Playfair's Restaurant in Fife

Please avoid this restaurant at all costs unless you enjoy food poisoning. My family of 3 were the ONLY people in the restaurant for the entire dinner which is never a good sign. We ordered some coley fish with potato gratin. You know when you are eating something that is not quite right, it tasted off but we ate it and did not mention anything to the server. Of course within about 7-8 hours after leaving the restaurant my daughter was violently ill, vomiting with fever. I have since contacted the restaurant but this has been a complete waste of time, the manager was non responsive. There are plenty of good options in St Andrews, this is most definitely not one of them.

The tomato and fennel soup served with sourdough bread and homemade butter was so very flavorful and pure ingredients. Charming atmosphere and so near St. Andrews golf course. Delightful service.

Excellent service and food. Nice atmosphere. Great location. Filet was very good. Portions were perfect.

Menu looked good, friendly service but very disappointing food and expensive for what it was. We had beef cheek ragu with truffle shavings that had no truffle, bog standard pasta and not worth the £25 price tag. The veggie burger was dry and the chicken burger was tough and overcooked. The chips however were amazing.

6 of us had dinner at this lovely little restaurant. The dishes were imaginative and delicious and there was something for everyone. The wine list was good and desserts a treat.

Très bon et très très copieux ! Rien de dingue mais cela fait le job ! J'ai beaucoup aimé la salade avec les tranches de boeuf. Le fish'n chip est énorme ! Vous pouvez emporter vos restes 😉

Return visit to Playfair’s for dinner, having enjoyed our dining experiences here in the past. Not quite as good as in the past - less choice on the menu and ambience not as elegant. Waiting staff were welcoming and helpful. Our food was nicely presented and delicious. Enjoyed our dinner but not as good as before.

Booked this restaurant after cancelling our dinner at the Fairmont Hotel, due to dreadful customer service. We arrived early in the evening and restaurant was empty at the time. However service was provided smoothly and professionally. We were given plenty of time to consider the menu and the waitress checked with the kitchen to answer a couple of questions. The food when it arrived was very good, well presented, and good value. By now the restaurant was filling up but service standards remained at a high level throughout the evening. Happy to recommend this restaurant. Food is good, service is good.

Popped in for lunch and enjoyed a good meal. Greek salad was great and chicken burger was lovely. Great location opposite the famous 18th green and the St Andrews Golf shop.

Very good food the service was a little bit confused.

Das Essen war sehr lecker und die Bedienung sehr freundlich! Das Preis-Leistungsverhältnis ist top. Wir können das Restaurant nur empfehlen.

This is possibly the worst place in St Andrews for dinner. A breast of duck consists of two strips of duck. Absolute nonsense. After 40 mins wait. Please don’t go here.

The location is just a few blocks away from the 18th green at the Old Course. The restaurant itself didn’t offer much of an ambience although service was professional and efficient. The food was a bit uneven - the fish of the week was great and we also enjoyed the chocolate fondant with peanut ice cream and brittles.

Service very slow even though the place was quiet. Some staff seemed to spend most of their time chatting. We only had a few snacks but they were very good. Outside area could have been cleaner. Staff were slow to clear tables so a large seagull did it for them..

The service, atmosphere and food was great. My friends and I enjoyed a variety of dishes and all were good. If someone is in St Andrews, I would recommend this restaurant.

Based on reviews I was hopeful. Sadly, my experience was poor. Let me start by saying service was good and when I complained about a course it was removed without question. However, there is no other way to describe the food as poor. Tasteless sourdough, inedible chicken supreme, and chips fried in old fat. We didn’t mention all the issues as the long suffering waiter was excellent. To add insult to injury he wasn’t able to accept a tip by card. “It just disappears”. Good location but I would avoid.

Great Food and very friendly and attentive staff.

