Where to Eat
Harbour Café, Tayport
shake off the stuffy reputation Àne dining so often deserves. The menu has been stripped back to stark descriptions, with little indication of the provenance they pride themselves on – most seafood comes from local or Scottish waters. With mains like scallops with pork belly, cauliÁower tempura and apple, it may not push culinary boundaries, but don’t be deceived: this is top range stuff. Good value set menus make it more than a special occasion spot.
Husband and wife team Morag and Ian Hamilton have run the informal, respected Vine Leaf for 25 years. At the end of a close, just off the spine of St Andrews, Morag’s menu makes the most of the great local seafood and game. She also gives vegetarians more than customary choice, and more than usual imagination. Ian pays equal attention to the wine list: extensive research has resulted in six house wines and over 60 more bottles.
Q The Wee Chippy Q The Ship Inn The Toft, Elie 01333 330246, ship-elie.com Mon–Sat noon–2.30pm, 6–9pm (Fri/Sat till 9.30pm); Sun 12.30–3pm, 6–9pm.
On a sunny day the Ship Inn is the focal point of Elie, when the original bar area with its open Àre and exposed beam ceiling is abandoned for the outdoor terrace with its bay views, barbecues and beach cricket. Top notch haddock and chips and seafood pie are staples on the menu, with chalkboard specials and crowd-pleasers such as hot smoked salmon tart with caper dressed leaves or light honeycomb cheesecake.
Q The Tailend 130 Market Street, St Andrews 01334 474070, tailendrestaurant.co.uk Mon–Sun 11.30am–10pm [fish counter open: Mon–Sat 9am–5pm]
The Tailend is not your average chippy: the range of Àsh, from Fraserburgh langoustine to Smokies, can be grilled, battered or breaded, or bought from the wet Àsh counter to cook at home. Haddock and cod remain for those traditional Àsh suppers, while a specials board chalks up the day’s catch options. You will wait longer for your takeaway, but with good reason – all food is freshly fried to order in 100 per cent beef lard, making for outstanding chips.
Q The Vine Leaf Restaurant 131 South Street, St Andrews 01334 477497, vineleafstandrews. co.uk Tue–Sat 6–10pm. Closed Sun/Mon 40 The Fife Larder
4 Shore Street, Anstruther 01333 310106 Summer: Mon–Sat 11.30am–10pm; Sun noon–10pm Winter: Mon–Sat 11.30am–9pm; Sun noon–9pm
Opened in 2007 under its current ownership, the Wee Chippy hasn’t been afraid to challenge the mantle of its more famous neighbour, the Anstruther Fish Bar. Owner Charles Scott is a trained chef with signiÀcant restaurant experience, including a stint at Buckingham Palace, and his frying is worthy of Scotland’s most celebrated chippy town. The waiting list is long but the menu, comprising fresh Àsh sourced from the harbour in Anstruther and a selection of other battered chip shop favourites, is a hit with locals, as is the Bakehouse Café to the rear of the Wee Chippy.
HOWE OF FIFE & THE TAY COAST Q Cairnie Fruit Farm Cairnie House, by Cupar 01334 655610, cairniefruitfarm.co.uk Apr–Jun & Sep/Oct Mon–Sun 10am–4pm; Jul/Aug Mon–Sun 9.30am–4.30pm
Cairnie’s café-tearoom, which shares a large wooden building with a gift and produce shop, does a line in uncomplicated but tasty soups, stovies, Puddledub bacon rolls, baked potatoes, homebaking and own-berry smoothies, all at reasonable prices and well set up for families. See also entry on p.30.