Best Restaurant in Scotland

The Glenturret Lalique is a restaurant like no other. Housed within The Glenturret whiskey distillery, which has been in operation since 1763, it’s billed as the first in-distillery fine dining concept; an intriguing proposition, and one that the restaurant effortlessly delivers on.

Much of that is down to chef Mark Donald, who has led the Crieff restaurant since its launch in the summer of 2021. Donald previously held a star at Number One at The Balmoral in Edinburgh, and was awarded one at The Glenturret Lalique within seven months of opening.
Since the restaurant’s inception, Donald has worked closely with managing director of The Glenturret, John Laurie, and the rest of the distillery team, to take inspiration from the surrounding terroir.

Using the finest, hyper-local produce available, Donald’s tasting menu takes you on a journey through the Scottish landscape. The cooking is graceful and elegant, and underscored by the beautiful jewel box dining room, which overlooks the tumbling waters of the River Turret.

As you would expect from a restaurant of this calibre, the wine list is extensive, with more than 600 bins to choose from, but what’s really likely to dazzle diners is the list of 400+ Scotch whiskies, representing all the corners of Scotland and including 120 from The Glenturret distillery.

The restaurant was launched by French crystal house Lalique, which has a history of supporting top-end fine dining establishments. Its restaurant portfolio also includes the two Michelin-starred Villa René Lalique in Alsace; and one Michelin-starred Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey in the region of Bordeaux. The Glenturret Lalique may be a younger restaurant, but in a short amount of time it’s carved out an equally as impressive legacy for itself.