The Bonnie Badger
Gullane, East Lothian
The coastal village of Gullane is home to Tom and Michaela Kitchin's handsome boutique restaurant with rooms, an altogether different prospect to the Leith waterfront where Tom first pitched camp. Outside, the seductive East Lothian coastline exerts its magic while, inside, tones of sober slate-blue and light wood make for a refreshing feel in both the pub (the Broc Bar, with a repertoire of classics) and the dining room (the Stables). Here, head chef Matthew Budge's refined style of earthy modern food sets a blistering pace with crispy ox-tongue ravioli in bone-marrow sauce, alongside the seafood specialities. The nature-to-plate ethos of the original Kitchin is celebrated in principal dishes such as North Sea halibut with roasted fennel and seaweed butter, or the regal treatment of East Fortune lamb that is slow-roasted, partnered with a suet pudding of shoulder meat and haggis, alongside pickled and puréed turnips. It would be foolish to come to Gullane and not partake of a little sea buckthorn, here fashioned into a meringue in consommé, but choc-heads will find it hard to swerve the fondant with star-anise ice cream. The outstanding wine list is founded on a fine choice in two glass sizes and half-litres, including Fèvre's Chablis and a stirring Languedoc blend of Syrah and Petit Verdot. As if this Badger wasn't already Bonnie enough, it now boasts a garden pergola too.
Dining Information:
Accommodation, Private dining room, Separate bar, Wheelchair access, Parking, Family friendly, Dog friendly
Main Street, Gullane, East Lothian EH31 2AB
01620 621111
