Quality of the ingredients really shine through. Nice atmosphere in a lovely setting with attentive staff. It felt a very personal experience.
akash dhere
Nature is a source of tranquility and beauty, fostering a deep sense of connection and love. The rustling leaves, gentle breeze, and vibrant landscapes evoke a profound appreciation for the wonders of the natural world.
Alastair Harris
The bavette steak absolutely gorgeousAnd the venison very tasty dishesAnd the wine wasnt to bad eitherA very nice end to our last night at lochend chalets thanks
Carol “Dora5”
Just watched Nick Nairn on James Martin Saturday show and it prompted me to write this reviewDined there recently on recommendation by a family member.So we went with high expectations. Only to be disappointed..We passed the lovely shop through to the restaurant. The welcome was not very warm although the same server improved during our stay .I struggled to find something on the menu I thought I would enjoy so thought I can't go wrong with the burger .Although it was tasty it was not anything inspiringThe beef patty was very small. The ten yard salad was more a ten millimetre salad . Half a cherry tomato and a few leaves .I was expecting rustic chips maybe,but what arrived was McDonald's fries . Portions very smallThe apple crumble was also tasty enough but not mouth watering .I feel this place is resting on the reputation of Nick Nairn . I wasn't expecting him to make my meal for me but I was expecting value for money.Also was disappointed in the restaurant itself . Sat on hard chairs with a flat circle of something that was needing a wash .No views of the lake from the restaurant. We travelled a long way for this . I wouldn't hurry back.
Amy Elder
They supported us sitting outside in the freezing cold and still served
T C
Fantastic host, staff, menu and food. Cannot recommend highly enough!
Adele Cameron
Bought an Itison voucher.Phoned to book for 5.30 on 1 December and it was confirmed. When reviewed voucher I noticed time was set at 7.00 so called back and was told 7.00 was correct and they would change and send me a e/mail to confirm. I never received e/mail so called back a few days later and was told that I was booked in but as only one other couple was booked in for the same date could I choose another date - for my benefit, I said I would check and call back if I could however I was not available for the dates they had available.Received a telephone call 5 days before booking, I advised that it was not convenient to talk but they just carried on again to tell me that there was only one other couple booked for the date and I should change the date for me to enjoy the full experience. I needed to end the call so told them to cancel my booking as it was obvious this is what they wanted.Today 2 days before the booking I received a e/mail from Itison advising that Nick's had contacted them to issue me with a refund. It would have been better customer service if they could have called me direct to advise.I accept the cancellation as I certainly did not feel I would be welcomed.
Rose Miller
Amazing food fantastic staff and the whole experience was amazing as always.
kenegroni
Great spot for lunch. Hadn’t booked but they were able to fit us in. Busy lunchtime but staff were attentive and the food was excellent.
John Lyne
We went for dinner.We had starters of Venison meatballs with flatbread and hot smoked trout fishcake with cream sauce. Both were very nice and good hearty portions. The fishcake was as described a cake of fish, where sometimes fishcakes are padded out with a lot of potato, not in this case. Both sauces were very flavoursome.For mains we had Peppered Medallions of Scotch Venison, whisky, Chanterelle mushroom and peppercorn sauce, Nick’s10 yard salad and Pierre Koffmann Gold French Fries. The Venison medallions were ecsquisite, melt in your mouth meat and so well cooked, the sauce was very flavoursome, and again plentyof it which i liked, i suggest havingsome extra bread to soak up any reming sauce. Whilst not a lover of salad, it was very good, fresh with a great dressing. Slightly disappointed with the so called "Pierre koffmann gold fries", basically they are just French fries, similar to a well know burger chain, but they were OK.The mushroom Rigatoni was very flavoursome, with plentiful of mushrooms and cream sauce.We were offered desserts but the mains and starters were so hearty we couldn't have done them justice. So sadly had to decline, although I saw many others taking part, which made me quite envious. Next time I should have a main and dessert.The main dining area was nice a cosy with a wood fired pizza oven at its heart, although not used for cooking tonight, providing a lovely warmth to the room, which was needed as there was a bit of a draft especially when the door kept being opened, perhaps a new closure might be required to keep the heat in.It is easy to recommend to others. Give it a go. I certainly learned a few ideas to take back home to my own cooking.
