Popped in to the Cairn Lodge for dinner in the restaurant a few months back and found it to be typical of many grand looking hotels which populate Scotland. The restaurant only had ourselves and one other table in but the service was painfully slow to say the least.
The waiter was foreign but spoke English well, however he was very slow off the mark. I think we sat for a full 5 minutes before we were given menus. We were not offered to hang our coats in the cloak room at all. Once the waiter had given us the menus he didn't bother to take a drinks order for a further 5-10 minutes! I think another ten minutes elapsed and the waiter brought through some warm rolls, right before he brought the starters. His timing was way off.
The food was, for the most part, exceptional. The steak was terrific and the pasta dishes on show were rich and creamy. Unfortunately the fries were woefully overcooked and tasted almost soggy.
The restaurant definitely has potential to turn out great grub but the produce was way overpriced - even in comparison to some popular places in Edinburgh and Glasgow.
- Cairn Hotel Auchterarder
