FOOD & DRINK RECENT OPENINGS
SUPPORTED BY
HIP HOPS
Brewers from Stonehaven have expanded south into Glasgow. Tiff Griffin discovers that they’ve brought us plenty of interesting Belgian beers and Flemish flavours
B lending Flemish traditions with Scottish brewing, six°north’s arrival in town from Aberdeenshire isn’t just a welcome appearance. For beer lovers it’s paradise, with 30 glistening taps
plus fridges filled with unusual Belgian offerings.
Start with a refreshing Hopocrisy blonde or Wanderlust before tackling more challenging Lambic beers. All this takes place, fittingly, in a continental bier halle setting replete with benches and tiled walls. It’s relaxed and noisily sociable as trays of schooners sploshing golden delights whoosh around the room while the smaller side-bar provides a metropolitan blend of aged wood and masonry. The menu offers eye-catching Flemish cuisine and with most available as small plates, a tour des Belges is ideal. There’s beef stew with deep caramelized overtones so brooding that Jacques Brel would be proud, and Toulouse sausage bursting with peppery juice and rustic flavour. Most memorable is the halibut parcel with Liege salad, a wonderful pairing of mild, delicate fish and the salty crunch of bacon cubes. Brussels has arrived in Partick and the Belgians just played their joker.
SIX°NORTH
566 Dumbarton Road, West End, Glasgow, G11 6RH,
0141 334 6677, sixdnorth.co.uk Average price two-course meal: £14.50 (lunch / dinner).
The best of the new restaurant, café and bar openings in Glasgow and Edinburgh. Prices shown are for an average two-course meal for one.
Glasgow
OBU PAN ASIAN FAR EAST
Princes Square, City Centre, 0141 221 7044, obupanasian.co.uk, £16 (lunch / dinner)
Obu offers all that is popular and delectable in Asian cuisine. The stylish menu cherry-picks from the continent, clearly signalling vegetarian, gluten-free and chilli-hot options. Curry pots representing Japan, Thailand and India include a
Thai red fish curry brimming with prawns and firm fleshed coley in a sauce sweet with coconut and piquant with lime. Salads of Japanese tofu or sticky beef are tasty one-bowl salad-lovers’ delights. Easy- drinking cocktails, 14 judiciously selected wines by the glass, and outstanding-value lunch and pre-theatre menus mean groups of diners after Asian food over a drink are unlikely to go far wrong here.
SMOAK BBQ
6 Royal Exchange Square, Merchant City, 0141 248 4721, smoakbbq.co.uk, £13 (lunch / dinner) A well-travelled pop-upper prior to rooting in Royal Exchange Square, Smoak well knows what dude-food fans want and how to deliver it. Locally sourced meats are dry-rubbed or brined overnight before marinating, smoked ‘low and slow’ for up to 14 hours, and served with homemade sauces and pickles. The results are seriously succulent and flavoursome jumbo chicken
wings, burgers, hot dogs, smoke-pit ribs and pork of the pulled variety. Veggies are better catered for than expected – mac and cheese burger, aubergine steak and various sides including crispy house slaw, onion rings and Texas toast – and premium American and Scottish craft beers are promised once licensed. start delivers fish delicately marinated in paprika, roasted cumin, mustard and curry leaf while a main of kali mirchi ka lobster sees meaty chunks of lobster tail in a bold sauce of shallots, tomatoes and crushed red peppers. The interior is sophisticated and contemporary with a minimalist decor of contrasting creams and dark wood.
TASTY AROUND THE WORLD
JEELIE PIECE CAFE
Alea Glasgow, Springfield Quay, Southside, 0141 555 6144, tasty-at-alea.com, £19 (dinner) The big personality of celebrity chef Tony Singh is stamped all over Tasty, from photo portraits to the couthy menu marrying the best of Scotland’s produce with global comfort food (with the high-fat, carb-heavy and vegetable-light characteristics of much comfort food). From ‘bits tae share’ – steamed buns, haggis pakora, neeps ‘n’ tatties and poutine – to steak and fish mains, the individual dishes are good but it’s trickier to find combos that complement. Desserts take a nostalgic trip to the tuck shop, including chocolate teacake, with dishes of sweeties alongside. Wonderful Clyde views and quirky styling create an appealing space, though the casino vibe may be more acquired. 12 Leven Street, Tollcross, 0131 261 8067, jeeliepiece.scot, £7.50 (lunch / dinner) New to the Tollcross café scene but on an ambitious mission to stir things up, this is a mother-and-daughter- run operation aiming to create a local, ethical, and community-focused café. They’re at the farmers’ market every Saturday, picking up organic veggies, artisan cheeses, and local charcuterie. There ar e delicious vegan soups and daily specials such as avocado hummus on toasted sourdough with rocket, lime and black pepper. With local art on the walls, independent Scottish musicians on the stereo and lots of plans for evening happenings and daytime workshops, expect big things from this charming wee piece.
Edinburgh
NAVADHANYA INDIAN
88 Haymarket Terrace, West End, 0131 281 7187, navadhanya-scotland.co.uk, £9 (set lunch) / £26 (dinner)
Taking aim at the thinly populated fine-dining sector in Indian cuisine, Navadhanya offers a refreshing twist. Refined and innovative while retaining authentic flavours, tandoori-grilled salmon to
MILK AT THE FRUITMARKET GALLERY ARTS VENUE CAFE
Fruitmarket Gallery, 45 Market Street, Old Town, 0131 226 8195, fruitmarket.co.uk/cafe, £11 (lunch) Morrison Street’s Milk café has now extended its reach into a variety of the city’s arts venues, with operations running in the Collective Gallery on Calton Hill, Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop near Newhaven and now in this prominent spot right in the city centre. Bright, open and cheerful, it’s a space flooded with light from floor to ceiling windows. There’s a focus on yummy but healthy eating, with low-fat, gluten / dairy / wheat-free options and enticing vegetarian, vegan and superfood choices clearly marked on their changing menu and daily specials board.
Independent write-ups on all the restaurants worth knowing about in Glasgow and Edinburgh are available on our online Eating & Drinking Guide at list.co.uk/food-and-drink 54 THE LIST 7 Apr–2 Jun 2016