Eateries - Taypark House, Dundee

So I thought it'd be fun to start a blog series with my favourite local places to eat & drink, you know, just in case anyone is ever in my neck of the woods!!  (She says trying to justify going out for breakfast once a week!!)  

Somehow, myself & my two good friends seem to be heading out for breakfast on a Monday morning now - not every single week, although it seems to be heading that way!  There are so many fabulous places near to us to choose from so I thought I'd start sharing them.  The place we visited this morning is totally new to all of us & was on a recommendation of my friend's sister-in-law & it is truly fabulous.  In fact, I think I'll go all out & say it's my new favourite eatery!

Welcome to Taypark House, Dundee.

Taypark House on the Perth Road is a former Scots Baronial home dating back to circa 1863 & is Category B Listed, isn't it just stunning?  There are several different rooms to eat & drink in, each with slightly different decor but equally as stunning.  The rooms are full of quirky decorative items & furniture & I have completely fallen in love with the place!  

I'm sorry about the 'toilet' photo but even those were fabulous!!  I appreciate that everywhere is fairly new & therefore spotlessly clean at the moment but I love the thoughtful touches of leaving a basket full of nappies & wipes & providing a comfortable tartan armchair in the bay window for breastfeeding mums.  Somebody has clearly done their research before doing this place up!

They have 4 suites on the first floor & 2 further rooms on the second floor boasting 180 degree views of the River Tay, which on a glorious day like today, would be stunning!  I noticed that they also do a supper club which I might have to investigate further for a certain upcoming birthday & you can hire rooms for private functions too.

We enjoyed a breakfast of pancakes, crispy bacon & maple syrup, which was divine & a total bargain at only £3.50!!  They serve Matthew Algie coffee, which I'm a huge fan of & we will most certainly be back soon.  We have to try out the lunch menu next!!

I found their menu on their Facebook page.

So, if you're ever in the vicinity of Dundee, I highly recommend a visit here, you'll not be disappointed!

House of Farnell - the best Christmas shop......ever!!!

 

Ooooh,it's Christmas-a-gogo in our house at the minute.....so exciting!!  There are many, many things I love about winter & Christmas but I have to be honest & say that visiting the House of Farnell, is one of my most favourites!!  You know that warm, fuzzy feeling you get when you visit somewhere you love....like Disneyworld, for example?  That's how I feel when I pull into the driveway here, it's so beautiful I could cry!!

 

This amazing Christmas shop is in the tiny hamlet of Farnell near to Brechin, about a 20 minute drive from our home & I like to get 2 or 3 visits in whilst it's open.  It closes this year on Sunday 15th December so if you're in the area & want to visit, you have a week left to go, it's so worth the drive & they serve the best cinnamon Danish I have ever tasted!

 

Here's a wee taster of what awaits you here (apologies for the photos, they were taken on my husband's iphone after my camera broke!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do let me know if you get to visit here or have been already!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Brunch at St Andrews

It's been a couple of months since we last took a trip over the river to St Andrews so we decided we'd go last Sunday & have brunch at our favourite place to eat, Mitchell's.  I'd actually had the foresight this time to pre-book a table as this place gets mightily busy, a true indication of its popularity with both tourists & locals.

 

 

 

 

 

From the outside, this deli~café has the sort of rustic charm that just draws you towards it, it's so inviting.  And as you open the door, you are faced with the most fabulous deli counter stocking all manner of local & seasonal ingredients & the smells wafting around make you instantly start to salivate!

 

The staff are always really welcoming & helpful & it's very child-friendly too, something very important to me.  I can think of nothing worse than going out for a bite to eat with my 4 year old son in tow & made to feel like the staff are counting down the minutes until you leave so they can fill the table with adults only!!  Luckily, this very rarely happens now.......but it has happened.  There's none of that malarkey here though!

 

 

 

 

This is the first time we'd been in for brunch as we normally enjoy lunch here but we both ordered the full Scottish breakfast which was delicious.  The haggis, I can say with all certainty, was the tastiest I've ever tried, just scrummy & Mr F reckons you'd be hard pushed to find a better brekkie served anywhere.  They happily adapted a dish too so my son could have scrambled eggs on toast, which he scoffed down in record time! The coffee, which is lovely & strong (although not so strong it strips the roof of your mouth!) is served in great mugs, none of these super-sized coffee cups that require 2 hands to lift them.  And of course, the bonus part......a wee chunk of tablet on the side.

 

 

 

 

As fab as the breakfasts were, if you ever get the chance to go in for lunch, I urge you to try the rare roast beef & horseradish sandwich served with vegetable crisps, pictured above.  Every time we eat here I say I'll try something different but I always end up with this sandwich as it's just so good.  End of!!

 

I'd like to make it clear that I have no ties whatsoever with Mitchell's, I just think it truly is a great place to eat, drink & be merry & urge you to give the place a whirl should you ever be in St Andrews!!  I'm now eagerly awaiting the opening of Forgan's next door.......