You should go, trust me you SHOULD! If only to see once how it should be done - the venue is lovely set in fabulous countryside, service is friendly, knowledgeable, efficient and welcoming, but the FOOD! The food is delicious and rich and unctuous and moreish served looking beautiful in big and filling portions. We've been lucky enough to be able to try a good few fine dining restaurants with occasional michelin star and Nick's is the best. We met the man himself today at the cook school open day and like his food he is spot on, down to earth and to the point. Looking forward to going back and am booking cook school sessions now. Even managed to remember to get take a couple of pics this time before we dove in! Can happily recommend the Linguini, the duck and the venison so far. Thanks for some great time and looking forward to more. Jamie and Sharri.
fergusonwalker
Excellent family dinner, gorgeous food, lovely staff, brilliant We had two family meals here while on holiday at Lochend Chalets celebrating mum’s birthday, the staff went above and beyond to make it really special, I was really really pleased. The food was excellent, as was the coffee, it really did feel child friendly, the pizzas are an excellent option, and not just for the kids, they are light and tasty, the fries are gorgeous. Highlights were the seafood cocktail, sole goujons and the chocolate pots were a huge hit. Thanks for making us feel very welcome
mspretty_1d_11
I was very looking forward to dining at Nicks. when we realised it was next door to Lochend chalets where we were staying.. .. . unfortunately it wasnt a great experience.. we were all left feeling awkward and actually a bit embarassed by the staff to be honest. We arrived around 5 minutes early , the place was not fully set up (staff were outside having a cig) .. having booked for 7 plus a 3 years old, it was set for 7 and staff huffed and puffed when we asked for another seat at the table for said 3 yr old grandaughter. We had said when we booked and again i confirmed this the day before that we had 2 vegans and a peanut allergy in the group and despite confirming this twice in advance..no acknowledgement or awareness of this was given at the table by staff and we had to tell them twice and ask what the kitchen could do for the vegan options. Despite being fairly large group.. we were seated at the door in which everyone had to pass us by.. all new arrivals and the food orders.. it was so uncomfortable having to breath in when anyone passed us by. It could all have been avoided. we are an easy lot, friendly and easy pleased.. a smile or a give us 5 to get sorted by the staff would have been totally fine by us. not a scowl.. i did offer to go out and come back in again, but it didnt merit a smile. In fairness the food was really good (except the vegans..it was pasta that didnt bear a 20 quid charge in any shape or form.. the prices were generaly okay, except a 4 quid charge for 3 years olds 1 scoop of ice cream :-(..
S223
Extremely good - we've visited many times over the past few years, and there's never been a wrong note. Was slightly worried that attention might have been focused on the newly reopened Bridge of Allen site, but no, standards are as high as always. (Although I did miss the fantastic squid starter, the seafood cocktail was utterly brilliant!) Thanks again to Nick and the team, really couldn't be better.
iceontour
Not my first time at Nick's but I brought the family for an 'end of holiday' treat. The food, as per usual, was excellent but a few things left a sour taste. It was a very hot day (28 degrees) and we called ahead to find out whether shorts would be acceptable, considering the heat. We were told that it's usually smart casual but acceptable due to the heat. When we arrived in smart casual, there were peoshowing up in hoodies, shorts, T-shirts, etc. We were taken to our table and told that we needed to vacate the table in 90 minutes but could take desserts in the outdoor area if needed. Nobody mentioned THAT during booking. As apparently they were 2 service staff short and we were planning to have a three course meal, we suggested to have desserts outside. We were told that they needed our table back and that there were no tables free outside. We felt more of an inconvenience rather than a welcomed customer. Such a shame.
