I COULD see a look of mild disappointment cross my mother’s face.
She had just been told, in the nicest possible way, that the beautiful grand piano in the cosy lounge of the Mansion House Hotel in Elgin was unplayable, as it required tuning.
As a concert-standard pianist, I could see her fingers were itching to tinkle the ivories, but, alas, it was not to be, so instead, we settled ourselves on comfortable sofas in front of a roaring fire to sip our drinks and peruse the lunchtime menu.
Despite being regular visitors to Elgin, this was our first visit to the historic hotel, which is situated just a few minutes’ walk from the city centre and giant Tesco store yet sits in an oasis of lush gardens almost hidden from view.
An elegant 19th-century baronial mansion, it has the feel of a private country club where everyone is welcomed like an old friend – including first-timers.
Having been warmly greeted in the grand oak-panelled entrance hall with majestic staircase, our coats were hung up and we were ushered into the tranquil lounge, or piano room, an elegant room with a relaxing atmosphere.
Comfortably settled, we studied the menu, which offers two courses for £17.50 and three for £22.50.
Choosing was the hardest part as all four starters and all four mains sounded tempting, with interesting takes on traditional dishes.
After much swithering, mum opted for the Mansion House chicken liver pate while dad and I liked the sound of the smoked-salmon gateaux.
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Dishes are cooked to order so, after a reasonable wait – we weren’t in any rush to leave the comfort of the fireside – we were ushered across the hall into a pretty dining-room with sunshine-yellow walls and nicely set tables laid with crisp white linen tablecloths, sparkling glasses and gleaming, heavy cutlery.
The starters looked visually appetising and beautifully presented without being fussy.
The gateaux had alternate layers of smoked salmon and prawns held together with a light lemon and parsley creme fraiche mix and came with a crisp green salad and zingy tomato jus.
Although delicate and light, the generous portion packed plenty of flavour and went down a treat.
The home-made chicken liver parfait, or pate, was also a hit as it had a lovely creamy texture and strong, but not overpowering, flavours. It came with a delicious caramelised chutney and oatcakes, but tasted equally good on the superb home-made pesto and cheese bread we had been offered.
We were the only ones in the dining-room – although, had we arrived later, we would have been joined by local Rotarians. On booking, the receptionist told me they were meeting there and suggested, to avoid a busy restaurant, we might like to eat before or after them – very considerate of her.
While waiting for our mains, we admired the dining-room’s period features, and the choice of background music, which included Fred Astaire’s version of Cheek to Cheek.
I suspect guests may often have danced here to the tune from the popular 1935 movie, Top Hat, when it was first released as the mansion has a long and illustrious history.
A mansion described as “commodious, substantial and elegantly furnished” was built on the site in 1851 for a local lawyer, Alexander G. Allan. In 1883, that building was replaced by the present one, designed in the style of an old baronial castle.
During both world wars, it provided accommodation for service personnel, and was gifted to the town in 1945 by the then owner, Mr H.C. Bibby.
It was then used as a pre-nursery training centre and a music department for Elgin Academy. When Moray Council proposed plans to demolish it and build a new library on the site, citizens were suitably outraged and the plans were quashed.
Instead, it was sold, became a listed building and began operating as a hotel. But I digress.
The mains certainly did justice to their surroundings.
Dad’s loin of lamb and black pudding with herb mash and pan jus was perfectly cooked and the meat succulent. Special praise went to the black pudding, which was unusually sweet but had a decent peppery kick to it.
The pianist had a nice fillet of grilled salmon with scampi and prawns served on a bed of Thai rice noodles. The salmon was tasty without being startling, so the flavoursome noodles worked well with it.
I’d chosen chicken with haggis gateaux as it sounded intriguing. Thankfully, the gateaux was nothing like a French fancy, but a nice round portion of layered haggis, neeps and tatties in the shape of a cake.
The juicy chicken was served with a creamy whisky sauce and, like all the mains, came with a nice selection of beautifully cut vegetables.
To finish, instead of ordering sweets, we asked if we could share one course of cheese and biscuits and have it with three coffees – no problem, assured the friendly and polite young waitress.
With four types of Scottish cheese, celery, strawberries, grapes, quince and crackers on board, I am glad we decided to share.
With two glasses of Merlot for the folks and a glass of Eisberg non-alcoholic wine for myself, as I was driving, the bill came to £69.05 – very reasonable for a leisurely lunch in grand surroundings.
Mansion House Hotel & Country Club, The Haugh, Elgin. Telephone: 01343 548811.