FOOD : But n Ben, Auchmithie
Auchmithie might be the end of the road on the Arbroath Smokie Trail and it genuinely is the end of the road as it’s a one road kinda town, with the same road used to head on in as you do out; but believe me, if there is one road you should travel down whilst in Angus, this is it; for this is home to one of the best wee restaurants in Angus, the But n Ben.
REVIEW OF THE BUT N BEN RESTAURANT IN AUCHMITHIE, ANGUS
Quietly sitting amongst the row of white washed houses, this inconspicuous eatery, houses a delightful cheery restaurant used by locals and visitors alike. There’s no airs and graces here, just warm friendly banter from the servers and owner and some decent plates of food.
Auchmithie is the last stop on the Arbroath Smokie Trail - a five stop walking trail from Arbroath along the Cliffs to Auchmithie with great places to eat and drink on the way. Read all about it here.
After a few hours of walking, I knew the food reward had to be something where the smokie took centre stage and so there was only one thing I could order - the Arbroath Smokie Pancake!
The Famous But n Ben Smokie Pancake (£14.95) is one of their most popular dishes, I now I know why. A large fluffy savoury pancake, filled with soft flakes of smoked haddock with the most insanely good double cream smoky sauce. Please also order a side of chips, as you will not want one smidgen of sauce to go to waste here and definitely need the all mighty chip to mop it all up. This dish also comes with sides of potatoes, and carrots and brocolli.
Mr TS ordered the Fish n Chips (£13.95), a large haddock fried in batter. Unfortunately, the batter was a little undercooked but we were both so focussed on the pancake that it didn’t really make a difference to our meal. The table was plentiful with food; and we didn’t leave hungry.
Other great dishes on the menu include Mince, Tatties and Skirlie; Melon Balls served with Port or Ginger Wine and Lambs Liver served in a tomato and garlic sauce. They also serve Lobster and Steak as well as many vegetarian and gluten free dishes.
I loved my lunch time sat here, eaves dropping on the local gossip and the story of the speckled blue egg delivery had me giggling away. There was a lovely welcoming, relaxed atmosphere in the restaurant with diners chatting away deciding if they had room for dessert or just a coffee.
It was a Wednesday afternoon, close to 2pm and I couldn’t have wished to have been in a nicer place as the world stood still for an hour whilst I tucked into my plate of smokie.
The But n Ben Restaurant, No 1, Auchmithie, DD11 5SQ. Tel : 01241 877223 www.thebutnben.com
My Spoon Award : Gold Spoon 9/10
I was invited by Visit Angus to review the But n Ben Restaurant. Food and drink were complimentary but the views are very much my own.