Great service, food was lovely and prices were reasonable. Over all a great place to eat.👍. Many thanks

Simply put the best meal I've had. The 12 hour slow cooked ox was easily the best dish I've ever had in my life. The meat was incredibly tender and the cod special was equally as amazing. Anyone saying the prices are expensive have not been elsewhere in St Andrews as these prices are incredible value for how good the meal was. Will definitely be back.

we dined here on saturday night were disappointed to say the least my friend who was over from the states had a bowl of soup and the ravioli at £38 is in my opinion extortionate,main course was hake on a bed of chowder, the chowder was stone cold which spoiled my dinner at these prices there shouldn,t be mistakes overall a very disapointing dinner experience, i had a fish and chip tea in anstruther on sunday night at£15 much better dinner for a third of the price

Food was amazing and service was excellent

After researching various St Andrews restaurants I decided on & booked Playfairs. And I am SO glad that I did. It’s not listed in the Top 10 to visit - I read a lot of reviews & to be honest I’m not sure why. It was absolute perfection from beginning to end. The setting, staff, food & drinks were all excellent. Warm, friendly & perfectly designed. Every aspect of the night perfectly complimented each other - a great drinks list accompanied locally sourced and delicious food, which had clearly been lovingly created and served. The menu is not extensive but with plenty of choice - it was actually hard to narrow down what to pick, so I’m glad it wasn’t any larger!!! Our party of 4 all are different dishes and no one was disappointed or had any food envy. Looking around the restaurant at the various other customers ( a variety of clientele) every table seemed as delighted with the meals as we all were. We were out, as a family celebrating a special birthday & I’m very glad I choose there, definitely a highlight of the weekend.

Great steaks and service. We'll worth a visit.

Playfairs Restaurant St Andrews is quite simply as good as it gets! I was lucky to be a guest of the amazing Ardgowan Hotel last weekend and I’m so glad that I booked to dine in the restaurant on the Saturday evening! At first glance of the menu I thought they may just have bitten off more than they could chew however dinner was executed to absolute perfection! The menu includes local fresh produce and you can tell that it’s taken years of experience and real passion from the team to deliver a menu and food to this level. The attention to detail is amazing! What restaurant kicks off the evening with home made salt and vinegar butter to accompany their fresh home made bread!? The starter of homemade haggis was so smooth and flavourful, the main of lamb was cooked to absolute perfection and I can’t stop thinking about the homemade panacotta and sticky toffee pudding we shared. A lot of restaurants try to be something they’re not, some think they are a lot better than they are but very few punch this far above their weight! The food in the Playfairs certainly wouldn’t be out of place in any Michelin restaurant, it was that good! It’s great to see so much thought and creativity from a chef and he absolutely deserves praise for this. This is an absolute gem of a restaurant located slap bang in the centre of St Andrews. Thanks for an amazing weekend, keep up the good work, we can’t wait to come back!

Excellent steakhouse within two blocks of the Old Course. Two or three course pairing. We opted for two courses to include steak, chips, salad, and dessert. We added oysters. With three rounds of the drinks the total came to about £80 including gratuity. Excellent service.

Excellent lunch and super service. Will be back.

I booked a table at the window for Saturday night. I was in the restaurant at the time, I booked. . Waiter went checked on his computer, told me this was fine. Arrived at a very busy restaurant, 7pm as was arranged, to find my table had been given to another couple. My disappointment was obvious. The waiter more or less called me a liar and said”you cannot book specific tables” as I am deaf, I can assure you that I need a quiet table. In what is a packed and noisy restaurant. I have waited on management response, over a week now and not even the curtesy to apologise. Soon the summer will be gone and with a recession round the corner. I sincerely hope they have a change of attitude.

Whilst visiting St Andrews we were recommended to try Playfairs for a meal. I can't say it was a bad meal but it certainly wasnt good and absolutely not worth the £260 bill for four of us to have two courses. Three of us had...

Very clean ,friendly staff ,brilliant food

When I went it had a rating of 4.2 - it didn’t deserve such a low rating. The food was very tasty and well presented, great service and lovely people. Hidden gem!

Went during the open and was served breaded haddock and chips. Tasted like it was a frozen pack from Iceland!! Hardly any fish and a few chips underneath. Tiny wedge of lemon on each plate and my Wife's fish was burnt. As we were starving we ate it but on reflection should have sentvit back. I know they have a captured market during the golf but we will not be returning.

Close to the golf course and a lot more calm than most places during the open. Great seats outside in the sun watching the patrons go by. Friendly service

Wife and I ate at Playfair last week and loved the steak. The service was great and the food was outstanding. Get your reservations.

Lovely meal reasonably priced friendly staff. What mote do you need!