Quality of the ingredients really shine through. Nice atmosphere in a lovely setting with attentive staff. It felt a very personal experience.
Nature is a source of tranquility and beauty, fostering a deep sense of connection and love. The rustling leaves, gentle breeze, and vibrant landscapes evoke a profound appreciation for the wonders of the natural world.
The bavette steak absolutely gorgeousAnd the venison very tasty dishesAnd the wine wasnt to bad eitherA very nice end to our last night at lochend chalets thanks
Just watched Nick Nairn on James Martin Saturday show and it prompted me to write this reviewDined there recently on recommendation by a family member.So we went with high expectations. Only to be disappointed..We passed the lovely shop through to the restaurant. The welcome was not very warm although the same server improved during our stay .I struggled to find something on the menu I thought I would enjoy so thought I can't go wrong with the burger .Although it was tasty it was not anything inspiringThe beef patty was very small. The ten yard salad was more a ten millimetre salad . Half a cherry tomato and a few leaves .I was expecting rustic chips maybe,but what arrived was McDonald's fries . Portions very smallThe apple crumble was also tasty enough but not mouth watering .I feel this place is resting on the reputation of Nick Nairn . I wasn't expecting him to make my meal for me but I was expecting value for money.Also was disappointed in the restaurant itself . Sat on hard chairs with a flat circle of something that was needing a wash .No views of the lake from the restaurant. We travelled a long way for this . I wouldn't hurry back.
They supported us sitting outside in the freezing cold and still served
Fantastic host, staff, menu and food. Cannot recommend highly enough!
Bought an Itison voucher.Phoned to book for 5.30 on 1 December and it was confirmed. When reviewed voucher I noticed time was set at 7.00 so called back and was told 7.00 was correct and they would change and send me a e/mail to confirm. I never received e/mail so called back a few days later and was told that I was booked in but as only one other couple was booked in for the same date could I choose another date - for my benefit, I said I would check and call back if I could however I was not available for the dates they had available.Received a telephone call 5 days before booking, I advised that it was not convenient to talk but they just carried on again to tell me that there was only one other couple booked for the date and I should change the date for me to enjoy the full experience. I needed to end the call so told them to cancel my booking as it was obvious this is what they wanted.Today 2 days before the booking I received a e/mail from Itison advising that Nick's had contacted them to issue me with a refund. It would have been better customer service if they could have called me direct to advise.I accept the cancellation as I certainly did not feel I would be welcomed.
Amazing food fantastic staff and the whole experience was amazing as always.
Great spot for lunch. Hadn’t booked but they were able to fit us in. Busy lunchtime but staff were attentive and the food was excellent.
We went for dinner.We had starters of Venison meatballs with flatbread and hot smoked trout fishcake with cream sauce. Both were very nice and good hearty portions. The fishcake was as described a cake of fish, where sometimes fishcakes are padded out with a lot of potato, not in this case. Both sauces were very flavoursome.For mains we had Peppered Medallions of Scotch Venison, whisky, Chanterelle mushroom and peppercorn sauce, Nick’s10 yard salad and Pierre Koffmann Gold French Fries. The Venison medallions were ecsquisite, melt in your mouth meat and so well cooked, the sauce was very flavoursome, and again plentyof it which i liked, i suggest havingsome extra bread to soak up any reming sauce. Whilst not a lover of salad, it was very good, fresh with a great dressing. Slightly disappointed with the so called "Pierre koffmann gold fries", basically they are just French fries, similar to a well know burger chain, but they were OK.The mushroom Rigatoni was very flavoursome, with plentiful of mushrooms and cream sauce.We were offered desserts but the mains and starters were so hearty we couldn't have done them justice. So sadly had to decline, although I saw many others taking part, which made me quite envious. Next time I should have a main and dessert.The main dining area was nice a cosy with a wood fired pizza oven at its heart, although not used for cooking tonight, providing a lovely warmth to the room, which was needed as there was a bit of a draft especially when the door kept being opened, perhaps a new closure might be required to keep the heat in.It is easy to recommend to others. Give it a go. I certainly learned a few ideas to take back home to my own cooking.
