Delicious Local Produce

A destination for simple, homegrown food, prepared beautifully.

With the Atlantic on the doorstep, a network of freshwater and sea lochs, and an abundance of agricultural land and forests, Argyll & the Isles is a natural food larder. Think local, think fresh, think natural.

Scotland's west coast is a destination for simple, homegrown food, prepared beautifully. From the traditional Scottish fare of Cullen skink and cranachan to Michelin-starred fine dining, delicious fresh seafood, and gourmet vegan platters, this is a top spot for foodies.

Whether you want a hearty breakfast, coffee and homebaked cakes, burgers on the beach, fresh seafood, pub grub or fine dining, this is the place to be. The provenance of our food is hard to beat and you'll find a consistent focus on locally sourced, high-quality, seasonal produce. It tastes sublime and there's no washing up!

Whet your appetites, loosen your belts and feast like kings.

Eating Out in Argyll & the Isles

SEAFOOD
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BREAKFAST & BRUNCH
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CAFES & BEACH SHACKS
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PUB GRUB
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LUXURY DINING
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MICHELIN LISTED
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Sugar Boat Dining
FARM SHOPS
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FOOD TRAILS
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Islay Seafood Platter

Places to Eat

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Annie's Herb Kitchen

Annie’s Herb Kitchen is a small family run business based in rural Argyllshire on the West Coast of Scotland. We hand make seasoning salts using locally sour...

16A Unit
Kilmory Estate
Lochgilphead
PA31 8RR

Tel: +44 (0) 7423 595 768

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Argyll Chefs Table

At Argyll Chefs Table, our team is dedicated to providing an exceptional dining experience, driven by our unwavering passion for culinary excellence. Led by...

Argyll & Bute

Tel: 07542127635

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Arrochar Alps Gin Ltd

When creating Arrochar Alps gin, the goal was always to create products that mirror the fantastic area in which it was born. The outstanding beauty of the Sc...

Ballyhennan Church,
Old Military Road
G83 7DA

Tel: 01301702172

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Explore & Eat: Taste Trails

If you want to base your holiday around fabulous food experiences, Argyll & the Isles is perfect for culture loving foodies.

Sample some of Argyll’s finest locally sourced, seasonal produce in the most stunning locations.

Think fresh seafood, succulent burgers, tempting puddings. Delicious! 

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THE FOOD CRITICS VIEW

Many of our seafood restaurants have been well-received by food critics.

This part of the world takes its food provenance and quality very seriously.

Writing for The Independent, Travel Writer Jenny Rowe, described a chat with Richard Young, Head Chef at Loch Melfort Hotel:

Richard tells us who is responsible for every single ingredient on the menu. There’s Rob Cameron, the venison man; Duncan, who brings the game; and Ewan and Flo at Balvicar Farm, who supply the eggs – you get the idea. Of course, he continues, they don’t shop local for the sake of it. Everything still has to be the best.

The Times Travel Writer, Robin McElvie, echoed these sentiments describing The Etive Restaurant in Taynuilt as “a genuine foodie oasis and arguably the finest place to eat in the region” writing that “sound provenance ripples through the Etive even as far as breakfasts, where local fish stars”.

Writing for The Guardian, Food Critic, Jay Rayner, advised fans of fresh seafood to drop everything and head for Oban. Describing The Seafood Hut, he wrote that “scallops the size of a Labrador’s paw are served in a puddle of salty garlic butter”. Of the nearby Ee-Usk, he wrote “Dover sole is the kind of offer guaranteed to make this jaded, surrendered and over plundered Londoner sigh. It’s a meaty, properly trimmed specimen, the flesh coming away from the bone with a single pull of the knife’s flat, eventually to leave a clean skeleton like something that’s been scarfed by the Top Cat crew. There are tranches of perfect halibut, oven-baked with creamed leeks, and more heaps of langoustines and fishcakes, all served with bowls of rustling deep-fried squared potatoes and salad. Which is really all you want.”.

Eating at The Skipness Seafood Cabin, Richard Coles in The Guardian wrote that “The gravadlax serves a special mention, well balanced with crunchy little hot seeds to cut through the clagginess” and concluded that the cabin “has got it exactly right”.

And visiting the Cattle and Creel in Helensburgh, Travel Writer for The Independent Jenny Rowe wrote “Our first stop, Cattle & Creel, is no elementary affair. The hot seafood platter is enormous, chargrilled and garlic-powered. We’ve skipped breakfast in preparation, and devour every last langoustine claw, mopping up the rich, citrussy juices with ciabatta and chips as we go. Friendly barman Tom assures us everything on our plates has come from ‘just around the corner’”.

Seafood

This is an area renowned for seafood. And for good reason. Deep sheltered pockets of water provide the ideal habitat for marine life in all its forms.
 
Oban has the well-earned title of Seafood Capital of Scotland. Big skies, bountiful seas, a strong fishing heritage and more than a pinch of passion come together to bring you mouth-watering fresh fish and shellfish. Try The Seafood Hut for a rustic experience or Ee-Usk for a stunning waterfront location. Both prompted Food Critic Jay Rayner to advise fans of seafood to "drop everything and head to Oban". 

On the nearby Inner Hebridean islands of Islay and Mull, you can watch the day's catch coming in before sampling the delicious fare.
 
Venture south and The Heart of Argyll is home to a long and varied coastline with the cold, crystal clear waters of Loch Tarbert to the south, Loch Fyne to the east and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The harbours along the West Coast of Scotland have a long history of fishing. In the early 20th century, Scotland’s herring industry was the largest in the world and many families were involved in fishing, curing and preparing for market. These skills have been handed down through the generations and it shows.

