Phil Sampson visits a Scottish gem where super-fresh lobsters rub shoulders with the finest tattie soup money can buy.
Did you know that St Andrews is home to a very special institution? No, not that one (or the other one if academia your thing) we’re talking about the one at the eastern end of town – the Harbour Café, which for the past 39 years has been serving locals and visitors with freshly prepared dishes in a unique, authentic setting.
It is said you should not judge a book by its cover and never were those words more true than in the case of the Harbour Café.
Housed in the most modest of cabins perched on the harbour wall, it would be all too easy to pass by without a second glance. But if, like us, you happen to be fortunate enough to visit on a sunny day and spot proprietor Pat Dodds delivering her signature lobster salad to the ranks of diners awaiting outside, you instantly realise this is the St Andrews’ luncheon ticket to have.
OK, I hear you say, that’s a bold claim considering there’s plenty of fine restaurants in this particular town.
But how many others have a kitchen that is literally ten paces from the creels in which their lobsters were landed? And where else – not just in St Andrews, but anywhere in the UK – can you buy a freshly cooked whole lobster with salad for £20? What’s more, you get to sit next to the creels your lunch arrived in as you look out over the delightful Kinness Burn, whose mouth forms the entrance to the harbour.
In our view, Pat Dodds is unquestionably one of St Andrews’ celebrity chefs. Her lobsters alone secure her legacy. To enjoy one, however, its essential to order in advance as supply is strictly limited. In fact, Pat’s lobsters are such a well kept secret that they’re not mentioned on the menu at all! But the genie is obviously out of the bottle as everyone around us was tucking into them and loving every bite.
