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Why I love the West End - Eats
Places to eat and drink - who needs to visit the town when there's all this on your doorstep?
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- Elite ’24
47 Places
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Grahame’s 5-star review: I've been wanting to try Cail Bruich for some time, and an impending birthday gave us the perfect opportunity to get the glad rags on and head on over. We booked a week in advance to assure us a table on a Saturday night. I was impressed at the attention paid to dietary requirements at the booking stage; attention that was reinforced constantly throughout the meal. The Maître 'd greeted us at the door and very quickly we were ensconced at our table with a wee plate of hors d'oeuvres in front of us and a g&t in hand. A second little appetizer soon appeared - I have no idea what it was other than some frothy number in a small espresso cup; mine was changed for a dairy-free option without me even asking. We also loved the warm bread rolls wrapped in a cloth basket. The market menu wasn't on offer at this time of the evening so we both chose from the à la carte. For starters I had the whisky-smoked salmon and crab with pink grapefruit and Herself had miso-glazed scallops. We followed this by asking for two Turbots, but I was advised that this contained too much dairy for my liking so the Cod was suggested instead. Both were absolute perfection and we were particularly impressed by the strange green froth dressing, neither of us having come across this before. We both had enough room left to manage a dessert; Herself picked the George Mewes cheese board, which I have to say looked very impressive even though I don't eat the stuff. I decided on the coffee and chocolate mousse as being the least dairy-fied option, and the maître 'd recommended a jolly nice port and sherry to accompany our desserts. A wonderful meal in a very classy restaurant. It wasn't cheap, but if you want to indulge yourself on a special occasion, then Cail Bruich is the place to do it. The evening was only marred slightly by the overly-loud party at the front of the restaurant, whose constant raucous laughter was, to say the least, mildly irritating. It seems some people don't know how to behave in 'proper' restaurants these days. -
Grahame’s 5-star review: We first came here five years ago (was it really that long?) when it was still 'An Lochan'. I heard a rumour that they changed the name because people kept asking them who 'An' was... are people really that thick? It's changed a lot since then - physically there seem to be more tables than I remember, and the menu is now a single-page affair of broad-spectrum Scottish fare including meat dishes, whereas before it was a multi-page seafood-only extravaganza. I still fondly remember the shared seafood platter... mmmmm. However, although the menu may have downsized, the quality is still as high as ever. I started with crab spring rolls with a chilli jam dip, which were light and very tasty, followed by a Thai-style seafood medley in coconut sauce, which managed to carry a fair degree of kick without overwhelming the delicate flavours of the fish. Delicious. Herself had scallops to start, which were really fresh and cooked to perfection, and followed this with the lemon sole with salmon mousse. I had been tempted by this, but when it arrived I was quite glad I hadn't picked it as it looked a bit too creamy for my taste. Yet it disappeared without trace so clearly was appreciated! We were both hungry enough to manage a dessert - Herself had a kiwi and mango pavlova that seemed absolutely huge; I went for an intriguing coffee jelly in brandy snap basket with caramel sauce, although I declined the clotted cream option. I wasn't sure about the coffee jelly as it was a very different taste, but maybe it would grow on me over time. Overall, a fantastic meal; good portions, superb presentation, perfectly cooked and generally scrumptious all round. Although it was pretty full when we arrived for the early evening shift, the staff were attentive and helpful at explaining everything on the menu (to my disappointment, it turned out that a 'financier' on the dessert menu had nothing to do with accountants). The chairs are sumptuous and comfortable, although some could do with replacing as the seats are getting a bit on the saggy side; luckily cushions had been provided for those that were a bit too far gone. Oh - and there's a giant pink and yellow raffia giraffe called Felicity in the gent's loo... I have no idea why, but it's quirky and I like it. -
Grahame’s 4-star review: I'm just updating this review to reflect the fact that the cafe bit has long since left the building! Instead, the area to the left of the ramp now has lots of interesting stationery and other knick-knacks - notebooks, wrapping papers, local interest books, games and general 'stuff'. It's a good place to browse for that little stocking-filler present for somebody. The other side still carries a good selection of cards. Things have gotten busier now, and there's often a longer queue for the post office than there used to be. They do have a self-service machine, but I've always found it unreliable and seldom trust it to complete a transaction without something going wrong. It's worth keeping an eye on the shop counter while you're queuing for the post office, as they will often call you over if they're not too busy. -
Grahame’s 5-star review: Formerly a solicitor's office, then a French restaurant La Vallee Blanche, now this strange space above Fopp has been transformed once again into Casa Russo. I never felt that the discreet entrance stairway was terribly welcoming as a French restaurant, but now it is brightly lit, with pavement sign board outside, and plastic hanging vines on the ceiling enticing you up the stairs. The Italian-theme décor continues inside in standard fashion, with a fake lemon tree in the centre, statues, hanging garden lanterns and the obligatory faux tiled roof. Brothers Nunzio and Mariano Russo (who also own La Fiorentina at Paisley Road Toll, Mediterraneo Grill in Ingram Street and Volare at the Mearns), promise an authentic taste of Naples, so I have been keen to try it out since they opened. A visit from a friend up from London provided the opportunity for us to try it out, and although it was a Saturday, I managed to get an early evening booking with no trouble - although after we arrived it quickly filled up. We ordered some olives and focaccia bread to sustain us