Colessio – a magnificently transformed victorian manor

Stirling’s Hotel Colessio is in the perfect location to explore Stirling’s historic old town and the wider central Scotland area. Our Editor-in-Chef, Sophie, had the pleasure of dining at Colessio with an overnight stay at the hotel in March, along with her partner. Here’s what she thought of her stay:

Arriving at Colessio, you can’t help but notice the beauty of the building, with its huge pillared entrance. We parked around the back of the hotel in the car park and were greeted by the staff and offered a refreshment as we entered the building. We enjoyed the drink in their chic, contemporary cocktail bar which had plush seats and a great atmosphere, with an extensive cocktail menu which also includes some light bites. Although it was a Thursday evening, the hotel was fully booked so there was a buzz about the place.

We finished our drinks and headed up to our room on the second floor. it was a suite, which was spacious and modern with a large bathroom with both a bath and shower – you couldn’t ask for much more! There was also a plasma television, in-room tea and coffee facilities, iron/ironing board, a lounge area and hotel robes.

Our evening meal was booked for half past six in the grill restaurant, which has great big, comfortable chairs and booths and a relaxing ambience. We were seated at our table and presented with à la carte menus and a drink offering and decided to start off with one of the many gins. The server told us about their state-of-the- art kitchen which is equipped with a Josper grill, one of the newest and most sought- after kitchen innovations which has taken the culinary world by storm. Hotel Colessio is proud to be one of the few venues in the UK with this type of grill.

The menu has a huge variety of traditional Scottish dishes with a modern twist, prepared by Head Chef Stephen Donnelly.

For starters, you can choose from a selection of salads, Isle of Skye king scallops with black pudding, and Perthshire wood pigeon. Mains include Ayrshire Pork Belly, short rib of Angus beef, potato gnocchi, North Sea cod or a selection of steak cuts from the grill. The steak cuts include Sirloin, Ribeye and Fillet which are served cooked to your liking with full steak garnish.

The food was nothing short of excellent. From presentation to taste it was world- class, and another great example of being able to get the best of the best, locally in Forth Valley.

After clearing our plates for starters and mains, we really struggled to finish our desserts; even though there were delicious! Once the table was cleared the chef came out and asked if everything had been okay as we hadn’t cleared the dessert plates like the last two courses.

We assured him everything was perfect – we had just over indulged! It was nice to see the chef taking so much pride in his food, and the rest of the staff also took great pride in their customer service.

After dinner, we enjoyed a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc from the bar.

OUR MENU CHOICES:

STARTERS: Isle of Skye king scallops with black pudding, celeriac, apple, frisée and unoaked Chardonnay Terra.

SOUP OF THE DAY: Served with freshly baked bread and sea salted butter.

MAINS: Ayrshire pork belly with Savoy cabbage, carrot, cumin and orange.

Potato Gnocchi (vegetarian) with wild mushrooms, butternut squash, sage and lemon.

DESSERTS: Sticky Toffee Pudding served with vanilla ice cream. Apple Tart Tatin.

In the morning we headed down to breakfast, which is served until 10 am in the grill room and is a buffet-style breakfast with a hot and cold section.

The hot section has a full Scottish breakfast on offer and a member of staff makes up your plate for you – an added touch I’ve never experienced before!

The cold buffet has a selection of pastries, yoghurts and fruit, and the servers bring toast and tea or coffee to your table.

The breakfast was delicious, and a great way to finish off an excellent overnight stay; even better that we were only a 15-minute drive from home!

We will definitely be back.