Restaurant-Guide.com
hand picked restaurants

A luxury small hotel nestling in the village of Bruichladdich on the Island of Islay, provides bed and breakfast and/or dinner in the restaurant overlooking Loch Indaal. From the moment of arrival at An Taigh-Osda, Paul and Joan will immediately make you feel at home. Whilst you enjoy the view of the ever changing colours of the sea with glass to hand, interrupted only by the busy wildlife on the shore, the chef prepares simple traditional Scottish dishes with a modern twist.

The kitchen relies heavily on the fresh ingredients, locally caught langoustine and crab, vegetables grown in Islay House garden, and beef and lamb from the sea-swept hills and pastures of the island. Start your meal with crisp haggis dumplings on a bed of clapshot with Bruichladdich whisky sauce, and the day's soup. Main courses of honey and Sichuan pepper roast jura pork fillet, spiced plum confit sauté potato and parsnip crisps, or grilled sirloin of Speyside beef, roast beetroot and horseradish cream over mustard mash are but two of the treats that await guests and diners alike.

Those who penetrate to the wild fastness of Islay are not infrequently in pursuit of the holy grail of Bowmore whiskey, from which it follows that their venal intent is likely to embrace the appreciation of good food, thus exposing The Harbour Inn as their natural habitat. The glory of Scottish food, for much of what the inn offers is just that, is its freshness and the relative purity of the circumstances in which the ingredients grew.

Thus the beef, lamb and game is all from Islay and Jura, the shellfish and fish come from the very waters surrounding the islands and your appetite is likely to be sharpened by the very freshness of the air itself.

Amongst the starters do not make the mistake of passing quickly over the soups which are of a quality and variety not to be ignored. The terrine of roe deer is served with a melon and ginger chutney and the oysters, which come just as they are or baked with creamed leeks topped with cheese sauce, are in a class of their own. Main courses include stir fried scallops discreetly flavoured with the local Lagavulin single malt and served with fresh lime and curry plant sprigs, or superb quality fillet steak filled with oysters in an Islay Malt whiskey sauce. The guinea fowl is served on a slice of Stornoway black pudding encircled by fried green cabbage. Thus far and there is really no point in retreating so head for the deep fried apple fritters that go hand in glove with a sweet mincemeat purse. Quality coffee is a strong point at the Harbour after which the pleasures of the principal local product can beckon as much as they will. House wine at £11.65 and a relatively short but well-chosen list complete the pleasure of this homely, memorable place.