Emma Eating at the howffmeister in Dumfries
The Globe Inn has been a feature of Dumfries since 1610, so this significant number is the name now given to their fine dining restaurant. Said to be the favourite howff* of Scottish poet Robert Burns – he certainly spent a lot of time here, as you’ll discover if you do the Burns tour in the left-hand side of the building (tours take place Tuesday – Saturday from 10 am – 5 pm and takes about an hour).
*What is a howff? It’s the term given to a favourite place, most usually a pub, and now this pub/inn has a restaurant that is listed in the Michelin Guide. Sadly Dumfries & Galloway has no current Michelin star restaurants (yet!), the closest one being the Pentonbridge Inn, just across the English border, 34 miles away.
We had been to the Globe twice before, yet had never eaten a full meal here, but we know that the restaurant has grown in stature since Professor David Thomson and Teresa Church, who also own the Annandale Distillery became the new owners. 1610 restaurant elevates casual fine dining with local produce and charm. Join us as we explore their ‘menu du marche’ (market menu).
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To the right as you enter (mind your head!) is the cosy snug bar, walk past this and you enter the atmospheric, wooden panelled dining area with impressive stained glass telling the story of Tam O’Shanter, and a larger mural at the back of the room.
Should the devil or a coven of witches appear during your meal, the closest bridge over the River Nith is only a 5-minute walk away so it would be wise to study a map before your reservation, given that it will be Halloween soon! 😉
But back to the natural world, and even the napkins evoke the words of Burns. Can you guess the poem? (answer below)
We settled down at our table and ordered a drink each from the cocktail menu. We ordered a couple of Burns-inspired cocktails. It’s what Tam would’ve done.
Ae Fond Kiss £10
Arbikie vodka, Chambord, apricot, pineapple. A French Martini with a Scottish twist. Creamy and fruity with a strong raspberry and pineapple taste.
Robert Burns £15
Annandale Distillery Man O’Words Ex-Bourbon, sweet vermouth, Drambuie. Three types of booze so this was a wee bit burny (did you see what we did there?) on the back of the throat.
Food menu at 1610 at The Globe Inn
There are a variety of dining options available from a traditional 3-course lunch menu, a 5-course menu du marche and a 7-course degustation menu.
What we ate at 1610 at The Globe Inn, Dumfries
Starting with Sour cream and chive gougère, served warm with lots of allium flavour. We do like a gougère and these were light, fluffy and creamy. It was just as well there was only two, as we could have quite happily spoilt our appetite eating more.
The amuse-bouche was a green pea gazpacho with compressed watermelon, cous cous, and tarragon. There was an interesting texture from the giant cous cous and a strong tarragon flavour. Light and refreshing on what was a humid day. Served alongside this was a warm and fluffy milk bun with rosemary and garlic butter with mixed herbs.
The Steak tartare looked more like a salad. Under the nasturtiums, fricasse lettuce, herbs, and Parmesan croutons was finely chopped meat mixed with pickled onion and horseradish. Lightly spicy, it felt a bit Japanese in taste. There was also a quail’s egg rather than a conventional hen’s egg. It was very tasty, but there was perhaps too much mayo for us.
The seabass was described as a semi-cooked fish, served with tarragon oil, hollandaise sauce, three different kinds of beetroots and a spiced cucumber chutney.
The seabass was a bit like a rollmop with lots of strong flavours from the beetroot, chutney and surprise inclusion of fennel flowers.
Coley in bouillabaisse sauce with seasonal vegetables and herb emulsion. An earthy bisque providing a lot of flavour to a fish that can otherwise be bland.
Dongpo pork belly, beetroot and rosti – slow-braised pork belly cooked with miso and having a satisfying pork crackling crunch. The dongpo sauce was made with lemongrass, chilli, garlic, and muscovado sugar so had sweet and spicy notes.
Pre-dessert was yuzu with an almond crumble, blood orange granita. Yuzu foam and gel
Like nutty granola with a slightly tart sorbet, it was very refreshing.
Dessert proper was mille-feuille with coconut cremeux, pineapple slices coated in Malibu, white chocolate tuile, banana and rum ice cream with butternut crumble. A light, flaky pastry with lots of tropical flavour.
The petit-fours comprised of:
Coffee macarons
Millionaire shortbread
Apple and marigold chocolate
The shortbread was our favourite as the caramel was orgasmic!
Verdict
Artful presentation, with lots of colour and earthy flavours. The food was to a high standard for the money, providing a good showcase for the larger, evening degustation menu, which we will need to come back and try at some point. The cocktails were strong, they sell local Annandale whisky (of course), and also beer from Five Kingdoms brewery in Isle of Whithorn. Service was friendly and attentive, though our server mispronounced a number of French items, but overall, this is possibly the best dining experience that you’ll find in the south of Scotland!
Where
The Globe Inn, 56 High Street, Dumfries, DG1 2JA
How to get to The Globe Inn
Travel by public transport
Dumfries Train Station is just a 10-minute walk from The Globe Inn.
Northbound trains from Carlisle – 40 minutes
Northbound trains from Newcastle (direct) – 2 hours
Southbound Trains from Glasgow (direct) – 2 hours
Southbound Trains from Edinburgh (Change at Carlisle) – 1.75 hours
Northbound trains from London Euston (Change at Carlisle) – 4.5 hours
Travel by car
If you are heading north, as you cross the Scottish border take junction 20 off the M6/A74(M) and follow the brown signs to our doorstep.
If heading south on the A74(M) follow the brown signs, exit at junction 20 and continue following the brown signs.
Postcode for Sat Nav – DG1 2JA
01387 323 010
56 High St, Dumfries DG1 2JA