whilst ordering, and the olives were scrumptious. Our order was quickly taken, and it seemed that we had barely managed to finish half a glass of wine before the starters arrived. We both went for the scallops, which were served on a shell in a delicious wine and garlic butter sauce with some garlic bread on the side; and I can say that without doubt they were the most tasty scallops that I've ever had. They simply melted in the mouth - heaven! Our guest opted for the Haggis Toscano (I suppose it had to be tried!), which was a patty of haggis on toast with a poached egg on top and a ball of bacon strips and pasta on the side. It certainly looked interesting, and got a thumbs up. For mains, we both chose the Risotto all Pescatora, which again was just perfectly done. The calamari was just right and not chewy, the mussels and prawns a good size, and the rice was just the right consistency. Our friend chose the Cotoletta alla Milanese (veal), which was certainly a good size and disappeared pretty quickly, so I'm presuming it was tasty. Feeling a bit stuffed but determined to try the dessert menu, Herself and our friend decided to share a Torta Milliefoglie between them. I declined as it all looked like too much dairy for me, so instead moved straight to a Caffe Corretto (espresso with a splash of strega). Here I have to give the only black mark, as the coffee arrived before the dessert, and they had to be reminded about that. I don't think it warrants losing a star though, as the service and quality of the food overall was superb. Price-wise, it worked out just under £40 a head, but then we did have two bottles of vino so that's not excessive. Worth mentioning that they have an afternoon 2-course deal during the week for £6.50 that runs from 12 noon - 6.15pm; Fri-Sun it's £8.95 and runs 12-5pm. Thumbs up from all of us! -
Grahame’s 4-star review: Another fine Byres Road institution, Kember & Jones always seems to be packed around lunchtime, so I seldom get the chance to check it out. However, as they cater reasonably well for gluten free diets it was the obvious choice for lunch with my sister. As usual, I had to wait for a table, which gave the chance for a brief perusal of the deli shelves and books along the wall. I've never actually been tempted to buy anything from there, but it gives you something to look at to pass the time. After only a few minutes a small corner table materialised upstairs, and I checked out the menu while waiting on sis. Given that it was lunchtime and the place was heaving, I was somewhat surprised to see a student ensconced with laptop and lots of papers taking up a four-person table by herself, no doubt making use of the free Wi-Fi. There wasn't even a cup of coffee in sight to suggest that she'd actually bought anything. I thought it was very tolerant of K&J not to ask her to move to a smaller table or even remove herself completely as it was a busy period. Feeling decidedly peckish myself, I took the advice of our server and decided to order both the soup of the day (barley broth) and a main plate, which was sweet potato falafel with chilli sauce, yoghurt and flatbread. The soup also came with bread, so it was a bit piggy; however both dishes disappeared without too much effort. My sis opted for a tuna nicoise salad, which turned out to be so enormous that she had trouble finishing it. Although we are both fans of their gluten-free polenta cake, we were both too stuffed to manage a portion, so instead I finished off with an Americano, which I think must have been double-shot as it certainly kept me going the rest of the afternoon. A very satisfactory lunch, if somewhat over-indulgent. The only thing that stops me frequenting this place more often is the price, which is a bit steep. But then, it is a prime spot on Byres Road so you have to allow for that. -
Grahame’s 4-star review: Having tried the Byres Rd branch, I decided to try the 'mothership' as I happened to walk past it recently. It was late morning and not too busy and I wasn't hungry enough for lunch or even second breakfast, so settled for an Americano. The staff were very friendly and welcoming, and I was just about to head for a table when I spotted an intriguing dark chocolate sticky with peanut butter and honeycomb... it was too much for my admittedly feeble willpower and was promptly ordered. What a confectionery delight it was too! It came on a piece of slate (what is it with this trend to serve food on roof tiles?) with a delicate grill of chocolate covering the rest of the slab and a thin rolled chocolate straw to poke it around with. At least I'm assuming that's what it was for, it certainly wasn't much good for anything else! But the sticky itself - absolute heaven. What a great combination of flavours. I'll be remembering that one the next time I'm in for sure. As to the coffee - fresh tasting, almost green if that makes sense? Rather similar to Papercup I thought. I know a lot of people like the Avenue G coffee, but there was a slightly sour/bitter edge to it that personally I'm not too much in favour of. I like my coffee to be a little smoother. I'll certainly visit here again if I'm in the area, but it'll be the chocolate peanut and honeycomb slice that'll bring me back, not the coffee. -
Grahame’s 4-star review: It seems to be the trendy thing these days to open multi-purpose combination businesses, which is probably a reflection on these times of austerity. But whoever had the idea of combining a cafe with a bike shop took a leap of the imagination that borders on the insane - and yet it seems to work! The place is huge inside, it's almost like two completely separate units. The front part, which mainly deals with the bicycle-related stuff, is spacious with a couple of comfy sofas in the window, the rest populated by lo-tech recycled timber benches and pallet tables. They have a select choice of cycling accessories (I was particularly impressed by the wood-effect skateboard helmet) and of course you can eat or drink through here if you wish. However the main cafe bit is through the back, where a large counter presides over a more conventional tables-and-chairs setup. They have a great selection of brunch and all-day breakfast options and good veggie choices too. There is a cunning little window that opens onto the lane right outside the entrance to Kelvinhall subway station so you can grab a coffee-to-go on your way to work. But the real prize is the secret garden out the back, which is a lovely suntrap on the few days a year when the temperature in Glasgow is warm enough to sit outside.
