Rocpool
Inverness, Highlands & Islands
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Peering through the window when this riverside restaurant is closed, you might wonder what all the fuss is about. Design-wise, it's not particularly noteworthy – a long, thin space with banquettes on one side and a line of tables beside the windows – but for over 20 years this bustling, buzzing brasserie has been considered the hottest eatery in town. And it still is. The food is sublime, cocktails masterly, the music smooth 'bossa nova' jazz, the vibe quintessentially cool. If you're after a table in the summer, you need to book weeks in advance. To avoid a revolving door of disappointed diners, a notice at the entrance spells it out. They're full. Rocpool's success is largely down to owner Steven Devlin, a warm, welcoming whirlwind who works the room, whipping off coats and whisking diners to their table. On the menu, Scottish ingredients are taken on a journey to more far-flung locations. Loin of Speyside venison might stay in the Highlands but the hand-dived West Coast king scallops are given a nudge towards the Mediterranean with baby chorizo, spring onion, crème fraîche and a lemon, garlic and parsley butter, while the ceviche of tuna takes a longer trip, seasoned with sesame, soy and chilli with creamed avocado, wasabi, lime and coriander. It's a picture of precise prettiness and exquisitely fresh flavours. For mains, roast filet of wild North Sea halibut perches on a rich, creamy shellfish bisque risotto with sweet clams. The dessert menu sticks to well-executed classics such as lemon meringue pie and crème brûlée but with a nod to seasonality– perhaps a Yorkshire rhubarb sorbet with roasted rhubarb, vanilla cream and pistachio. Having ordered two glasses of Albariño after poring over the carefully annotated wine list, Devlin suggested we swap one for a glass of Lapola (a more full-bodied Spanish blend of Albariño with two other grape varieties) – a good call.
