The Taybank

Dunkeld is something of a foodie hot spot, and if you want a pub – particularly on a sunny day – then The Taybank is a must. In summer, the outdoor space feels like a festival, with fairy lights strung through the trees and terracing leading down to the river Tay. Big open marquees offer protection from both sun and rain – sometimes at the same time. The outdoor bar and kitchen dispense local beers and spirits, along with wood-fired pizzas and street-food snacks, while a movie in the Taybank's cinema by the water 'really signifies summer here in the Highlands'. Lunches are served in the rustic downstairs bar with seasonally changing dishes defined by produce from the owners' four-acre, ‘no-dig’ walled garden – perhaps tempura cauliflower and courgette flower with crowdie. Larger dishes offer Scottish classics with a twist – say Cullen skink in a brandade or cured sea trout with whisky ponzu. Hearty Sunday roasts are also 'a delight': expect a choice of Perthshire Aberdeen Angus beef or Saddlebank Farm hogget served with home-grown vegetables and accompaniments including horseradish chimichurri. More ambitious dinners are served in the elegant upstairs restaurant.