FOOD : No18, Rusacks Marine & Lawn, St Andrews
Dinner in St Andrews has never looked so romantic. No18 at the Rusacks St Andrews is most definitely a dreamy date night destination.
18 is rooftop restaurant led by award winning Chef Derek Johnstone, serving the very best seasonal and locally sourced Scottish beef, seafood and game. The food is exceptional and the setting spectacular. A laid-back but high-end dining experience!
REVIEW OF DINNER AT NO 18, RUSACKS ST ANDREWS
You’ll find No18 inside the Rusacks Marine and Lawn Hotel, an iconic 1800s building and steeped in golfing history. Overlooking West Sands Beach, the picturesque town of St Andrews and the famous Old Course Links—it’s a luxurious base from which to explore of St Andrews.
Rusacks St Andrews is one of five properties transformed by Marine & Lawn, a group of individuals who believe in the transportive magic of golf. All their properties are built on the wild and rugged linksland and you’ll find them at:
A few weeks ago, TartanSpoonie Carmin and her partner headed to No18 Rusacks for Date Night. They visit St Andrews often and having dined at a fair few restaurants around town, they both agreed that No18 was their top spot for elevated relaxed ‘a little bit special’ dining.
Perusing the menu meant time to slather this gorgeous butter from the Edinburgh Butter Co onto the Wild Hearth Sourdough and order some drinks; a Young Tom Morris with Highland Park 12yo whisky, strawberry, lemon, honey and champagne and a dram of Yamazaki 18yo whiskey. A bottle of Picpoul de Pinet wine was shared over dinner.
STARTERS
Arran Cheddar Cheese Souffle with wilted leeks, grain mustard and parmesan sauce (£11.00)
Beautiful and light. The sauce added a lovely creaminess to the dish and it was perfectly seasoned with the cheese flavour remaining centre stage.
Squash Veloute with onion and sage agnolotti (pasta) and aged mimolette (cheese) (£10)
This was super moreish. The veloute/sauce was thick, glossy, and packed full of flavour. The agnolotti were like little bursts of deep savoury bites that blended so well with the earthiness of the veloute. Defo a must order dish!
MAINS
There are two sections to choose from here. One section is all about the Beef, Aberdeen Angus to be precise and then a selection of dishes from land and sea which included dishes like Juniper Grilled Venison and Pan Fried Stonebass.
Open-flame cooking is their forte here at No18 with steaks skillfully prepared on their state-of-the-art Robata grill. The flavour imparted is insane and the meat incredibly tender.
The 280g 32 day dry aged on the bone Ribeye Steak (£37.00) was cooked to absolute perfection. A gorgeous charred bark with succulent pink centre.
The other main course was the Rump of Lamb with a lamb sausage, wilted sprouts and lamb fat potatoes (£30.00)
Pink is the only way to eat lamb, but this was slightly too pink in the centre. However the flavours sang, and the lamb itself was tender. Loved the potatoes, ideal for trailing through the jus.
Sides were Skin on French Fries (£5.00) and Fine Green Beans (£5). The squeak was delish!
DESSERTS
Very full by this point, BUT there is always room for dessert.
Dark Chocolate Mousse (£9.00) with salted caramel and vanilla ice cream (usually served with hazelnut). From the chocolate shard to the chocolate mousse, there was only exceptional mouthfuls of lush chocolateness!
Braeburn Apple Tarte Tartin (£12.00) with bay leaf ice cream. This dessert is meant for sharing but there was no way this was being shared after the first bite. Flaky crispy buttery pastry with caramelised apples and sugar. Lets just say the plate was cleared.
Exceptional cooking but what do you expect from a Masterchef and someone who’s trained under my chef hero, Michel Roux Jnr.
No18 Rusacks is not only a gorgeous place to impress someone you love, but if food is the way to someones heart, then expect to fall head over heels when dining here.
THINGS TO NOTE
Limited vegetarian dishes are available
If you have any allergies or food intolerances, you must let them know in advance of dining
18 is open for Sunday lunch but otherwise its dinner time
18 Rusacks St. Andrews, Pilmour Links, St. Andrews, KY16 9JQ www.18standrews.co.uk
My Spoon Award : Gold Spoon 9/10
I was invited by 18 Rusacks St Andrews to review their menu. Food and drink were complimentary but the views are very much my own.