Knockinaam Lodge

The 2013 edition of The List's Eating & Drinking Guide is out now – only £5.95 (+p&p).

Knockinaam Lodge is not a restaurant to pop into. It’s a long drive from the Central Belt down increasingly minor roads and once there, tables are only available to non-residents when the hotel is quiet, so you may need to commit to an overnight stay. The four-course menu is fixed with only dessert offering a choice but likes and dislikes are taken into account when booking. Canapés are served in the lounge before staff invite you through to your table. Grilled fillet of salted cod is a beautifully presented and balanced dish, consistent with the Michelin star held since 1991. A main of salmon with spiced carrot purée and garlic beignet is also superb if slightly let down by the addition of a curiously al dente glazed pear. Lovers of toxic cheeses may let out a squeal of delight at the presence of Époisses in the British and French cheese board with walnut and sultana bread. The evening closes out gracefully with coffee and petits fours back in the lounge and it would be rude to turn down the offer of a nightcap in front of the log fire.

• High point: High class food in a setting that feels a million miles away from everyday life
• Low point: It really is a million miles away