Dores Inn
Dores
Quick critique
Food: Intriguing house specials supported by traditional favourites.
Ambience: Homely, but perhaps too much so.
Cost: middle range.
Menu
Starter: Chicken and pork terrine; smoked haddock fish cakes from specials menu.
Mains: Shepherd-less pie; beef burger from specials menu.
Desserts: Shoo-fly pie; warm chocolate pudding.
JUST over a year ago city celebrity Karen Gillan braved the snow for what should have been a picture perfect photoshoot ahead of her debut in the television hit-show Doctor Who.
The star pitched up alongside other crew for the event at Dores beach on a dreich early morning before promoting the sci-fi series in Inverness later that day.
Maybe some of that magic from the Tardis rubbed off on the Dores Inn while she was there as this tiny venue is a lot larger on the inside than it appears on the outside.
It is not the first time well-known faces have been spotted here with Fatboy Slim making an impression ahead of the inaugural RockNess music festival in 2006. Five years later the festival has grown and now the pub appears to be doing something similar after being taken over by the owners of popular Ross-shire restaurant, The Storehouse.
As well as three separate indoor dining areas, outdoor tables are located at both the village side and the edge overlooking the world famous loch — an idyllic setting for any holidaymaker.
Around 20 minutes south of Inverness by car, we arrived on a dismal, wet and windy evening but were given a warm welcome in the bustling bar area.
Standing at over 6ft 3ins, I was wary of the relatively low ceilings and ducked through the doorways en route to our table deep in the rear of the restaurant.
Looking like a converted living room, tables were well occupied and brought a burble of conversation throughout the meal thanks to the variety of customers including couples, families and large groups of friends.
My companion took a likening to the peculiar criss-cross woven wooden heart-shaped decorations and tartan blinds, while several impressive works of art were for sale.
A large specials board seemed inviting and was the home to my companion’s selected starter of smoked haddock fish cakes, which were light and fluffy despite coming in breadcrumbs, served with a refreshing salad and a garlic dip.
I plumped for an unknown quantity in the form of the chicken, pork and pistachio nut terrine.
The interesting mix gave a slightly rubbery texture but came alongside some pleasantly surprising orange and rhubarb chutney, plus salad. Oatcakes were also provided — my first encounter with the traditional Scottish favourite — and thankfully the marmalade-like chutney stopped them being so dry.
My mains came from the specials menu with the self-entitled Dores Inn beef burger. To have the building’s name attached indicates they are proud of it and it did not disappoint.
The size of your average quarter-pounder, this chunk of meat came with blue cheese, red onion and chutney, plus chips and salad.
Juicy and tasty, the burger was a hit but it was outdone by the intriguingly named shepherd-less pie, a masterful vegetarian option.
A wide variety of beans and other vegetables — instead of the usual minced lamb — was topped by a sweet potato mash and crispy leeks, accompanied by a thick crust of wholemeal bread.
Beneath the mash was a treasure trove of delights which provided a tasty and spicy flavour thanks to the combination of beans such as kidney, puy and cannelloni, as well as chick peas, courgette, carrot, celery, peppers and sweetcorn. A vegetable stock seemingly held it together in a delightful stew which tasted much better than it looked.
My companion’s trip into unchartered waters continued with the Dores Inn shoo-fly pie dessert. After being given an unconvincing description of its mysterious contents by our waitress, she braved the obscure concoction to find the pie was more like a tart with warm pastry, a crumble topping and a cinnamon and jam like centre.
Meanwhile, I chose the more down to earth warm chocolate pudding with chocolate sauce, which I found exceptionally uninspiring. Even the chocoholic in me wished I picked something else when, after devouring a few spoonsfuls, it simply seemed quite dry, despite the sauce.
It would have benefited from additional sauce inside the sponge or a scoop of ice cream.
Service throughout was attentive but on reflection my meal was a clash of lows and highs. I wish I had access to the Tardis if only to
go back and change some of my choices.
