Brea - Scottish Restaurant — Restaurant in Scotland

Poor Service & Average “Gourmet”

After having seen the menu and positive reviews, my partner and I decided to dine at Brea. We wanted somewhere for a special occasion meal as it was my birthday and they were advertising “gourmet” food. Upon first impression, we were greeted by staff who were welcoming and offered us a choice of table. We were asked if we would like water for the table, then disappeared for a while before taking our drinks order.

After our drinks order was taken and brought to the table, our food order was taken; the serving staff was again friendly. They reassured me that my venison could be refired should it be too rare for my liking.

The starters took approx 20 mins to arrive (partner had scallops and I had the smoked duck). My partner’s scallop dish was salty partnered with bacon which is also salty. My duck was thinly sliced smoked duck which was cold - it tasted nice but I suppose I would have appreciated a better menu description. The starters were collected and believed to be asked if they were okay although I just heard a mumble as the plates were picked up.

The mains arrived in good time (partner had haggis neeps & tatties and I had the venison), my partner rated his meal as average and my venison dish was described to have a red wine and thyme jus. Upon looking at the dish, there didn’t appear to be any jus of this description on the plate but rather a very small amount of clear-light brown specked watery liquid.

This is where things really started to go downhill for us - I waited for approx 5-10 minutes for someone to check on how our food was, bearing in mind I’d had the reassurance beforehand about me needing anything changed. I could see 2 staff members walking up and down the bar, one occasionally looking into the kitchen or polishing glasses. Then, when I thought I’d got someone’s attention and waved over at someone looking in my vague direction, turns out they had come over to sit another customer, and then returned back to the bar area. They continued not to look in our direction and so, I then had to walk to the bar and explain.

The staff member asked if I had any jus at all and if I had the berries on my plate, I explained that I had berries, however, there wasn’t any jus on the plate. They said that the jus had probably been absorbed by the food, and that they’d send me some more.

I was provided with some jus, and I’ll fail to believe that it’s the same that was on the plate - this time around it smelt like red wine and had a thicker consistency. For £29, I don’t appreciate not being served an appropriate sauce (or a sauce at all for that matter) and then having to chase someone for it. I would have really understood if they were busy doing something.

So, as we are waiting for our plates to be cleared, the couple next to us (who were seated after us and eating their starters and mains after us) had their plates cleared first and asked if they would like anything else.

We waited at least 20 minutes to receive the bill - staff were again difficult to obtain attention from.

I couldn’t keep track of the whole restaurant, although it did seem that it was very much pick and choose as to who was getting what.

So to summarise, I’m so disappointed. The food has a fancy presentation, tastes alright, that’s probably why people like it. But alright/average tasting food accompanied with extremely poor...

We had a wonderful experience dining at Brea on a warm evening just before the beginning of summer. With only one night to spend in Stirling and no idea where to dine, we walked through downtown seeking interesting menus and appealing surroundings. Brea’s imaginative and exciting offerings stood out to us. Though the restaurant was busy, the friendly owner managed to seat us at a table outside on what was an especially pretty evening. The setting on Baker Street made for a lovely atmosphere.

We started with a Stirling Spritz—a refreshing gin-based cocktail—and the cider of the month, which featured flavors of berries, but was crisp and not overly sweet. Next, we ordered the spinach ravioli starter—what a magical dish! The large single raviolo came generously sauced with a silky, creamy, complex sauce that offered just a hint of smokiness. Each bite was so good, we sopped up every trace of the sauce with freshly baked bread. We then shared a butternut squash risotto, which had a lovely richness but was not too heavy for a warm evening. It offered the light sweetness of butternut without being cloying. It was topped with crisp and delicious pea vines, perfectly toasted pine nuts, and parmesan. We paired the risotto with a goat cheese dinner salad that topped greens with a grilled crottin of the freshest chevre cheese alongside succulent strawberries, juicy green grape halves, and sweet and crunchy diced red peppers. It was well dressed in an excellent balsamic dressing that wasn’t overly pungent; it paired well with the fresh produce. We finished up with a traditional cranachan for dessert—a hearty yet elegant parfait of oats, fresh raspberries, whipped cream, and whisky that felt like a holiday in a glass. It paired well with our cups of after-dinner chamomile tea.

Throughout the experience, our server Emily was attentive but not pushy, offering helpful insights with gentle humor, enhancing what was already a special evening. We left feeling fortunate to have lucked into a memorably delicious meal at such a welcoming...

This restaurant has won awards for a reason. We have been here two times and both times the food was simply exquisite! Not only the ingredients used are first quality, but they are also put together perfectly! This time my husband ordered a Scottish haddock roll stuffed with smoked salmon, dill sauce, vegetables and mashed potatoes. I ordered one of the chef’s special of the day. I ordered pan seared salmon with a shellfish creamy sauce, season vegetables and I asked to swap the potatoes it comes with by puy lentils. Both dishes were delicious! The service is great, people are friendly and very helpful if you have questions. Portions and prices are right, too. I would say that this has one of the best meals we’ve had in Scotland. Will definitely come back over and over again! It gets busy pretty quickly, so it would be best if you make a reservation ahead of time.

Update: 14.02.2024 We went for lunch yesterday as it was Valentine’s day and, again, we were pleased with the dishes we ordered. Both my husband and I had the same dish with different sides. We ordered the Scottish haddock roll stuffed with salmon with a dill sauce. I ordered seasonal vegetables and he ordered mashed potatoes. I also ordered the soup of the day which was butternut squash and coconut soup. And we ventured with dessert this time and ordered the brownie with passion fruit coulee and pistachio ice cream. The haddock was superb! The contrast of flavors of haddock and salmon is just perfect! Also the flavor of the dill sauce matches the fish’s perfectly! I had not tried this dish before, but I’m sure I will have it again! The soup was just perfect combination of flavors, textures, the sweetness of the butternut and the creaminess of the coconut milk plus a spicy touch. Just delicious! And dessert, well… it was beyond words! The level of deliciousness is astounding! The pictures talk by themselves! As always, service is amazing and staff is very friendly and...