"This is a review by Dick and Joe. Both the 1887 and Bo Muc restaurants are a part of The Torridon, a hotel on the banks of Upper Loch Torridon, commanding spectacular views and rightly demanding attention for its stunning architecture. The fancier sounding 1887 restaurant was not open to non-residents, apparently due to staff shortages, so we opted for Bo Muc where we were able to reserve online, and we later phoned to ask if they could fit us in earlier, which they duly did, and were very friendly on the phone. We ate on Friday 7th April 2023. The restaurant The website for The Torridon is chic and attractive and alludes to a level of quality which we simply didn’t experience through Bo Muc. The restaurant itself is tucked round the back, in a separate, non-descript building overlooking the car park and well back from the loch. The bar area consisted of mis-matched tables and chairs, walls painted a brick-peach colour, a piano wedged into the doorway of the disabled WC and the general feeling that you’re sitting in a corridor not a lounge bar. The section where we ate was a sort of conservatory dominated by plastic plants and random objets d’art strewn along the window ledge, a trio of wilting roses on the table, fake candle and bland elevator music playing in the background. Inside, Bo Muc was divided into a series of random rooms. Where we sat, ‘Rive Car Park’, there was a lot of empty space and very few tables making it feel more like a storage area. We found out later that this is going to become the new lounge area, but they’d been waiting some time for the new furniture – time enough to make this space feel less of a temporary afterthought. The food Dick had the Trio of Hot Cold Smoked Salmon, Arcturus Pine Gin Lime Cured, Citrus Jelly, Apple Beetroot Salad £12). Despite the fun names, this was average at best and the salad came with an overpowering garlic dressing which would be reprised in the main course. Joe opted for Haggis Black Pudding Bon Bons, Parsnip Puree, Whisky Peppercorn Sauce which went down well with no complaints £11). For mains, Dick had an 8oz Ross-shire Rib-Eye with Triple Cooked Chips, Roasted Vine Tomatoes, Garlic Butter with an option of Blue Cheese or Peppercorn Sauce an exorbitant £40). It was ordered medium rare, and came well done, but not surprising as unlike any other rib-eye, this was less than a centimetre thick and would have been a nightmare to cook to order. The staff were extremely accommodating and came back quickly with another steak which to the chef’s absolute credit, was medium rare. It had none of the taste of a rib-eye, very little marbling and it was a hugely overpriced disappointment. They kindly waived the cost of Dick’s wine by way of apology. Joe had the Seabass, Smoked Mussel Broth, Leek Mashed Potato £27), a chowder essentially, though just a little too much on the liquid side and grateful for the mashed potato to balance it up. Other mains to consider included Venison Casserole, Port Juniper Berries, Rosemary Roasted Potatoes with Seasonal Vegetables £25) and Cauliflower Steak, Cauliflower Puree, Honey Mustard Dressing £18) which was the closest thing a vegan could have eaten out of the entire menu, were it not for the honey. The service When we entered there was no front of house service, and though we got a smile from a passing waitress, it seemed to be nobody’s job to greet us. We wandered through three rooms before we found the bar and ordered drinks. Only in the bar area did anyone ask if we had a reservation, and we were told they were running to quite a tight schedule, so they’d call us through at 7:15pm. It would have been a good opportunity to hand us menus, maybe a bowl of peanuts, especially if they were in a rush. Our friendly waitress eventually called us through at 7:30pm and gave us the menu as we sat down. The barman serving us and waitress Meg were brilliant, very friendly and welcoming and they went as far as they could to compensate for the miserable décor and atmosphere and underwhelming, overpriced food. Verdict The website branding of The Torridon is trying hard to create an image of luxury, but it’s trading far too heavily on the waterfront buildings and the carefully commissioned photography. That kind of branding is only going to work in the long term if the experience rises to meet it. The reality of Bo Muc is an overpriced menu of fairly average food that a gastro pub would offer for a fraction of the cost in a much more authentic and welcoming atmosphere. The waiting staff we encountered were worthy of four stars but sadly they couldn’t save the overall experience."
