Karen Peattie uncovers a gem of a hotel in Taynuilt, near Oban, which recently completed its second major refurbishment in just four years
A TRADITIONAL coaching in Argyll that reinvented itself four years ago under new ownership has undergone further significant investment and was relaunched earlier this month as The Taynuilt: Etive Restaurant with Rooms.
Acquired in 2012 by chef-patron John McNulty, one of Scotland’s up-and-coming young chefs, the restaurant – The Snug – quickly garnered a loyal foodie following and two AA rosettes. Having outgrown The Snug, McNulty has taken the decision to refocus on the food aspect of his business and moved the acclaimed restaurant to a larger dining room, its new name a nod to nearby Loch Etive.
Etive is designed to be a showcase for John’s cooking and offers an intimate fine dining experience with only 20 covers ensuring diners receive the very best of Scottish food, hospitality and service. The dining room itself is an inviting space which tracks the history of the hotel across the traditional stone walls while the floor has been stripped back to the original floorboards.
McNulty is passionate about provenance and has made a commitment to use only local suppliers where possible plus produce from the hotel’s established kitchen garden. And – wait for this – he’ll be creating dishes using the on-site smokery. Meat, he says, “will be respected” with much of the animal being used across the menu.
For McNulty and his team it is also important to create an element of theatre for diners “to stimulate the senses” so guests should expect some elements of surprise. Meanwhile, general manager and resident sommelier David Lapsley of The Wine Closest is on hand to suggest expert wine pairings. A separate menu for guests looking for less formal dining is available in the hotel lounge.
“I’m incredibly excited to be opening The Taynuilt: Etive Restaurant with Rooms in Taynuilt,” says McNulty. “Our corner of Scotland has one of the most well-supplied natural larders in the country, and I’m very proud to be championing the local produce of this area.
“Cooking and creating delicious food is my passion, and to be able to do that in such a beautiful part of the world is a dream. I’m looking forward to welcoming old and new visitors into The Taynuilt: Etive Restaurant and Rooms and sharing this new project with them.”
This traditional coaching inn, located in the lovely village of Taynuilt, near Oban, has nine contemporary bedrooms for foodie – and other – travellers, each named after Scottish Lochs.
The old Snug restaurant has been converted into a private dining and tasting area while the bar is home to a comprehensive selection of fine wines, malt whiskies, liqueurs, spirits and soft drinks plus a range of Scottish draught beers and lagers, real ale from Argyll’s own prizewinning Fyne Ales Brewery and a good choice of bottled Scottish craft beers