Dishes at Turriff's The White Heather Hotel are feast for the eyes

One of the best parts about living in Turriff is the fact it doesn’t lack in delicious dining experiences.

It will be no shock to anyone from the area when I say my visit to the White Heather Hotel was highly anticipated.

Situated in the heart of town, the High Street venue – made up of three floors fit for functions, meals and staycations – has been a hot spot for many since opening its doors back in 2015.

Find The White Heather Hotel on Turriff’s High Street.

The ground floor is the main dining area for small groups and couples, but for larger parties and special events, you will be seated downstairs in the ground cellar.

On the top level, there are spacious bedrooms equipped with en suites, making for a luxurious stay.

The ground cellar is perfect for any celebrations.

Although it’s not my first time eating here, I couldn’t resist booking a table a couple of weeks ago after eyeing up the new menu they recently announced.

My boyfriend Liam was also incredibly excited to come along – with it being both the go-to restaurant for our families – although he’s always up for a nice meal no matter the occasion.

The dining area at Turriff’s White Heather Hotel

On this particular evening, we were pleasantly surprised that it wasn’t too busy as one of the lovely waitresses escorted us to our table.

One thing I love about the dining area is that it’s a bright space, so you can still see everything that’s going on, and most importantly… the food!

It’s also very modern – decorated with grey brick wallpaper, comfortable booth seating areas that run down each side of the room, and stylishly tiled flooring and extra dining chairs, all tied together with grey tones.

The walls have also been jazzed up with some artwork and mirrors with pillows added to each table, giving it a very homely and relaxing vibe.

The bar has a variety of spirits and wines available.

The main event, however, is their bar positioned at the back of the room.

It features some of the finest Scottish malt whiskies, specially selected gins and exclusive wines sourced from across the world – not to mention their long list of delicious handcrafted cocktails, too.

A bit about the restaurant’s new menu

The White Heather Hotel in Turriff has always offered hearty and traditional dishes from macaroni cheese and battered chicken fillets to their incredible sticky toffee pudding.

They also have light lunch options available from noon until 2.30pm every Thursday to Monday with toasties, ciabatta and sandwiches for you to get your hands on.

But what is exciting about their latest menu is the addition of small plates and a creative selection of new main courses – which I could not wait to try for myself.

When the waitress came to take our order, there were so many dishes we wanted to try that it was almost impossible to choose.

Drinks and starters were first on the agenda…

Of course, I had to order one of my favourite cocktails, a pornstar martini (£9), while Liam opted for a pint of Tennent’s (£4.30).

We also took the opportunity to request our starters. I was desperate to try one of the small plates, so after much deliberation, I finally decided on the halloumi fries (£8.95).

With our stomachs rumbling, we were tempted to split some of the small plates between us due to their three for £15 deal. However, Liam had his heart set on the garlic ciabatta (£4.45).

How good does this pornstar martini look?

Our drinks were at the table in no time, and my cocktail – full of sweet, passionfruit, and vanilla goodness – really hit the spot. It also didn’t taste too strong, which is exactly what I was after.

Out the corner of my eye, I clocked the waitress with our first course.

Breaded halloumi fries with chimichurri and pomegranates.

I was presented with a stack of golden halloumi fries, topped with a drizzling of chimichurri and a sprinkling of pomegranate seeds – who knew sticks of cheese could look so picturesque?

They almost resembled mozzarella sticks and had a great crunch from the breadcrumbs with a creamy filling. The chimichurri was a tad too salty for my liking, but that’s just my preference.

My dining partner opted for the garlic ciabatta.

As for the garlic ciabatta, I managed to sneak a bite before Liam demolished the rest. He thought it had the perfect amount of garlic in each mouthful and wasn’t too overpowering.

Both plates set us up perfectly for the next course.

The main courses did not disappoint either

With dishes such as creamy Cajun chicken and slow-cooked beef brisket on the cards, I simply could not make my mind up. That was until I spotted the two mini sliders (£16.95) on the next page.

Unlike me, Liam knew what he fancied straight away and opted for the battered haddock and chips (£15.95). He also ordered another pint at this point as the first went down a treat.

The two mini sliders are served with chips and coleslaw.

My eyes lit up when a board of two well-presented sliders, chips and coleslaw was placed in front of me. The haddock also looked very tasty.

I went in for a bite of the mini Cajun chicken burger first which was layered with cheddar and streaky bacon on top.

From left, the pork and apple burger and the Cajun chicken burger.

I was worried that it would be a tad dry as it had no sauce, however, my opinion quickly changed when I realised how juicy and flavourful the chicken was. The hint of cheese and smokiness from the bacon were also delicious. I had no complaints.

Next up was the pork and apple burger topped with garlic aioli and rocket.

Undoubtedly, this was my favourite of the two. The sweet flavours from the pulled pork sauce and the hint of garlic from the aioli married perfectly together – the saucier the burger, the better in my opinion.

You can probably guess that Liam also loved his fish. He expressed that it was cooked to perfection and melted in the mouth. It wasn’t oily either which was a plus.

Now for the star of the show at the Turriff restaurant… dessert

Although I’d usually be asking for the bill at this point, the dessert specials had been calling my name since I walked through the door.

So, we ordered the chocolate orange cheesecake (£7.95) along with two spoons as there was no way I’d manage one to myself. Liam on the other hand, probably could have.

I’m still dreaming about this cheesecake…

We were handed a large slice, accompanied by a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a squirt of fresh whipped cream, and berries. It was incredible – the biscuit base was crumbly while the filling was light, mixed with the perfect amount of chocolate.

The verdict

While I’ll admit I don’t visit The White Heather Hotel as often as I’d like, this meal was my incentive to do so – especially for another slice of cheesecake.