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Contrast, Glen Moriston Town House, Ness Bank, Inverness IV2 4SF

Contrast, Glen Moriston Town House, Ness Bank, Inverness IV2 4SF

Glen Moriston Town House, Ness Bank, IInverness, V2 4SF

01463227889

You probably saw this on Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares Revisited. The one where he came back to Inverness, offered a few old ladies a gizzard sandwich and then remarked that the new brasserie seemed to be doing very well. Having been to Abstract (the main restaurant) on three occasions now I'll admit I'm a fan. The food isn't flawless and the chef seems to find desserts in particular difficult, but it's always been interesting, sometimes challenging and generally I've left with a smile on my face. Tonight, feeling a little less flash, I decided to try the cheaper brasserie option, and left a little bemused, somewhat sad and wishing I'd saved money for the real deal.

It looks nice, but somehow what would be fine in a subterranean cellar in London seems inappropriate here. Over the shoulder of my companions the sun gradually sank over Highlands yet meanwhile the whole restaurant seemed dark. Perhaps the designer only came up during the winter and decided we needed comforting, but the summer days here can go on forever and you never need protecting from the views. The choice of music also reminded me of a london club. Not that I object to organ based breakbeats but it all added to the sensation that I'd somehow been transported south five hundred miles to a type of restaurant I'd normally avoid.

The food is odd. French with a twist is the best description. The starters are pretty straight forward: Gravlax, Pumpkin soup, Scallops with Celeriac Roulade. My Beef Shin Pie was OK, though the pastry was slightly undercooked, and the marmalade (chutney) failed to excite. Reasonably priced, reasonably cooked but not thrilling.

The main courses were just weird. Chicken in bacon stuffed with Crayfish tails in Lobster sauce tasted great and was well cooked. There is however no excuse for Monk fish, shellfish risotto and BEEF JUS. How is that supposed to work? Even if you thought it might work you'd taste it and realise it didn't. But this isn't a daily special but one of the regular dishes. The Brother's Bird ordered it and was not impressed. You'll be surprised to hear that the meat didn't meld with the fish and ended up overwelming everything else. I ordered Neck Fillet of Lamb, Garlic Cream,
French Beans and Smoked Streaky Bacon. This came rare and flavourful. Had it been a chop I'd have been delighted. However since it was Neck it chewed like rubber. I'd expected, I must admit, a slow cooked stew, and had been a little bemused when they wanted to know how I wanted it cooked. There's little doubt that had the lamb I was eating been braised it would have made a great stew too. Worse still was the garlic cream, which appeared to be a crushed clove of garlic squeezed over the top. I like Garlic. But there's rarely a time I want to eat it raw and never as a dominant flavour. Beans were fine and the sauce, with bacon, delicious.

Chocolate fondue was fun and Creme Brulee pleasant, if not that exciting, but after the main I wasn't feeling brave enough to trial Grapefruit TiraMisu,. The tarts going to the next table looked delicious. We washed the whole thing down with a couple of bottles of very gutsy Argentinian Malbec.

It's not all bad. The service excels and some of the cooking is good, but overall it neither does the simple things well enough to bring me back, nor makes unusual flavour combinations work. At forty pounds a head for three courses and wine it's reasonably priced, but there are other options in the area I'd try. Or indeed save up to go next door.

the doctor

By The doctor at 08/04/2007 - 01:14 | 2007 | French | OK | Review | Scotland | £££/$$$ | add new comment | 617 reads