The Pinewood Restaurant

Eating Out Being Someone Who Throws Money Around Like A Man With No Arms. Tam Loved His £14.95 Mixed Seafood Grill The Pinewood Restaurant 180 Main Street, Prestwick.

My mother is the type of woman who loves a good bargain. In fact, as I remember telling you before, she once went out with a Jewish guy because she’s unable to resist anything with 10 percent off. But it’s obviously a family trait as I immediately fell in love with The Pinewood Restaurant in Prestwick the minute I clapped eyes on the menu. First up, the excellent house wine was a steal at just £11.

The cullen skink (the king of soups and easily my all-time favourite broth if Heinz had never invented cream of tomato) was £2.95 - half the price I paid for a bowl of the same stuff in Edinburgh two weeks ago. Elsewhere, the selection of large main courses that normally cost £8.55 are just £5.95 if ordered Monday to Saturday from 5pm to 6.30pm. And according to the festive menu I picked up on the way out, Christmas Day dinner at The Pinewood is just £34.95.

Hands up if you’ve already booked a city centre joint that’s charging about 70 or 80 quid? In terms of sheer value for money, though, I’ll tell you what I found really impressive - the mixed seafood grill.

Just recently, my mate Tommy was telling me about his trip to a new fish restaurant in Glasgow. Believe it or not, he was charged £18 for three - yes, three - scallops! Call me old fashioned, but the only dish I’d pay 18 quid for in seafood joint is a blonde mermaid with a 42DD chest.

Anyway, the seafood grill at The Pinewood - featuring a slab of salmon, two chunks of monkfish, a fillet of seabass, a handful of prawns and a couple of the aforementioned scallops - will only set you back £14.95. All of which means you’re probably now desperate for directions. Well, The Pinewood is on the main drag in Prestwick, about 100 yards closer to Ayr than Elliot’s (another highly-rated restaurant I reviewed earlier this year). Small but perfectly formed - to be honest, it’s roughly the same size as Barbie and Ken’s last apartment - I reckon it can seat no more than 30 people and my only complaint is that it was a bit too warm.

I was sweating like the proverbial blind nun in a hot dog factory and I’m sure I lost three freckles before our starters had been served. Let’s just say I could have choked the woman at the next booth who ordered the smoking, sizzling fajitas. Now I know what it’s like to eat dinner in a Turkish bath...
Never mind, though, a quick splash of water on my face in the toilet (a fresh and clean one-size-fits-all affair with paper towels and a variety of lotions and potions) and I was ready for eating.

While my dining companion enjoyed the peat smoked haddock and braised leek tart - mainly because it really did taste of peat smoked haddock and braised leeks - I’d like to nudge you in the direction

CHEF LEAK HELPS LITTLE PINEWOOD WIN BIG AWARD
One of Scotland's smallest restaurants has been awarded one of Scotland's biggest eating accolades.
The Pinewood in Prestwick has long been a hidden gem but and with the arrival of Chef Les Leak, this restaurant is really gaining recognition for formal dining.
Owner Mark Smith admitted: "We feared people might see formal dining as something very serious. In fact, it's just a term to describe restaurant dining. We're very casual here and just concentrate on good food in a relaxed atmosphere. It was great to win the award, though, because only five places in Scotland have received them."
And it's not hard to see why they've won it. In Chef Leak, the Pinewood have a real king of the kitchen who's worked with some of the world's best including Michel Roux Jr. Mark's wife Fiona, who helps run the show, admits they were stunned when Les walked through their door. Fiona commented "He has a portfolio that you wouldn't believe and we're so lucky to have him."
The Prestwick favourite, which sources all of its ingredients locally, isn't short of competition in the Main Street. Fiona insisted: "We focus on quality, not quantity. There's over 20 other eating places in Prestwick and plenty of choice for people but we're doing well. "There's an intimacy here that people like and we want to keep it that way."