Cock And Bull: Ellon Road, Balmedie
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THE world has its eye on Balmedie at the moment.
But while North-east residents are still waiting to find out if Donald Trump will get the go-ahead for his golf resort, one gastro pub is doing a roaring trade nearby.
The Cock and Bull is a charmingly-restored 19th century coaching inn, complete with open fires, nooks, crannies and more atmosphere than you could shake a stick at.
The Menie estate proposal is clearly on many a customer’s mind, and during our evening there I heard the manager explaining the status of the application to eager guests.
An afternoon’s walk over the dunes had helped us build up an appetite and we happily settled into the lounge for a pre-dinner drink. This cosy room is full of junk and plenty of rustic charm to boot. A virtual treasure trove, the walls are artfully adorned with weird and wonderful items from pots and pans, to brooms and trombones.
The restaurant is a far grander affair, with a luxurious old world feel and sumptuous green and gold decor.
Now I’m a sucker for Cullen skink (£4.95), but this offering was simply too creamy, even for my lavish tastes.
It was chock-full of haddock and potatoes, but the fishy taste was mostly lost in the depths of the rich soup.
My friend’s pan-fried scallops with Stornoway black pudding (£6.25) was a generous dish, although the scallops were a little on the lukewarm side and were abandoned at the final few mouthfuls.
The main courses fared much better. My pal’s Sunday roast (£11.95) had some serious wow factor. Lots of lovely tender beef, delicious roasties, and the biggest Yorkshire pudding I’ve ever seen.
My fillets of sea bass dish (£16.95) came perfectly cooked, so that the flesh just slid from the bone with a tap of a fork. It came with more scallops (nice and hot this time) and a scrumptious potato and leek cake.
Belt buckles close to breaking point, we pushed the boat out and shared a chocolate brownie with chocolate ice cream. (£4.75).
As we chased one another’s spoon around the plate for the last delicious bite, I think it’s safe to say we enjoyed it.
