The Three Chimneys

The high raters of this restaurant must have minimal gustatory experience. The décor is lovely, the service and presentation excellent (if somewhat pretentious), yes, but the most important issue for a restaurant is the food. I cannot say it was bad but it wasn’t good – it was more or less bland– and for a three course meal for two people with one bottle of sparkling water and one of their most inexpensive bottles of wine we should not have been charged over $ 300. For that amount of money I expect at least to taste the food.

The Isle of Skye has 10,000 residents. So how the Three Chimneys does what is does is somewhat of a miracle. This is supreme high-​end cuisine at its very, very best!
We sampled the «Taste of Skye» 8-​course menu with the full wine flight (terrific wines, too!), and it was to die for wonderful. I have been lucky enough to sample the culinary arts of some of the world’s greatest chefs and this one doesn’t need to hide from any of them. It is truly, deliciously, mind-​bogglingly good cooking.
One word on seating choices: the Kitchen Table is a tremendous experience as you will be sitting right next to where it is all happening. The team of the Three Chimneys works like a well-​oiled machine, no Gordon-​Ramsey-​esque swearing here and to watch them create this amazing food is a rather unique experience you should try.

In July 2013, I had one of the best meals of my life at The Three Chimneys (which, in my opinion, would confit the Fat Duck). As soon as we scheduled our trip to Skye, I emailed them to reserve seats for my husband and me at the kitchen table. Before the meal, we were ushered into the cosy reading room of the inn, where we met the delightful American family with whom we would be sharing the meal.
The restaurant assembles up to eight guests around the massive wooden table in a bright nook at the back of their spotless kitchen. The dining chairs sport the unforgiving incline of New England pews — a not-​entirely comfortable perch for a four-​hour dinner, but it did keep us focused on the nosh. Each course on the generous tasting menu was sublime, showcasing the best crustaceans, bivalves, fish, tender lambs, and plant life that graces the Scottish Western Isles. The wine pairing, too, was superb, with a delightful English bubbly and a surprisingly decent Turkish white in the mix.
In between courses, we admired the beautiful grounds, the crates of giant crabs waiting in the dewy grass for their turn in the stock pot (clearly, I’m not a vegetarian), large array of classic cookbooks, and the professional skills and graceful charm of the motley kitchen crew. They even occasionally invited us to help prep and plate our dishes, which turned out to be great fun (especially since we were sloshed).
I’m pretty rabid about Scotland, but that night I fell in love. I still treasure the menu card they give you as a souvenir. And yes, if you’re coming from overseas, it *is* worth the trip over the hill and through the woods, and the many hours of driving on the wrong side of single-​lane, sheep-​clogged roads. (While you’re at it, hop on the ferry to Harris.)
My advice would be to a) wear removable layers, as the kitchen can get pretty toasty, what with the open fires and bubbling cauldrons; b) go with a group of 6 or 8, if you can, to secure the kitchen table for yourself — we had great luck with our party but I can see how dining with the wrong bunch could be trying; and c) act early to book a room at the inn to avoid the long return drive to your b&b.

I’m not sure why it has taken me so long to write this review for the Three Chimneys. I’ve been clinging on to my complimentary copy of the tasting menu we had the pleasure of partaking in almost a year ago. Now the time has come to recall the culinary delights!
First of all, the amazing location of this restaurant must be commented on. Nestled away in one of the most remote corners of the Isle of Skye, it’s almost impossible to find. We had to stop and ask for directions more than once, and even when we were on the correct road it doesn’t seem possible that it will end in a gourmet restaurant. It twists and turns for miles with nothing to see other than outstanding scenery and a multitude of sheep! The journey home in the dark was equally spectacular — we had to stop the car and stand gazing at the sky for quite some time as it contained a blanket of stars, a unique experience.
Anyway, back to the restaurant. When you do eventually discover it, it is a delight in itself. A quaint whitewashed cottage in beautiful surroundings. The ceilings are low, the lighting discreet, the whole atmosphere beautiful and cosy. All the staff we encountered were delightful — very knowledgeable both about the food and the wine, and happy to talk about their own experiences and life on the Isle of Skye. We didn’t get to meet head chef Michael Smith, but tasting his food was enough on this occasion.
We decided to go for the «Seven Courses of Skye» tasting menu. At £90 per person it’s not the cheap option but it gives you the opportunity to taste many of the chef’s signature dishes, so it’s a must for all the foodies out there. I’m not going to list all the courses as the menu can be found on the website (interesting to note that it hasn’t changed in the year since our visit) but needless to say, fish features heavily here — prawns, crab, oysters, smoked fish and scallops. The scallops were my least favourite as the delicate flavour of the fish was slightly overshadowed by the curry crust, but all the other dishes were divine. The meat offering was venison and marmalade soufflé finished off this culinary adventure.
The food is fresh and tasty, and cooked to a very high standard. I’m not sure why the Three Chimneys has missed out on Michelin status for all these years, I’ve certainly eaten in worse places that have been awarded stars — perhaps the Michelin inspectors are still searching the Island for it!
Regardless of it’s Michelin status, it’s well worth a visit from any self-​respecting foodie, for the location and experience, as much as the food.

