Fresh Scottish produce bolsters the Nordic-French menu at Falls by Orry Shand, a new restaurant in Aberdeenshire
Just metres from the Bridge of Feugh, near Banchory in Royal Deeside, sits an unassuming 19th-century cottage. It has a perfectly preened garden, mini grey-blue portico, and a chubby stone chimney that belongs in a Beatrix Potter illustration. But this is no quaint, make-believe home. This is Falls by Orry Shand, Aberdeenshire’s newest fine dining restaurant.
Previously home to Falls of Feugh Restaurant, the building underwent a six-month revamp (worth £500,000) that has lifted it out of its tartan-and-timber past. What occupies the space now is an uber-stylish restaurant characterised by its dramatic riverside location and contemporary Nordic-French menu.
This is the first independent restaurant from Scotland’s former National Chef of the Year and BBC Great British Menu 2026 banquet winner, Orry Shand. “We’re absolutely delighted to finally get the doors open to Falls, which has been a momentous achievement for the whole team,” says Orry.
Every interior design choice, including the open kitchen, nods to whatever quiet wizardry is happening behind Orry’s pass.
Smart storage in the dining areas show off produce and drinks: a classic Dry Ager is placed between elegant grey cabinetry, a glass-fronted wine closet exhibits Europe’s finest bottles, and backlit inset shelves display dozens of whiskies.
Furniture is distinctly Scandi: Hans J. Wegner-esque chairs, clean-cut boucle seats, pleated paper blinds and lots of metallic accent lights. Small wrought iron radiators, locally sourced artwork and the odd exposed brick wall are reminders that Falls by Orry Shand is, in fact, in rural Scotland.
The kitchen itself is carved into a soft-beige wall to the rear of the restaurant, its dark tiling and glowing cubic sconces hidden in plain sight. Chefs work smartly, executing nightly tasting menus of up to 12 to 15 servings. There’s one catch: you don’t get to see said menu.
This ‘meals with no menus’ format has been in the spotlight for a couple of years now. Aizle in Edinburgh gave menu-free fine dining a go in 2024 while Glasgow’s TRUST by Modu went viral on social media for its ‘blind dining’ experience last summer.
At Falls by Orry Shand, the unexpected doesn’t come in the form of tableside fanfare or naff blindfolds — just bold European cooking that champions Scottish produce and prioritises creativity over convention.
Menu highlights include lobster landed by day boat at Aberdeen harbour; Peterhead monkfish; and Perthshire highland wagyu beef.
“We can’t wait to start welcoming our guests through the doors and hope they have as good a time here as we did making this a really special dining experience,” says Orry.
The restaurant, which boats views towards the Water of Feugh and surrounding woodland, has a maximum seating capacity of 30 with two sittings available four nights a week, from Wednesday to Saturday at 5:45pm and 8pm.
Guests should allow around three to four hours for the Falls by Orry Shand dining experience. Reserve your table here.
Falls by Orry Shand
Bridge of Feugh
Banchory
AB31 6HX
t: 01330 828 485
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