Stopped in at playfairs for a catch up and had a club Sandwich and a steak sandwich. BEAUTIFUL! Service by Jose could not be faulted, what a guy! So friendly and professional, offers great 5* service with a comfortable atmosphere. And chef Josh made something...

Had a great family evening here last week, food was excellent, service superb, and extra touches truly appreciated. Try to visit every time we're in St Andrews. Cannot fault it !! Enjoy. 👍

Had a lovely dinner here celebrating our son's delayed graduation. So pleased we chose Playfair's as all our meals were delicious and we had each ordered something different. The food was fresh, tasty and plentiful and the staff were super. Friendly, welcoming and efficient and...

Food was fantastic. Excellent, friendly service.

Delicious food, haggis needs and tatties starter is big enough for a main, steak in the steak sandwich great value and cooked to perfection. Very attentive waiter.

Great location within heart of St Andrew’s. Excellent, unique, inexpensive lunch! I had the mussels. Highly Recommended

Other reviews were accurate in praising this place, we were celebrating a anniversary and I asked if the chef could produce a blue dessert ( sapphire) and it was presented with panache by Daniel the matrie de. Don’t let the outside put you off, the...

Since we were staying at the Ardgowan, Playfair's was a natural choice for our Easter Sunday dinner. We had the three course meal. The appetizer was a smoked salmon linguine. It was creamy and delicious. Our main was the Scottish Lamb rump with ratatouille. Tender...

Fabulous food and service. My steak was cooked perfectly. I had the smoked chocolate ganache it was amazing. Definitely recommend Playfair's. Had a coffee with homemade chocolates absolutely delicious.

Went for dinner on Saturday 26th February 2022. The venison main was superb. It is part of a set priced dinner and we are so glad we ordered it. Fantastic value.

Food was delicious and the service was fantastic. Dinner was very good value for money and the dishes were beautifully crafted together.

Part of the Ardgowan Hotel, but accessible separately directly from the street, Playfairs restaurant serves wonderful food at very fair prices on a 2 or 3 course option menu. They also offer 4 different types of local steaks for an additional premium and the two...

Visited here at the end of October, the restaurant was recommended by fellow golfers, and we’re glad we listened! We could only get a table at 6.30 pm which they said they’d need back for 8pm, but in no way did we feel rushed. My...

What a disappointment. For his starter my husband was served one, teeny weeny solitary scallop that was over cooked and rubbery. His rib eye steak was bashed so much it was almost the size of his plate. I opted for the hake, which was the size of a finger of shortbread, set upon the most humongous portion of green mashed potato. As I said very disappointing and I wouldn't recommend this restaurant.

Dined in this restaurant last night whilst staying in hotel. We found the food good but not amazing. For me the flavours didn’t marry well together so whilst some things tasted good on their own, they didn’t go with the rest of the dish. Prices...

Bit overpriced for portions and quality of the food. A lot of sugar used in all dishes. 2 courses was £30 with no regular menu presented. Tried to charge for bread when we were not told that it was extra. It was removed when questioned. Staff were great and gave excellent service.

What a mixed visit we had last night. A cosy lovely place we had been to years ago. All was fine until the starter came out - I love a scallop starter but was bemused to find one shall scallop alone in the middle of...

Never visted it. Don't know where it is we are doomed. Wait till tha AIs come into play. Maybe there will be robots out side resturant grabbing us and forcing us to eat in establishments..

we came her on saturday. My previous review indicated hake and artichoke veloute dish that i thought couldnt be beaten. It was on saturday the halibut dish was oustanding. It was sublime and the best I have eaten.How a restaurant that charges this can produce...

Friendly helpful staff. Food was great and we really enjoyed our meal there. Only had the option of the 2 or 3 courses set menu but don’t know wether this is normal?

We have eaten here a few times and have found it to be most enjoyable. Lovely food and capable staff. Our recent visit, However, will be our last. The food was lovely, but the service was appalling. It was clearly understaffed and the two waitresses...