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Grahame’s 4-star review: I'm quite impressed with the spaciousness of Fika, although it seems struggling to actually fill the space. Still, that's good news for the customers as there are plenty of areas to chill out in peace, including the upstairs mezzanine area. And the tree house. If only I was small enough to fit in there! Maybe we should ask them to build a bigger one that's more adult size? This used to be the Bead Shop so I'm not sure what they have in the way of kitchen facilities, and maybe this is reflected in the limited selection of food they currently have on offer. With no sign of a food menu on display, I had to ask what there was in the way of lunch eating, whereupon they produced a hand-written scrap of paper offering only soup and a choice of two open sandwiches, both of them involving seafood and cheese. Not to promising as I don't do cheese.... however, they were happy to make something without the cheese so I ended up with a highly colourful smoked salmon and beetroot salad combo, artfully dressed with some pink sauce, together with a nice bowl of yummy soup and a Long Black. The sandwich was so pretty to look at I had to take a piccy, and even without the cheese it was a bit of a taste sensation. The soup was also very tasty once it had cooled down a bit from lava temperature, and the coffee wasn't too shabby either. So thumbs up from me on this new venture. Although it hasn't been open long I hope they survive as it's just quirky enough to be a favourite hangout, especially with the student flats next door. They could do with a more prominent sign outside though, as it doesn't exactly catch your eye from Dumbarton Road. -
Grahame’s 4-star review: As my usual haunt the Rio cafe was having a refit, I decided to check out Devil's Deli, which a lot of peeps have been raving about. It was pretty empty, which is a good thing as it's not the largest establishment around, so I made myself comfy in the window seat while I waited for my sandwich to arrive. The choice of sandwich was a bit of a no-brainer - how could I resist something called Hail Seitan! You don't often see seitan, and it is one of the better veggie bacon substitutes around so I wasn't going to let the opportunity pass. It came served with a wee rocket salad complete with a lovely dressing, and the whole package was so fresh it practically leapt off the plate into my mouth. Talk about a taste sensation - wow! It was a little bit spicy (but in a good way), so it certainly lived up to its name. The coffee was pretty damn fine too, no complaints on that score. I noticed on my way out that they had lobster rolls on the specials board. Being somewhat of a connoisseur of this particular crustacean-based snack, I came back at the weekend to ask for one, only to discover that they didn't have any - auugh! I shall have to return at a future date to review those. Perhaps they could think about keeping their specials board more up to date to avoid such crushing disappointments? -
Grahame’s 4-star review: I've been a Tapa fan ever since the original bakehouse opened in Dennistoun, so I was delighted to hear that they had finally managed to propagate to the West End and wasted no time in checking it out for lunch. The space is not huge - it's probably about the size that the original bakehouse was when they first opened, before they bought over the unit next door. However, there does seem to be an upstairs section, although I'm not sure if that's in use as seating just yet. But as it was only just after noon, they weren't exactly heaving and I took a seat by the counter where I could drool over the yummy cakes. Straight away I ordered my usual Long Black, with a small bowl of mushroom and kale soup, and asked for a veggie burrito on the side. I was expecting the usual soup-and-sandwich sort of arrangement with the burrito errr, on the side, but no! Burrito came on its own little board with side salad of rocket, tomatoes and peppers, AND a wee bowl of potato salad with rocket and onion. I wasn't exactly prepared for that, but I manfully forced myself to scoff it all down (apart from the tomatoes - yucky things!). Anyway, both soup and burrito were very tasty, and the long black was certainly up to the usual Tapa standard. They have tough competition in this area with other artisanal coffee houses, but it still works for me. Only two things prevent this being a 5-star review. One, the burrito was served on a wooden chopping board with a rather blunt knife, which didn't make it very easy to cut. A plate would have been so much better. Two, they rather bizarrely asked for payment before serving the food - did they think I was going to do a runner without paying? Darlings, this is the West End doncha know? I've never had to do that in the Dennistoun or Strathbungo branches. It just felt a bit odd. But hey! It's Tapa in the West End - hurrah! -
Grahame’s 4-star review: Gosh, it's been a very, very long time since I've been in the Curler's - at the time we were on the latter half of a sub crawl and I really don't remember much about it other than it was very crowded, noisy and seemed rather small inside. No longer! Inside it's been completely refurbished and opened up through the back, with plenty of bar space and lots of seating areas. There's also a large upstairs area with its own bar and bench tables next to the kitchen counter at the rear, and comfy sofas at the front. There's a real fire too, and even a chandelier over the stairs. All very civilised and worlds away from the hard-core boozer that it used to be. There is almost something of a Wetherspoons about the place, except that the food is a lot better. On this occasion we were partying with the Yelp Glasgow Christmas Dinner squad, and the long bench tables upstairs were perfect for the couple dozen of us. With a wee glass of prosecco and a G&T under our belts (they have some nice speciality gins), we were ready for the nosh. Actually, we were ravenous by this point and wondering what had happened to the food, but then it all suddenly appeared, seemingly everything at once, and soon we were all tucking in to our starters. Kudos to the kitchen for their organisational prowess on that front. We were having salmon as we don't do the meat thing, and the main course was a healthy slab of the pink stuff atop a bed of purple potatoes, which are absolute yum-tastic if you've never tried them. There was also an interesting-looking deep-fired crispy morsel which I had to be reminded was a mini-crab cake. Herself had smoked salmon to start, while I went for the root vegetable soup, again both delicious; and let's not forget the lemon tart with raspberry sorbet to finish. I'm tempted to give them the full 5 stars, and if the food had arrived a little sooner I probably would. Let's say 4 and a half, eh? -
