Ffll &IRINK
Mill thrills
From rubble at mill to a glossy new refurbishment, GAVIN'S MILL has provided food down through the ages. :s Jonathan Trew
\"v'hrle the rnterror‘ of Gavrn's Mrll rn Mrlngavre rs stylrshly modern, the restaurant rtself must have a clarm to berng one of the oldest burldrngs rn Scotland Mrlngavre rts‘elf rs actually named after the former flour mrll The name comes from the gaelrc lvlullrnn Dhardhrdh whrch translates as the mrl! of Davrd, a man who rust happened to be the krng around these parts rn the twelfth century
The mrll kept on grrndrng out flour through the (enturres tr'ttrl rt was gutted by ‘rre rn the 1950s It’s been, reburt and has had a number of uses srnce then but rts present lrfe recalls rts former role as a provrder of food for the local (omrnunrty The new owners have revamped the place and reopened rt wrth a chrc Scottrsh/French restaurant upstarrs and a cafe downstarrs
The decor rs a pleasrng mrx of old and new. as bare stone walls, wrought rron and brrght colours rub shoulders
Outside, the old single paddle
water wheel has been
restored and turns once more
in the Allander stream.
Outsrde, the old srngle paddle water wheel has bee" restored and turns once more r" the Allander stream
The (oupie hehrnd the restaurant, Graham and June Gordon, opened Gawn's Mril partly as a response to berng drsappornted so often when
they drned out else\‘.«"'r.ere They
decrded to put therr money where therr mouths were and set up therr own restaurant from scratrh Helprng them rs the genral general manager Ryan James, a man who cut hrs teeth rn Rogano and the Glasgow Brasserre
Carver: that professronai krtchens are one of the last bastrons of domrnance, rt almost comes as a surprrse that the head chef at Gavm's Mrl! rs one Karen McPherson Promrsrng that 'the drshes that wrll drstrngursh Gavrn's Mrll from the rest are a (ulmrnatron of years of wrth
Scottrsh (ookrng and a defrnrte female tourh', McPherson rs lookrng to stamp her own rdentrty on the menus
The drshes on offer range from the tradrtronai such as the roast srrlorn of beef rn a brandy and peppercorn sauce to the more experrmental suth as the
male
experren< e modern
Le Sept
7 Old Fishmarket Close Edinburgh
Lunch and Dinner Monday to Thursday. Friday, Saturday and Sunday open all day
telephone 0131 225 5428
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SANDWICH DELI & COFFEE BAR
274 CANONGATE, ROYAL MILE, Eomaunsn TEL & PM: 0131 557 9583
MON - Fm 7.3DAM - 4.30954
ova! 20 YEAR. CRCATIVI: LUNCH, BUSINESS on PLEASURE.
tr roon PLANTATIO-
108 THE “ST 4 t8 Mar 1999
pan-frred breast of chrcken on a chrck- pea and chrllr puree or the goat's cheese and \Vrld mushroom ravrolr wrth a red pepper coulrs Perhaps most rntrrgurng of all rs the qurllr wrth vodka, smoked salmon and cream The desserts lrs’. contarns many an old frrend such as the warm Chocolate sponge glazed wrth rrch, dark chocolate
The wrne lrst rs extensrve wrth prrces rangrng from £12 45 to £130, twelve wrnes are avarlable by the glass,
Flour power at Gavin’s Mill
Interestrngly, the tea lrst rs nearly as extensrve and boasts erght drfferent types rncludrng assam and passron frurt,
Lunch menus start at £7.95 whrle rn the evenrng prrces start at £1245 for one c0urse and rrse to £19.95 for a three course meal Sundays see an all day menu at £1295 for two (Ourses and coffee or £14 95 for three c0urses wrth coffee or tea
Gavin's Mill, Gavin's Mill Road, Milngavie, 0141 956 2255