We were lucky enough to happen across the Old Manse when looking for a special occasional treat in Perthshire. The location, the building, the set up and the menu all looked extremely promising; but we didn’t fully appreciate what a treat we were in for until we arrived. It is very conveniently located off the main road and is clearly sign posted. The first impressions are excellent with an appropriately grand entrance and a sweeping drive alongside fields with horse and cattle. We were warmly greeted on arrival, with a number of nice touches and friendly observations - down to where we had travelled from - top notch. The room was ideal, with a very comfy bed (which is a must for us fussy sleepers) and a gloriously big free standing bath as the main features. We had booked in for supper, which I am very happy we did. There is some tough competition in the area, but the Old Manse restaurant was outstanding. Again, the service was ideally friendly and efficient throughout. The food was some of the best we have eaten. The chef clearly loves their food, and is extremely good at it too. A concise menu allowing for everything to be beautifully on point. We have three courses and all of them were thoughtfully put together, with simplistic, classic explanations - then very well crafted and complex takes on some great dishes. The particular highlights were the grouse, the sauce made with scallop roe and cider vinegar (one of the most scrumptious sauces that will every grace and scallop), and the cream with the macerated strawberry pudding. All simple on paper but superbly delivered. To top it off the drinks menu was superb, and the setting for enjoying a drink before and after was spot on - a roaring fire at one end, and a walk through the grounds at the other. The Old Manse isn’t a cheap trip, but you wouldn’t want it to be. It gives you great bang for your buck and I’d heartily recommend you lean into the experience and both eat and stay here. There are plenty of small hotels and restaurants with rooms that have great promise - this one delivers in spades.
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