What the papers say...
Sunday Herald magazine (22 July 2007)
‘While highly regarded for his culinary talents (he competed last year in BBC 2’s Great British Menu), Lewis’s good taste extends beyond the plate. Along with his sister Melanie, he is a design obsessive and has utilised the skills of interior designer Fiona Denholm … to help realise his vision for the property.’
The Independent (50 Best British Hotels: 12 January 2007)
‘A regular pilgrimage site for Scottish foodies, this small family-run hotel sits in a remote scenic spot overlooking Loch Voil in the Trossachs. As the family also runs the surrounding farmland, the chef-owner Tom Lewis has plenty of fresh local produce to work with. Don’t expect things to be rustic, though; the food and the décor are both rather chic.’
Elle magazine (February 2007)
‘This snug Trossachs retreat is great for a Highland fling. Set four miles down a scenic lane, it looks out over mountains and lochs. Inside are modern interiors (designer lighting and antler chandeliers mix with open fires and silk bedspreads) and award-winning food, courtesy of chef-owner Tom Lewis. Feeling flash? Arrive by seaplane (from Loch Lomond) check into room 11 and cosy up in twin claw-footbaths.’
Waitrose Food Illustrated (July 2005)
‘The twee pink façade gives little indication of the stylish interior and impressive menu, which have been drawing the attention of critics for the past decade. Self-taught chef Tom Lewis prides himself on the use of the best seasonal produce, so the lamb comes directly from the family farm next door, fish comes from Scotland’s west coast and many of the herbs are grown in the hotel’s kitchen garden.’
The Sunday Times Ecosse (27 February 2005)
‘When water levels prevent the seaplane from nudging the shore, Lewis chivalrously slips on his wellies and carries passengers to land. There is a similarly accommodating ethos throughout the hotel. Despite being rather late, we’re offered a drink by the bar’s log fire before being shown into the cosy restaurant. And while the food is utterly sophisticated… there is nothing stuffy about the service.’
The Independent (18 September 2004)
‘Compared with most of the Trossachs’ hotels, Monachyle Mhor is in another stratosphere.’
The Guardian (18 September 2004)
‘ Four miles on from Rob Roy’s grave, along a dead-end road by Loch Voil, and surrounded by a 2,000-acre estate and a cobbled courtyard of errant hens, this pink harled vernacular hotel is one of Scotland’s most inviting.’
The Sunday Times (27 July 2003)
‘When we say the restaurant is ‘near’ Balquhidder, this refers to the flight path of the crow. If you get into your car and drive the last four miles of loch-hugging, tell-the-sheep-to-breath-in-we’re-coming-past single track. Baghdad seems closer…. But I’d go a long way – or at least another couple of hundred yards along that road – for the chilled rice pudding with fractious brulee crust and sharp cherry compote.’
The New York Times (25 June 2003)
‘The view from the chic, cozy hillside dining room could hardly be more romantic: a picturesque glen with mountains at one end receding like waves.’
Australian Gourmet Traveller (August 2002)
‘In the heart of Scotland’s Rob Roy country, Balquhidder might be the last place you’d expect to find an award-winning restaurant. Yet thanks to Tom Lewis and his pink farmhouse hotel, Monachyle Mhor, the region is becoming as known for his classy take on French cooking as it is for breathtaking scenery.’
The Observer (19 May 2002)
‘As you turn off the main road at the sign marked Balquhidder … you are immediately swept away by the beautiful scenery. Six miles later and you start to wonder whether you may have taken a wrong turning, but the constant stream of cars you pass along the winding narrow road indicates that there must be something worth heading for. Just one mile further and you arrive at Monachyle Mhor.
Sunday Herald magazine (20 August 2000)
‘Every now and then I flirt with the idea of running a small hotel. It would be a characterful old property in a beautiful spot, a civilised yet affordable hideaway (not snobbishly exclusive) where guests would feel relaxed but well looked after. The food, an integral part of the dream, sourced from a network of small local producers who’d knock on the kitchen door with seasonal bounty. Then I remember fantasising about such places is a damn sight easier than running them. So I write reviews instead.
But if I did run such an establishment, I’d be proud indeed if it was Monachyle Mhor.’