Ayr to middling

Despite a couple of decent dishes, lack of attention to detail means Fouters fails to live up to the hype

AYR, as befits somewhere whose football team Sir David Murray once tried to buy, is a town of two halves. The oldest parts look so quaint you'd swear you were lost in a time-warp. The contrast with the newest parts, featuring rundown and unfortunate architectural additions from the 1960s and 1970s, is stark: you feel more like you're in Cumbernauld or Cumnock.

Fouters is right in the heart of the old town, just yards from the sea. The entrance is hidden away down a narrow cobbled wynd half-shrouded in shadows. Not that it's a secret for most of the townsfolk – Fouters has been here since 1977 and has become something of an institution. If you live in Ayr and know your onions from your shallots, chances are you eat in this subterranean little restaurant from time to time.

Through the doors and down a sharp stone staircase is a narrow flagstoned room in what used to be an old bank vault. The Ayr Bank went out of existence in 1772, but there are still signs it was here, as Fouters has made a feature of the old bank counter and the bank document box.

Our visit coincided with a gloriously sunny day, and even in the early evening the sun's rays were strong enough to let us wander around in shirtsleeves. But as soon as we stepped over the threshold, a chill descended that had us pulling on our jackets. I always knew bankers were cold-hearted souls, but the place was positively baltic.

There was only a smattering of fellow diners in the spartan, whitewashed catacomb, yet the service was notably sluggish. Fouters is one of the primary hangouts for the area's foodies and the menu reflects chef George Ramage's mission to bring Scottish and French influences to bear on relatively straightforward dishes that rely heavily on the ingredients to make an impact.

Bea started off with roasted wood pigeon with black pudding, pancetta and puy lentils, and was horribly disappointed. The black pudding and lentils overpowered the meat to the point where its subtle flavours were completely crowded out. The combination simply didn't work. When she scraped all the detritus off one slice of pigeon, though, she found it was exactly as she'd hoped.

My ravioli of wild mushroom and spinach with a tomato-and-basil sauce was a little nearer the mark, but once again the sauce, which had been made with vine tomatoes, overwhelmed the contents of the ravioli.

With the exception of two tasty little cheesy amuse-bouches, it was so far so bad. Our spirits weren't helped by the fact that the bottle of wine we'd ordered when we sat down didn't turn up until after our starters.

Thankfully, our main courses were a quantum leap in quality. Bea's duck breast was nicely cooked and came with a sauce of chocolate and Grand Marnier that was neither as rich nor as sweet as that description might have you believe.

My beautifully tender fillet of sea bass was served in a sea of beurre blanc with just a hint of tomato-and-garlic salsa and everything about it worked. The fish was fresh and the beurre blanc was the perfect accompaniment. Here at last was a dish that lived up to Fouters' self-imposed culinary brief.

My pudding, though, represented a steep downward slope from this peak. A fan of apricot beignets since childhood, I've tried all varieties from good to bad. These were at the bottom end of the scale: doughy, sugary and without sufficient apple purée or chantilly to leaven their arid nature. Bea lucked out with the Bailey's Irish Cream cheesecake. Its creamy consistency and unfeasible lightness made it a genuine treat.

We were left with the impression of a restaurant that has trouble paying attention to the details, whether it's the thermostat, the wine order or even something as fundamental as the combination of ingredients. To cap it all, the annoyingly slow service dipped to a glacial pace as our meal reached its end, to the point where I eventually had to go and find someone to take my money. For the first time in recent memory, I didn't leave a tip.

Fouters is a bit like Ayr. There's something majestic and worthwhile at its core, but to get there you have to go through an awful lot of sub-standard dross.

Vital Statistics

Fouters

Academy Lane, Ayr

(01292 261391, www.fouters.co.uk)

Out of pocket

Starters £3.95-£5.95; mains £13.50-£18.50; puddings £4.95-£5.25; cheeseboard £6.50

Rating 5/10