Whatever you have previously heard about awful British pub food will be dispelled when you eat at Playfair's Restaurant, located in the Ardgowan Hotel. We found this pub restaurant during one of our exploratory walks around St. Andrews and made time to eat there. It is the quintessential pub with a decor just what you would expect a Scottish pub to look like—cozy with dark wood and tartan on the walls.
The restaurant is known for its Scottish cuisine, using only the highest quality of fresh Scottish produce available from local suppliers. All desserts are baked daily on the premises and they serve Britain's premier Luvians ice creams. Even with all this, the food is really tasty and CHEAP!
My husband started off by appropriately ordering a pint of McEwan's 80. Hey, you can't go to a pub and not drink a pint of ale, stout, or beer. He had the seared tuna with chips (fries) and peas. I ordered a couple of the daily specials—a very non-Scottish dish of crepes containing asparagus and blue cheese. Even though I ate this back in September 1998, I can still remember the incredible taste. You can take a look at sample menus at the restaurant's website (www.ardgowanhotel.co.uk/restaurant.shtml). My entree was something (casserole?) with lamb, which was warm comfort food at its best. Having a sweet tooth, I could not pass up warm apple pie for dessert.
Don't miss this one for a great pub experience.