Undiscovered Scotland

 

Those wishing to dine at Prestonfield have five options available to them. For those who really wish to relax the the fullest possible extent, an extensive room service menu is available 24 hours per day, allowing you to enjoy everything from snacks and sandwiches to main meals without the need to leave your room. Meanwhile a superb afternoon tea menu is available in any of the lounges or, in summer, in the Gothic tea house in the garden. There is also a bar menu available in the hotel's lounges offering a range of light options or main meals. You can read our hotel review for Prestonfield here.

And the fourth option is to book one of the hotel's four private dining rooms. These include the Garden Room, which can seat up to 50 as well as the more intimate Italian and Stuart Rooms which can seat up to 24 and 16 respectively. But perhaps best of all is the remarkable Salon Privé, a space tucked away in a corner of the original house just large enough for two to dine, and the venue for a number of wedding proposals...

But perhaps the most authentic Prestonfield dining experience can be enjoyed in Rhubarb, the hotel's superb restaurant. This is named after the fruit, which was first introduced to Scotland from its native Asia by Sir Alexander Dick in the 1760s and grown in the grounds at Prestonfield. Today, rhubarb continues to be cultivated at Prestonfield, and regularly features on the pudding menu. Rhubarb occupies two beautifully proportioned oval rooms, one opening out to either side of the main corridor. The result is one of the best dining rooms you will find in Scotland.

Lunch and dinner are both served in Rhubarb from à la carte menus, or you can opt for the fixed price menus available at lunch and dinner at extremely competitive prices.

We've already suggested Rhubarb is one of the best dining rooms you will find anywhere in Scotland. What is nice is that the quality of the surroundings is fully matched by the quality of the food, which is very accomplished fine dining and worthy of the 2 Rosettes awarded by the AA. The only problem on occasion, is too tempting a range of choice: how do you decide between a North Berwick half-lobster risotto; hand-dived scallops; seared loin of Corrour Estate venison; and ballotine of lightly smoked Loch Duart salmon, among a list of six starters? Perhaps you just have to come back on other occasions to try the rest!

Breakfast is served in Rhubarb. It is every bit as good as you hope it will be, given the all round excellence of everything that Prestonfield does. The buffet choice of pastries, meats, fruits, yoghurt and cereals is nicely presented and appetising. Cooked main course options include porridge, a fresh kipper or smoked haddock with poached eggs and smoked salmon with free range scrambled eggs. You may also choose your own cooked breakfast from an extensive list of ingredients. It all turns up perfectly cooked to order and piping hot: and in portion sizes guaranteed to set you up for the day. You can read our hotel review for Prestonfield here.