There may have been tulips and daffodils for sale in the shops, and the sun warm enough for us to enjoy a morning sail on the Moray Firth, but Madame Winter was not done with us yet.
The spring-like weather had us considering taking the nautical route to Lossie to visit a restaurant that’s been on our must-try list forever. Harbour Lights on Pitgaveny Quay, which overlooks Lossiemouth marina, is a cafe during the week but on Saturday nights it’s transformed into an upmarket bistro.
In the end we opted to drive there with a plan to arrive early, enjoy a stroll round the harbour area, stare enviously at some of the bigger yachts, and whip up a healthy appetite for dinner. But winter had other plans, and unleashed a Siberian blast which saw us battle near whiteout conditions en route, so it was with a great sense of relief when the restaurant, housed in an old listed building, hove into view.
The warm light emanating from it felt like a beacon of hope and inside, the good feeling continued. Warm and cosy, the walls are adorned with colourful JoLoMo prints while subtle lighting, big candles housed in tall storm light holders, fresh flowers and nicely dressed tables made it feel special. The young staff were friendly and attentive and made us feel most welcome.
From the comfort of our window table we watched the storm rage outside and felt grateful to all those fishermen risking life and limb to bring us fresh fish such as the delights on offer here, which are landed at Portsoy. Meat comes from a butcher in Nairn, while beers from local brewery Windswept, and gin from Gordon Castle, are also available.
While perusing the menu we were presented with two thick slices of sun-dried tomato bread served with butter and a fabulous basil-infused olive oil, which were exceptionally good.
On a night like this a warming soup was a must so my partner plumped for Cullen Skink while I chose the king prawn and salmon cocktail. I’m glad I did as this was one of the best seafood starters I’ve had in a long time. Presented in a deep and wide glass bowl, the dish had been artistically put together with long ribbons of cucumber creating an edible basket filled with wonderful lightly smoked salmon and at least half a dozen plump and juicy prawns topped with a quenelle of creamy avocado. In terms of presentation and flavour, it simply couldn’t be faulted.
The soup had a creamy, smokey flavour and was nicely warming but may have benefited from being slightly chunkier in texture. It wasn’t until he’d demolished his soup that we realised it hadn’t come with the promised rolls/oatcakes, and when we flagged this up, the waitress apologised profusely. A minor blip on what proved to be a first-class night.
For mains I went local again with a Morayshire pork chop served with a black pudding croquette, braised cabbage and sage brown butter sauce, while my sea-faring other half was keen on the pistachio and pine nut crusted hake with braised fennel, honey glazed carrots and crispy kale. Again, both dishes were beautifully presented. The fillet was thick and firm, with snow white flesh that tasted like it had just been landed. It was topped with chunks of nut which went nicely with the aromatic, liquorice flavour of the fennel and made for a winning combination.
You rarely see pork chop on the menu these days as chefs tend to offer fillet instead, but being cooked on the bone gives the pork an added sweetness. Had I been at home I would probably have had a good chew on this pork bone, but felt it was a little unladylike to do so in public. Nicely chargrilled but succulent and sweet, this dish reminded me of how good pork chops can be. The black pudding croquette added another layer of flavour and texture while the cabbage, with its soft, buttery flavour was knockout.
After a suitable breathing space we rounded off dinner by sharing a chocolate brownie with salted caramel sauce and Mackie’s ice cream, and the Scottish cheese platter with a Caboc-style soft cheese with cracked pepper crust, a soft blue and a nutty cheddar accompanied by delicious thick oatcakes, red grapes, raspberries and a home-made chutney with a hint of curry. There was more than enough to satisfy the two of us, which made the rich chocolaty brownie seem rather excessive but a sweet way to round off a dining experience that made braving the storm extremely worthwhile.
- HARBOUR LIGHTS, PITGAVENY QUAY, LOSSIEMOUTH. PHONE 01343 814622.
