Aidan and I don't get out too much together as our work schedules rarely match-up so I was incredibly excited to spend the evening with him after being invited to try the food at The Stockbridge Restaurant.
Following a trail of fairy lights and ivy downstairs we entered a beautifully decorated and cosy restaurant.
The drinks list was filled with Scottish favourites, something the resaurant prides itself on, Aidan chose the Latitude cask pilsner from Orkney and I went for a glass of prosecco (probably not 100% local but I enjoyed it nonetheless).
As soon as drinks were ordered we were brought a basket of home-baked bread and an incredibly fresh Chive and Chervil dip, starving, we dug in and it was soon demolished.
We were then brought an amuse bouche of tomato perched atop cerrano ham with mozarella and a balsamic dressing. A delicious suprise.
However Aidan, having never encountered one before, turned to me wide eyed with a slightly worried look and asked 'Whats a moush boush?'.
He chose to follow his 'moush boush' with the Rabbit loin wrapped in cerrano ham, cep mousse, Tagliatelle, wild mushrooms and Madeira sauce.
I have a weak spot when it comes to fish and chose the seared salmon, aruva caviar, crab beignet, crayfish and scallop mousse with courgette ribbons and a shellfish sauce.
The flavours in the dish were beautifully balanced, so much so I would say that even those not too fond of fishy dishes would enjoy this one!
The scallop mousse, for me, was the star of the plate - it had the most wonderfully comforting flavour to it.
Aidan continued my fish theme with the grilled halibut, sauteed potatoes, crispy pancetta, quails egg, spinach, wild mushrooms and an Arran mustard sauce.
The grilled halibut was perfectly cooked and the crispy pancetta was a deliciously thoughtful flavour to add in.
The presentation was stunning throughout and didn't stop for my Gressingham duck breast, foie gras boudin, Savoy cabbage and bacon, potato terrine and jus. I have tried to pick out a favourite from this dish and just can't, to do that to one would be an injustice to the others, each element was perfectly cooked and seasoned.
After all that rich food we took a breather and caught up on conversation, we were then presented with a very sharp palette cleansing passionfruit sorbet, a welcome arrival and perfect just before dessert.
But for me the butterscotch sauce stole the show
Perfection.
The only problem, and I mean the only problem that evening, was that Aidan's spoon was too big to reach the bottom of the creme brulee pot - torture! Spoon sizes aside we had an incredibly special evening.
If you have a special occasion coming up or want to treat your favourite person then The Stockbridge Restaurant, with its cosy atmosphere, impeccably presented food and lovely staff, is the place for you.
It's so incredibly romantic I only wish I had asked how many proposals they get in there, I can imagine quite a few...