Restaurantji Recommends
You should go, trust me you SHOULD! If only to see once how it should be done - the venue is lovely set in fabulous countryside, service is friendly, knowledgeable, efficient and welcoming, but the FOOD! The food is delicious and rich and unctuous and moreish served looking beautiful in big and filling portions. We've been lucky enough to be able to try a good few fine dining restaurants with occasional michelin star and Nick's is the best. We met the man himself today at the cook school open day and like his food he is spot on, down to earth and to the point. Looking forward to going back and am booking cook school sessions now. Even managed to remember to get take a couple of pics this time before we dove in! Can happily recommend the Linguini, the duck and the venison so far. Thanks for some great time and looking forward to more. Jamie and Sharri.
Excellent family dinner, gorgeous food, lovely staff, brilliant We had two family meals here while on holiday at Lochend Chalets celebrating mum’s birthday, the staff went above and beyond to make it really special, I was really really pleased. The food was excellent, as was the coffee, it really did feel child friendly, the pizzas are an excellent option, and not just for the kids, they are light and tasty, the fries are gorgeous. Highlights were the seafood cocktail, sole goujons and the chocolate pots were a huge hit. Thanks for making us feel very welcome
I was very looking forward to dining at Nicks. when we realised it was next door to Lochend chalets where we were staying.. .. . unfortunately it wasnt a great experience.. we were all left feeling awkward and actually a bit embarassed by the staff to be honest. We arrived around 5 minutes early , the place was not fully set up (staff were outside having a cig) .. having booked for 7 plus a 3 years old, it was set for 7 and staff huffed and puffed when we asked for another seat at the table for said 3 yr old grandaughter. We had said when we booked and again i confirmed this the day before that we had 2 vegans and a peanut allergy in the group and despite confirming this twice in advance..no acknowledgement or awareness of this was given at the table by staff and we had to tell them twice and ask what the kitchen could do for the vegan options. Despite being fairly large group.. we were seated at the door in which everyone had to pass us by.. all new arrivals and the food orders.. it was so uncomfortable having to breath in when anyone passed us by. It could all have been avoided. we are an easy lot, friendly and easy pleased.. a smile or a give us 5 to get sorted by the staff would have been totally fine by us. not a scowl.. i did offer to go out and come back in again, but it didnt merit a smile. In fairness the food was really good (except the vegans..it was pasta that didnt bear a 20 quid charge in any shape or form.. the prices were generaly okay, except a 4 quid charge for 3 years olds 1 scoop of ice cream :-(..
Extremely good - we've visited many times over the past few years, and there's never been a wrong note. Was slightly worried that attention might have been focused on the newly reopened Bridge of Allen site, but no, standards are as high as always. (Although I did miss the fantastic squid starter, the seafood cocktail was utterly brilliant!) Thanks again to Nick and the team, really couldn't be better.
Not my first time at Nick's but I brought the family for an 'end of holiday' treat. The food, as per usual, was excellent but a few things left a sour taste. It was a very hot day (28 degrees) and we called ahead to find out whether shorts would be acceptable, considering the heat. We were told that it's usually smart casual but acceptable due to the heat. When we arrived in smart casual, there were peoshowing up in hoodies, shorts, T-shirts, etc. We were taken to our table and told that we needed to vacate the table in 90 minutes but could take desserts in the outdoor area if needed. Nobody mentioned THAT during booking. As apparently they were 2 service staff short and we were planning to have a three course meal, we suggested to have desserts outside. We were told that they needed our table back and that there were no tables free outside. We felt more of an inconvenience rather than a welcomed customer. Such a shame.