What does a vegetarian eat when dining in a seafood restaurant? And a famous one to boot? ‘I’m sick of being offered mushroom risotto or cheese pastries, so I hope there’s something good,’ sighs my weary companion.

Little Miss Lean can eat no meat and neither, in all conscience, can she finish any fish. But she could, it turns out, be tempted just this once. We are, after all, at the Good Food Guide’s Seafood Restaurant of the Year, a major milestone on VisitScotland’s new Walking for Foodies in Fife trail, and there are a dozen of us dying to try it out. On top of that she’s starving, after completing the arduous Elie Chainwalk, a series of carved steps accompanied by vertical and horizontal chains allowing access to the cliffs.

It’s been a hard day, and her resolve is fading fast. Can the kitchen at the Cellar in Anstruther come up with an acceptable solution? It is enough of a dilemma to winkle chef proprietor Peter Jukes – Scotland’s answer to Rick Stein – out of the kitchen and onto his knees. In the candlelit gloom of The Times’ Most Romantic Restaurant 2007, and kneeling on the cold 17th century flagstones, he beseeches our friend to try the grilled fillet of prime East Coast halibut with greens, pine nuts, smokey bacon and a pot of hollandaise sauce.

It’s his personal recommendation of the evening for everyone’s main course, but for our friend he points out that halibut is the least fishy of all fish – especially when it’s as fresh as his. Of course he’d omit the bacon. Such personal attention is typical of the genial Jukes, who has been cooking at The Cellar for 26 years while his wife Susan does front-of-house. You can see the attraction in its situation alone: the restaurant is situated just behind Anstruther Harbour, and it is all original beams and atmosphere. An amuse-bouche of smoked haddock and smoky bacon vol au vent is a tangy indication of what’s to come.

This is swiftly followed by a fat locally dived scallop, simply pan fried, which makes for a robust pre-starter. A bottle of Hellfire Chardonnay balances well. Needless to say, I have none of my friend’s hang-ups. Jukes’ prix fixe menu of £39.95 for starter, main and dessert (without wine) seems outstandingly reasonable given his status, even if coffee and homemade whisky chocolates are an extra £3.

My fish soup, a rich crayfish flavoured bisque glazed with cream and Gruyére, is incredibly intense, and I soon overcome my initial disappointment in what seemed like a not over-generous portion. I’d almost gone for the freshly baked creamy quiche of local lobster and smoked salmon, just to taste the lobster, but I’m glad I didn’t. A pesto-crusted fillet of cod with pak choi and mash is light and fresh (I always find halibut too dense and meaty, no matter how fresh, but don’t dare tell my friend).

One of our group is the only one to order the griddled medallion of Scottish beef fillet with wild mushrooms and stovies and he declares he’s died and gone to heaven. I still have room for dessert and I opt for an ice hazelnut praline parfait with seasonal fruits and berries. It’s on-the-point-of-meltingly creamy and not at all oversweet, which really is parfait as far as I’m concerned. Did the halibut do the trick? Well, my friend took the bait, ate the lot, and she’s not swimming with the fishes yet.

field facts

Price: £39.95 Cate's rating: 3.5 stars The Cellar Restaurant, 24 East Green, Anstruther, Fife KY10 3AA Tel : 01333 310378 www. cellaranstruther. co.uk www.visitscotland. com/perfectwalks