To say salmon is abundant in Scotland would be the understatement of the century. Okay, that’s probably a bit much, but seriously, this is a pescatarian heaven. You can have fish breaded, boiled, braised, or pretty much any way you want it here.
Because of this, Salmon is pretty damn good in St Andrews. It pretty much reigns supreme on the Fife coast, if you haven’t heard. But you don’t need to worry about picking a place to grab some, ’cause we’ve taken all the difficulty (a.k.a the fun) out of actually choosing and ranked it for you. So whenever you’re looking to change up your same old ho-hum meal routine (aka whenever ramen just doesn’t cut it), look no further.
Ranking Factors
We considered a number of important factors in this ranking, including fishiness, creativity, presentation, price, and bang for your buck. After much deliberation, we are happy to show the world (aka St Andrews) the top six places to get your fix of salmon (get ready, people).
1. Salmon Gravadlax, The Adamson, 127 South St.
Photo by Aubrey Thompson
Fishiness: 6/10. Fishy, but in a good way.
Presentation: 9/10. Honestly, the best in St. Andrews.
Creativity: 10/10. A super fun dish consisting of many complementing flavours and textures (kohlrabi, lime purée and fennel are used, like WHAT!).
Bang for your buck: 7/10. For a starter you’re definitely getting more than you think.
Price: £8.25
2. House Cured Salmon, Tailend, 130 Market St.
Photo by Aubrey Thompson
Fishiness: 7/10. The fish would be delicious by itself, but the added element of the beetroot definitely highlights the fish’s smoothness.
Presentation: 6/10. It was interesting to look at, but it could do with a bit of sharpening.
Creativity: 7/10. Beetroot and salmon is a nice combo, and the added element of a creamy sauce doesn’t disappoint.
Bang for your buck: 8/10. You’ll get a lot of salmon for a really good value. You are also given a few pieces of bread to go with your mountain of salmon (so, bonus!).
Price: £6.50
3. Healthy Breakfast, Cottage Kitchen, 5 Logies Ln.
Photo by Aubrey Thompson
Fishiness: 5/10. It’s pretty fresh and goes down smoothly.
Presentation: 3/10. It comes with other breakfast items, so the presentation isn’t really stressed.
Creativity: 2/10. This seems low, but since it comes with eggs benedict and other items, there isn’t much really done to the salmon.
Bang for your buck: 9/10. They give you twice as much salmon as anywhere else in town (whoop!). Its local and not too salty, and has a fantastic buttery texture that will keep you full for hours.
Price: £7.95
4. Scottish Smoked Salmon Platter, Forgan’s, 110 Market St.
Photo by Sophia Dearie
Fishiness: 5/10. A bit smoky but very fishy. Tastes like the sea which is a sign of freshness, so that was a big plus for us.
Presentation: 4/10. Rustic and homely, which is what Forgan’s is known for.
Creativity: 3/10. The strange pot of oil doesn’t really add anything, but the large capers are a classic accompaniment, and we really appreciated that.
Bang for your buck: 0/10. Paying nearly £10 for a salmon platter you would expect some bread or crackers, or at least more than 3 little pieces of salmon. Pass.
Price: £9.25
5. Smoked Salmon, Rusacks Hotel, The Links
Photo courtesy of @thenewcollegediet
Fishiness: 7/10. Salty but sweet. Seriously great texture.
Presentation: 6/10. The accompaniments stylishly adorned the outer edges of the salmon, giving a it modern but classic look.
Creativity: 6/10. Using flavours classically paired with salmon (capers and onions) with a zing of lemon already added in the dressing made it pop.
Bang for your buck: 10/10. We think they actually gave us an entire salmon, so we definitely aren’t complaining.
Price: £10.50
6. Hendrick’s Gin-Cured Salmon, The Seafood Restaurant, Bruce Embankment
Photo by Sophia Dearie
Fishiness: 8/10. The added factor of literally sitting above the ocean makes the fish taste even more fresh (10/10 for ambience!).
Presentation: 11/10. This restaurant is all about intricate flavours and presentations. The large white plate made all the colours and visible textures of the elements used really stood out.
Creativity: 9/10. Apple and salmon are surprisingly a match made in heaven. The gin infused salmon was a nice surprise and a good excuse to have gin at lunchtime.
Bang for your buck: 4/10. A small-ish portion, but the interesting flavour combinations and the scenic surroundings more than make up for the price
Price: £8
GIF courtesy of giphy.com
Honestly, we are so blessed to live so close to the sea, which enables us to continue our seafood addictions and burn a full salmon-sized hole in our wallets.