Dalmore Inn & Restaurant — Restaurant in Scotland

When you’ve been our chasing waterfalls around Blairgowrie and Dunkeld in the Perth and Kinross area, like the thundering Reekie Linn, or meandering slowly through the giant Douglas Firs (some of the tallest trees in Britain) en route to Ossians Hall lookout to stand in awe overlooking the roaring Black Linn falls; you’ll most definitely work up an appetite. There is one place in Blairgowrie that I can highly recommend, the Dalmore Inn.

Very understated from the outside, with a large carpark, this is most definitely a case of never judging a book by its cover. Once you step inside, this very unassuming restaurant overflows with warmth and friendliness. Arnaud Merrouche (Front of House Manager) and his team are lovely and ever so welcoming.

The decor is filled with tones of rich wood, contrasting against warm blues with some cow hide textures thrown in. It’s a huge space and we head into the bright and airy conservatory area for lunch.

The kitchen is led by Chef Iain Naysmith, and with them being in such a wonderful location in central Scotland, it only makes sense that the food is seasonal and local. Throughout the year, the menu will often include pigeon, duck, grouse, quail and guinea fowl as well as beef, venison, hare and rabbit. Love it!

There’s a fairly large menu and a specials menu that present a mix of strong Scottish food - Burgers, Fish n Chips, Steaks etc and starters/sides like Mac n Cheese, Soup of the Day and Onion Rings; and a few dishes with an Eastern influence such as the Lamb Tagine and Honey & Soy Breast of Chicken served in an oriental broth.

With so much to choose from but still only space for one dish, we chose two hearty dishes.

The Classic Nachos sounded a good option for lunch and where convinced when we seen it delivered to another table. The Classic Nachos come with cheddar and mozzarella cheese, your choice of chilli beef or BBQ pulled pork and salsa, sour cream and guacamole. You can order them from the Light Lunch Menu & or as a Sharing Plate (£17.90). We went sharing and was waaaayyyyy to much. The portions are massive!

The sight of golden tortilla chips generously loaded with tender, smoky pulled pork, ooey-gooey melted cheese, tangy barbecue sauce, zesty salsa, cool sour cream, and vibrant green onions was a sight to behold. Each bite was a harmonious blend of flavours and textures, from the crunch of the chips to the succulence of the pork, creating a symphony of taste that tantalised the palate. These nachos, meant for sharing but almost too irresistible to pass around, embody pure comfort and indulgence, and would make them the star of any lunch or dinner gathering.

Alongside the ginormous nachos, we ordered the Trio of Venison (£23.95).

WOW! WOW! WOW! the plate was loaded with rich and flavourful duo of cuts that showcased its versatility and depth of taste. The loin, known for its tenderness and subtle gamey flavour, was pan-seared to a perfect medium-rare, allowing its natural juices to shine. In contrast, the haunch offered a bolder, more robust taste with more texture, and the slow roasting braised this to perfection. And then there was the Stalker's pie, a beautiful rustic dish that combined tender venison meat with piped pillowy mash potatoes. Every element of this dish including the beetroot puree, wild mushrooms and redcurrant jus were the supporting roles in allowing this sensational dish to shine!

Im defo going back for...

Out for a Sunday Evening excursion in the car, it was a truly beautiful day, if a wee bit chilly, windwise, but just warm enough for us to chose to sit in the sun having a drink before an eagerly awaited bit of restaurant food. We had been before, a couple of years back, and were curious to look out for any changes that might benefit or dis-enhance (is that a word?) the restaurant diner's experience. Why? Well, it seemed, as the place was busy, and the front-of-house chap retained the charming and helpful persona he exuded two or three years ago, as the decor, still immaculate and spacious like the last time we crossed into the block appeared unchanged, we chose to eat here yet again. A quick glance at the menu and we decided on the Sunday Roast Beef for me and a Hot Smoked Salmon and Prawns dish (a starter) for She Who Must be Obeyed. Mine was not what one expects from a nice eating joint like this ... the roast tatties were O.K. ... but then so are Auntie Betty's. The beef itself was more than a tad undercooked, but I blame myself for not expanding my particular preferences to the waiter. The gravy (an eye-glass-like portion) was just 'JUS', the Yorkshire pudding was like a burnt crisp and the vegetables were altogether pretty tasteless. In a roadside cafe it all would've been, again, one's own fault ... at The Dalmore, Bairgowrie, unacceptable. The whole experience reeked of the 1980s. My wife's plate was really just a prawn cocktail in a glass with a hint of salmon I couldn't see but she said she could just about taste. They will have to pull themselves into the 21st Century...

Hands down the best meal i've had in a restaurant ever. 10/10 cannot fault. exceeded my expectations. I expected pub food, we got amazing food. Good if you have allergies or special dietary requirements, also good for normal food. We asked ahead if they could do vegan options and they offered many different things. We ordered mushroom risotto and vegetable risotto and both had dairy free strawberry sorbet for desert which had fresh strawberries in it. Really outstanding for the vegan food. the chips were good too. not frozen but proper chips. I can't comment on the non vegan food but the rest of our party really enjoyed their food ( burgers, fish and chips etc) The place was clean and not too noisy, nice atmosphere and good temperature. The toilets were clean and staff were lovely. we waited a wee while for our food but i suspect that's because risotto takes a while to cook. It was well worth the wait. the decor was nice and there is plenty of parking. There are seats outside for when the weather is good. lovely setting in the countryside.

I would suggest that the Dalmore Inn adds the mushroom risotto to its main menu as well as maybe making a vegetarian and vegan menu- as the veggie food was...