Laura Wood reviews Killiecrankie House, Perthshire’s restaurant with rooms, where fine food and flawless interiors are part of the package
Photography A M Baxter
When Killiecrankie House opened in autumn 2021, it became my favourite hotel in Pilochry. It may be bold to say it but, for many reasons, I’d put this new fine dining restaurant with rooms in the running for one of the best places to stay in Scotland. A boutique bolthole designed as a food lover’s retreat, Killiecrankie House is the vision of husband-and-wife team, Tom and Matilda Tsappis. The courageous couple left their successful finance and advertising careers in London during lockdown to restart their lives in Scotland, Matilda’s homeland. Never ones to do things by halves, they purchased the much-loved but dated country house and have totally transformed it into a relaxed and informal destination where the focus is on the very best quality food and wine. It’s the kind of hidden gem you’d expect to find in a pretty village somewhere in the New Forest but it’s right here in rural Perthshire, and it’s warm, welcoming and glorious.
Flawless interiors at Killiecrankie
The stunning interiors might look like the work of a professional design team but in reality, every detail was chosen by the Tsappis two, undoubtedly a couple with flawless taste. The colour palette throughout is a calm, sophisticated deep blue with dark wood floors and eclectic hints of colour thrown in; in the furnishings, the artwork and even in the hand-painted wash basins, which were sourced from The London Basin Company. The selection of chandeliers and lights from Pooky in Chelsea hint at times gone by, as does the vintage 1960s record player and mid-century furniture, which has all been brought together with impressive attention to detail.
Upstairs are four generous four-poster bedrooms and a master suite, each uniquely shaped, due to the age of the property and all with the original shutters restored. Every bedroom comes with a standalone roll-top bath, rain-fall shower and feature blush pink concrete basin from Concrete Etc, with toiletries from Laura Thomas Co in North Berwick. And as a treat for every guest, beautifully packaged chocolate bars from Glasgow-based Bare Bones are laid out on the bedside table should you still wish to indulge after dinner. Though, after a 12-course tasting menu that might be ambitious.
The 12 course tasting experience at Killiecrankie House
As well as their love for good design, another thing to know about Tom and Matilda is, back in their London days, Tom trained as a chef at Leiths and Matilda became a qualified sommelier. Together they set up and ran their supper club Elia, which became so successful that it was booked up months in advance. Little wonder then that the food at Killiecrankie is the real star of the show. The duo have taken their love of great food and wine to a whole new level and the restaurant here is a genuine foodie oasis.
From the open plan kitchen, Tom and his tiny team of two take a joyous and playful approach to food but this chef really knows what he’s doing and takes both his menu and the food provenance very seriously. By summertime, the kitchen garden will come into its own for seasonal produce and some of the most exciting producers in the country are helping to provide the larder for the menu. In fact, the suppliers list is like a curated showcase from Scotland’s burgeoning food scene. There’s foraged mushrooms from Perthshire Wild Food, wagyu beef from Highland Wagyu and seafood from Perth-based George Campbell. Coffee is from Glen Lyon Roastery in Aberfeldy,there’s kombucha from Bad Gal Boocha, and a beer made in collaboration with local brewery Wasted Degrees that is paired with a course on the tasting menu.
Dinner is served at 7.30pm and each of the 12 courses takes you on a delightful, three-hour journey into the finest of food with a Scottish twist. As you’d expect, the menu has been thought out with the upmost care and creativity, each dish with its own story to tell. Dripping-fried porridge, anyone? I’m not going to tell you what it is – that would spoil the surprise – but it’s based on the old Highland tale of the porridge drawer. It’s clever and one of the standout dishes, alongside artful plates of squid in its own ink, wagyu beef and an autumnal dish of food from the forest, all served up on the most beautiful ceramics, of course. Matilda’s drinks pairing is just as exciting as the food with unknown wines (one from her family’s vineyard in China) holding their own against the classics, and beer, sake and cocktails all part of the masterplan.
There’s a lot to like about Killiecrankie and the potential here is huge. Although we practically had the place to ourselves when we visited shortly after opening, it’s already a well-oiled machine and more than capable of delivering what it promises. Hopefully my next visit will be with a gang of my favourite people for a 50th birthday to remember. But I’d better get on it now; once the word spreads about Killiecrankie House, it’ll be the most sought-after country house around.
For more on Killiecrankie visit www.killiecrankiehouse.com
