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The popularity of St Andrews has shown no signs of abating in recent years. The town attracts locals and tourists alike with its rich history and culture. The Old Course has been played for over 600 years, and the town is widely regarded as the “Home of Golf”. The university is the third-oldest in the English-speaking world, and Prince William and Kate Middleton famously met while studying there. Below, we suggest the top dining options to visit in this charming town in Scotland.
1) Haar Restaurant & Rooms, St Andrews
For a showstopping tasting menu extravaganza, the top place to visit is Haar. The restaurant originally opened in 2019 and is founded by MasterChef: The Professionals finalist Dean Banks. The decor is modern yet unpretentious, with a distinct coastal vibe. The original artwork you see at the restaurant is created by Dean’s wife, Isabela Banks. You will find ocean-inspired artwork as well as scenes from the Scottish countryside.
Dining at Haar is an immersive experience, starting with amuse-bouche at the chef’s table. You get to chat with the chef about the provenance of the dishes. You know it’s an elevated experience when their Cumbrae oysters are topped with sea buckthorn, kaffir lime oil, and a vivacious vinaigrette of jalapeño. After three amuse-bouche snacks, you are led to your main dining room table. You are then served fresh bread from their local bakery, Cormo Bakery.
The decadent feast begins officially with extra-large hand-dived Orkney scallops topped with summer truffle and served with chicken butter. You have to assume these plump, meaty, sizeable scallops are just the type they would never export outside of Scotland. Their beef main course is served up with an innovative sunflower satay sauce. It is creamy and nutty and spiced with brown sugar, chilli and soy, so that it resembles satay sauce.
For those who can’t make the trip to St Andrews, they do offer luxury fine dining meal kits, which they send all over the UK. You can recreate some of that Haar magic at home, which we’ve tried ourselves on a number of occasions.
Click here to visit their website.
2) Ondine Oyster and Grill, St Andrews
St Andrews is a magnet for seafood lovers, and one of the finest seafood restaurants to visit is Ondine at Seaton House. The latter is a five-star hotel that has been meticulously restored. The restaurant offers stunning views over West Sands Beach. The decor focuses on a refined, sea-mist-inspired design. You will find sea-green tones, as well as scenic coastal paintings on the walls. The large picture windows allow you to soak in the stunning Scottish scenery.
The founder, Roy Brett, recently recruited Lee Murdoch to be the executive chef at Ondine. Lee is incredibly experienced, having worked at the renowned Turnberry Resort Hotel, as well as opening the hugely popular The Coal Shed in Brighton in 2024. There is a strong focus on local and sustainably sourced ingredients on the menu. Their perfect-looking langoustines are from the Isle of Skye, whilst the smoked salmon is produced in Newhaven.
They generally present the dishes in an uncomplicated manner and let the raw ingredients speak for themselves. The XL Orkney scallops have bacon jam to help accentuate the umami flavours, whilst the lemon sole meunière is cooked in brown butter for added complexity and a nutty aroma. The menu isn’t lengthy, but it is very well curated if you are a seafood lover. You should check out their atmospheric Bow Butts Bar for an apéritif or digestif before or after your seafood feast.
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3) La Cucina, St Andrews
If you are travelling with family to St Andrews, a family-friendly option to consider is La Cucina inside the Fairmont St Andrews. It is a spacious restaurant, which isn’t a surprise considering the hotel is the largest in the wider St Andrews area. You won’t fail to notice the cuisine they serve up with a giant painting of the rolling Tuscan countryside as soon as you enter the restaurant. There are splashes of Tuscan orange hue throughout the restaurant. The most interesting seats are the balcony seats overlooking the voluminous atrium. It is the perfect spot if you enjoy people watching.
The menu delivers on comforting Mediterranean classics. With a dedicated pizza oven, their short but well-chosen pizza menu is extremely popular with their diners, with classics like quattro formaggi pizza (an indulgent blend of four Italian cheeses). The homemade dough is proved for 24 hours, hand-stretched and cooked to order and is served piping hot straight out of the oven.
Being a restaurant at a five-star hotel, they are meticulous in the sourcing of their ingredients. For example, their smoked salmon comes from the very well-respected fishmongers, George Campbell & Sons from Perth. Like most restaurants in the St Andrews area, seafood plays a prominent role on their menus. One of their most popular pasta dishes is the linguine ai frutti di mare using Scottish seafood.
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4) The Road Hole Restaurant, St Andrews
If you want to enjoy unrivalled, panoramic views over the iconic 17th “Road Hole” and the 18th fairway of the Old Course, the place to dine is at The Road Hole Restaurant. It is situated on the fourth floor of the 5-star Old Course Hotel with floor-to-ceiling windows for an uninterrupted view.
It is one of the few places in St Andrews where you can savour traditional afternoon tea. All the classics are present, including coronation chicken, egg and mayo and a St Andrews cheddar cheese sandwich with a nod to the local speciality. You can wash it all down with an elegant glass of Veuve Clicquot Champagne and a cleansing cup of refined tea. They offer up the classics like Earl Grey, but also more unusual varieties like the Pai Mu Tan Melon white tea. The desserts are not overly sweet, and they do let you take away any leftover treats.
For their regular menu, they are fervent supporters of Scottish produce. You will find the likes of Fife carrot and rack of Borders lamb on their menu. It is generally a refined experience, so you will see indulgent offerings like John Dory and butter-poached lobster tail.
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5) Jigger Inn, St Andrews
If you want a slice of history with your meal, the must-visit place is Jigger Inn, which is also part of the Old Course Hotel. The building that houses The Jigger Inn in St Andrews originally opened in 1852. It was used as the stationmaster’s lodge for the historic St Andrews Links railway station. It only officially became a pub in 1974 when it became part of the Old Course Hotel complex.
It is famously known as the “19th” hole of the Old Course. The pub has a cosy vibe with compact spaces that have wonderful golf memorabilia adorning its walls. The exposed stonework, low ceilings, and rustic brickwork are definitely a distinct style from the rest of the hotel. The menu serves up hearty traditional fare, which is ideal for the golfers coming off the Old Course. You have Scottish gastropub classics like cullen skink and beer-battered haddock and chips using the pub’s exclusive Jigger Ale.
Click here to visit their website.
Why not check out my article on The Top 5 must-visit restaurants in Rome? Click here to read the article.
