The Michelin Guide ceremony took place last night (February 5), announcing the newest gastronomic marvels around the UK and Ireland. While Glasgow retained its two Michelin-star restaurants, no new awards have been given to the city. However, Glasgow-born Chef Mark Donald and his The Glenturret Lalique restaurant saw a huge win by receiving its second Michelin Star.
The Glenturret Lalique restaurant is in Crieff, an hour’s drive from Glasgow. The restaurant is set in The Glenturret Distillery, Scotland’s oldest working distillery, so guests can sample an impressive collection of unique malt whiskies. Celebrating the best of Scottish larder, The Glenturret Lalique, visitors can enjoy the best of both worlds of luxury versus tradition.
Chef Mark Donald worked at Stravaigin in Glasgow in his early days before moving onto Mova in Copenhagen, as well as Restaurant Andrew Fairlie at Gleneagles and Hibiscus at Mayfair, London. Chef then moved to Sydney to work as Head Chef at Bentley before returning to Scotland to Number One At The Balmoral. Chef Mark Donald received his first Michelin Star just seven months after arriving at The Glenturret Lalique restaurant in 2021, so the second star is well-deserved.
The Michelin Guide states: “This intimate restaurant mixes the luxury with the familiar, in both its décor and its dishes. The likes of tattie scones are served alongside Highland Wagyu and caviar, in a room that features both a rustic beamed ceiling and maple leaf Lalique chandeliers. Chef Mark Donald adeptly balances local and global influences in sophisticated, precisely crafted dishes with superb depth of flavour.
Set inside The Glenturret Distillery, the restaurant boasts some truly unique aged malts, and they even offer a whisky-tasting selection as well as a top-class wine list.”
The other two Michelin Star restaurant in Scotland is Restaurant Andrew Fairlie at Gleneagles, which was also named the best restaurant in the UK in 2023.