The Atholl – The Howard

1 Reviews on “The Atholl – The Howard”

• Edinburgh Feasts

  Hidden away, just off Dundas Street, sits the Howard Hotel. The Atholl Restaurant, which lies within the hotel, is a small venue with only 14 covers and has to meet the needs of hotel guests and the casual diner alike, so booking is advisable if you wish to try this place. This restaurant has been awarded two AA rosettes so it had a reputation to live up to.We had booked the tasting menu because of a voucher wed bought. I often choose not to opt for hotel restaurants but this seemed a great value deal. The menu consisted of 7 courses plus tea/coffee and petit fours.The amuse bouche was a mozzarella and tomato tart. For such a small thing it was packed full of flavour. The creaminess of the cheese came through in particular but the drizzle of sauce over the top added freshness that kept the dish well balanced.The next course was a leek and potato soup with garlic sippets. This soup had a fantastic green colour, which I prefer to soups that look wishy-washy. The soup had depth, texture and a fresh yet comforting flavour.Following the soup was a ham hock terrine with pear chutney and a charcoal oatcake. The terrine itself looked appetising. Once we started digging in, it wasnt quite as good as it looked. The terrine itself seemed under-seasoned, which is saying something from me, who doesnt use much seasoning in cooking. The oatcake was also a little too hard for my preference . The chutney itself was absolutely delicious.Up next was a salmon fillet with wilted spinach and a lobster bisque. The salmon was nicely cooked and it flaked well and was not dry in the slightest. The wilted spinach managed to be full of taste and seasoned to perfection. The bisque wasnt quite what I was expecting and felt more like a dressing on the plate. After this we had a lemon sorbet palate cleanser. We were served pan fried highland beef fillet, dauphinoise potatoes, sauted mushrooms, salsify and a red wine jus. This was the highlight of the menu. The fillet itself was cooked well, although there did not appear to be much difference between a medium and rare piece. The salsify had a great earthy depth. The potatoes were served in a stack and have to be some of the tastiest Ive ever had. Finally, we were served a dark chocolate and orange torte with almond foam. As suspected, this was a very chocolate-y dish It might work better as part of a three course meal. The top had a crunchy texture which helped break up the tortes denseness, as did the fruit reduction. I am not sure what the almond foam offered. We were too full for coffee, so didnt get to try to petit fours (and were not offered them when we said no to coffee, which is a little annoying). We were not rushed out, which was nice but we ended up being the only diners in as the hotel guests drifted off and we seemed to have been forgotten about. We were not offered any further drinks, so they missed a trick there. This place offers good, decent food. Whilst this restaurant might not set the world alight, it would certainly make you feel very happy that youd come and been fed extremely well. edinburghfeasts.com

  June 28, 2015, 8:52 pm

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