I'd had Inver on my to-visit list for a while, and recently I decided to just go ahead and book a table for lunch for no particular reason rather than saving our visit for a special occasion. I made the booking by email (they were quick to reply) and then we headed on our way from the south side of Glasgow on Saturday. I always underestimate just how far away this part of the world is - so don't listen to your maps, as it will probably take a bit longer with traffic going past Loch Lomond. It took us 20 minutes longer than expected but thankfully they still had our table waiting for us when we arrived. Inver is really beautiful - right on Loch Fyne and looks over at the ruins of old Castle Lachlan. Inside its Scandinavian, minimalist styling and super relaxing. I had a G&T to start and then we stuck to soft drinks but it would be lovely to stay nearby and have a few wines. I ordered the mussels to start followed by the local langoustines. In hindsight, this was maybe too much food but I was just excited for the delicious seafood options! If you're not a seafood fan there's plenty of locally sourced meats on the menu. The mussels were a massive bowl - for the price (£10) I actually expected a smaller portion and really struggle to eat them all. The broth they were served it was heavenly - burnt cream, cider and dill - I will be dreaming about this perfectly balanced broth for weeks to come. And it was served with slices of their home made sourdough bread which seems really dense and heavy but is actually perfectly delicious. Oh, and the butter was amazing too. Onto our mains. The langoustines come as 3 or 6 in the portion - I'd gone with 6 because I'm greedy and thankfully managed the lot. They came with a slice of lemon, mayo as well as more delicious bread - to be honest, I ate them just with the lemon as they were so delicious and perfect they really didn't need anything else. We had a side of green beans (with anchovy and mint) as well as hand cut chips - again, totally flawless and actually the highlight was the beans as they were just so fresh and the anchovy puree was totally perfect. Yes, we'd eaten a lot but I couldn't pass up dessert - I ordered the cherries and goat's milk sorbet. Woah. Not only was it totally beautiful to look at but the flavour was just amazing - it was almost on the savoury side with a hint of sweetness from the cherries. Again, another dish I'll be thinking about for weeks to come! I love that there's a little shop area (hidden amongst the bookshelves) where you can buy some of their produce to take home - we got red cabbage kraut as well as a loaf of bread but they also have jams, butter and scones. There's also a bar area so if you feel like relaxing in a comfy chair after all that food, you can. We paid our bill (£100 for 2 x 3 course meals + sides + soft drinks, tea and one G&T) and then walked around to the ruins of Old Castle Lachlan which was the perfect way to finish the meal. It's about a 20 minute round trip so make sure you wear suitable shoes! I would love to go back to Inver and stay nearby (possibly at Castle Lachlan which is available to rent!) as it was just a wonderfully exceptional meal. It's great to see a restaurant doing something a bit unusual with Scottish produce. Note: There's free wifi but only for 10 minutes so use it wisely. Otherwise it's £3 for the day. read more

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A few months ago Marino O'Loughlin reviewed a small restaurant on the banks of Loch Fyne in Strachur called Inver, heaping enormous praise on it, however with it being nearly 5 hours away it seemed unlikely this would be a place I would be visiting anytime soon. This is where the divine intervention came in; I remembered that at the end of the month I was at a wedding just outside Glasgow. I had a spare day to kill the following day so calculated the time and distance from our hotel to the restaurant, 2 hours, it could be done! Admittedly with accommodation not available in Strachur for the night it meant a post-meal 5-hour drive back to the North-West, fingers crossed it would be worth the drive. Turns out the view alone was worth it. When dining at the Three Chimneys on the Isle of Skye the previous year I thought that I'd reached the pinnacle of dining with a view. Inver possibly trumps it. I mean look at it... The lunch menu consisted of simple but creative dishes of mainly fresh, local seafood, salads, and homemade bread and butter. Now if I was being particularly gluttonous (and if funds hadn't dictated against it) I could have ordered everything on that menu, however, I opted for the Partran Bree - crab and rice soup to start and the 'Kale Caesar' - roast chicken, soft egg, anchovy and Pecorino for main. It tasted as good as it looked. The soup was rich, velvety and delicate whilst simultaneously packing a hefty punch of brown crab flavour. Inver's take on the caesar salad was also a triumph. Crisp leaves, a perfectly boiled egg, and most importantly exquisitely cooked chicken with a beautifully crisp skin. Faultless. Having shared some of my dishes with my dining companion, it would only be fair that I sampled some of their choices; 'Tongue on Toast' - ox tongue, caper sauce and radish to start and kedgeree - smoked haddock, soft egg, rice and leeks for main. Both of which were absolutely fantastic, especially the 'Tongue on Toast' as the intense flavour of the tongue married superbly with the earthy sourdough. As well as the above I also ordered some hand cut chips with Viking Salt which unfortunately were too salty even for someone who has a particularly high salt-threshold such as myself, and Kate's leaf salad, radishes and buttermilk dressing, which unfortunately, despite being a beautiful looking salad went relatively untouched (a case of eyes being bigger than bellies). After dining at Inver it is clear to see where Pam and Rob are taking their influences from having learnt their trade all over Europe at Michelin-starred establishments such as Noma (Denmark), Faviken (Sweden) and De Superette (Belgium), however, they also manage to put their own, local spin on proceedings. According to the Inver website, "Pam and Rob took over the building in spring 2015 and with their friends and family have built the sort of place they like to spend time. We hope that you will too." I can confirm without a shadow of a doubt that I did. read more

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I went to Inver back at the end of April, just after they opened. Inver is a very special place and a very special restaurant. The chef and her partner that runs front of house have amazing cv's which includes Noma. From the home-grown, foraged and incredibly locally sourced ingredients it shows. I was blown away by the place, the simplicity, the food and the experience. Ok. So it's a long old schlep to get there from Glasgow, the last part is along a track and as you can see from my pictures, the roads are shared with the locals. Still. I'd have driven twice as far for that lunch. Inver is so relaxed. Feels homely. You are made to feel welcome immediately. Turn left and order some drinks and bar snacks at the bar and disappear into the sumptuous sofas. Walk straight ahead and buy their own jams, plates, salt and oil. Turn right....and that's where the experience starts. The main dining room is modern Scandi. Open room, muted colours and what looks like my mums Ercol chairs and sideboard from the 80's. It's done very well and the space is really well used. It's a room you want to stay for a long time in. The opposite of so many claustrophobic city restaurant spaces. .......and the view. Look at the pic. The restaurant window acts as a frame for the beautiful view of Loch Fyne and the hills behind. So to eat. Oysters from the loch. Plump, creamy and as fresh as if I'd walked over and got them. The local crab claws, huge. Cooked perfectly so the whole claw slipped out in one piece. Amazing mayo and the whole dish so simple yet stunning. Langoustine with wild garlic. A glorious fragrant and amazing addition to the fresh langoustine. 6 is never enough. The lamb (from Bute) was slow cooked and was eaten with a spoon. New potatoes and amazing fennel complimented it perfectly. It wasn't too rich as slow cooked lamb can be and the freshness of fennel completely lifted it. Outstanding. Service was non-fussy and they were always there to talk about the food. Food is brought out by all staff so you may find the chef bringing your main out. The modern way. Ignore how far it is. It's a beautiful drive. Look at your diary, beg borrow or steal a lift, go for the day and get over there. You won't regret it. read more

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