Grahame’s 4-star review: A brunch meeting with our lovely CM Briony brought me in here; it's not an area I'm in often so I hadn't tried Gesso before and was looking forward to it. The space is a lot bigger inside than I was expecting, with a decidedly hipster atmosphere. There are some smaller tables and comfy seats at the front, giving way past the counter area to longer tables and a surprisingly arty gallery bit at the rear. There are a couple of benches on the pavement outside for the nicotine addicts too. It was a little bit early for brunch, so it was more of a second breakfast for me (in hobbit fashion). I ordered the scrambled eggs with smoked trout - makes a change from smoked salmon, I thought. And of course, a Long Black. The serving lady asked me if I wanted milk with that.... [sigh]. No, that would be a Flat White, says I (I do find it irritating when they ask if you want milk. If I wanted a white coffee I would ask for one). The verdict? Well, the smoked trout was a nice change, the scrambled eggs on toast were okay, but nothing to get excited about. The Long Black was also... okay. Not fantastic, just okay. Probably still better than the coffee from the Seattle chain a couple of doors along, mind you. Overall, I'd give the decor five stars, but the food and coffee is only worth three I think; so I'll compromise on four. Oh, and in case you're wondering, 'Gesso' (pronounced 'Jesso'), is a painting technique that involves a mixture of white paint, glue and chalk or gypsum (a bit like Plaster of Paris) that is used to create raised sections on the painting. It's incredibly time-consuming and messy to make the stuff, and it was used extensively by Margaret MacDonald Mackintosh, the wife of Charles Rennie Mackintosh in her panel work. Some of her originals can be seen in the Kelvingrove Museum, and there are some good reproductions of her work in the House for an Art Lover in Bellahouston Park, done by local artist Jenny Vaughan, who has rediscovered and revived the technique. -
Grahame’s 4-star review: My first visit to this Zizzi's, surprisingly, but as good as I would have expected from having sampled a couple of their other branches. I was momentarily disappointed that the menu didn't include the seafood linguine with squid ink that I fell in love with at the Inverness branch last year, but I was soon won over by the seafood risotto, which was just perfection - the right degree of stickiness in the rice, tender calamari, prawns and almost molten mussels - seafood heaven! Herself had the sea bream with Tuscan potatoes and a delicious peperonata sauce, which got a big thumbs up on all counts, and our meat-eating friend loved the pollo al prosciutto, which looked very tender. A wee fritto misto starter shared between two of us was just right to whet the appetite, and to finish we even managed to squeeze in a dessert each, which is rare for Herself, so that tells you how yummy it was. Or maybe the two bottles of Zinfandel had something to do with it...! I wasn't too convinced that some of the artistic renderings on the walls were enhancing the décor much, which otherwise has a bright and airy feel, somewhere between conservatory and warehouse; but there is certainly a vibrancy about the place, and the staff were efficient and friendly without being 'in your face' all the time. It was a Sunday evening so it was fairly quiet, and I imagine it could get pretty noisy when it's full, but it's a fantastic space to have a restaurant in and on a rainy day it would be a perfect refuge for lunch. Price-wise it's perhaps a little on the pricey side, but the food is good enough to justify that. I'll certainly be returning in future.
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Grahame’s 4-star review: Another veggie restaurant that I haven't been in before - I really must try harder! It was Sunday lunchtime and we'd just managed to grab a table before things got really busy. I thought they seemed a little under-staffed given how busy it was. The music is loud and funky retro, and the decor is rather err... eclectic? I liked the bare stone walls and the selection of comfy sofas to chill out on. In quieter periods this would be a cool place just to hang out in. The table we got was in need of a clean and was so sticky I was afraid to actually touch it or put my phone on it, and when we eventually attracted the attention of the server I had to request that she wiped it down. I appreciate that the place was busy but you shouldn't have to request that - it should be automatic when they come over with the menus. However I don't want to criticise the staff as they were cheery and friendly despite obviously being rushed off their feet. As we were both pretty starving, we both went for the all-day veggie breakfast option, which was, I have to say, the most unusual veggie breakfast I've had. Two tattie scones - check. Two veggie sausages - check. Two onion bhajis - excuse me? Also two slices of fried aubergine, which turned out to be much tastier than I thought they would (least favourite vegetable!), three minuscule slices of fried bread, and... a BOWL of baked beans? Seriously! Handy for dunking the tattie scones in, but it did seem a little OTT for breakfast. I guess they were out of the scrambled tofu maybe? Anyway, the rest of it was a real taste sensation as veggie breakfasts go, but I did feel that the baked beans let it down drastically. Overall, we were pretty impressed with the 78 and would love to return and try something else on their menu in the future.
