“Unbelievably creative cooking” in a “wee hoose” way out in the sticks, this unassuming family-run restaurant just up the hill from the Mull ferry is worth the journey every time, not least because of the stunning coastal surrounds – “I’d travel a long way to get there”, confesses one of The Whitehouse’s many admirers.
The restaurant’s interiors are deceptively simple, with plain white walls and rustic furnishings creating a homely atmosphere. Once the food arrives though, it’s clear that The Whitehouse is a restaurant that should be taken seriously – this is exciting, uncluttered cooking using the best ingredients that the local area has to offer.
The restaurant’s owners Jane and Sarah, the latter of which is a lawyer by day, grow their own vegetables, rear chickens and plunder the local larder for everything from smoked venison to chanterelles, although spanking fresh seafood is the star attraction: hand-dived Mull scallops and creel-caught langoustines are top shouts, but the daily changing menu might also feature artfully simple dishes such as whole roast Mull lobster with vanilla or Gigha halibut poached in seawater with wormwood and fennel pollen.
There’s a genuine commitment to quality and fastidious sourcing here, from the sourdough bread which is baked in-house every morning, to the “outstanding” desserts such as a tea-flavoured chocolate cloutie dumpling with whisky-spiked toffee. The chefs’ boundless invention is matched by service that is “bright, cheerful, friendly and eager-to-please”.
The Whitehouse Restaurant serves between two-six courses at lunch, and four-six courses at dinner, and booking is always strongly advised. Considering The Whitehouse is found in a rather out of the way location, the restaurant’s website helpfully lists a handful of local cottages and B&Bs which are available to book. If you have indulged with the six course tasting menu, you may well need the lie down.