Seafood Restaurant: Savouring the fruits of the sea at St Andrews

Aug 1 2008 by Lady Who Lunches

IN a glass cube clinging to the rockface at St Andrews, the Seafood Restaurant certainly scores top marks for visual wow factor.

And there is no getting away from the fact it is the fruits of the sea which the spot specialises in; to start with the clue is in the name, added to the fact waves crash below the feet of diners, there is the choice of spoils of the surf on the menu and it is – slightly unnervingly – nestled next to the St Andrews aquarium.

But die-hard carnivores can also be sure of a meat fix at the upmarket spot, tasty-sounding items of the ‘turf’ variety intersperse the surf selections.

It was lunch we were interested in on a shopping trip to St Andrews and a hunger-induced forage away from the main retail hub of Prince William’s old stomping ground led us to the Seafood Restaurant.

The menu for lunch is comfortably concise – a choice from five starters, mains and desserts – which is in stark contrast to the wine list: a weighty tome of 20-something pages boasting fermented grape offerings from around the globe, including a healthy offering of by-the-glass choices.

I settled for the diet and detox-friendly imbibement: water – and was given the cheerful choice of still, sparkling or St Andrews’ tap water. While my hungry, and considerably less waist-conscious, co-diner opted for a cheeky glass of delicious albarino white wine.

We were teased with tasty homemade bread before our starters arrived: lemon and coriander Pittenweem crab with sweetcorn puree and tomato fondue for my dining companion and smoked haddock rarebit for me.

A delectably tasty tiny fillet of haddock nestled on a rich bed of salty pancetta and creamy leeks hit the starter spot.

While my compatriot gave the thumb’s up to the trio of timbales of lightly flavoured Fife crab which arrived disguised as a work of art.

Starters were followed by the main event.

Tickling my fancy was grilled fillet of turbot with chorizo, pistachio and sun-blushed tomato risotto and garlic butter all of that jam-packed onto just one dish.

The fish was cooked to perfection and the risotto lived up to a substantial and scrumptious addition, although if I am honest the chorizo and pistachio were lost on me – perhaps they were the ones that got away.

Catching the eye of my co-diner was pan-seared collops of monkfish with parma ham, tomato and olives, tagliatelle and olive oil dressing.

Meaty chunks of monkfish arrived with slivers of parma ham, a sprinkling of tomato and olives and just the right amount of pasta to keep back a bit of an appetite for dessert.

The grand finale was a tricky one to narrow down, all of the offerings sounded deliciously tempting.

But how could I resist the strawberry panna cotta?

The Big County berry dessert arrived accompanied with a strange shot of sloegin steeped strawberries and a scoop of luscious, velvety vanilla speckled ice-cream.

But a well-earned winner proved to be my accomplice’s cold chocolate and blueberry fondant with blueberry coulis and coconut sorbet.

Sticky, sumptuous chocolate sauce contained in a rich truffle encasement, blueberries bursting with their juicy flavour and a scoop of sorbet reminiscent of Caribbean sunshine.

The only thing that remained to stave off the post-lunch digestion slumber to keep us sharp-eyed for an afternoon shift around St Andrews’ shops was coffee, which arrived with warmed shortbread impressively served on a slab of slate.

Venue: The Seafood Restaurant, The Scores, St Andrews

Food: Fantastic fish dishes bursting with flavour

Decor: Panoramic views of the waterfront, crisp contemporary white decor and an open theatre-kitchen give the whole restaurant a light airy feeling

Service: Slick, attentive and professional without being overly fawning

Price: For lunch – 2 courses £22; 3 courses £26