Emma
We love Pitlochry and we were staying in nearby Dunkeld but had to visit Pitlochry and of course have lunch there. We visited Victoria’s Restaurant and Coffee Shop, which we’d known about for a while but hadn’t visited before. It’s situated on the main road in Pitlochry, a 2 minute walk from the main bus stop, where buses from Glasgow and Edinburgh stop, and a 5 min walk from train station.
As soon as we entered we were greeted and quickly seated unlike Hettie’s along the road, which was where we planned to be initially but after 5 minutes of standing around and speaking to 2 waitresses we still hadn’t been seated. Anyway…
We ordered some drinks to start – the coffee was very nice, no sugar was needed (which is our mark of a good coffee) and the tea was served in an interesting heavy teapot, which caught our eyes as we came in the door. They had a few unusual flavours and we opted for the lemongrass tea which was light and not overpowering.
We ordered some mains and whilst waiting warm crusty bread with balsamic in olive oil and extra balsamic was provided (we scoffed the lot before thinking about taking a photo…oops!)
Calamari £6.50
The squid was cut in strips, deep-fried and covered in breadcrumbs and served with a lemon slice. It came with a good tangy (pickle/vinegar) in tartare sauce and there was a fresh side salad with mixed leaves, rocket, onion, carrot and pepper. All good quality, not greasy and not bought in!
Nachos £5.95
A big portion size for a starter with a good amount of mince, cheese and sour cream, with big slices of jalapeños, and the salsa had a kick! The ratio of ingredients was about right and provided good value for money.
Haggis, Neeps “n” Tatties £10.95
A huge filling portion with an equal distribution of the 3 components. Lovely creamy mash with no lumps to be seen in either the mash or the turnip.
Traditional Baked Lasagne £11.25
Another big portion, cooked and presented in a pan which was about a third more in size than what is generally served elsewhere. Good cheese topping and lots of pasta layers – we struggled to finish this and the two garlic breads! And we were so full that we had to forgo dessert. Oh well, until next time…
Conclusion
Victoria’s provides excellent value for money with good food and great portion sizes in the centre of Pitlochry. There’s a varied selection of items on the menu all at good prices and they are open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Other diners’ tables were cleared immediately after they left by the (good amount) of staff who were proactively seen to do things rather than stand chatting and they weren’t hovering over us either but were friendly and chatty when we spoke to them. Also free WIFI is provided!
Female Toilets – soap and hand lotion with both towels and hand dryers, and a baby changer. Importantly clean and no smells!
Male – Clean and tidy with soap and paper towels provided.
The only downside to our visit was having to endure a loud customer at another table who enjoyed the sound of his own voice! But this hardly the fault of Victoria’s!
The lunch menu can be accessed here.
And the dinner menu here.
