THERE'S an instalment of The Broons where Paw is looking out of the window and is accused by a neighbour in the tenement opposite of making faces at her.

Not surprisingly, because it happened in just about every story, there was a misunderstanding and his gurning facial contortions were not because he was being rude but he had some raspberry seeds from Maw's homemade jam stuck in his falsers.

For some reason I thought of Paw's predicament just after I'd ordered chicken wings and pork ribs as a starter at the Scottish Steakhouse at the Macdonald Inchyra Hotel & Spa, as I belatedly envisaged trying to excavate tiny meat morsels from between my molars for hours on end.

I'd also overlooked the fact that encounters with ribs normally end with me sporting a rib sauce smile from ear to ear, not the best look for any dining companion to be faced with.

On the other hand, there's free wi-fi so she was able to look at her phone while trying to ignore the clown vision opposite.

As it turned out, no Paw Broon impressions were required as it turned out to be an inspired choice and an excellent beginning to a fine meal.

The meat was superb, fell off the bone easily and I didn't have to gnaw on the bones like a half-starved dog, again, not an image that's likely to impress the person seated opposite.

But you'd definitely get pass marks for treating someone to a meal here.

The hotel's recently had a multi-million pounds investment and was recently awarded an AA rosette for exceptional food and service.

The staff were friendly and helpful and it proved to be a very relaxing and enjoyable experience.

There was an exhaustive drinks menu – whisky lovers will love it although you'll need deep pockets for the Glenugie Deoch an Doras dram at £48 – and they've even got some pretty funky water jugs.

The starters of BBQ chicken wings and pork ribs, and classic prawn cocktail for my partner, were demolished with satisfying nods and smiles.

Loosening the belt a couple of notches – I seem to be running out of notches these days, pesky small belts – I opted for some artisan sourdough bread to bridge that always tricky gap between starter and main.

Boasting the best cuts of beef from Scotland's most renowned butchers, there are a range of burgers for the mains, as well as freshly caught fish, lamb rack and classic dishes such as beef bourguignon, bolognese and schnitzel to choose from.

But they were playing the waltz theme from the Godfather film when we were about to order and there was an offer we couldn't refuse – it's a steak restaurant after all.

The rump steak, described as the "chef's favourite", quickly became mine too as it was marinaded in chilli and garlic and cooked to order, while the fillet steak across the table was described as melt in the mouth marvellous.

To be honest they had me with the chips. The golden test for any diner worth its salt, the fries here were delectable.

Accompaniments included some lovely rubs and sauces and if you're going to top the steak with a tomato, do it right.

Too often you get some hard and tasteless tom plonked on for decoration but hats off here, it added an extra flavour to a fine dish.

Somehow we made room for dessert and coffees with a sharp and delicious lemon tart with raspberry sorbet for me and sticky toffee pudding with a to-die-for caramel sauce and Cornish clotted cream for my wife.

You can make a reservation at the Macdonald Inchyra Hotel & Spa by calling 0344 879 9044.

It may be near Falkirk but you'll have a fabulous meal.

To have a chance of winning Sunday lunch and a swim for the family, just answer this question.

What accolade was recently awarded to the Macdonald Inchyra Hotel & Spa for its exceptional food and service?