Four Scottish restaurants have been named as AA rosette winners in the 2022 awards.
The AA announced its March 2022 Rosette Award winners in a virtual ceremony on March 2 which recognises restaurants across the UK with "the highest culinary standards".
AA Rosettes have been awarded to restaurants since 1956, with the top award of five Rosettes being introduced in 1991.
Restaurants are allocated rosettes based on at least one visit by an AA inspector.
This year's awards include two restaurants earning the outstanding four AA Rosettes, with a further fifteen being nationally recognised with three AA Rosettes.
“We are delighted to recognise those restaurants that are achieving the highest levels of gastronomic excellence in our country. Congratulations to all those working at these establishments, who continue to show the breadth and quality of the British culinary landscape," Simon Numphud, Managing Director at AA Media said.
Here are the four Scottish restaurants that rank among the best in the UK.
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Top Scottish restaurants named among AA Rosette winners
Dean Banks at The Pompadour
Where: Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh - The Caledonian Princes Street, Edinburgh EH1 2AB Scotland
No. of Rosettes: 3
What did the AA say?: "Surely one of Edinburgh’s most splendid places to eat, in one of the most impressive hotels in Britain, the iconic Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh – The Caledonian. The best tables enjoy views over Lothian Road and up to the castle, and the intricate plasterwork and stunning blue velvet chairs really do make this the perfect setting for Dean Banks’ seasonally evolving tasting menus.
The inspector added: "Expect fantastic local produce and an intensely sensory experience from dishes featuring king scallops, Loch Etive trout, or smoked lobster from St Andrews Bay. There’s a Scottish cheese selection, and wine pairings are available."
Book a table via the Dean Banks website.
Tamburrini & Wishart
Where: Loch Lomond, West Dunbartonshire, G83 8QZ, Scotland, United Kingdom
No. of Rosettes: 3
What did the AA say?: "Enter the elegant wood-panelled dining room at Cameron House and the expectation of what Paul Tamburrini and Martin Wishart may bring is almost palpable. The thought and imagination put into the food served here is first class as is the quality of the provenance.
The inspector added: "The dishes are modern Scottish with influences from Paul's motherland (Italy) but always balanced. Here, the accuracy of cooking is without doubt as are the flavours and technical skills showcased. Choose, perhaps, for your main course a perfectly timed Aberdeenshire lamb complemented with barbecued aubergine, black curry and yoghurt. The accompanying wine list is very detailed and certainly worth of note."
Book a table via the Cameron House website.
The Auldgirth Inn
Where: A76, Auldgirth, Dumfries DG2 0XG Scotland
No. of Rosettes: 3
What did the AA say?: "Discover a relaxing dining experience at this 500-year-old inn where the locally sourced produce is transformed into contemporary cuisine with a classical basis, finished with more modern techniques and innovative touches.
The inspector added: "The menu features a collection of bold and ambitious dishes, all with good balance of flavour and clarity, which is evident in the taste. The feature open plan kitchen is a conversational focal point, as is the dry ageing chamber on display with some superb local beef and game featuring on menus. Large aspect windows flood the area with natural light, for the benefit of diners at breakfast and dinner."
Book a table via The Auldgirth Inn website.
The Glenturret Lalique Restaurant
Where: The Hosh, Crieff PH7 4HA Scotland
No. of Rosettes: 3
What did the AA say?: "The Glenturret Lalique is part of a working distillery, and recent investment means it’s full of luxury appointments, high gloss wood, stone tops and heavy carpets. The chandeliers are incredible, as is the whisky bar. Tableware is stunning, while service is formal, French, yet friendly.
The inspector added: "A daily-changing fixed menu displays highly skilled, precise, modern European cooking with a Scottish focus. Start with a remarkable tattie scone, autumn truffle, raw wagyu beef and Baerii Platinum Caviar, then move on to a langoustine, buttermilk and Daurenki Tsar Imperial caviar ‘mini-taco’. Look out for the intriguing Kumquat Penicillin palate cleanser, and ‘The Sweetie Box’ dessert."
Book a table via The Glenturret Lalique Restaurant website.
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