Good Restaurants

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Postby Cyclo2000 » Wed May 26, 2004 12:47 pm

The Chip in Ashton lane gets an undeservedly good name. The food is mediocre at best and it is the most over priced place in the town bar none. The service is casual to the point of nonchalance and the wine increasingly poor value for money. It very much trades on past glories. Looked at the menu last week and they'd put the set meal price up to £37.50, but still wanted an extra £7.00 for scallops! Scallops! I ask you.
Best value in Ashton Lane is Brel. Good prices, nice place, decent food. Get there before 6.30pm and the moules pommes frites are half price.
Up the lane in Cressellwell there is the excellent Cafe Andaluz. Ask to sit at the bar as it's the best way to eat Tapas.
The Ashoka in Ashton lane is v. good, too.
Across Byres road to Ruthven lane and Stravaig-into. Good enough but like it's big sister in Gibson Street (on the site of the Spaggetti factory, ah the 1980s...like another Glasgow) it's over-rated. The Di Maggios here has the best atmosphere of the Chain but the same overcooked pasta.
Byers Road has many eateries, No16 is good, ain't been to the Dining Room yet. The Puppet Theatre was nice but as it's now shut it needn't concern us here.
Two Fat ladies is okay, but doesn't compare favourably with The City Merchant in Candlerigs for either the quality of it's service or the breadth of it's menu. In fact, in it's price band it's hard to find anything in Glasgow that compares well with the City Merchant. The Beer Cafe across the road does a bowl of Goulash for about £4 for the cash starved (or just starved). They used to have a great wee menu at Bargo but I beleive they've slipped. If like me you remember having to queue to get in in the 1980s then you might still consider Gandolfis. Even now if I have visitors up from london I usually huckle them in there to sit at the communal tables and wonder how it's still in business. They tell me there is now a Bar upstairs but I haven't been yet.
Gamba is excellent, The Chardon D'Or too, but both are pricey. If you really want to eat at this level then Rogano is still the mark to beat. The service is impeccable and if the prices are steep they are no steeper than the Chip and the cooking is in a different class as is the setting. You can eat at the bar very reasonably and if you do they will give you preferment for one of the booths. You will have to wait for it but what the hell...who wants to rush a good feed?
I recentlly ate in Etain (the fancy bit of Zinc in Princess Square) but wouldn't rush back...it's as stuffy as an old man's club and not half as classy as it thinks it is...like an old woman from Burnside.
For cocktails I would favour Rogano over Zinc, tho both are nice. If you can get a seat at the bar in Rogano (and can afford the prices, there's no happy hour) then you've got it made. Zinc has table service and a decent range of drinks but can be a bit slow and the place is souless even when relatively busy. Grouchos has a Happy Hour and is still a great place to hang about before grabbing dinner somewhere and they make an excellent Whisky Sour. The Mojitos at Zinc aren't bad but...Rogano wins again with the Towns driest dry martinis. Strapped? There's always Arta, I think they still do half price cocktails all night on a Saturday. Get smashed!

As an after thought (and in case anyone thinks I'm being too harsh)
the Chip was my favourite restaurant and a regular eatery for my Family and I for years. Every birthday, every special occasion. It is only recentlly that I've turned my back on her. And for what it's worth,
upstairs at the Chip is still the best bar in Glasgow, bar none!
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Postby duncan » Wed May 26, 2004 6:21 pm

good writeup Cyclo. It might be worth you're checking out The Bothy down Ruthven Lane, which does Scottish fayre at a reasonable price (in comparison with The Chip). Only been the once but it was quite nice, and made a change to be able to order things like Cranachan. They've gone slightly overboard on the twee scottishness of the whole place though
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Postby Cyclo2000 » Thu May 27, 2004 11:32 am

Good call and I have to agree the Scottishy bit has been over done in the Bothy which is on the site of the old Puppet Theatre. I beleive it's owned by Stefan King (who also owns the Loft in Ashton Lane across Byers Road)

Bothy similar and comparible to Arisaig which now has a West End outpost at the bottom end of Byers Road in what was formally the Colin Barr owned Living Room. Haven't been to the one up West but have eaten in the Merchant City version, shortlly after it opened in fact.