Very very good restaurant! Absolutely recommended. Refined dishes with lovely preparations and very well crafted. Thank you for this dinner

Nice decor, felt very traditional and felt family owned. Lovely food, but thought the supplements for the steaks where a bit high, that said we all enjoyed them. Very good service for the duration. Very happy with the COVID protocols

Three of us had dinner last night at Playfair’s, and I thought the food was imaginative, and delicious as well. I had haggis served with accompaniments I’d never seen before, and a delicious haddock filet on a nest of peas, puree’d and not. The only...

We have been in St Andrews for 2.5 weeks and have been to May restaurants in the city. This has been, by far, the best restaurant we have visited. The food was amazing and excellent value for money - £30 for a 2-course and £38...

Worthy of a Michelin star! Exceptional food beautifully presented. All the more impressive as the head chef is currently managing Front of House. He has clearly trained his kitchen team well. Good service from the waiting staff. An altogether delightful experience.

The premise was spotless and beautifully laid out and clearly Scottish setting. Staff were engaging and professional. Food was outstanding. This place was a gem and I would recommend to anyone visiting or staying in St Andrews.

Went for dinner on a Friday night ( booking strongly advised). Really impressive, professional service by all of the staff- friendly and attentive without being intrusive. My only criticism would be the lack of vegetarian options. There was only one option. The cabbage “steak”: was...

Food excellent, steaks cooked to perfection and service superb from Dimitri and Robbie and a nice chat with Duncan. Always recommend to anyone visiting St Andrews. Not to be missed. We will be back.

This is a small-ish restaurant attached to the Ardgowan Hotel. The menu has plenty of variety to suit all tastes and includes plenty of local food and variations on Scottish specialities. There is a 'set menu' (2 or 3 courses) which seems a good option....

Play fairs has a good reputation for the quality of their steaks. But the food on the menu other than the steaks was excellent and so imaginative and delicious. We had Haggis starter( home made) absolutely fantastic halibut dish and the chefs grannies sticky toffee...

First class cuisine. Excellent service. Book a table!!

Visited this restaurant on a trip to St.Andrews to celebrate my 70th birthday. Could not have wished or anything better. Pan fried halibut was first class with peas in a cream sauce and pickled onions, and a side serving of small jacket potatoes topped with...

Brilliant family run restaurant. Food and service excellent and they went out of their way to accommodate my partners eating choices. The haggis and soup and Caesar salad and scallops were perfect. The steak wasn’t perfectly cooked as ordered and the pork Wellington was worth...

We booked here after we had been contacted to tell us our booking at the Drum and Haggis had been cancelled due to kitchen team contacted by track and trace. Im a chef with over 20 years experience in the industry I’ve worked in some...

Food was not presented very well drinks expensive £5 for a diet coke won't be back

Stopped off here on our recent visit to St Andrews. Lovely little terrace, to take in the late afternoon sun, with a couple of G&T's (love the glasses) Although all tables in the terrace were full, service was excellent and waiter very efficient and friendly....

I would have given this place 5 stars but it was advertising food at the entrance but when we walked in, starving Imight add, we were told the kitchen was closed. Maybe should take the billboard inside then?? Wee tip?

My partner and I went for dinner and we decided on the 2 course meal for £30. Between the starters options, I had initially picked the scallops but I was told they had run out and not substitution was offered, so I went for the...

Nice setting beers a bit pricey

The staff went out of their way to fit us in with little notice. Great quality food. We where so impressed we went back two days later.

Atmospheric, staff attentive and food really good.

Great food and great staff, couldn’t decide between starters so they gave us a gratis scallop starter to try. Would 100% return next time for a meal. Sat outside which was amazing for Scotland. Only about 5 mins walk from the old course hotel.

Excellent quality food, staff extremely nice. Would definitely recommend you should have a meal here.

Another lovely restaurant in St Andrews. The menu is quite small but the food was of a very high standard and was exceedingly delicious. The staff were very friendly and welcoming. A relaxed atmosphere. Loved it

Had dinner here to celebrate our wedding anniversary. I had the halibut and my wife chose the ribeye steak, and we both had the selection of cheeses to finish. The food was excellent, with both the fish and steak cooked to perfection. Great flavours well...

The service is good here but the value for money just isn't there. Portion sizes small and steak supplements too high for what you get. Wouldn't recommend or come back

Lovely bar and out side terrace area, although next to busy road it was quite possible to have a relaxing drink with lunch (limited menu).

