The Cross — Restaurant in Scotland

OUR ELOPEMENT DINNER AND STAY

After deciding that we were going to get married at Loch Morlich in the beautiful Cairngorms, the hunt was on for somewhere to stay, and somewhere to host a dinner. We definitely hit the jackpot with The Cross!

We stumbled across The Cross via an internet search, when searching for the best restaurants in the area. We were excited by the look of the food, but also because they had rooms - the potential to kill two birds with one stone! After reaching out to Joe and Sarah we were able to hire the whole venue for two nights, with breakfast and dinner included (the second night being our elopement dinner).

As they have the ability to cater for 20 covers across a typical sitting (by my understanding), and we had 19, it was going to be quite a push to get the food out at the same time (We didn't need to worry - it went very smoothly). To help, for our elopement dinner evening, Joe suggested that we agree a set menu, and get everyone's choices in advance. This worked perfectly. Joe provided a menu with three dishes for each of the courses, which could cater for a variety of dietary requirements. We then responded with a spreadsheet with guest names, room requirements, and food/drink choices. Joe was even able to source some really good non-alcoholic prosecco so that everyone was catered for.

We visited the venue a few days before our stay, just to meet Joe and Sarah, and scope out the space available. We were able to discuss the table arrangements and finalise a few things.

Upon our arrival, everyone was shown to their various rooms. These rooms are lovely! They are clean, comfortable, and don't feel clinical like a hotel, but more like a really nice family home. Joe and Sarah were such wonderful hosts, and everyone enjoyed the breakfasts and dinners. The service was relaxed and friendly, rather than the overly stuffy that you can get at some high-end restaurants. The food itself, is really very good indeed. It treads the boundary of being homely and familiar, yet sophisticated and memorable so very well. The locally sourced ingredients are top notch!

For our special dinner, the team even moved a grand piano to make the space work better for our seating arrangement. No mean feat - we are very grateful for the efforts!

As a value proposition, for our mini elopement-style wedding, with dinner and accommodation for our families, we were very impressed. We don't feel we were over charged, as some venues try when they hear the word wedding. The price was very transparent and fair. We even left a good tip, because we thought it was such good value!

Thank you Joe, Sarah, and staff at The Cross for making our wedding day memorable and relaxing! We will definitely visit again when we pass...

Restaurant Only It was AMAZEBALLS! Special occasion, my birthday, my bf contacted Joe and set it all up. The food was exquisite. A complimentary amuse buche with a pre dinner cocktail, and chatting with guests, in the foyer gave a very homey feel and set the feeling for the evening. The breads with dinner were a nice selection that were wonderfully fresh, however the blue cheese and apple muffin was an evening standout. The crispy outside highlighted the softness of the inside. And while the flavors mentioned may seem strong here they were delicate and complimentary. The plating of the beets amongst delicate pearls of creamy goodness and pansy petals looked like a fairy meal. The pork belly just melts in the mouth in the best way. The gnocchi stole the show from the halibut. It was creamy with out being squishy and the pan fry really made it cohesive. The local lamb was succulent and the tortellini was so good I was wishing for more. For the desserts I was so pleased with Joe's wine pairing recommendations. It made all the difference for enjoying the cheese and souffle. I'm really looking forward to having my wine store back home order what we enjoyed. Joe and Sarah were just so hospitable and personable. We spent quite a bit of time chatting. I can wait to visit Scotland again and stay at...

Went for a nice midweek dinner at a personally recommended local restaurant. We are reasonably new to the area, and what with lockdowns and kids, haven't had a night out for a good meal in a while. I am so glad we had dinner at The Cross. New ownership meant that we were there on re-opening night. Party of four, and we were taken care of beautifully. We had the three course menu (and will be back for the 6-course tasting menu). Exquisitely cooked lamb (me) and venison (in-laws), excellent wine selections and fine coffee to finish. The service was excellent and we didn't feel rushed at all. It was nice to take a moment to enjoy a really good dinner. Looked like a good selection of malts too - sadly I was driving so they'll have to wait for another time, but we'll...