I love surprises especially when it comes to food and IV10 the best cafe in Fortrose most certainly knows how to wrap surprises up and keep delivering them.

I had no idea what to expect on arrival in Fortrose, Black Isle. It has a small hamlet, sleepy village feel to it with a few quirky shops to catch the eyes of passers by. But right in the middle of the High Street, right on the corner, is winner of the best Cafe Eatery, IV10. It feels like a tiny wee space from the outside but wow, what a surprise when you throw open the doors and venture inside. It’s a cafe, bar and deli with a secluded garden tucked away behind the building, outdoor heated bothies and plenty of mixed indoor seating from booths to tables perfect for two.

The second surprise is the menu. The daily menu takes inspiration from their worldly travels with dishes that are peppered with spices and tantalizing tastes - you’ll find ingredients like saffron, hummus, harissa and sobarsada making an appearance or two.

And the third surprise was the food itself! Everything is scrumptious.

REVIEW OF THE BEST CAFE, IV10 IN FORTROSE, BLACK ISLE

I was appointed Mystery Judge for the Highlands and Islands Food and Drink Awards 2022. This meant that I had the extremely gruelling job of travelling around the Highlands and Islands eating and drinking at the nine shortlisted Restaurants and Eateries. Such a tough job!

Mission one, was to find the best restaurant, which is Harbour Kitchen, Stornoway, Isle of Lewis and my second mission was to find the Best Eatery. I travelled around Moray and Cromarty, Loch Ness and some of Scotlands Isles to find the best one.

And I found the winner in Fortrose. Yes, you guessed it, IV10 is the winner of the Best Cafe Eatery in the Highlands and Islands 2022.

THE CRITERIA

My criteria was the same as it was for the Best Restaurant category:

• Did they deliver exceptional service - was it timeous, friendly, unobtrusive but attentive and did the staff have a knowledge and understanding of the food they were serving

• Was the food prepared well, well plated and tasted delicious

And the main criteria that I had to mark against was:

• Did they use local and seasonal ingredients

IV10 was the last finalist I visited, and I knew from the moment I walked in the door that they were first class.

IV10 encourage you to graze; their dishes are meant for sharing and that’s exactly what we done. Although I think at the time our eyes were mostly definitely bigger than our bellies and us salivating as we read the menu, meant we over ordered. In the end it didn’t matter because somehow we managed to finish it all. A testament to how incredible the food is.

THE MENU AT THE BEST CAFE IN FORTROSE

As I’ve mentioned IV10 write their menu every day according to local availability, seasonal produce and what’s fresh. This shows not only in the presentation of the food, the creation of the dishes but also in the continued flavour bombs that are delivered with every bite.

• Ham Hock terrine with piccalilli

• Slow Cooked Pork Belly with blackberries

• A selection of Cured Meats, Cheeses, crackers and chutney from their deli

• Garlic Chanterelles on Sourdough

• Gigha Smoked Halibut with coleslaw and leaves

• Heritage Tomato Salad with grilled peaches

The service was warm, welcoming and wonderful. It really felt like we were the only people in the place, we got so well looked after.

IV10 wholeheartedly deserve this accolade. Their dedication to creating delectable plates of food is exemplary and if I were you, I would definitely be clicking on their website link and making a booking.

THINGS TO NOTE : IV10, THE BEST CAFE IN FORTROSE, BLACK ISLE

• Most of their plates can be changed to meet dietary requirements, but do let them know beforehand

• Their outside bothies and garden are dog friendly

• They are only open four days a week - Wednesday to Saturday

• Disabled access - there is a slight step on entering the cafe but everything is on the same level. The bothies can be accessed from the street but it is gravelled. They do have disabled toilets.

IV10, 18 High Street, Fortrose IV10 8SX. Tel 01381 620690 www.iv10.net

My Spoon Award : Tartan Spoon 10/10