Barns at Kingsbarns, The

The Kingdom of Fife has an identity all its own, which it has stoutly maintained, and defended when necessary. Not unnaturally this has led to a strong sense of individuality that has not stopped short of eating. So it really should not come as a great surprise to find that the former Cambo Arms at Kingsbarns, described by one reliable witness as "downtrodden", has been given a new lease of life under the guidance of Ian and Marilyn Murtagh who have transformed a fine traditional set of buildings into a modern restaurant with rooms, without losing the patina of charm bestowed by the centuries.

Only five miles from St Andrews, The Barns is a runaway success that has been waiting to happen. A devotion to well above average food is one of their strongest assets, and with produce drawn from the surrounding farms and waters Head Chef Jimmy Thomson and his team leave nothing to chance. For starters think of dressed brie, breadcrumbed and lightly fried, with salad and redcurrant jelly, or the best Scottish salmon served freshly hot-smoked.

After that it's into the main courses which are dominated by burgers and steaks. For those reaching for the smelling salts let me assure you these are burgers as you have never before known them, 100% properly hung local beef. The same goes for the quite superb steaks, from the 18oz T-bone to the 10oz sirloin - alas! poor Hector, I knew him well.

Deep fried local scampi and fillet of haddock grace the same menu, together with three generous lamb cutlets chargrilled to your taste. Hand cut chips, salad and homemade coleslaw accompany all the main courses.

For years I sought to persuade the National Trust for Scotland, with limited success, that there is absolutely nothing wrong with things like hand cut chips and burgers in their cafes and restaurants, always provided that, like their properties they have integrity and are the best of their kind.

The excellent wine and drinks list offers succour to locals and diners alike, all of whom mingle merrily in this splendid new (2005) addition to the already gilded restaurant scene in Fife.