsnip, passion fruit. It caused some debate between us. We liked the dish and the slightly unusual combination. He thought the passion fruit was too few. I thought the amount was just right. We are a bit different in that regards.

His main course was gnocchi with sundried tomatoes and mozzarella. Mine was sea bass fillet with shrimp and mussel sauce and potatoes.

Normally gnocchi dishes are too large and heavy. This one was just right.

The shrimps and mussels were very generous and the dish was tasty.

Our desserts included raspberry panna cotta with vanilla ice cream and plum crumble with custard and vanilla cream.

The bill was 89.90 GBP, ca. 102.50 Euro, ca. 116.30 USD

Overall we had a very pleasant evening and would have a meal at the Sands Grill again, when staying at the Old Course Hotel, Golf Resort & Spa in St. Andrews.

©2017

Old Course Hotel, Golf Resort & Spa St. Andrews, Scotland, United Kingdom

My fiancé and I knew the Old Course Hotel, Golf Resort and Spa in St. Andrews from the Leading Hotels of the World catalogue and always wanted to stay there. Since a few months it is a member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts Legend Collection.

Until recently the Old Course Hotel, Golf Resort and Spa had been on our back burner somewhat, but decided the time was right to go in September 2016 for two nights. 

We figured out how to best reach St. Andrews from Glasgow by public transport. 

We took the Stage Coach Bus from Buchanan Street Bus Station to St. Andrews Bus Station. The journey took approximately 2 hours 45 minutes and was scenic. 

The cost was 18 GBP return per person, ca. 20.45 Euro or ca. 22.75 USD.

The Old Course Hotel, Golf Resort and Spa is situated at the outskirts of St. Andrews, which isn’t a problem since the town itself is small, but famous for its university, golf and Prince William and Kate Middleton.

The walk to the Old Course Hotel took ca. 10 minutes from the main bus station.

On the way golf history already started with plaques related to it, including Old Tom Morris’s home (a golfer, club and ball maker, greenskeeper, instructor and course designer) and the New Golf Club and the Swilcan Bridge at the 18th hole of the Old Course. 

The hotel felt overall very romantic with lots of flowers and other plants around the main entrance, in the lobby, on the floors and room. 

We were greeted warmly by Tam, who wore a kilt, and was the doorman. He is an asset to the hotel, because he had generally time for a chat, for example about our Harrods bag with a West Highland White Terrier on it. He owns two of the breed, called Terry and Toby. He gave us also the tip to go to the West Deck, a viewing terrace on the 4th floor for spectacular views from the hotel. He is also on the hotel’s own video.

Tam took our luggage and brought us to reception. Check in was done quickly and friendly. We were offered Prosecco and ginger beer as welcome drinks. Normally there would be Champagne too, but it had run out and hadn’t been replaced yet we had been informed.

Beside our keys we received a resort/surroundings map, which was appreciated.

We were accompanied to our Old Course Room with a view, which was on the second floor. Each room is named after a famous golf player and ours was the Henry Cotton Room, who was active from the 1920s to the 1950s.

Originally we had been in contact with the hotel via email to book our table at the Sands Grill and to request if possible a room with a balcony.

Unfortunately this time we didn’t have a balcony. On the other side we were very happy, because it was a large corner room with great views over the 17th hole, the sea and St. Andrews.

The layout was a bit unusual with large panorama bay windows, which could be opened.

Color scheme was mostly brown, red and beige, everything felt natural to the location and of high quality in a traditional way and setting.

The carpet was golf themed too with crossed clubs.

The king sized bed was large with six pillows and a heavy duvet. Even if it was only September the nights could be a bit cool and it kept us warm and comfortable.

There was a seating area for two with a coffee table and St. George’s and Welcome to the Kingdom of Fife Magazines.

On the large, classic writing desk was a telephone. It didn’t work though. There was a second one on one of the night stands, so it didn’t bother us, but we mentioned it at check out. The receptionist was grateful and promised it would be taken care of.

A mirror above the writing desk and across one wall enhanced the feeling of having a large room.

We also found the Directory, Connoisseur Scotland, information about the Duke’s Course and in room dining and the Kohler Waters Spa menu. The hotel is owned by the American plumbing products manufacturer Kohler, so all the appliances and bath room products were by them.

Kohler Waters Spa treatments range in price from 30 GBP (ca. 34.20 Euro / ca. 39.10 USD) to 290 GBP (ca. 330.60 Euro / ca. 377.75 USD). 