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Grahame’s 4-star review: What a wee hidden gem of a place this is. I have driven past it dozens of times and thought is was just a workers' caff serving the many industrial units along South Street. It wasn't until I read the reviews on Yelp that I realised what I'd been missing, so we booked a table and made a special trip down there for lunch today. First impressions - we were the only people there and the chef came out of the kitchen to meet us, which didn't bode well I thought. The decor is unassuming and definitely a 'work in progress', but it is clear that they have already put a great deal of effort into getting the place functioning. The bar is near the entrance and there's a line of tables along the window wall, with a larger central area that looks like it could double as a dance floor, and finally there's a stage area at the far end. It all looks delightfully 'hand-knitted' and I loved it immediately. Once the owner returned from upstairs and realised that we were his booking, things picked up. In short order some music was played, menus appeared, and soon we were tucking in to the first of our tapas. As neither of us are carnivores, we picked fishy choices, olives, tortilla, and some papas arrugadas. The boquerones (anchovies) and olives were the first to arrive, and we both wolfed them down like the ravenous dogs we were. Delicious. Then came the tortilla and papas arrugadas. The tortilla is definitely something special, and I wished I'd ordered two portions, it was so tasty. The papas arrugadas turned out to be baby new potatoes with a separate dish of pepper sauce and another of coriander sauce. A fantastic combination of tastes, and the pepper sauce was just right - not too hot at all. Finally, the boquerones frito (whitebait) and the calamares a la romana appeared. The menu jokingly describes the whitebait as 'fishchips', but actually that's a great description of them. They're crispy and full of flavour - yum! I'm not generally a great fan of tapas as a primary meal choice, as I always feel that they're more of an appetizer option whilst sitting at the bar with a drink; but I might be won over by this place. The portions aren't huge, but with the 3 for £9 special offer, it's pretty good value. I will definitely return when the place is a bit more lively and they have some entertainment on. They may not be in a prime location, but it's definitely worth making the pilgrimage to this place. But let's not tell everyone about it - we don't want it to become too popular. Let's just keep it between ourselves, OK? -
Grahame’s 5-star review: I'm sure I had written a review about the Rio, but perhaps I was imagining it. Strange, as it is a regular haunt of mine. What I like about the place is the number of different hats it wears - from relaxed diner-style cafe during the early mornings to nursery creche closer to lunchtime (always busy), and live music and poetry venue of an evening. There's always a different vibe to the place. Friendly staff, a varied cafe menu, very reasonable prices and free Wi-Fi - it's got it all. Oh, and it serves booze! I have never been in the evenings so I can't comment on the live events; my favourite time to visit is early (-ish) morning before it gets too busy and you can sit down with a coffee and read the newspapers in peace. The coffee is pretty good - not outstandingly good, but better than most - and the food selection is varied without being pretentious. I probably eat one of their many all-day breakfasts more than anything else, and I am particularly fond of the scrambled eggs with smoked salmon on toast; delicious and the cost won't strain the pocket unlike the prices in overly-trendy Cafezique up the road. If like me, you don't eat meat, the vegetarian breakfast is great too, and they even do a roll with veggie sausage if you're in a brunch-y kind of mood. Main dishes are an eclectic mix of traditional Scottish fare and international offerings, meaning that although the menu isn't huge, you're pretty much guaranteed to find something to tickle your taste buds. They're very open to adapting dishes to suit your needs too. There's free Wi-Fi too, which is always a welcome bonus, and the comfy booth seating is ideal for a group or just to spread out if the place is quiet. There are more conventional tables on the small 'stage' area during the day and if you're on your own you may be asked to sit here if it's busy. I often use it for business meetings in the mornings when I need to meet someone as it's easy to give directions to. -
Grahame’s 4-star review: Oooh - they've gone all blue! Yes, the Rio is back after a much-needed facelift, and they've managed to retain the same funky diner vibe while at the same time creating a bit more space. Gone is the long bar, replaced by a more functional island unit closer to the kitchen end, which has enabled them to fit in extra tables where the bar used to be. The banquette seating is still pretty much the same, although everything has been re-upholstered and looks very smart (I mention it mainly because one doesn't often get the chance to use the word 'banquette' these days). The menu has been slightly revamped, although the old favourites are still there. There's a nice super salad option on the lunch menu that I look forward to trying at some point. On this visit I had some green pea soup with some toasted ciabatta, which was tasty enough although I felt the onions in it could have done with a bit more cooking as they were a tiny bit crunchy. At least I think it was the onions.... -
Grahame’s 3-star review: I hadn't been in here for ages, but the chance to catch up with my big sis for brunch was a suitable occasion to try again. The layout seems very cramped in general, especially in the upstairs mezzanine bit, but luckily it was pretty quiet so we managed to find a table without problem. I wasn't overly impressed with the lunch menu as it didn't meet my dietary needs. It's okay for veggies but most things had cheese of some sort in them so if you have problems with dairy your options are pretty limited. Luckily the all-day breakfast/brunch options are quite extensive. After pondering over the scrambled eggs with smoked salmon option, I eventually plumped for the eggs royale - basically eggs Florentine with organic smoked salmon and a massive nest of what appeared to be spinach. Jolly tasty it was too, although I did think it was a trifle over-priced at £8.75. I finished with an Americano, and my sister tempted me into a slice of polenta cake, which was very nice. The coffee was okay, not particularly outstanding. I still don't 'get' the popularity of Cafezique; to me it comes across as over-priced, over-crowded and over-trendy. It will never be a regular haunt for me, but it's nice once in a while. -
