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We've compiled the best of the best in Stirling and the Central Highlands - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
Located in Stirling's city center, meals here are based on a tasting menu where diners choose one dish from five groups that roughly correspond to starters, mains, and desserts. Ingredients are locally sourced as well as imaginatively prepared—often over an open flame—such as rabbit with vegan cheese or ox heart with Jerusalem artichokes. These tasting menus are moderately priced and served in a pleasant and comfortable atmosphere.
The reputation established here by noted chef Willie Deans is now carried on by his son Jamie, who continues to produce new and imaginative fusion dishes using local ingredients. There is a prix-fixe menu (a steal at £27.50) and an à la carte menu that includes sea bream and venison as well as a cheese soufflé starter that has won rave reviews from visitors. The upscale impression created by the plush velvet seating at the entrance is reinforced by the restaurant´s reputation for some fairly spectacular cocktails. Its Sunday brunch menu (£22.50 for two courses, £28.50 for three) is equally as appealing.
With an old mill wheel the only reminder of its past, the Old Mill Inn features a range of gastropub-style options, including a fish platter, generous shared platters, and a range of vegetarian options. Its generous portions are served in the large main interior space or in the spectacular beer garden, protected by a huge marquee that features live music during summer weekends. It has some unpretentious rooms with splashes of color and Edwardian-style fabrics if you wish to stay the night.
As you enter Dunblane from Stirling Road, the beautifully renovated Riverside Inn, once the Stirling Arms, has a welcoming and relaxed atmosphere. The interior of light wood is surprisingly expansive, as is the menu, which offers a varied pub menu that includes roast sea bream, seafood linguine, and excellent burgers. A pleasant terrace looks directly onto the river. It is one of three historic pubs in the area refurbished to a high standard.
