Having a relaxed dinner or leisurely lunch in an upmarket restaurant is my idea of heaven.
Getting time to unwind in beautiful surroundings, to savour the skills of a good chef who uses the finest local ingredients to their full glorious potential is without doubt the number one way I like to treat myself.
And even if I can’t get to one of my favourite eating places, I do like to have freshly prepared meals at home, even if it is as simple as omelette or poached egg on toast.
But like most people these days, I lead a busy life. Too often I find myself having to grab a supermarket sandwich and packet of crisps to gobble down as I rush between meetings.
And I’ll be honest. Even the dubious nutrition offered by the local fast food joint is sometimes overlooked for the instant energy boost offered by a quickly scoffed chocolate bar.
But what’s the alternative? I can hardly stop in a lay-by and start preparing a nutritious stir-fry. What I need is a convenient and comfortable place where I know I can stop, get served quickly and get back on the road having had something tasty and filling.
The Ralia Café undoubtedly fits the bill.
It sits in an isolated spot on the A9 between Dalwhinnie and Kingussie. This is a stretch of road I know all too well as I travel between the Highlands and the central belt on business. And it is not too shabby a place to take a quick break.
Surrounded by birch woods with views to the Cairngorm Mountains, it must be one of Britain’s most attractive roadside cafes.
As soon as you step out of the car and stretch your legs, the fabulous Highland air begins to revive your spirits.
The café itself is a curious, circular, white-washed building that maybe owes something to a 1970’s architect’s interpretation of a modern Broch. But it has good clean toilets on the lower level with either a ramp or stairs taking you to the upper floor dining area.
The panoramic views that you get are worth the visit alone. If it is a clear day, you can see for miles and even when, as on the day I visited, the cloud is down, it still offers an atmospheric vista.
Inside there is a clean and minimalist, yet warm and friendly servery and seating area. I loved the fact there was wifi and a phone-charging point as well as daily papers to look over.
They know their market and cater well for the weary travellers’ every need, selling everything from hayfever tablets to a torch.
You are not going to get a three-course gourmet meal here but their range of soup, sandwiches and cakes are as good as you’ll find anywhere.
They take pride in using local products, making their sandwiches on site using bread from the well known MacLeans bakery in Forres as well as getting cakes from the Auld Alliance bakery in Kingussie and ice cream from the renowned Stewart Tower Dairy at Bankfoot.
And their soup is to die for. Ranging from distinctly exotic Thai green chicken to the more prosaic but equally delicious pea and ham they are truly scrumptious and importantly served in hearty portions that will ensure you won’t have to stop again, whatever your final destination.
My colleague had a steaming bowl of tomato and basil with a fantastic crayfish and rocket sandwich. I had the country vegetable soup with a hot smoked salmon sandwich which both filled me up and put a big smile on my face.
We polished it off with ice cream. But Stewart Tower is no ordinary ice cream. Delightfully creamy, the peach and passionfruit flavour was fabulous and the lemon pavlova equally good, judging by my colleague’s response.
The Ralia Café also boasts some of the best coffee for miles around. Okay, it is in the middle of nowhere so that might not sound too difficult. Let me reword that sentence. The Ralia café serves some of the best coffee for hundreds of miles and that is no exaggeration.
Their coffee beans are freshly roasted weekly so are as full of aromatic deliciousness as you would ever be likely to find served by the most pretentious barista in one the world’s top coffee shops. Simply divine.
And if all that was not enough, they also have a fantastic wee gift shop as well. Great for that last-minute gift for your host on the way up the road. While I often want to get home or rush onwards to a meeting, I still appreciate Ralia is more than a simple fuel stop. Without wanting to appear too poetic or highblown, I think it is a veritable oasis on the A9.
Food: 4/5
Atmosphere: 4/5
Service: 4/5