Founded by Skye native and Gaelic speaker, Clare Coghill, Café Cùil draws inspiration from the wild and natural larder that the Hebridean island has to offer, using locally-sourced, sustainable ingredients.
The Café began its story in the heart of Hackney, East London in 2019, where Clare’s passion for Hebridean produce created a unique café space in London that allowed her to showcase the fantastic ingredients that reminded her of home. Now based back on the Isle of Skye, the café has been reborn in the idyllic setting of Carbost.
We caught up with Clare to find out about her favourite places to eat and drink on Skye and what’s on the menu at Cafe Cùil.
The best place to get dinner:
This is a question I get asked a lot by friends coming to visit Skye. If you’re looking for fine dining or an unforgettable experience I’d opt for Edinbane Lodge or Scorrybreac. Both run by Calums, who do incredible things in their kitchens, and every time I go, I am blown away. For more casual local dining, you will find me at the Stein Inn for local shellfish or the Old Inn for an epic Sunday roast.
Edinbane Lodge
The best place to get a cocktail:
Upstairs at Scorrybreac do the best cocktails, with a gorgeous view of Portree Harbour from the window seat. Since it’s a small bar above the restaurant, it feels like a secret spot in Portree that gives you a peaceful refuge for a cocktail from the busy streets. They do beautiful wines and whiskies, too!
Scorrybreac.
The best bakery:
My favourite place to get bakes is Bog Myrtle. It’s technically a café, but Mania is a trained baker and creates the most delicious sourdough bread and bakes for the café counter. Their cinnamon rolls and sourdough cheese scones are epic, and luckily they’re only a 10-minute drive from Café Cùil.
The best place to get a coffee:
Without a doubt, my favourite place to stop in for a coffee is Birch in Portree. They roast their own beans, and have also expanded their operation to bake their own Viennoiserie. They were recently voted number 50 in the World’s 100 Best Coffee Shops, so the locals of Skye are incredibly luckily to have Birch on their doorstep.
Birch
The best dish on the menu at Cafe Cuil:
Great question! And probably an ever-changing one as our menus evolve with the change of the seasons. I’d have to give the best dish award to our iconic beef brisket rarebit. We slow cook local beef brisket in Skye ale, mustard and spices for 6 hours, before pulling apart and placing on top of Orkney smoked cheddar. Topped off with a poached egg and chives, it really is a winner. In fact, it’s the only dish we’ve never taken off the menu!
Beef brisket rarebit with poached egg at Cafe Cùil
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