The Lawn restaurant is in the Marine hotel in North Berwick. The Marine is part of a series of historic hotels that have recently been renovated, including the Rusacks hotel in St Andrews, and the Marine hotel in Troon. The Marine in North Berwick is tucked away from the village next to the famed golf course, and enjoys uninterrupted views of the Firth of Forth beyond the links. Upon approaching the hotel, you are immediately impressed with its stately nature. The traditional style has certainly been preserved and improved upon throughout renovations. Still, the feeling of importance permeates its walls. This is the kind of hotel that knows it’s own reputation, and will make you feel important by association.
*I was recently invited as a content creator to try their Sunday lunch menu. However, there was no obligation to review the lunch. All opinions remain my own.
All of that being said, the cost of Sunday lunch is reasonable for the quality of dining that is served. The menu boasts starters and desserts that are almost entirely under £10, while mains are comfortably under £25. What is sacrificed on price is certainly not sacrificed on taste.
The meal
As a snack, we shared the bread and butter (supplied by the Edinburgh Butter Company). It was, in one word, divine. The butter has this nutty, sweet flavour to it that is simply unmatched. I then started with the Heritage Beets, a perfect combination of fresh beets, crowdie in the place of whipped feta, and finished with the crunch of walnuts. A beet salad is my preferred starter, and I’ve had many good ones in my time. The stand out for the Lawn is the bead sized walnuts evenly spread throughout the salad, and the use of crowdie to bring a Scottish touch.
For my main, I chose the Loch Etive Trout which came with mussels and tomatoes. Admittedly, I’ve shied away from mussel dishes before this after convincing myself the texture wasn’t for me. If there’s any time to try, it’s at the Lawn! As suspected, the trout would be cooked to perfection with a buttery soft inside capped with a crispy exterior. Upon my first taste of mussels, I was pleasantly surprised to find they went down smoothly! The tomatoes and a light touch of saltiness with capers were the mussels needed. Again, the dish is made with local trout, and Isle of Wight tomatoes which brings a fresh taste – and the knowledge you couldn’t get this dish somewhere else!
For dessert, my partner and I shared the Lawn Crumble. It was the perfect mix of warm and cold, and sweet and savoury. A perfectly spherical scoop of vanilla ice cream swam in a warm bath of tart berries, all with a light dusting of crumble. It was truly delicious – the right finalé to a great lunch.
The verdict
We’ll be back soon! After finishing our meal we left the Marine feeling spoiled. We giddily chattered on about booking a room and having a getaway in North Berwick – coming back the Lawn, enjoying the spa, long walks on the beach, the lot!
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