It’s been described as ‘a paradise at the end of the world’ – praise indeed, given that Pam Brunton and Rob Latymer’s restaurant is squirrelled away in a converted ferryman’s cottage and boatshed by the swoon-worthy shores of Loch Fyne. Remoteness means resourcefulness when it comes to garnering ingredients for the kitchen, and the owners take full advantage of their productive neighbours and local fishermen – as well as making their own sourdough bread and churning their own butter.
Lunches and all-day snacks keep the visitors fuelled up, but the main event is dinner – an assortment of Scottish/Nordic new-wave dishes amalgamated into a carte and a five-course set menu. There’s always unadorned shellfish from the nearby lochs, but also expect highly original ideas ranging from fried fennel with smoked cod’s roe and dill salt to halibut with monk’s beard and mussel butter or confit duck accompanied by fermented cabbage heart and lemon thyme. For afters, prepare to be blown away by the rye doughnuts with bone-marrow caramel. As for liquid refreshment, natural wines and ‘fancy drinks’ compete with the owners’ beer (brewed with friends at nearby Fyne Ales).