Eden Mill Distillery Brunch at The Lookout, near St Andrews
Eden Mill Distillery brunch: steak, bacon and gin at The Lookout
Steak for brunch and a gin from the distillery downstairs? That was our kind of order at Eden Mill Distillery brunch, served at The Lookout in Guardbridge, near St Andrews.
With Scottish produce on the menu and views across the Eden Estuary, there is plenty here to tempt you into making a meal of your next Fife day out.
Brunch near St Andrews with a view
The Lookout sits on the top floor of Eden Mill Distillery, overlooking the Eden Estuary towards the St Andrews skyline. If you are looking for brunch near St Andrews with a view, this is a setting to have on your list.
You could build brunch into a visit to the distillery, or simply book a table and make the food the main event. There is certainly enough on the menu to keep you occupied.
What does the £35 Eden Mill brunch include?
Brunch at The Lookout costs £35 per person, including a hot drink, fruit juices, plates from the continental grazing table and a cooked brunch main. Gin and cocktails are extra.
The grazing selection on our menu included fresh fruit, Katy Rogers natural yoghurt, croissants and artisan breads, with Wee Knob Scottish butter and Scottish preserves. There was also an East Neuk smoked fish platter and a selection of Scottish cheeses.
A continental start followed by a cooked brunch? Worth remembering before getting too carried away with the bread and cheese.
What we ordered at The Lookout
One of our mains was the Scotch dry-aged beef striploin, served with a Blyths of Fife free-range fried egg and cowboy beans with smoked burnt ends.
Steak, egg and beans is a substantial brunch combination, with the smoked burnt ends adding another meaty element. It brings something a little different to a menu that also covers familiar favourites such as avocado, smoked salmon and pancakes.
A substantial brunch with the cowboy beans being a particularly tasty part of the dish.
If your brunch preferences lean firmly towards savoury dishes, this is the order likely to catch your eye. It certainly caught ours.
Our other choice was the thick-cut back bacon, accompanied by butter-fried potatoes, spiced apple ketchup and apple shards.
Pork and apple is a familiar pairing, but here the apple appears in two forms, with spiced ketchup taking the place of the usual breakfast sauce.
Bacon and potatoes might sound like a straightforward brunch order, but this one was just that little different. Another ample portion. Between this and the striploin, our table was firmly in the savoury brunch camp.
Golf Gin and a Winter Gin Spritz
Being at a gin distillery gave us an obvious reason to look beyond the coffee menu. Our drinks were an Eden Mill Golf Gin and a Winter Gin Spritz.
The brunch menu lists Eden Mill gin and tonics at £8, with Original, Golf, Love, Summer and Winter gins among the choices.
The Winter Gin Spritz costs £12, with blood orange and festive spices listed on the menu. A suitably seasonal option for an autumn or winter brunch in Fife.
Other brunch cocktails include a Red Snapper — a gin-based take on a Bloody Mary — plus a Mimosa, Bramble and Espresso Martini. If there is something to celebrate, Veuve Clicquot is listed at £20 a glass.
What else is on the brunch menu?
Our orders were both meaty, but there are several other directions you can take.
The smoked salmon dish combines Shetland smoked salmon, scrambled free-range eggs, chives and toasted Barnett’s Anstruther sourdough.
For vegetarians, smashed avocado comes with poached eggs, dried chillies and crispy onion on sourdough. There is also shakshuka, made here with a spiced chickpea and tomato stew and soft poached eggs.
Those with a sweeter tooth can choose a Scotch pancake stack with crispy Ayrshire streaky bacon and maple syrup. The vegan mushroom dish features woodland mushrooms, truffle oil, potato hash and a crispy panko crumb.
Several dishes are marked as having no gluten-containing ingredients; discuss any specific dietary requirements with the team.
Foodie Explorers Verdict
If you are looking for something different for brunch, which has Scottish produce at its heart and keeps you full all day – then we think you’ll love Brunch at Eden Mill Distillery.
We enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere, friendly service, tasty food and the view over the estury.
Where is Eden Mill Distillery?
Address: Eden Mill Distillery, Eden Campus, Main Street, Guardbridge, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 0US.
The Stagecoach 99, which connects St Andrews and Dundee and stops on the main road at Eden Mill. If travelling by train, use Leuchars and continue by bus or taxi.
For drivers, the main visitor car park is on Main Street, across the road from the distillery. Accessible parking is available in front of the building via Eden Campus, and there is a lift between floors.
Brunch runs on selected dates. Check availability and book through the Brunch at The Lookout page
 
