The Pier — Restaurant in Scotland

Visited The Pier after hearing so much about it and after completing a local dog walk. We were told it was only outdoor seating available, which worked well as we had the dogs with us. We were given menus when shown to our table, but then came a very long wait to have our order taken. I eventually managed to catch eyes with a member of the staff, who took our order and brought us cutlery promptly after. When the food came, it was nicely presented and everything tasted amazing. I had the hotdog special and my sister in law had the seafood salad. When we finished up, I asked one of the staff if we could order cakes to go and was told to head inside and order them at the counter where we pay. We did so but then got directed to another counter where all the cakes were displayed and labelled. Someone in front of us was getting served, then after they took their boxes of cakes, the member of staff left the counter and us just standing there. We waited. And we waited. And we waited. Several staff members went back and forth passed us but none batted an eye in our direction. After about ten minutes, I went back to the original till and reminded them that we were waiting and the girl I seen then came over and helped. The cakes were lovely and the bill was cheaper than I expected for what we got. Overall, I would highly recommend the food but there's definitely improvement needed where staffing and organisation is concerned. Hopefully, we just caught them on a busy/bad day, although I have seen instagram posts of them being a lot...

We had lunch here on Fathers' Day last month. The restaurant was packed with diners, and a queue had formed for those who walked in without reservations. We were seated in the inner part of the restaurant. There was a sheltered, as well as an open outdoor seating area, which was already full with diners. This award-winning restaurant displayed its many accolades on the wall at the entrance. As we walked in, we noticed a bustling ambience that reflected the popularity of the eatery, yet it wasn't so noisy that we couldn't hear ourselves talking.The uncovered tables by the riverbank would be either too cold during rainfall or too hot in direct sunlight. Though outdoor seating would be pleasant in summer, I was relieved we were seated inside as rain began pouring down before our lunch arrived.Having had a full breakfast less than an hour earlier, we opted for a light meal of two mains and two soups. I ordered the roast pork loin, while another member of my family selected the venison pasta. We shared two portions of broccoli and blue cheese soup. The food was superb—the Yorkshire pudding was among the best we've ever tasted, and I particularly appreciated the lighter gravy. The soup was excellent - creamy and wholesome. The venison pasta was superb too with tender meat and tasty sauce.

Definitely a place we will visit again, if we are back again...

While driving across the North Coast we stopped off here randomly to get some breakfast. It was a pleasant surprise. Great location and excellent service. It was quite possibly one of the best breakfasts we have ever had.

Being from London, it's quite rare to find restaurants with such a great emphasis on using fresh local ingredients - so the difference this made was quite noticeable. We all got something different and every dish seemed very well thought out with every ingredient working harmoniously together. The portion sizes were just right, leaving us all very satisfied. This experience alone has really put into perspective the importance of sourcing local and fresh. The restaurant is also quite transparent on this, with a blackboard listing where the majority of their ingredients are sourced.

On the way out, we took a slice of white chocolate and berry cheesecake and a berry and mango blondie. Again, these were exceptional. The cheesecake was the best I have ever had. I cannot vouch for the other items but they all looked amazing so I do not doubt you will enjoy them.

As Muslims we do not consume pork / non halal meat so we requested that our breakfast be prepared with separate utensils away from meat items and this was done for us happily.

I doubt you will leave this place...