The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Diving in for fine feed in lovely coastal spot
20 Clifton Road, Lossiemouth IV31 6DJ Phone 01343 813027 Web 1629lossiemouth.co.uk Price: £72.35 for two starters, three main courses, one dessert and three soft drinks
When our children were growing up we just loved our caravan holidays at parks around the country. Some are beside gorgeous beaches and many have entertainment to keep the kids amused for hours.
For quite a few years now we have gone with other families. Kids have grown up and some are away at university, but they still try to join us if they can.
Last month we visited Silver Sands Holiday Park just outside the coastal town of Lossiemouth, often described as the Jewel of the North.
The caravan site is sprawled around stunning sandy beaches and under the shadow of the Covesea Lighthouse. I would thoroughly recommend the tour of the lighthouse and the opportunity to climb the 144 steps and two ladders to the top.
The views are breathtaking and the volunteer tour guides shared some fascinating facts about life there as a lighthouse keeper.
Another highlight of our trip was the site’s location right beside the RAF naval base. We regularly heard the thunder of the jet engines warming up before the Typhoons took off and then disappeared into the clouds – an awesome sight.
THE VENUE
When we arrived in Lossiemouth we sat outside The Salt Cellar and enjoyed a drink and some delicious soup – Cullen skink and lentil and bacon. Both soups were top-notch, served with some nice warm crusty bread.
We decided to book for dinner on the Sunday evening as the large specials
board on the outside wall had plenty dishes worthy of a return visit.
Stepping from street level down into The Salt Cellar certainly has the wow factor. It’s very cave-like with curved exposed brick walls. It has a lovely cosy feel, with tealights and small posies of flowers on the tables, while industrialstyle lights hang from the ceiling.
Each table has a buzzer with buttons on it to alert a member of staff; we weren’t sure about pressing them in case we appeared cheeky!
We were offered menus that have a wide variety of dishes on offer including steaks, burgers, pizza and “Salt Cellar favourites”. The specials board also boasted langoustines, sea bass and salads.
Just to confuse us even further, we were handed a Sunday menu offering a variety of roasts including pork, salmon and a Sunday special that included a trio of meats and a pudding for just £14.25.
The restaurant was very busy, especially for a Sunday, so we did have some lengthy waits to order and also for our food to arrive, but we were on our holidays so not in any hurry – just hungry.
THE FOOD
My starter of langoustines was delicious. The seafood was served on a garlic and butter sauce and came with a crisp salad and bread roll, although I struggled a bit to get the sweet delicate meat out. Thankfully a bowl for washing my hands was provided.
Across the table, our other starter of breaded mozzarella sticks with a sweet chilli dip was far easier to eat and polished off in no time.
For my main course I chose the beef
stroganoff, while others chose the roast dinner and an unusual offering, a smoked fish lasagne.
On the menu it stated the stroganoff would be served with rice. However it was also served with chips and a naan bread which did seem rather odd.
The beef in the stroganoff was tender and the creamy sauce tasty enough, but I really couldn’t taste any of the brandy and paprika which would have added more punch to the dish.
The roast dinner arrived with slices of beef, pork and chicken and was topped with a fabulous crispy Yorkshire pudding. It was served with some broccoli and carrots and mashed and roasted potatoes, and gravy drizzled over the top.
My husband tucked into the smoked fish lasagne which he felt was a very different dish to the standard mince offering. There was plenty cheese on the crispy top and it was served with a colourful, fresh side salad.
He said he would have preferred more sauce as the lasagne was firmer in texture than he would have liked, but he enjoyed the fabulous combinations of flavours and would certainly order this dish again.
THERE WAS PLENTY OF SWEET TOFFEE SAUCE, AND A BLOB OF COOLING ICE CREAM
As usual we all debated about dessert but we just stuck with the one sticky toffee pudding that was part of the roast deal. There was plenty of sweet toffee sauce, and a blob of cooling ice cream was the perfect accompaniment.
THE VERDICT
With full tummies, we ended our evening with a lovely walk along the beach and harbour. We all enjoyed our visit to The Salt Cellar. It was great to see some of the more unusual dishes on offer as well as plenty seafood given the locality of the restaurant.
The quaint interior and cosy atmosphere really added to our visit, but while we felt the food was good value for money, some of the dishes could have been improved slightly.