Grahame’s 3-star review: We had a friend staying with us who is quite fussy about her food (even more than me!), so went to Tony's on a Sunday evening as they have plenty of options on the menu. At 6pm the place was pretty busy and very noisy, party from the over-loud muzak but mostly from the long table full of boisterous rug rats that they sat us beside. Must have been families night out I guess. Fortunately they left fairly quickly so were not too much of an annoyance. Eschewing a starter, I went straight for the main event - Spigola all; Acqua Pazza, or fillets of sea bass with prawns, mussels, clams in a white wine and 'fresh tomato sauce', which was actually just some cherry tomatoes - I don't know if I'd go as far as calling it a 'sauce'. It came with a couple of pieces of toasted bread and a choice of side order, which I thought was a nice touch. I just had to try the polenta chips, having never heard of such a thing; very nice they were too! The main dish was tasty enough, even if the mussels were quite small and I'm not actually convinced I found any of the clams as the shells all seemed to be empty!. But the fish was fine, the prawns were a reasonable size, and the polenta chips were really nice. Herself had a pizza, which they adapted on request to leave out the meat content, and our friend had a simple spaghetti with pomodoro sauce. Both seemed happy enough, and they decided to split a Tuttamela, which is an apple pie sort of affair. Quite a reasonable size and they were very happy to split it between them. Overall, not a bad meal, but not an outstanding experience either. Service was adequate but not exceptional, and that really seems to sum up the Tony Macaroni experience. Adequate but not exceptional. -
Grahame’s 4-star review: Thursday lunchtime and there were only half a dozen people in here - what's going on? Perhaps the large 'CLOSED' sign on the door had something to do with it? Deciding to go in regardless, I was treated very attentively and quickly ordered a smoked salmon, cucumber and alio sandwich. The chap tutted resignedly and promptly turned the sign around when I pointed it out to him, from which I gathered it wasn't his fault. We had a bit of a chuckle over it anyway. The sandwich was very nice I must say - good decent thick slices of salmon married between delicate slices of cucumber and alio sauce on some scrummy wholemeal bread, with some new potatoes smothered in alio and a handful of rocket on the side. I like the clean decor of this place, it has a nice fresh feel to it. The prices are reasonable, and the main menu looks extensive enough for me to think about returning for an evening meal at some point. -
Grahame’s 4-star review: I've eaten here three times now and have not been disappointed. The food is perhaps not as spicy as you might expect if you're a hardcore Vietnamese foodie, but it is very flavoursome and personally I'd rather taste the food without feeling that my tongue is on fire! If you want to spice things up some more, there is a choice of fish sauce, chili sauce, or chili and lemongrass dip that is served with all dishes, and the latter one should certainly be approached with caution. I also recommend the peanut and chili dip for some extra pizazz. The decor is decidedly cheap and cheerful, with a mish-mash of worn-looking stools and odd tables contributing to the 'recycled street chic' feel. It is definitely unpretentious. For cutlery you have a choice of plastic chopsticks or more conventional tools on request. Drinks are consumed from worn tumblers, and mine on this visit had an uneven bit on the rim where it had clearly been ground down and re-polished. I didn't have a problem with that, it's merely an observation; but if you're trying to impress a date with an expensive bottle of wine you might want to look elsewhere. Much of the food is served in tapas-style portions and comes when ready, although even when it has been very busy everything has arrived pretty quickly. Start with 3 or 4 dishes and a couple of side dishes between two and see how you get on. The staff are brilliant; they are friendly and helpful at explaining what everything is and catering for any special dietary quirks you might have. I don't eat meat so I make no comment on those dishes, but there's a great choice of delicious fish or veggie things too so there's always plenty to eat. The rice paper summer rolls are a regular favourite, as are the grilled soya bean and shallot cakes. On this occasion we tried one of the specials, a tofu and okra number that was absolutely delicious. I'm not a huge fan of okra as it can be a bit stringy, but this was cooked to perfection. They also make their own tofu on the premises, and it is without a doubt the best tofu ever. I'd come back here just for the tofu - it really is that good. I've yet to try the Banh Mi and the Pho, but then again I need something to look forward to on future visits! My only criticism is that the upstairs gets very noisy when it's busy so it becomes near-impossible to have a conversation. It could do with some soft hangings to soak up the decibels a bit. If you want a quieter evening, try and book a table downstairs. -
Grahame’s 4-star review: Now I have to admit, I'm a bit of a coffee snob. Like Special Agent Dale Cooper, I like it "black as midnight on a moonless night". I'm always keen to try new coffee places and when I spotted S'mug tucked away behind Marks & Spencers I decided to give it a try. It was lunchtime too, which was added motivation, especially as their selection of bagels and other goodies was a clear cut above the norm. I had a delicious hummus bagel, which came with a lovely portion of salad and some tortilla chips - just the job. The coffee was very good and of a decent strength too; although I wouldn't rate it as the absolute best in Glasgow, it's certainly in my top five and is definitely my current favourite in Byres Road. There's free Wi-Fi too, although you'll be lucky to get on it from the number of students using the place as a study area. That's my main complaint about S'mug and is the only thing that stops me giving it five stars - it always seems to be heaving with students and it's often difficult to find a seat. Despite this, the staff are always very cheerful and helpful, the service is fast and the atmosphere is exuberant. What's not to like? -
