Black Pearl Creole Kitchen — Restaurant in Scotland

This place is truly a Highland gem. The food, atmosphere and service is absolutely impeccable. On our first night in Gairloch we arrived after a very long journey and went straight to The Black Pearl. My partner had done some research and was excited to try the Caribbean Creole style cooking (in particular the slaw).

As someone who doesn’t do spicy food I was unsure of what to order but went for the jerk chicken cheese burger with new potatoes. The owners were wonderful, very attentive, and more than happy to discuss our food choices. My partner ordered the ribs with slaw and rice. We settled in with some delicious rum punch and soaked up the friendly, relaxed atmosphere. The food arrived very promptly and was unbelievably good. I made a bold statement, and I stick by it…this was the best burger I’ve ever eaten. The flavours were just perfect, not overwhelmed with heat and spice, just a wonderful balance, every dish was delicious, the ribs melted in the mouth too and the slaw was exquisite. I had the rum and ginger sticky toffee pudding as desert and it was to die for!

We went back there again this evening (we couldn’t resist) and every morsel was immaculate. My partner had discussed the curried goat dish with the owner earlier in the week and despite this not yet being on the menu, they were more than happy to provide. He’s had curried goat in the past and it’s always been too spicy, this, on the other hand, was perfect. The food was so good that we ordered additional take away after we’d finished our meal so that we could savour more dishes when we had room. Absolutely amazing food, amazing people and an all round wonderful food experience. If you get the chance to go, it’s a must. If I could give it six...

Another 5-star review to add to the rest! I loved Black Pearl Creole Kitchen! What a beautiful addition to the area and a what a warm, inviting, positive place to enjoy a delicious, flavorful home-cooked meal after a long drive on a dreich day!

I already loved how the gorgeous, vibrant interior with its Caribbean vibes and music contrasts with the typical Scottish grey stones of the exterior. It’s a beautiful combination that sets the mood! I really loved the decor: all black and white with great lighting, including colorful fairy lights. So pretty and original!

The staff were so positive, friendly, kind, warm, and engaging! It’s lovely to see how it’s truly a family operation and that there’s so much love and passion going into the food and the business. That’s a recipe for success for sure!

Definitely get the rum punch. It had such an intriguing flavor, also thanks to the sprinkling of allspice. It’s nice to drink this cocktail with the sweet potato fritters.

We had the jerk chicken with rice and peas and slaw and the chana masala with bara. The jerk chicken had a lot of flavor! I would have liked it a bit hotter but I only saw afterward that you can request it hotter and I didn’t know what level of heat to expect to begin with. I absolutely love chana masala and this one was very good!

We had the mango and lychee Eton mess. What a fun and delicious twist on this classic! We also had the coconut pie, which was my favorite of the two desserts.

I really liked looking through the publications in which the owner of Black Pearl Creole Kitchen was featured after the meal and I’ll definitely be making the owner’s mother’s fishcakes...

One of the best eating experiences I've had in Scotland.

The place has a laid back vibe, cantina style eating, street food fare. It was quite busy, but as it's more akin to street/fast food we were able to get a table quickly enough. Brought our dogs with us and they were welcome (it helped that they behaved!)

Jerk chicken with rice & peas & slaw was my choice. It was very, very tasty, and the portion size was just right even though I was convinced I could have eaten it twice. I could, and in hindsight should, have asked for it to be spicier than normal as they have a big sign saying 'if you want it hot, shout!', but it was so tasty that I didn't stop to think about the spice. As a big fan of heat, this is a huge compliment! My partner had the Kingston Mac and cheese, which she enjoyed immensely.

As somebody that cannot resist a sticky toffee pudding, and after that main, I had to order their rum and ginger variant on the dish. It came warm with a little cream, and it was one of the best I've ever had. It was a nice size again, though I feel I could have eaten it countless times over. Dangerously good pudding.

The Black Pearl is now firmly on my food map of Scotland, and we will be regular visitors for as many years as they will have us, dragging friends along to convert them too. Oh, and please seriously bottle your sauces ASAP; we would have bought 2 or 3 of them!

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