First of all, despite my booking the table several days in advance, was shown to patentley the WORST table in the room. Had to complain straight away. Was told there was nothing they could do. I pointed to another, much better table at the other side of the room away from the Service desk but was told, wait for it, it was booked! Told him to give them our table and went over and occupied the one we wanted. Created a bit of an atmoshere, I can tell you. BTW...the booking never showed.
They had at that time one waiter for the whole room. Consequentley only bought one bottle of wine instead of usual 2. Couldn't get and wasn't offered drink upon arrival. Struggled to get served all night, as did everyone else in the place although it was in no ways busy.

Food, not bad, but no great shakes either. One of the starters (I think they still do this) was and I quote...."Pan Fried Beetroot". Mmmm... delicious you're thinking! But what else are they to fry it in? A shoe? So let's drop the "Pan" bit. What we have here is "Fried Beetroot"! Not so mouth watering now, eh?

The menu has never changed. It isn't dear so can be forgiven this lack of imagination and there are those who welcome consistency of menu. However, this menu started off driech and dreary and has remained as grey as a Tobermory Sunday ever since.

FYI...the City Merchant is just up the Street...
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Postby My Kitten » Mon May 31, 2004 5:44 pm

Good Call Cyclo. I have to agree with the comments on the chip. I have been a good few times and its been getting worse.

I booked my graduation dinner six people for the full dinner, fizz the works and we had to moan to get into the courtyard and then in came what I can only say was a Govan night out! ( i am a snob!). Pissed women arguing and their baps hignin out their tops not really what we wanted from the chip. I havent been to eat their since, on any visit back home.

For a relatively cheap night out in the west end i liked either Mother India or antipasti, good atmosphere in there.
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Postby Bex Bissell » Tue Jun 01, 2004 12:03 pm

The City Merchant, in.......the merchant city.
The food, service, menu, etc. brilliant, it'll take something special to get old Bex to look else where when he's entertaing the goodlady.
Surprisingly unpretentious for the trendy pert o toon.
Italian family taking the best of what we've got to offer from minch and moor and doing what they do best, cook. And not a Neapolitain sauce in sight.
From lovely little calves painstakingly hand reared in crates to proud highland stags, their all on the menu with a great seafood selection to put.
The puddings are not for the faint hearted.
I finnished off my meal with the Cranachan, three different flavours served with shortbread.
Old Bex was egg bound for near 2 days.
Oh, the humanity!
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Postby JayKay » Tue Jun 15, 2004 2:22 pm

I still remember the Rainbow Trout at the City Merchant from my pre-vegetarian days fondly. It could almost turn me back to my fish eating ways again.
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Postby gilly » Mon Feb 07, 2005 3:25 pm

im very interested in Culcreuch Castle. tell me more ?

do u have a telephone no ? sounds like the kind of places i like :)
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Postby engineer » Sun May 01, 2005 4:25 pm

went to la lanterna in hope st last night, very nice
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Postby yourebarred » Wed Jun 22, 2005 6:16 pm

nice hidden one for you - the sisters restaurant in hyndland
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Postby yourebarred » Wed Jun 22, 2005 6:17 pm

more like anniesland actually sorry
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Postby HollowHorn » Wed Jun 22, 2005 10:05 pm

Crikey, now that's what I call well hidden. :oops:
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Postby Sharon » Mon Sep 26, 2005 10:50 am

The Sisters is on Crow Rod above (behind) Cafe tantalus / Pablos or whatever ist currently called... went in once but couldn't hget a table. The smell of food was divine... must go back!!!


Tried Monster Mash on Byres Rd last night... good traditional food. HUGE portions very very tasy, totally recommend. Chicken and Ham pie was gorgeous.
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Good restaurants

Postby mags » Sun Feb 19, 2006 7:59 pm

There's a new restaurant along Dumbarton Road called The Kail Yard Green. Went there last week. The food is excellent and staff very friendly. Lovely small intimate restaurant. Must also mention the Mother India Cafe which we frequent a lot. Some of the best curries in town. I should know as me and mine have been sampling curries since the 60s!! :D
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Re: Good restaurants

Postby My Kitten » Sun Feb 19, 2006 8:00 pm

mags wrote:There's a new restaurant along Dumbarton Road called The Kail Yard Green. Went there last week. The food is excellent and staff very friendly. Lovely small intimate restaurant.


It had a good write up in the Herald the other day, same people as Roastits I believe. Another on the list to try.
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Postby mags » Sun Feb 19, 2006 8:06 pm

Yes, been to Roastits too but for lunch. Also very good.
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