Palomino’s Restaurant at Ingliston Country Club & Hotel

Paul Dickson enjoys a fine dining experience in one of Renfrewshire’s classiest restaurants.

My family and I have been visiting Ingliston Country Club & Hotel and Palomino’s Restaurant for several years. We stay in the lodges while the kids are enjoying one of their countless school holidays. Every time we visit they’ve added new facilities or made improvements to their services. It’s an award-winning five-star destination that keeps bettering itself.

On this occasion, however, I left my family behind to dine at Palomino’s Restaurant with my good friend David. It’s a stylish restaurant, bright, spacious and relaxed. Parents were dining with their kids, a large group enjoyed a birthday party in the private dining area, and the staff were friendly and attentive. We sat in a booth near the window where we could see the horses going by.

To start, David opted for a healthy serving of bruschetta topped with plum tomatoes and basil, buffalo mozzarella, rocket and balsamic reduction (£6.95). I chose the hand-dived West Coast scallops, caught fresh that day.

They were pan-fried and came with Stornoway black pudding, caramelised onion, pepperoni puree and crispy Parma ham (£11.45). It was a small plate of the highest quality ingredients with a taste to match.

When it comes to main courses, I usually go for fish or a burger. Having eaten here before, I knew the burger would challenge the hungriest of men.

David was famished, so he went for the Palomino’s Scotch beef burger, dry-aged for at least 21 days, with cheese and crisp Parma ham (£18.45). It’s a big burger and I was excited to see how David would tackle it. Disappointingly, he picked up his knife and fork and ate it like a gentleman (on a first date). 

Every main on the menu looked good, but our host talked me into choosing the Chef’s favourite seafood macaroni. On paper, that didn’t sound right, but it contained everything I like. Tiger prawns, Loch Fyne hot smoked salmon, scallops, garden peas and cheese pasta bake with garlic bread (£19.45). Chef’s favourite was now my favourite.

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My seven-year-old son often asks me what my favourite food is. Every time I give him the same answer: ice cream. So for pudding I picked the strawberry Eton mess. Two scoops of made-in-Paisley Porelli’s ice cream with fresh strawberries, meringue pieces, strawberry sauce, cream and wafers (£7.95): dessert heaven. David, having conquered the massive burger, sensibly opted for a coffee while I astonished us both by finishing my sundae.

Palomino’s is a true dining experience. The food is of the highest quality, the staff are brilliant and it’s only 20 minutes from my home in Paisley. Try it for yourself.

Palomino’s Restaurant, Ingliston Country Club & Hotel, Ingliston Estate, Old Greenock Road, Bishopton PA7 5PA, 01505 864333, website. This interview was published in Mill issue 2 November/December 2018.