St Andrews isn’t our usual stomping ground but when the opportunity to try one of the towns longest standing family owned and run restaurants came along we jumped at the chance. Ziggy’s has been a permanent fixture in the town centre for over 30 years attracting students and locals alike for its American grill classics and relaxed 70’s AOR Soft Rock Café vibe.
We visited on a busy Saturday lunchtime and the restaurant was buzzing with diners surrounded by all sorts of rock memorabilia from the last few decades. We were warmly welcomed at the door and shown to our table by one of the rock chicks (Ziggy’s wife…ps. he’s not really called Ziggy!). We ordered sparkling water for the driver and an Eden Mill blonde lager for the passenger that came in frozen glasses – a nice touch that makes a big thirst quenching difference.
Ziggy’s offer a fixed price lunch menu of 2 courses for just £7.95 which seems a tremendous deal, along with a full à la carte menu with lots of options ranging from burgers, steaks and ribs to more Tex Mex fare. All of their meat and fish is sourced from local suppliers too which is always a good sign.
I was intrigued to find out what value the fixed price menu offered so decided to choose from here while Raymond went with the main menu.
To start with I ordered a plate of nachos – warm crisp tortilla chips with melted cheese, sour cream, guacamole and a jug of warm Mexican sauce on the side. They didn’t disappoint and with a little help from Raymond we both managed to clear the plate – delicious.
Raymond chose the Garlic Prawns (£5.95) that arrived sizzling in a small cauldron of butter, red onions and garlic along with some fresh bread for dipping. The King prawns took a while before they were cool enough to eat but were worth the wait – plump and juicy with a nice bite.
For my main course I chose Homemade ‘n’ Hearty Steak Pie from the £7.95 menu. The steak pie arrived in a dish with a big puff pastry hat, chips and garden peas. The meat was extremely tender and the crisp and flaky puff pastry was perfect for soaking up the generous meaty gravy. I would have loved some onion or carrots in the pie but it certainly was a hearty main as promised.
Raymond chose the spicy minced beef burrito – a baked floured tortilla filled with spicy beef, topped with Mexican sauce served with rice, sour cream, jalapenos and guacamole (£10.95). This was a very big plate of tasty food that got hotter by the mouthful. He managed most of it and the Mexican sauce might have been better served on the side to avoid the perspiring forehead and the soggy burrito bottom.
It was lovely to dine in a traditional family run restaurant where they are still so passionate about providing quality food with great service at very competitive prices. After 30 years they are still doing lots right and it’s great to see that they have stood the test of time while other larger restaurants have come and gone in St Andrew’s. 2016 has been a great year so far with the restaurant winning the Best Family Restaurant in Fife award. Watch this space to see if they return with another trophy in the national awards.
Ziggy’s
6 Murray Place
St Andrews
KY16 9AP
Tel: 01334 473 686