We both enjoyed a lovely meal at Playfair’s in StAndrew’s which appeared to be popular with local people too. My wife enjoyed enjoyed her starter of carrot and ginger soup. My scallop starter was equally enjoyable. I opted for the lemon chicken & herb risotto...

We have eaten here a couple of times, and this is one of our favorite restaurants in St Andrews. I had the 3 course lunch menu at the reasonable price of £20. The starter of homemade fishcake was so tasty. I followed this with lovely,...

Stopped in on a cold rainy day for some warmth, which is exactly what we got. Food was hot, tasty and fresh, however what really stood out was the service. Curly blonde young girl (I’ve forgotten her name) was lovely, had a nice chat and...

Stopped off for a drink and some dinner for the kids. Very warm welcome and service continues to be excellent. Will definitely return again!

On our impromptu honeymoon we noticed the fixed prix menu outside and booked a table. Very glad we did, for the service, to the wine, to the starter, main course & pudding ... everything was delicious. From the complimentary bread to the pigeon and haggis...

Comí aquí la semana pasada. ¡Buena comida! El precio muy justo y el servicio fue genial. ¡Definitivamente volveremos pronto!

Currently offer the best choice of menu in St Andrews, if looking for somewhere that offers reasonably priced, good quality food. The pidgeon breast starter and venison main course were both perfectly cooked and presented. The staff were very attentive and good humoured, adding to the whole pleasant experience.

Dined here on Saturday evening as my daughter fancied steak and the food did not disappoint. Three great courses (the dessert was just greed!) for a respectable £35. Lovely staff, great atmosphere (apart from one opinionated student - his poor friends looked bored to tears),...

Unbelievable service and food from start to finish. Could not recommend this restaurant more for any occasion. We were made feel so special and welcome. 110% recommendation!!

They charge £10 per person for cancellation within 48 hours. When I saw this I thought that this must be a really premium restaurant and the food quality outstanding..... .....however, it’s really not. The food is just average and not worth the cancellation fee risk...

They charge £10 per person as a cancellation fee if you cancel within 48 hours of the booking. They take all your card details, including your security code upon booking. They will charge you for whatever your reason for cancelling. In these times of a global pandemic it seems grossly irresponsible of a restaurant to uphold such a policy. For people not feeling well on the day of the booking or perhaps a minor symptoms (not one of the cough, temp, loss of taste or smell), it encourages them to power on through and attend rather be cautious and cancel. The restaurant make a big play on their website about what they do to combat Covid with the sanitisation of tables after seating etc, but getting rid of this cancellation fee might do more for the safety of their customers and staff than any of it. The food is ok but there are far better restaurants in St. Andrews and they do not risk you either to have to pay an extortionate fine for cancellation if you aren’t feeling well on the day of the booking or risk sitting in a dining room full of ill diners who’d rather not be there but don’t want to pay through the nose for nothing

Great food, friendly service, would definitely return.

Firstly, everything felt very Covid safe. You are asked to wait outside until the table has been cleaned down. There are bottles of sanitiser on the table. Staff wore masks. You are seated at a considerable distance from other tables. Our server was really friendly,...

Superb meal. Awesome miso carrots! Great service. Thanks Kane! Steaks were well cooked and the soufflé was superb!

Great Saturday night dinner. Excellent atmosphere and great service. Good menu choices and well prepared food. Good Covid set up

Visited this restaurant for the first time last night and wasn’t disappointed.I had a wood pigeon starter,with walnut and goats cheese.It was very good.My girlfriend had the haggis tortellini,she thoroughly enjoyed it .The main courses we both had steaks,I had ribeye and my girlfriend had...

Visited with Friends and family, whilst on a short golfing break. Welcomed nicely in, guidelines explained, food was delicious as ever.

With COVID restrictions, we hadn't thought ahead to booking restaurants and most were booked up! So hugely grateful we were able to get a table - what a treat! The restaurant is small and cosy with great service and the food is fresh and delicious!We had the haggis tortellini which my word was unbelivable! Delicious haggis in a tortellin in a beef broth! The flavours were amazing - I hadn't thought of haggis and pasta!! This was followed by steaks - sirloin for me and cooked to perfection with all the trimmings! Followed by cheese! The bill was hugely affordable - would recommend in a heartbeat!