I was invited to stay at Pitlochry for a few days, and was amazedly and surprised to say the…read moreleast, reading about The Loft reaching the number one spot on an international travel website, naturally it had to be tried.
Reopened within the last six months Stuart(chef) and Jennifer(host) have transformed what was previously a venue for pub grub, into a heavenly treat for the palate. On par with the top restaurants Edinburgh has to offer, The Loft is not too far away from the city so you can get there within two hours.
The only downside is it's upstairs thus the name, so there are no other means of getting to it. But a spacious area decked in creams and mocha with wooden beams and walls featuring local artists. Best thing is you don't need to be a local resident of the River Tilt park to visit, just give them a ring to book, or beware large groups who don't you may be turned away.
There are enough tables in two rooms with comfy leather seats or benches built into alcoves adorned with tartan. With some other folks in, made it feel nearly full but even on a rainy night it wasn't too warm. You might even see your food being prepared behind the bar area because it's mostly open plan.
For the better though the ambience was just right, not too noise so you couldn't hear, easy listening music in the background. We were settled into a cosy spot near the air balcony so we could see outside. Their balcony also has a few tables complete with shady umbrellas for those balmy summer brunches. But I don't think it is used for evening meals?
From locally sourced ingredients, what Stuart and Jennifer produce is a first class meal of immense flavour, that your tongue might do a merry dance as taste buds go into overdrive. Some of our party tried starters consisting of chicory leaves, sitting on top of a beet flavoured dew, paired with thinly sliced medium rare venison. Mains were battered fish and homemade chunky fries, served on a slate with creamy mayo. Others had beef with a variety of veggies.
A bottle of Grenache Rose completed the drinks, but I felt it might have been better pairing the fish with a lighter white, or for the folks enjoying The beef a deeper full bodied red. We stayed for about three hours never felt rushed, but we had enjoyed one starter, three mains, two desserts including a large cheese board, two beers and a bottle of wine, so on average the three of us paid around £45 each.
The Loft is Open from 10-ish till 10-ish is well worth the hype. I've made a note to come back and sample the rest of their menu, that is if they are still at River Tilt park in a few years...perhaps they will expand to Perth or Edinburgh?