Grahame’s 4-star review: I once hired this place for a birthday party back when it was called the Living Room, and I hadn't been in it since; but when I heard that it had been taken over by the Left Bank folk I was keen to try it out, and a visit from an out-of-town friend provided the perfect opportunity for lunch. The 'lunch for a fiver' deal has now split - the burgers (both carnivorous and veggie) are now six pounds, although you can still get the noodles or the soup/sandwich deal for a fiver. I opted for the veggie burger, and my friend went for a falafel and quinoa salad combination. It was definitely one of the tastiest and interesting veggie burgers I've had - none of your 'just out of the freezer' generic soyburger here - this was a wonderful flavour combination of chick peas and sweet potato with a hint of coriander, served with rustic hand-cut chips with peel still attached and flavoured with rosemary salt, plus a wee pot of garlic mayo for dipping. Just wonderful. My friend's falafel salad looked great too, and I made a mental note to sample that next time round - the falafels were huge! There was a moment of panic as she thought for a second that the topping was cous-cous (she's gluten intolerant), but the waitress quickly reassured her that it was quinoa. I also sampled the St. Mungo ale, which although new to me was very quaffable I must say. We finished with coffee, which I found ever so slightly disappointing and not up to my usual 'rocket fuel' strength. But I am a coffee snob, so maybe it's just me. The layout of the place is a bit strange, it straddles two units with a street-entrance close in the middle, so there is an odd back-passage connecting the two halves; the farthest room feels quite isolated at times as you have no direct visual link to the rest of it, making it hard to attract the attention of your server at times if they're not constantly checking in on you. It's definitely not good Feng-Shui! It makes for a good area for large groups, and sadly there was one in today creating rather more noise that was necessary. I'm really tempted to give it the full 5 stars, but the lacklustre coffee, the noisy company and the laid-back service doesn't warrant it this time I'm afraid. -
Grahame’s 3-star review: Visited here for the second time recently and actually stayed to eat this time round. We were toasting the departure of a friend back to the US, and had started with a whisky in the Lismore but were driven out by a noisy band and the need for more sustenance. It was early evening and the place was quiet, so we sat in the very comfortable sofas and primed our palates with another whisky and some speciality teas (whisky and tea is a great combination - try it!) Suitably primed, we decanted ourselves over to the dining tables and decided on our orders. The writing style on the menu is quirky to say the least, but it does provide a good idea of what's in every dish, which is handy for dietary-challenged folk like myself. We all went for the Glesgae Tart for starters (mine without the crowdie topping) - they were a nice option for veggies but didn't strike me as anything particularly special (and I have no idea why they're called Glesgae tarts?) I struggled a bit to find a main course that I could eat, but settled eventually on the fish cakes. I was totally unprepared for what these were and was expecting the usual fishy patty with some veg as pictured in Briony's review - not so! It was a small frying pan entirely filled with fishy/mash mix and topped with a poached egg, served in the pan on a board. Definitely different! The egg was a bit rubbery as the whole thing seems to have been grilled to finish off, but nonetheless it was quite tasty, sort of like fish stovies. I did feel that it was lacking some veggies or salad to go with it though. One of my companions had a fish and chips with mushy peas - I would have gone for this option except that the mushy peas had ham in it (what's that about??) - and although the fish was tasty, the chips (with peel on) seemed less so and most of them were left. My other chum had a mushroom burger with chips, and again ended up not eating many of the chips. Determined to go for the full gastronomic immersion, I then ordered a Guinness and chocolate cake from the dessert cabinet. Although the topping was nice, the actual body of the cake was a little dry so it clearly wasn't that fresh. Overall, there is a lovely ambience to the place and I really like the eclectic decor. It's a cool place to hang out in when it's not too busy and I do like their selection of speciality teas and ales. If you're there and you decide to eat it's OK, but I won't be going back there just for the food - there are much better eateries in the area. -
Grahame’s 2-star review: To be fair I've only had lunch here so I'm probably not giving it as balanced a review as it might deserve, but honestly? I just don't see what the fuss is about. A fiver for soup and a sandwich sounds like not a bad deal for lunchtime - until you see the size of it. I had carrot & coriander soup that was too peppery, and a fish goujon sandwich. The soup bowl wasn't massive, the sandwich portion even less so. Two bits of fish that were smaller than my thumb and covered with batter. Sorry, for a fish sandwich it really should be breadcrumbs. Oh, and there were a few leaves of salad to go with it. Drink - a 200ml bottle of Schweppes ginger beer for £1.80 served with a tall glass chock-full of ice so that it looks like a good deal? No, sorry. Not overly impressed with the Old Salty's lunch experience. I don't think I'll be back. -
Grahame’s 2-star review: Well, I'm sorry An Clachan, but you leave me no choice. I have to downgrade you to two stars. That's twice in one week that you've disappointed me. The first was on Sunday, when we stopped by on a walk round the park for some refreshments. I know it was very busy, but to ask for £9.60 for 2 coffees and 2 tiny cupcakes is nothing short of daylight robbery. When I queried the charge, the serving lady had to consult with higher authority, and then the price was reduced to a (still hefty) £8.40. Come on now, you're a cafe in the park, not a restaurant in the Merchant City. After that I was prepared to take my patronage elsewhere, but on finding myself passing again today at lunchtime, I thought I'd give you a chance to redeem yourself. Today was very quiet on the customer front, so I ordered a hot smoked salmon with horseradish toastie (from the "TOASTIES" menu), together with my usual Americano, which came to a more reasonable £4.60. The server (not sure if she was the same one as Sunday - she may have been) even looked at the TOASTIES menu and pointed at the one I had picked. Armed with my coffee, I sat down to browse the newspapers and awaited my lunch. You can imagine my surprise when, instead of the hot smoked salmon & horseradish toastie that I was expecting, I was served a poached salmon roll with side salad. I was momentarily stunned into silence, and too hungry to wait for the mistake to be rectified, so I ate it. Very nice it was too, but it wasn't a TOASTIE! I want to like this place, I really do, but they need a serious review of their pricing strategy and their staff training, as clearly much is being lost in translation between the counter and the kitchen. Next! -
