1610 Restaurant At The Globe Inn. Very Fine Dining In Scotland’s Borders

Rupert Parker Travels North To Eat at 1610 Restaurant In Dumfries, Burns Country.

Nicknamed the Queen of the South, Dumfries now makes the Michelin Guide with the 1610 Restaurant, in the historic Globe Inn. The town sits on the River Nith in Scotland’s southwest, just over the border from England. It was here that Robert the Bruce killed his rival and also that Robert Burns, the national poet, spent his final years, weaving Dumfries into Scotland’s cultural fabric forever.

Burns arrived in 1791, working as an excise officer and writing some of his most enduring works. His house still stands on Burns Street, a modest place where you can step into the kitchen, see his writing desk, and imagine him scratching out verses by candlelight. The Burns Mausoleum, an elegant white-domed structure in St Michael’s kirkyard, is where he was laid to rest in 1796, aged just 37.

But Burns is more than museum pieces here; he lingers in the air. The Globe Inn, one of his favourite haunts, still serves pints to thirsty visitors. In the Burns Rooms, see the poet’s chair plus other artefacts and you can almost hear his laughter.Now, the stables have been transformed into the 1610 restaurant, named after the date the pub was founded. It’s one of only six in Scotland to be listed in the Michelin Guide.

Wooden tables line both sides of this narrow intimate space, complete with dark timbered panelling. Stained glass murals, depicting the story of Tam O’Shanter, run along one wall. At one end, by the entrance is the bar offering one of the UK’S largest single cask single malt collections.

The menu is a celebration of Scottish produce, reimagined with modern, creative flair and vibrant presentation. The head chef, Fraser Cameron, brings Michelin-inspired techniques to the table, fusing traditional roots with innovative dishes. You can choose from the a-la-carte menu or go for an eight course Degustation with matching wine pairing. Of course that’s what we choose.

Degustation

CANAPES – I love the Fish and chip canape w cod roe

BREAD – curry, parmesan and apricot. Two thick slices of extremely delicious warm bread and lovely presented butter. Delicious as it is, I make sure I don’t eat too much

1st Course AMOUSE BOUCHE – Green pea gazpacho with loads of mint, feta cheese and barley. This is wonderfully minty and the crunchy barley at the bottom of the bowl gives extra texture.

2nd Course SEA BASS mi-cuit w hollandaise. A symphony of colour with thin discs of different beets, green beet leaves, dark cucumber chutney, and yellow hollandaise.

3rd course PORK EN CROUTE. A slice of belly pork in moist pastry and a cylinder of celeriac mash topped with prune and pickled walnut. It’s hard to beat a good pork pie and this is one of the best.

4th Course COD ROULADE. The fish is wrapped in a carrot shaving, there’s parsnip and carrot puree, plus a single carrot with honey and mustard sauce, topped with lovage. A nice surprise is the horseradish tartlet, giving an extra buzz,

5th Course GALLOWAY BEEF. Square of meat is nicely rare in a rich jus with a slice of parmesan hash browns. Another tartlet here, this time artichoke and mushroom, a very tasty bite.

6TH Course YUZU. A fresh citrusy palate cleanser on a bed of almond granola with blood orange does the job perfectly.

7th Course MILLE FEUILLE. Exquisite layers of pineapple and coconut with banana and rum ice cream on the side. Brilliant.

8TH Course CHEESE. Imagine a cheese clock with 9 different cheese where the numbers should be. A great choice, served at exactly the right temperature and comes with a crib sheet detailing the different cheeses. I leave the accompaniments of apple slices, grapes, dehydrated pear, biscuits and honey almost untouched

PETITS FOUR. Three, all delightful.

As you can see from the pictures, presentation is excellent and service was attentive and efficient. What I like about the food is the distinctive combinations of flavour in each dish, with excellent use of local and seasonable products. Every course has that element of surprise due to the inventive use of vegetable garnishes both fresh and preserved.

Next day, I can’t resist visiting their sister establishment, involved in a traditional Scottish activity:

Annandale Distillery

Founded in 1836 by George Donald, Annandale was one of the earliest legal distilleries in Scotland’s Lowlands. By 1918, production ceased and for almost a century the buildings crumbled back into the soil. But, in 2007 the same couple responsible for the Globe, Professor David Thomson and Teresa Church purchased the ruins. They set about restoring the distillery brick by brick and, in 2014 Annandale was reborn.

The distillery is unusual in producing two distinct single cask single malts under one roof: Man O’ Words, a tribute to Robert Burns, the nation’s bard who once lived in nearby Dumfries, and Man O’ Sword, honouring Robert the Bruce, born just down the road at Lochmaben Castle. And after a guided tour, stop at the Malting Café and enjoy homemade cakes, freshly made sandwiches, and their signature Scottish Afternoon Tea, curated by the chefs from The Globe Inn.