Watch the yachts sail in over a leisurely plate of mussels and a glass of crisp white wine. Enjoy heaps of langoustines slathered in garlic butter, oysters with lemon and shallot vinegar, and hand-dived scallops seared to perfection. Tuck into meaty Dover sole, Gigha halibut, pesto-crusted hake fillets or traditional battered haddock. Plus, we do the best fish finger sandwiches!

Seafood Shacks

Some of the best beach or seafood shacks in Scotland

Nothing says you’re on holiday like eating on the beach. The crunch of the sand, the sound of the waves and the salty air adds that little bit of magic.

Discover Argyll's Seafood Trail

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Breakfast & Brunch

The term brunch was first coined in 1895 to describe a Sunday meal for ‘Saturday-night carousers.’ For non-carousers there’s breakfast. For carousers needing a later start, there’s brunch. Sometimes taken with a hair of the dog. Both will give you plenty of energy for exploring everything Argyll & the Isles has to offer.

Try a hearty Scottish breakfast complete with haggis and tattie scones, warming buttery kedgeree, avocado on sourdough or spicy vegetarian shakshuka. It all tastes even better when you can gaze out at our spectacular ever-changing landscapes.

Cafe's & Beach Shacks

Finding a cosy café, with good coffee and homemade cakes, is a little triumph that boosts your day. Whether you’re pottering around the coastline, enjoying a long-distance bike ride, or catching a bit of sightseeing, you’ll always find a warm welcome, a steaming mug and tasty treats. The views won’t be bad either!

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Pub Grub

The pub is a traditional cornerstone of Scottish culture. Many pubs retain their charm with a cosy network of rooms, a roaring fire and good old-fashioned hospitality. Most pubs now offer food, ranging from bar snacks to conventional comfort food and gastro dishes. For all menus, the emphasis is on fresh local seasonal produce, expertly cooked and served. Most pubs open from 11am to 11pm or midnight, with many serving food until 8pm.

Luxury Dining

If you want a little indulgence when dining, the West Coast has a number of luxury settings with four and five-star AA ratings and spas. Fantastic food in sumptuous settings with maybe a little pampering thrown in. What’s not to love?

 

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Michelin Listed

For lovers of fine food, Argyll & the Isles boasts more than its fair share of Michelin recommended restaurants. Michelin Stars are awarded for outstanding cooking. Inspectors look at the quality of ingredients, the harmony of flavours, the mastery of techniques, the personality of the chef as expressed through the food and consistency across the menu and time.

In short, if a restaurant has a Michelin Star, you know it's going to offer incredible food.

Our Recommendations

The Pierhouse Hotel specialises in traditional Scottish dishes and seafood. Here, Chef Michael and his team prepare the best Cullen Skink, hand-dived scallops and Loch Creran oysters. There are also some excellent vegetarian and vegan dishes, light snacks and cocktails, all best enjoyed while gazing out over the stunning Loch Linnhe.

18 at The Machrie Hotel is well worth the boat trip to the beautiful island of Islay. Much of the produce is free-range and sourced from small-scale farmers and suppliers on the island. The atmosphere is relaxed and the menu is varied. Argyll smoked salmon, breast of duck, Islay scallops, braised pork belly and wild mushroom risotto feature in winter and the fare adapts to the seasons. As you would expect, the food is excellent, and the setting is spectacular with panoramic views out to sea.

Inver, a small characterful restaurant on the shores of Loch Fyne, holds the new Michelin Green Star for Sustainability. This gem of a restaurant has a host of rave reviews from Condé Nast Traveller, The New York Times, The Good Food Guide and more. The a la carte lunch menus feature fresh seafood and local seasonal meat and game, and in the evening, there's a fabulous five-course tasting menu using the very best local wild and farmed ingredients. The Times sums Inver up perfectly saying "Loch Fyne offers a Highland panorama that is the dream of every Scottish souvenir shop. On its gentle banks, looking out towards the moss-masked Old Castle Lachlan, sits Inver, led by the award-winning chef Pamela Brunton and her husband, Rob."

Six Scottish Foods to Try

Sample traditional Scottish fare and local delicacies

#1 Loch Fyne Oysters from Loch Fyne Oyster Bar (Cairndow)

#2 Smoked Salmon from Skipness Seafood Cabin (Tarbert)

#3 Cullen Skink from Argyll at The Pier (Oban) or The Pierhouse (Loch Linnhe)

#4 Appin Venison at Etive (Oban)

#5 Lorne Sausage at Argyll at the Pier (Oban)

#6 Loch Fyne Kippers at The George (Inveraray)

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Farm Shops

If you’re holidaying in the area, we encourage you to shop local. Buy from our farm shops to experience delicious new flavours while supporting the local community.

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Foodie Events

Whet your appetite at some of our best foodie events.
A Seafood Festival Second to None

Tarbert’s Seafood Festival is a two-day celebration of the fish and shellfish from the crystal-clear waters of Loch Fyne.

On festival Saturday there'll be stalls lining the harbourside offering many local delicacies. Cookery demonstrations using local seafood take place on the quay and there’s the opportunity to taste some incredible dishes created by the professionals.

> Find out more

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Fyne Fest - Beer, Food & Music

Run by Fyne Ales, FyneFest provides a fun celebration of all that Glen Fyne and the West Coast of Scotland has to offer.

Local producers attend to feed the crowds so you can be assured of high-quality, tasty food to sustain you!

> Find out more

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