A Trip To Gullane & The Golf Inn

Hello!

It’s not often that I ever get away from central Edinburgh. I don’t drive, my passport has expired and what can I say, I just love the city life.

However, sometimes getting away for some peace and quiet is a good thing especially when it is not something you get to do often.

So, when I was offered the opportunity to visit The Golf Inn* to review their restaurant and stay over night, I jumped at the chance. A little night away is just wanted I needed!

Gullane may be a short drive away from Edinburgh but it feels like a different world. For one, it has a beautiful beach, it is quiet and it has a wonderfully calm feeling around it. I also lacked a 4G signal, this was a shock to the system but a somewhat pleasant one…. (though the hotel does provide great Wifi which is what probably kept me sane.)

The Golf Inn which is situated right in the heart of Gullane. This isn’t your everyday typical hotel. As stated in the name, it is more of an inn style experience. As well as having rooms in the main building, they also provide cottages.

I ended being quite a lucky girl and got to stay in the beautiful Hazel Cottage. Hidden away behind the courtyard, it had its own private garden which made it feel like this was our own secret get-away rather than just an everyday hotel.

After settling down in our gorgeous room and munched on some lovely treats left out for us, we decided to take a walk down to the beach in preparation for our three course meal.

Going to the beach might not seem like a big deal but seeing as this was my first time in years, I was pretty excited. I took a short little video of our beach trip:

It was fairly quiet; the sun was starting to go down – you could almost say it was rather ‘romantic’. Minus the fact we got lost. I broke my own 'horror film' rule and headed into the woods. Luckily we made it out alive....

Once we had tired ourselves out and emptied the sand from our shoes, it was time to settle down for dinner.

The kitchen is run by award winning head chef, Derek Johnstone, who won Masterchef: The Professionals back in 2008. It was safe to say we were in good hands.

Starters

Smoked Wood Pigeon, Charred Melon & Feta Salad

I’ve had smoked pigeon salad a few times now and it has always brought me joy which is a little odd seeing as I am actually terrified of the bird but moving on. This dish did not disappoint one little bit. At first it seemed odd to have fruit in my salad but the melon gave the starter a beautiful zest of freshness.

Haggis Bon Bons, Served with an Arrain Mustard & Whiskey Mayonnaise

My partner chose the haggis bon bons, or should I say, I told him he should get them. I can’t resist haggis and I was so torn when picking my starter at first. The only logical solution was to make him order them. He wasn’t complaining though because those bon bons were, dare I say, perfection.

Mains

Butter Poached Gartmorne Farm Chicken Supreme, Spiced Carrot Puree with Tender Stream Broccoli & Fondant Potato

If you have followed any of my reviews in the past you will know about my recent love for sea bass and how often it appears on my plate. Luckily for this review, I decided to go back to my original first love – chicken.

Now I know everyone hates this word but that chicken was delightfully moist, not a dry bit of meat in sight. The spiced carrot puree, as well as making the dish look bright and lovely, was such a great accompaniment and now I want to know how to make it for myself!

Char – Grilled 6oz Flat Iron Steak served with Chunky Chips & Confit Plum Tomatoes 

Steak is not my favourite so I ended up passing on trying this bad boy for myself. The verdict from my partner was incredibly positive though. I did sneak a few of those chunky chips on my plate and for someone who prefers a skinny fry, those chips almost won me over. Fluffy, full of potato and straight up delicious.

Desserts

Dark Chocolate Pave with Salted Peanut Caramel & Popcorn Ice Cream

Look, you know this dish was a winner. You just have to read the name and look at that photo to know this was beyond amazing. Dark rich chocolate with a sharp but sweet ice cream will and always will be a winning combination.

White Chocolate Crème Aux with Pistachio Sponge & Blacketyside Strawberries 

This was probably the most ‘Instagrammable’ dish of the night. My dessert may have been pretty much perfection but there is no denying that my partner’s choice was incredibly pretty looking. Did it live up to the hype though? Well, seeing as I didn’t even get chance to taste it, I am pretty sure it did!

From the tasty food to the delightful surroundings, I had a really great time visiting The Golf Inn.

Holidays abroad are always fun but there really is something special about jumping on a short bus ride and heading to somewhere that you wouldn't believe is basically right on your door step.

Massive thank you to all the staff at The Golf Inn and Taste Communications for a truly wonderful stay and showing me that city life might be great but you can't beating getting out of the hustle and bustle for some fresh sea air!

I'll leave you all with that delightful face.

Till the next time!

X

*Though my meal and stay was complimentary, all views shared are my own.