Friday evening. Boys’ night away. We shoot from the city like a cork from a bottle, surfing a wave of weekend traffic all the way to the wealth and wonders of seaside Fife.

Alas. We’re so late that by the time we slide into the award-encrusted dining room at Sangster’s we’ve downed just one rushed pint, noticed trendy bars in the countryside that seem full of the over-65s and seen local youths entertain themselves by dancing in the bus shelter across the road to the sounds of their mobile phones.

Groovy. A surreal time begins, one that will end around 5am as the last person awake in Gibbo’s beachside mansion tells the last story about our last days as Evening Times reporters to the trickle of the last drop of the last bottle of golden rum slipping down his stupid throat. Yes, that would be me, folks.

It’s an evening that kicks off with an odd interruption to our starters of delicately seared scallops and langoustines with raspberry dressing and a delicious cheese-crusted twice-baked Mull cheddar soufflé. The immortal words, “Excuse me, the kitchen thinks it recognises you,” come from our waitress. Uh-oh. As I look up in fear, the boys pause with forks hovering over plates hoping for great amusement.

And they get it. “You’re Mr Gibson, the new chef at the Old Course, aren’t you?” she asks me seriously. Cue suppressed sniggers from Jim “Celery Ankles” Gough across the table.

Alas, I’m not even the Mr Gibson who made the booking. Who he? If this were a reunion movie he would be the financial success story of this group of worn and weary former reporters, picking us up earlier in the shadows of Gibbo, Gibbo and Partner, famous Glasgow public relations firm, whisking us all the way to Elie in his corporate Ford Focus and promising us lots of durrink. And food. Ah. The style of it all.

But life ain’t the movies and Sangster’s, one of the latest Scottish restaurants to be awarded a coveted Michelin star, is not some horribly expensive, over-the top palace of posing. In fact, it’s small, slightly awkwardly laid out and, behind its white walls and crisp linen, was clearly once somebody’s flat.

This is not necessarily a bad thing, we decide, as we pick over a thai fish cake like no other, on account of it being made with fresh seafood, not packed with potato. It’s light and punchy and crisp on the outside and also full of flavour.

In fact, says Mr Frank Morgan “The Organ”, dragging himself away from torturing the pleasant Argentinian waitress over the wine list, “that’s bloody good, that is”. Fifers … Need I say more?

Of course we behave badly, Jim committing the greatest of all social faux pas in a posh dining room by taking calls on his BlackBerry, and me constantly texting my boss back in Glasgow who is fending off another one of our former colleagues, now a tabloid man, who thinks he has a story.

I did say this was a surreal evening.

We also have a perfectly crusted, sparkling white, flakey fillet of halibut with nutty savoy cabbage; a saddle of venison on a plate dotted with small, perfectly formed and deeply flavoured girolle mushrooms; and we have the beef fillet. Every dish is delicate and beautifully presented, every detail bringing its own taste to the table. The only grumble is that nowadays, no matter where you go, venison is so refined and hung for such a relatively short time that its flavour and texture is indistinguishable from beef. Not a problem exclusive to Sangster’s, then.

Nonetheless, we note that the other diners are quiet, sensible and grown up and that the atmosphere is the same: perhaps a bit too quiet. We also note that the cinnamon panna cotta with tiny apple chunks and an apple, lemon and vanilla compote is outstanding, and we head off into the night to let the serious fun begin.

Sangster’s, then? Quiet, civilised, top-drawer cooking. If we muse that the menu lacks a mind-blowing dish or two, we concede that, at a mere £36 for three courses, it’s a bloody bargain.

51 High Street, Elie, Fife. 01333 331001.

Lunch Wed, Thurs, Fri, and Sun, 12.30pm-1.30pm; dinner Tue-Sat 7pm-8.30pm. Times change from mid-October.