The Grill

The Grill - The Stirling Hotel Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

I wasn't planning to come here tonight. I drove to Stirling, but my intended restaurant had a sign out the front, reading "Private Function". Not being sure whether this applied to the whole restaurant, I walked in, to enquire. A lady was giving a speech to the entire restaurant. Oops. Rather than leave, however, I made my way to the back, and sat on a temporarily-vacant seat. I pretended to be just another guest, and watched the speech for a moment. No one suspected anything was amiss, and when there was a change of speaker, I took the opportunity to "pop outside". :)

There are few other good restaurants in Stirling though, so I've decamped to The Grill.

Excellent tip: The word "grill" is a poison word for fancy restaurants. Anything with "grill", (especially) "BBQ" or similar is often a backyard barbecue, sometimes with a fancy restaurant price tag. (The Grill, where I am now, is an exception.) :)

Swordfish
8/10

Confit kipfler potato, olive, preserved lemon, red pepper salsa.

En garde, Monsieur swordfish!

The swordfish is in no state to challenge me, so I quickly defeat it. I'm not expecting anything great, but this turns out to be really well-executed, simple food. The fish is lightly cooked, and is given taste by the light sear, the tangy preserved lemon, and the sprigs of chick pea shoot.

Buffalo yoghurt panna cotta
6/10

Maple syrup gel, rhubarb, raspberry meringue.

Buffalo yoghurt? I've heard of buffalo milk, and buffalo meat. It's expensive, but I'm prepared to pay the buffalo bill. :)

This panna cotta has an unusual—but not unpleasant—taste. It tastes like a regular panna cotta, but with honey through it. Maybe the buffalo had been hanging around with Pooh Bear. While I don't mind this taste, it's the only taste the dish has, and it's not particularly exciting.