Road Hole Restaurant

This may not be the most romantically named restaurant in the Guide, but it sure looks the part. Perched above the 17th hole of the famous Old Course after which the hotel is named, the room enjoys inspiring views of the Fife coastline from full-drop windows. If that doesn't provide distraction enough, turn the other way to see the culinary team at work in the open kitchen. The chefs work to principles of sustainability and traceability to produce a style of modern Scottish cooking that isn't over-sold in any way in the menu descriptions, but looks and tastes fit to compete with the best. You'd think chefs would be running out of things to do to scallops these days, but an opening serving of Oban's finest comes with endive marmalade, carrot purée and liquorice for an array of surprising accompaniments. Reinterpretations of traditional dishes might see a coq au vin made with local farm chicken cropping up, along with velvet-smooth olive oil mash, or there may be Black Isle Scotch beef fillet, slow-roasted and served with a thyme-spiked beetroot jus. A tarte fine of Braeburn apples is a grand finisher, served with caramel sauce and a tart green apple sorbet, or there might be rhubarb soufflé with matching rippled ice cream and posh custard.