CUANRA Restaurant at Best Western The Queen’s Hotel on the Esplanade welcomes head chef Stuart Wood back to Oban. Stuart takes the helm at this destination restaurant, having worked at restaurants and luxury hotels around the world, from the five star Queen’s Hotel in Cheltenham to eateries in France and Spain, to the Waterfront Fishhouse in Oban.
Stuart, an Edinburgh native, combines knowledge and experience with a passion for local ingredients to create outstanding seasonal food. His ethos is an emphasis on fresh, local products, but with a twist. ‘I’m using Scottish ingredients to make dishes with diverse flavours influenced from my experiences working across Europe,’ Stuart said. ‘It’s something that’s a bit different. All of our food is made freshly in house. We make all of our breads and desserts, including ice-cream.’
The menu changes seasonally to showcase the best of the west’s bounty, such as Isle of Mull hand-dived scallops with tomato salsa, olive tapenade and basil, or Oban-landed langoustines with garlic butter – prepared simply to let the natural luscious flavour shine.