Dining at Knockinaam Lodge
The Travel Pages describes the tasting menu for dining at Knockinaam Lodge near Portpatrick in Scotland, a historic home now a hotel with a superb restaurant.
We recently spent a week in Portpatrick, in Dumfries & Galloway in the south-west of Scotland. Even though we had self-catering accommodation in a lodge on the wonderful Dunskey Estate, we decided to be lazy and mostly eat out, as there were so many choices in and around Portpatrick.
Dining at Knockinaam Lodge
Our first meal in Portpatrick was a special four-person birthday lunch at one of the finest restaurants in Dumfries and Galloway. Knockinaam Lodge should have been a 15-minute drive from our own lodge, but it is a little bit out-of-the-way and our satnav couldn’t find it so we ended up phoning for directions… and to let them know we were on the way. Tables here are precious!
The lodge also has accommodation, by way of ten bedrooms and suites (including the one slept in by Sir Winston Churchill – see History below). But what is remarkable is that, out here in the wilds of south-west Scotland, it can produce such outstanding food, earning itself three AA rosettes. The menu options are quite simple: a four-course tasting menu for lunch or a seven-course tasting menu for supper.
You can do a wine pairing if you wish, and the menus can be adapted to special requirements if you let them know in advance. As they say on their website, it’s a Set Menu that isn’t set in stone.
Knockinaam Lodge Dining Room
The dining room is quite small, but on our visit was full and when we tried to book a second time for an evening meal they were already fully booked. The atmosphere was a good balance between formal and relaxed, as was the impeccable service. We began with local beers for the boys and G&Ts for the gals (local Hills & Harbour Gin), and found that these plus one glass of wine was enough to accompany the meal.
Drummore Lobster, garlic butter, truffled potato salad
And what a meal it was. It began with a fantastic Mushroom, Cep and Truffle Soup. It was earthy and very mushroomy, the kind of intense flavour you can somehow never get at home. Second course was a lovely contrast: Pan Fried Fillet Isle of Gigha Halibut with a Red Pepper Emulsion. This was a visual feast as well as being a flavour explosion. The delicate fish sat in the vivid red pepper emulsion, and the two tastes made for a match in heaven.
Iced Cranachan Parfait, Bladnoch whisky, raspberries
It didn’t seem possible but each course built on the one before. The meat course that followed featured Slow Roast Leg of Galloway Lamb with Garden Potato, Tenderstem Broccoli and a Redcurrant & Port Jus. The kitchen here, being in the middle of nowhere, has its own garden, providing totally fresh vegetables and herbs. The potatoes tasted like nothing you could ever buy in a store, while the hefty chunk of lamb melted both on the plate and in the mouth.
Tiramisu, white chocolate, Nespresso
The final course was one of the best desserts I’ve ever had in my life. The menu changes daily so I’m very glad we came on the day we did, and that raspberries were in season, and that we were able to indulge in a Raspberry Soufflé. A soufflé is always something special, and it’s a brave kitchen that offers them. You may have to wait a while but they are usually well worth waiting for. This one certainly was – as light as a feather, rich and creamy, and oozing that delicate raspberry flavour.
Winding down with petits fours and coffees, we were all reluctant to leave this magical place. It managed to be very low-key and informal while maintaining its history and dignity. It was also the best meal any of us had had all year.
History of Knockinaam Lodge
Built in 1869 as a hunting lodge for the Hunter-Blair family, the property remained a private family home for nearly a century. Its secluded location in a private cove near Portpatrick made it an ideal setting for secrecy and intrigue.
One of its most notable historical moments occurred during World War II. In 1944, the lodge hosted a top-secret meeting between Winston Churchill and General Dwight D. Eisenhower to finalize the plans for the D-Day landings.
The extreme privacy of the location was crucial for this clandestine meeting, and it’s rumored that Churchill flew into a nearby seaplane base and was driven to the lodge. The lodge’s historical significance also extends to literature; it’s said to have been the inspiration for the hero’s hideaway in John Buchan’s 1915 novel, The Thirty-Nine Steps.
The lodge was converted into a restaurant with rooms in the 1960s, evolving into the award-winning boutique hotel it is today. While it now offers modern luxury, it still retains its historic charm and is known for its quiet, secluded atmosphere, which continues to attract visitors from around the world.
Website: knockinaamlodge.com
Address: Knockinaam Lodge, Portpatrick,
DG9 9AD
Phone: +44 1776 810471
Facebook: facebook.com
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