We booked the kitchen table and ended up sharing with another couple show enjoyed the evening as much as we did.
The setting itself is great. I prefer it to the main restaurant which is very staid and dark. The kitchen is surrounded by windows thus is bright until well past 10pm.
Service was amazing and the entire staff from servers to chef were incredibly welcoming: inviting us to walk around and interact with the staff. Some of us even helped prepare meals (ours, of course). Like another reviewer who had the same menu, the seafood courses are stellar. I too, was not a big fan of the venison. I also preferred the shortbread and tablet to the listed soufle dessert.
As this was a special occasion, spending the $$$$ was justified and we were sad to leave almost 5 hours later.

Came here for lunch in July and the service, setting and food were top notch. Clearly the comparisons as a Scottish French Laundry are apt, and it is remarkable the quality of food presented in such a remote location. Will definitely plan to return, and recommend highly.

best meal I’ve ever had.
no background music.
friendly staff.
they are good, and they know it.
combined with camping in Skye… perfect.

Maybe it is because it’s so remote, and you feel a natural sense of accomplishment and relief just getting to the place. But I think that objectively the Three Chimneys stands up to its hype. It’s the best all around restaurant experience I’ve had in the UK, and compares to any of the great meals I’ve had anywhere.
Skye is worth visiting anyway — great hiking, puffins, and whiskey (coupled with much rain and midges, but I’m willing to forgive that). If you make the trek and don’t mind one expensive night, Three Chimneys won’t let you down.

Here’s the thing…
The Three Chimneys is world-​renowned. It’s ‘one of the world’s 50 best restaurants’; it has a five-​star rating from the Scottish tourism board; it rakes in many an AA award and rosette.
And all deservedly so.
Tucked away in almost the furthest most corner of the Isle of Skye, accessible by one-​lane roads not guaranteed to be free of the odd passing sheep (I say odd, but actually it’s quite common to find a sheep in the road, making the drive even more treacherous), the Three Chimneys exudes quaint style and sophistication.
The service is ingratiating yet friendly and encouraging of rapport. The wine list is long, appropriate and varied. The food is as fresh as it gets and served to titillate the modern palate. And all of this warrants its price tag.
But all of this also begins to feel a bit stifling. Don’t get me wrong. I really appreciate some good service. I liked the fact that I could pick the types of homemade bread from the breadbasket that I wanted to eat before the epic three course meal, including amuse bouches and other small bites acting as palate cleansers or just downright indulgent intermediaries between the main food events. I left feeling not pleasantly satiated, but completely stuffed because of all the food set forth before me.
At the end of the night, the front of house manager called us a cab to get us back to our B&B around the corner. Following through on the fabulous service we received, he kept an eye out for the cab driver while we continued our conversation at the table and finished the rest of our dessert.
All this said, I wouldn’t say that, food-​wise, this was the best meal of my life. It was a fabulous experience, and perhaps all the extra thrills and frills goes into the restaurant’s fame. The food was undeniably good. But, at the end of the day, perhaps my palate isn’t as good as I think it is, because I would be equally happy at a top-​notch gastropub that costs less than half the price.
That is, only if they let me choose from a selection of homemade breads.
As a final note, if you’re ever in the Three Chimneys’ remote highland neck of the woods, stop and treat yourself to the experience. Because the experience as a whole is truly once-​in-​a-​lifetime.