Tide & Thyme

On the southwestern tip of Argyll’s ‘secret coast’, just beyond the pretty stretch of Tighnabruaich village, is a surprisingly smart little restaurant trading in some of the finest ingredients of the Cowal Peninsula and beyond. Behind it is the wife-and-wife team of Marie and Lauren Burke, and behind them, investment from regular patron, entrepreneur and Celtic FC shareholder Chris Trainer.

It certainly looks the part. The blue-painted frontage is hard to miss from the road and the bistro fit-out of sage walls, deep-green banquettes and pendant lighting sets an appealing stage for a broad-ranging repertoire from self-taught Marie’s one-woman kitchen. Interspersed with the more traditional carte, a roster of themed dinners from chippy nights to tapas and Ottolenghi-inspired feasts shows remarkable range and goes down a storm with locals and regular visitors.

We stayed with a largely Scottish line-up of hand-dived Tarbert scallops, wild halibut with Champagne sauce, langoustines from down the road, Argyll fillet of beef and lamb from Bute. A starter of light and spidery black-pudding bhajis was wonderfully executed, while accurately al dente seafood spaghetti – generously studded with the local catch – was an enjoyable luxury. An affogato featuring coffee from Argyll's own roastery round the corner is good way to round things off; or perhaps a crème brûlée decorated with sweet Scottish raspberries.

There’s no alcohol licence, so drinkers are advised to bring a bottle (corkage is charged at £3 per person), otherwise there’s a standard range of soft drinks. The restaurant doesn't have a website, so bookings are taken via private message on Instagram or over the phone.