Chez Roux - Gullane

We selected a wine from the list, but to our disappointment, it was unavailable. We then opted for another wine recommended by the waiter, which was acceptable but not what we initially wanted. My starter was described in great detail as a seafood dish, but when it arrived, it was disappointingly tiny, making it hard to determine its quality. My wife ordered a cheese soufflé, which was excellent. For my main course, I ordered duck breast and requested it to be cooked just pink. I was assured that it would be cooked perfectly, but the dish served to me featured two very rare pieces of meat that looked and tasted unappetizing. My wife ordered cheese gnocchi topped with a poached hen's yolk. Thankfully, we had the description on hand; otherwise, we would have been puzzled about what it was. The presentation was unattractive, and it did not resemble a proper main course, leading her to leave most of it uneaten due to its lack of appeal. For dessert, I chose a lemon tart, which was quite good, while my wife had a cheese selection to compensate for her disappointing main course. The cheeses were acceptable. However, we decided not to stay for coffee or after-dinner drinks, as we just wanted to leave. Overall, we felt deeply disappointed. We had looked forward to a wonderful dinner to celebrate our anniversary, only to have the evening marred by these experiences. We had dined at the Roux restaurant in Bray before, and that was exactly as a fine dining experience should be. Fortunately, the next evening we enjoyed a “pop-up” restaurant in a delicatessen in North Berwick, where the meal was truly excellent. Based on this experience, we would not consider returning to Grey Walls.

The description of my appetizer, a seafood dish, was lengthy and detailed, but unfortunately, the portion was minuscule, making it hard to judge its quality. My wife had a cheese soup for her starter, which was excellent. For my main course, I ordered venison and specifically requested that it be cooked medium-rare. However, what I received was two pieces of meat that were extremely rare, which was disappointing. My wife ordered a dish of cheese gnocchi topped with a fried egg yolk, but without the description, we wouldn’t have known what to expect. The presentation of her dish was unappealing, and she left most of it uneaten as it was quite bland. For dessert, I chose a lemon dish that was quite good, while my wife opted for a cheese selection, which was acceptable. We did not stay for coffee or after-dinner drinks, as we simply wanted to leave. Overall, we were extremely disappointed. We had been looking forward to a wonderful dinner to celebrate our anniversary, but the evening was disappointing. In contrast, we had a great experience at the Roux restaurant in Bray, and luckily, we ended up at a "pop-up" restaurant in North Berwick where we enjoyed a fantastic meal. We would not return to Grey Walls.

Greywalls is a truly unique dining experience. Its blend of Lutyens and Jekyll influences, along with a touch of Chez Roux flair and a golfing theme, makes it a must-visit. The striking architecture, beautiful gardens, and exquisite food place it firmly in the realm of fine dining. I highly recommend it to everyone.

Greywalls is a remarkable and possibly one-of-a-kind eatery. The blend of Lutchen and Jekyll influences, along with a touch of Chez Roux style and a golfing theme, creates a delightful dining experience. The architecture is unique, the garden is unforgettable, and the dining is at the highest level of fine cuisine. I wholeheartedly recommend it to everyone.

Overall, our experience was very good, but we encountered a couple of issues. Firstly, we had a long wait for both our food and the bill at the end. The staff seemed to overlook us once we finished, and we ended up searching for the bill for about 15-20 minutes. On a positive note, the food was beautifully presented. However, the interior decor feels somewhat outdated and could use a refresh, especially the curtains, which do not match the chairs.