Parklands Fizz Lunch

With multiple awards for food and service, an ideal location just a stone’s throw from the city centre and stunning front facing views of a colourful and well-tended terrace and garden, Parklands hotel ticks all the right dining out boxes.

I have however, found myself overlooking this beautiful boutique townhouse hotel when choosing somewhere to enjoy a relaxed coffee, lunch or dinner. Why? Well, if I’m being honest, I’ve always assumed it was more of a special occasion venue and not where you would go for a spontaneous lunch or dinner. But when I noticed that they were offering a three course Sunday lunch for £23.50 (including a glass of fizz!) I pulled on my comfiest jeans, flats and t-shirt and headed along with my mum for a lazy Sunday afternoon.

As we walked up to the entrance of the hotel, the sun was shining and the bees were buzzing from one brightly coloured flower to another. We were greeted by a friendly waitress who showed us to our seat overlooking the stunning, award-winning garden.

Glass of fizz in hand, we leaned in for an obligatory ‘cheers’ before feasting our eyes on the menu. It all looked so good and I felt that wee buzz of anticipatory  excitement that you get when you’re about to treat yourself.

Order in, we waited for our starters and tucked into the bread and butter whilst soaking up the atmosphere of the beautifully decorated bistro. With a steady stream of people being shown to their tables it wasn’t long before we were surrounded by the warmth of chatter and laughter that comes Review: Parklands Fizz Lunch with a roomful of eager diners.

I had been spoiled for choice with a mouth-watering selection of starters but I eventually decided on the flame grilled mackerel and my mum the poached egg salad.

Starters arrived and we were blown away by the presentation. Every element on the plate had been carefully positioned with the chef’s artistic flare, and I couldn’t help but stop and admire. The same sensitivities couldn’t be said for my mum, who excitedly dived into her perfectly poached Gloagburn Farm egg that oozed a vibrant orange, yolky lava over her salad. My mackerel was oily and tender and the skin had a perfectly just-charred crispness. It was drizzled with a smoky red pepper dressing, and served on a bed of tasty homemade slaw with a slice of toasted sourdough to mop up all of the juices.

GALLERY

Time for mains and another glass of fizz! With drinks and chat both flowing effortlessly, thoughts of washing, ironing and other mindless chores had drifted away. I was fully embracing the Sunday Fun-day mantra of my lucky Mondays-off-friends!

Now for the mains: my medallions of pork were surrounded by a sticky jus and decorated with leeks and slices of perfectly roasted potatoes. The pork was seasoned well and cooked to perfection, It was meaty, moist and juicy. The addition of shredded ham knuckle added saltiness and balanced well with the Mull cheddar puree that had been piped perfectly onto the plate. It was like a delicious deconstructed Sunday roast without any of the dry stuffing or watery gravy!It was like a delicious deconstructed Sunday roast without any of the dry stuffing or watery gravy!

My mum had opted for the steak and was in her element as she tucked into her vine roasted tomatoes, field mushrooms, proper chunky hand-cut chips and rocket and parmesan salad. She adored it all and ate every last bite, complimenting the crispiness of the chips and tenderness of the steak as she went. Needless to say there wasn’t a morsel left on either of our plates.

Even though the portions had been generous, in the spirit of Sunday Fun-day we had both decided to go for a full three courses! My chocolate parfait was light, sweet and full of surprises, with raspberries, lemon curd,
frozen yoghurt and fizzy shards of honeycomb. Mum’s eye had been caught by the lavender ice-cream, that accompanied the peach and nectarine crumble and she wasn’t dissapointed! The crumble was sweet and crunchy and the delicate aroma of the ice-cream proved too much to resit. I had to get in on the act. One spoonful later, and I was sitting at a sunny picnic in the lavender fields of Provence.

As the sun continued to shine down on Perth we finished up our meal with a coffee on the terrace. Full bellied, satisfied and planning our next visit, we certainly won’t be overlooking Parklands again.

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Parklands Sunday Fizz Lunch is available every Sunday.

2 Courses: £18.50 3 courses: £23.50

Call the restaurant to book. Contact details can be found on their directory listing here >>>