The artwork was paintings of Loch Lommond, Loch Summit, St. Andrews, the ruins of St. Andrews’ Castle and the Links was beautiful arranged in our room throughout.

The large flat screen TV had 146 local and international channels including all Sky Sports, BBC World, CNBC and Bloomberg among many others.

There was a credenza and a minibar, which contained Fentimen’s Ginger Beer and Rose Lemonade, Tonic water, Coca Cola, Peroni and Bellhaven Beer, Highland Spring water and spirits. Costs for the soft drinks ranged between 2 GBP to 3.50 GBP (ca. 2.30 Euro / ca. 2.60 USD to ca. 4 Euro / ca. 4.55 USD), beer from 4 GBP (ca. 4.60 Euro / ca. 5.20 USD) and spirits from 6.50 GBP (ca. 7.40 Euro / ca. 8.45 USD).

Tea and coffee making facilities were available too and the tea was provided by Twinnings.

The wardrobe was good sized and allowed the storage of some items suitable for longer stays.

Romantic touches were the fan and the Orchid on the writing desk. 

There was of course air condition too which worked well.

The free WIFI was fast at all times.

Turn down was offered every night and included two bottles of Highland Spring Water.

The bathroom was medium sized with a bath tub/rain fall shower combination, which was very deep. 

The sink was a bit unusual due to it being rippled. Bathroom amenities were by Kohler Water Spa Hollyhock. We loved them and would have liked to buy the soap at the Spa Shop. Unfortunately they weren’t available there.

Materials used were marble, granite and wood.

Water pressure was good and no problems with temperature changes.

On our first evening we made use of the 24 hour in room dining.

We ordered a large bottle of Highland Spring still water, one hot chocolate, one traditional smoked salmon, the Isle of Mull Cheddar and Vine Tomato Sandwich, plus the Old Course Sandwich selection, which included Scottish Smoked Salmon, cucumber and cream cheese, honey glazed ham and chutney, free range egg and cress, again Isle of Mull Cheddar and Vine Tomato and prawn, dill and lemon. Our desserts were the coconut panna cotta with pineapple Carpaccio and summer berry infusion with lemon sorbet. Everything was very good and fair value at 55.25 GBP (ca. 63 Euro / ca. 72 USD).

The room was comfortable and we liked looking out of the windows to enjoy the views or spending time at the seating area, talking for hours.

Breakfast was included in our rate and was served at the Road Hole Restaurant, which is the fine dining venue in beautiful and traditional surroundings.

The Road Hole was located on the same floor as the viewing terrace. It had floor to ceiling windows, overlooking the golf course. The maître d’ brought us each morning to our table. All cold items were available at the buffet and hot dishes, tea and coffee could be ordered from the waiting staff. A luxurious touch was that the a la carte items were unlimited.

The buffet offered one of the largest selections during our trip to Scotland in Sep. 2016 and included different types of bread, cold cuts, fruits and fruit salads, haggis, yogurt, jams, vegetables, cereals and much more. The only item I couldn’t find was cheese for some reason.

The A la carte pancakes and Eggs Benedict were very tasty too.

Other restaurant and bars on and off the premises were the Road Hole Bar, Sands Grill (where we had dinner), the Jigger Inn (a traditional pub) and Hams Hame.

There were also shops in the hotel and the Golfino Store in a quaint little house on the grounds.

We went to the Old Course Golf Shop and bought a few items. We could undisturbed browse until we made our choice. We chatted with the sales person for a bit and when she found out it was our first time in St. Andrews she proactively offered us a map and suggested to leave our purchases with her – charging them to the room account was no problem at all. She would make sure they were delivered to our room. The map came in handy and the goods were on our room when we returned.

On a side note St. Andrews is unsuitable for late risers. Most shops and the sights, like the castle or cathedral, close early at ca. 17.00/17.30 hours.

Check out approached very fast – as usual and was done by a trainee. There was only one small hiccup. 

We had prepaid our stay and booked via hotels.com, but for some reason the overnight rate was shown on the bill as still outstanding. With help from a colleague the issue was solved within minutes and we were on our way.

We loved St. Andrews and the Old Course Hotel, Golf Resort & Spa. Both are romantic and a good place to relax by the sea including a visit to the British Golf Museum which we equally very much enjoyed. 

Service standards were high as was the food quality and everyone encountered was friendly. We would return again, because we missed a few sights and found a gelateria we would like to try and would love to experience the Old Course Hotel again in our future.

©2017