Emma A review of The Three Chimneys at Talisker menu
Skye is home to some of the best restaurants in Scotland, be that judged by Michelin or by The AA. One of the trailblazers for the foodie revolution on Skye has been The Three Chimneys. Shirley and Eddie Spear opened their bistro-style eatery in 1985 and it soon grew to become a destination restaurant with rooms. We last ate at The Three Chimneys in 2014, when it held a Michelin star, so it was surely time to try their food again.
Shirley and Eddie have since passed ownership onto The Wee Hotel Company who continue to employ Head Chef Scott Davies to provide food that showcases the produce of Skye and Scotland.
Scott has taken the ingredients for Talisker whisky, water, barley and yeast and woven these into a tasting menu called ‘The Journey’. Dishes complement the maritime character of Talisker with its notes of smoke, spice, peat, salt and pepper.
Talisker Distillery has benefited from investment from Diageo with a new double-roofed building outside which sits on the shores of Loch Harport and is currently home to The Three Chimneys pop up restaurant.
Inside, it’s peaceful and modern with Scandi-inspired decor. Wood furniture sits comfortably beside the sea blue tiles. The large window at the end of the building is perfect for daydreaming, looking out to the loch and the hills beyond.
Would you believe that this was March, in Scotland?
Menu at The Three Chimneys at Talisker pop up
There are three menu options for those without a reservation: a seafood bar (£35), oysters (£24), and tacos (£15); while the main feature is The Journey tasting menu (£65), which can also be ordered with a drinks pairing (£35) but The Journey must be booked in advance.
Drinks list
Mark, of course, decided he had to have the drinks pairing, whilst I settled down with a Highland Harvest Elixr which consisted of Talisker Port Ruighe, fino sherry, spiced apple honey and lemonade. (£15). A sweet cocktail, with a strong Talisker presence.
First course – Humble beginnings
Consisting of the three parts of whisky, water, yeast and barley.
Water – Dulse tea, dill & seaweed. A Japanese inspired course with the dulse tea creating a light dashi soup with a strong dill flavour.
Yeast – stoneground Orkney beremeal sourdough bread served with Skye, land & sea butters. These were miso and seaweed. As expected, delicious bread – soft in the centre with a crunchy crust. The earthy nutty bread worked extremely well with the tangy, savoury butters.
Barley – fermented risotto, malt, wheat grass & toasted yeast. Crunchy, earthy and malty. This was a fermented barley risotto, and reminded us of natto from Japan, or a Japanese-inspired Scotch broth with texture.
The drinks pairing for this course was Skye Gold Beer – a light tasting blonde ale with sweet cereal aroma and mild bitterness.
Second course: ‘The new make spirit’
The next stage of the process of whisky making at Talisker. For this course, the delicate flavours of the scallop, langoustine and the Chawanmushi work together with the keta to produce a smooth essence of the sea which surrounds Skye. Chawanmushi is a Japanese savoury custard. It is similar to an egg custard, so a bit like a quiche.
The dish uses double dived scallops from Sconser, just 10 miles away. Double dived doesn’t mean that the diver dropped them and had to go back down for them again (it did cross my mind!). No, it means that the scallops are collected from a lower depth and then moved and re-attached to rocks closer to the surface to grow further. More oxygen and food equals plumper scallops.
This was paired with Olifantsberg Grenache Blanc 2020 from South Africa, which had a lovely perfumery, herby, and perhaps even a slight petrol aroma. With a light lime, apple and peach taste it had a medium body and medium acidity with a pleasant mouthfeel and finish.
The next stage in whisky making is maturing the whisky in wood.
Third course: ‘The barrel’ – Whisky Barrel Smoked Venison, Haggis, BBQ Celeriac, Elderberry Sauce
Just imagine the aroma of whisky barrel smoked venison. I wish we had ‘smellyvision’. Similar to Talisker Whisky, this dish had black pepper and smoke as its main components.
The venison was wrapped in seaweed and delivered to the table with a smoke filled cover which was removed with a flourish. Alongside the venison were venison salami cubes, haggis, celeriac puree and celeriac discs. Salt, pepper and smoke, Talisker in a dish.
The wine paired with this was Soito Tinto 2017, a red blend from Dao, Portugal. It was quite youthful for 2017, with a deep ruby colour; leather and fruity blackcurrant and cherry aromas. It was also medium bodied but with a bit more acidity than the previous wine but was light tasting with no heavy tannins.
The fourth and final course was ‘The Age’
Single Origin Chocolate, Skye Salt, toffee, dates, Sichuan pepper ice-cream.
Based on the tasting notes of the Talisker 41 year old, the hot date and toffee sauce is poured over the chocolate dome. There is a lot going on here, which I suppose is just like the final whisky itself. So expect layers of flavours from smooth chocolate to the creaminess and heat from the ice crunch to the crunch of the nut brittle.
The final wine, Quady Elysium 2017 was a new one for us. A fortified dessert wine from California. It had a lovely clear, bright ruby colour, and pomegranate aroma. It was really sweet and syrupy with a mainly pomegranate taste.
We ended the meal with an americano and a flat white coffee served with petit fours. These are of course Talisker-inspired sweets. Talisker storm whisky ganache, whisky sours, brown butter & black pepper madeleines bringing a suitably delicious ending to our meal.
So what are the 3 reasons for visiting The Three Chimneys at Talisker?
- Well-presented exceptional food based on a theme
- The views from the restaurant
- Impeccable professional and friendly service
Video
@foodieexplorers The Three Chimneys at Talisker – pop up until April 2024. #skye #isleofskye #scotland #food #foodtiktok #foodtok #fyp #fypシ #explore ♬ Souvenir De Paris – Martin Taylor
Where
The Three Chimneys at Talisker, Carbost, Isle of Skye IV47 8SR
When
Operating until April 2024.
Book
Click here to book a table at The Three Chimneys at Talisker.
