Why Scotland's Andrew Fairlie Restaurant Might Be The Best In The UK
The Gleneagles Hotel is a sprawling 850-acre country estate offering five-star relaxation, adventure, and comfort to guests, according to The Leading Hotels of the World. In a country known for its hospitality, it seems fitting that the only restaurant to receive two Michelin stars sits inside this particular hotel (per Secret Glasgow).
Most recently named UK's top restaurant by Harden's 100, Restaurant Andrew Fairlie isn't only captivating critics but everyday diners as well. Harden's list is made from regular diners — not just professional reviewers — who rate restaurants throughout the UK. For over 30 years, diners have provided their impressions to Harden's to compile an annual restaurant guide.
Results for the 2023 poll are derived from 30,000 reports from 3,000 diners who ranked 2,800 establishments. And while Scotland's Andrew Fairlie had been previously mentioned in the guide, this is the first year the restaurant has topped the list.
"While it is always an honor to receive commendation for the restaurant, the fact that Harden's Top 100 is diner-led is a special honor and a particular testament to the hard work of the full team to ensure every guest has the best possible experience when they dine with us," said Chef Stephen McLaughlin (via The Courier).
A legend of excellence
Michelin describes Andrew Fairlie as an intimate setting of dark wood and creative lighting that establishes the perfect environment for the colorful, elegant plates of French and Scottish cuisine to be served. Though Chef Andrew Fairlie passed away in January 2019, his colleagues McLaughlin and Dale Dewsbury have continued the tradition of presenting dishes with skill, creativity, and expertise (per Herald Scotland).
"The late chef's fingerprints are still everywhere, from his signature dish of local lobster home-smoked on whisky-barrel chips (a fixture on the menu), to the vegetables grown in the kitchen garden he established," Harden's wrote in 2022. The Gleneagles Hotel is proud to be home to Scotland's only two-Michelin-starred restaurant, and a walled garden on the premises provides vegetables, greens, herbs, and edible flowers for the kitchen. The house specialty Scottish lobster is smoked over chips from whisky barrels for five hours and comes served with lime and herb butter, notes Herald Scotland, and diners can order à la carte or the seasonal tasting menu. If you're looking to celebrate life with a dram or two, this could very well be the ideal destination.