Killiecrankie House, in the heart of Highland Perthshire, has opened this month with a new restaurant and five beautifully appointed bedrooms as well as a drawing room and cocktail bar. Owners, chef Tom Tsappis and his sommelier wife Matilda will welcome guests to experience their little slice of luxury and gastronomy in the Cairngorm National Park.
Tom, who trained at Leiths and was the first recipient of two of its coveted annual awards and his wife Matilda, who previously ran the popular supper club Elia London, have created a boutique bolthole that’s been designed by them as a food-lovers retreat. Tom will be overseeing the multi-course tasting menu in the 18-cover open restaurant kitchen, and at the adjacent chefs table which is at the heart of the house. Sommelier Matilda will host guests front of house with help from the chefs who’ve created the dishes.
They have committed to creating menus that truly reflect Scotland, giving diners not only a taste of the country’s produce but one that represents what Scots really love to eat, drawing upon both contemporary and heritage dishes for inspiration. Working with local suppliers and using home grown and locally foraged produce, the first sample menu is a fine example of how they have gone about creating a sense of place through their food. Each dish has a story behind it…
Drunken oyster
Scotch eggs
Kombu cured mackerel, apple and horseradish
Squid from the firth of Moray cooked in a stew of its own ink
Cock-a-leekie
Food from the forest
Venison, peat and brambles
Dripping fried porridge
Highland wagyu, green tea, onions and pickled pine
Macaroni pie
Flower of Scotland
Whisky
Sweeties
Matilda’s drinks list has been designed to perfectly complement the cooking with a diverse food pairing menu including beer, wine, sake and cocktails, as well as an interesting non-alcoholic pairing of juices, teas and infusions. Matilda’s approach is to offer a combination of ‘classics’ vs ‘off the beaten track’, including wines from her family vineyard; Treaty Port in China; a beer made in collaboration with local brewery, Wasted Degrees; soft drinks from Bad Gal Boocha and Rapscallion plus tea and coffee from The Rare Tea Company and Glen Lyon Roastery in Aberfeldy.
Pre and post dinner drinks can be comfortably enjoyed by the fireside, overlooking the kitchen gardens and fruit trees, in the Drawing Room or in the bijou Cocktail Bar with its marble countertop and feathered pink Murano glass chandeliers – surely the chicest place for an aperitif in Perthshire!
The colour palette throughout is a calm, sophisticated deep blue with dark wood floors and eclectic hints of colour in the artwork and even in the hand-painted wash basins which were sourced from The London Basin Company. The selection of chandeliers and lights from Pooky in Chelsea hint at decadent times gone by as does the vintage 1960’s record player and mid-century furniture, which has all been brought together with stunning attention to detail. Upstairs are four generous four-poster bedrooms and a master suite (which comes with the chef’s table experience), each one uniquely shaped, due to the age of the property and with the original shutters restored. All bedrooms come with standalone roll-top baths for the ultimate indulgence, as well as rain-fall showers and feature blush pink concrete basins from Concrete Etc, with toiletries from Scotland-based Laura Thomas Co.
A set dinner will be served to everyone at 7pm Wednesday to Saturday. The bar will open at 12noon, Wednesday – Saturday.
Tasting Menu £85 per person
Alcoholic Drinks Pairing £65 per person
Non-Alcoholic Drinks Pairing £45 per person
Overnight experience (dinner, bed and breakfast for two people) starts at £450
To book call 01796 473213 or visit the website www.killiecrankiehouse.com
Killiecrankie House, Killiecrankie, Perthshire, PH16 5LG
@killiecrankiehouse
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