Grahame’s 4-star review: After all the great reviews this place had gathered from the Elite14 visit, I felt obliged to go out of my way and pay it a visit. Initial impressions were not great I have to say - and I'm actually in two minds about giving it 4 stars because of my ordering experience. I asked for an Americano and the scrambled eggs on toast. The girl serving me mumbled into her pad something about 'mushrooms or pancetta', and I had to ask her to repeat it before choosing the mushrooms. She clearly had the attention span of a goldfish as she asked me to repeat my choice twice more before I left the counter. Not a great start, and it was still early in the day! The decor is in the minimalist, industrial, can't-be-bothered-to-decorate-we-can-do-that-later style, and I don't mind that too much as I take it as homage to Tapa Bakehouse in Dennistoun (still my favourite coffee house) who did it years before. In fact the whole experience of Papercup reminded me of Tapa when they first opened. What saved this review was the food - the scrambled eggs were just perfection, firm and chunky the way I like them, served on a bed of spinach on a couple of slices of pesto-coated sourdough bread. Yum! Not a huge portion and I could easily have eaten the same again immediately, but absolutely delicious. The coffee: My Americano was very good indeed - so fresh you could almost taste the green bean and full of flavour. I would have liked a larger cup to appreciate it more, but sadly it was finished too soon. I don't often pass this way so I'm not likely to be back here anytime soon, but I will return at some point to see how they get on and to try another blend of coffee. However, my heart still belongs to Tapa for the best coffee in Glasgow. -
Grahame’s 4-star review: I've been a Roots & Fruits customer since Garth first opened the place, and it's been interesting to see how it has evolved over the years with the various branches around the West End. I'm still bitterly disappointed that they closed the Byres Road branch as that was very convenient to get to; although once Waitrose opened up next door it was clear the writing was on the wall. However, having consolidated everything into one place, the enterprise has really blossomed (and that's not just the flowers!), especially since the demise of Grassroots in Woodlands Road. The delicatessen section has grown hugely, as has the fruit & veg selection and choice of organic breads, and to top if off they now also serve coffee, breakfasts & lunches and yummy organic treats! These days I mainly make the effort to come here to buy vegan pesto sauce, as it's the only place I can seem to find it. But I'll almost always stop for coffee and a snack or even brunch as well. Given that it's not their main bag, the coffee is pretty good actually, and it's pleasant to park yourself on a stool looking out of the window and watch the world pass by as you sup. If you're lucky, there will be a current paper to read; if you're unlucky, there's always the free Wi-Fi to help you pass the time. -
Grahame’s 2-star review: Note - I'm only reviewing the bar here, not the upstairs restaurant or the theatre. We used to come to Cottier's regularly for Sunday brunch, but stopped when it was discovered by the West End Young Mum's brigade and started turning into a crèche at lunchtimes - it was just too busy and I'm not a fan of having sprogs in pubs at all. The bar has a reasonable selection of real ales and the coffee isn't bad. Although I haven't eaten there for a while now, the bar food was always good with some nice veggie options. No complaints on that score. The main reason we don't go there now - and the reason I'm only giving it 2 stars - is the noise level. The bar is a big high-ceilinged rectangular room with shiny walls and ceiling, and the acoustic is simply appalling. You cannot have a decent conversation without shouting, which of course just exacerbates the problem. They could really do with hang some tapestries or soft curtains on the walls, or maybe even fabric banners from the ceiling to soak up some of the stray sound and make it bearable. What saves the place in the summer months is the outside seating area, which is perfect on a sunny day. They often have barbecues out here too, and on a warm summer's evening it's easy to convince yourself that you are at a much lower latitude than Glasgow.
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Grahame’s 3-star review: When Tinderbox first opened it was a godsend to the coffee-deprived West End, and the funky interior design was certainly innovative. I was surprised to find that they have another branch in London's Islington, decorated in the same style. I used to frequent both branches for a coffee and sandwich at lunchtime when I was passing. And yet... in recent years there have been so many other designer coffee outlets opening up that Tinderbox has become rather passée, and I stopped patronising it some years ago when their food menu took a turn for the worse with the introduction of rather carboard-y wraps. Yesterday I decided to give them another chance and popped in to see if things had changed. There was a fair number of folk there, although it wasn't lunchtime and I wouldn't say it was at its busiest. I'd ordered a small Americano and a tuna & olive roll. There appeared to be only one barista operating, and he clearly had a list to get through before my order, as it was almost 5 minutes before my coffee arrived, by which time another two staff members had appeared. I gratefully took my wee tray and perched by the window. The coffee was OK but I wouldn't rate it as particularly exceptional. The cup size was quite small, which I didn't mind as most places have vastly over-inflated cup sizes. The sandwich - again, the roll was quite small, but it came with a wee bag of crisps and a small tub of mayonnaise and was certainly better than I remembered. Overall, Tinderbox was OK and has improved since my last visit, but they're not the best value for money given the small size of cup and sandwich, and I'm not inclined to revisit them again in the near future. There are plenty of other options in Byres Road now and perhaps Tinderbox need to stop resting on their laurels and think about upping their game to match the competition.
