Where to Brunch in Glasgow's Southside

I love to treat myself to brunch in a wee café. I used to work from home pre-Covid, and would take myself out once a week with my laptop for a nice coffee and a bite to eat. That all stopped obviously during the pandemic, and I'm slowing getting back out there again! It's been a while since I've worked from a coffee shop, but I've been enjoying brunch with the kids every so often. 

This weekend we visited The Brunch Club in Giffnock for the first time (used to be BRGR), along with Dawn and her daughter. They don't take bookings, and so we did have a little bit of a wait (understandable as we needed a table for 5). I wasn't blown away by my choice of smashed avo (avocado, red onion, garlic, fresh cherry tomatoes, balsamic glaze, poached egg & sourdough toast; £9) although I did enjoy the halloumi that I added (£2.50). My son felt his waffles were a bit dry (waffles with Nutella and fruit; £9.50) but Dawn loved her plate (Alba which was veggie haggis, poached eggs, truffle hollandaise, crispy kale and sourdough toast; £9.50) and the girls enjoyed their pancakes and Nutella. I'll try something else next time... tacos perhaps! Dawn had a virgin Bloody Mary, and it looked ace (I sadly didn't photograph it!). 

It's been a while since I've written a review of a restaurant or café... when the kids were little they tended to love most things and a lot of the restaurants got 5 stars when they were asked to rate them!! Whereas now, my son at nearly 13 years old and my daughter at 11 have opinions! Their favourite meal is steak & chips (we had a fab dinner in York at the start of the summer holidays at Cut & Craft, I'd recommend it if you're in the area... as would they!!), and when we're brunching they're all about pancakes and Nutella.

Anyway, back to brunch...

Our hands down favourite is Bramble, opposite Queens Park at 924 Pollokshaws Road. Similar to The Brunch Club, they are walk in only. So if we're headed here of a weekend I try and go for them opening (Sat 9am, Sun 9.30am). When Bramble was in Giffnock we queued for an hour once to get a table, and that wasn't fun with two hungry kids in tow! Most items on the menu I love, the vegan flatbread (sweetcorn fritters, salsa, pineapple chutney and mayo on a soft flatbread; £9.50) is a favourite as well as the pulled pork tacos (which isn't on the menu anymore *sad face*). The kids tend to order pancakes with Nutella and strawberries (£9.50, or £6.50 for a small portion).

Last on my list, for now, is Café Strange Brew. Again, as with the others, this café is walk in only. I was here with Evie (they're dog friendly) for breakfast a few months ago and didn't have to wait too long for a table. I love the presentation of the dishes here, my yoghurt and granola came with little edible flowers... so pretty! 

If it's just coffee that I'm headed out for, then I do love Grain & Grind. (My son is obsessed with their sausage rolls and brownies!) I love their coffee, and even have a bag in Verity for my Moka Pot.

What's your favourite spot for brunch?

Review & a Recipe - Giraffe's Heid Cocktail

I popped back along to Giraffe on West Regent Street on Friday after work last week with my colleague to try out the new cocktail launch, Giraffe's Heid.

I do love cocktails, but to be honest I'm not normally one to try new ones all that often as I tend to stick to what I know and like. There have been too many times that I've been disappointed.

However I thought I would give it a whirl... who's going to pass up a cocktail review, am I right?



Giraffe's Heid is a Scottish Classic with a Giraffe twist of Bulleit Bourbon mixed with Rose Syrup for essence topped up with Ginger Ale to give it a kick and finished with a stylish Lemon Twist.

Recipe:

1. Add 10 mL of Rose Syrup and a dash of Lemon Juice (5 mL) to your rocks glass.

2. Add 2 ice cubes and 25 mL of Bourbon and stir for 5 seconds

3. Add 25 mL of Bourbon and stir for 5 seconds

4. Fill up with ice

5. Top up with Ginger Ale leaving a window

6. Add a long Lemon Twist and serve



I was pleasantly surprised as the cocktail was easy to drink and didn't taste too alcoholic. I normally prefer a longer cocktail you see! I do love Ginger Ale, so this was right up my street although Bourbon wouldn't be my spirit of choice.

We also tried Ja'makin' Me Merry (my favourite) and Chocolate Christmas Luxe. Both were tasty... although I'm not a huge coffee fan so I found the coffee chocolatey dessert one a bit overpowering for me.

I wouldn't immediately think of going to Giraffe for cocktails, but I certainly will go back. We had a bite to eat whilst we were there and the food was delicious. It would make a great location for a work night out or a get together with friends as it's such a large spacious venue.

Big thumbs up from us!

We received some free cocktails in exchange for this review. Opinions as always are honest and are my own.

Review - Giraffe, West Regent Street, Glasgow

It's not that often that I eat out in Glasgow City Centre with the kids. We tend to frequent the obvious family friendly chains at the shopping centres like Braehead, St Enoch Centre, Glasgow Fort or Silverburn. The thought of eating out in town with the kids stresses me a little, as I'm not sure exactly which places are child friendly! It turns out I didn't need to fret... Giraffe is easily accessible in the centre of Glasgow.

Locals may know there is also a Giraffe at Silverburn shopping centre at Tesco, but I hadn't been to either so our visit to Giraffe was an adventure! (The kids have said they had been to Silverburn Giraffe with their dad, so they knew more than me!!). I was aware that Giraffe was taken over by Tesco a few years ago, and I had in my mind that it was a supermarket café rather than a destination in itself.

My previous conceptions were wiped on arrival at the Giraffe restaurant in town. The venue, on West Regent Street, is lovely and spacious. The decor is fab and I loved the bright pops of colour in the chairs and lighting. Definitely surroundings that I'd be happy to hang out in.

We were seated in the window and ordered a few drinks - Mango Mama smoothie as recommended by our waitress for me (£3.85). The little plastic giraffes that came with our drinks were super cute and a unique touch that I haven't seen anywhere before. The kids loved them and they were kept amused playing giraffe families!

 

Orchard Pig, Ginger & Chilli, £2.65

It was like the restaurant had read some of my older restaurant reviews because the kids drinks were served in plastic cups with a lid, so I wasn't stressed about them spilling like a previous experience. We also were given activity/colouring sheets for the kids with crayons which was ideal. 

Food wise we ordered a mezze platter to start with mini pitta bread, halloumi skewers, falafel plus hummus, tzatziki, ratatouille, baba ghanoush and tabbouleh. The kids shared this with us, and it all was lovely.

Mezze Platter, £10.50

For mains, the kids had a salmon fillet with salad and potato wedges (£5.65). I personally loved that there was a choice for a 'grown-up' dinner for them rather than just chicken nuggets or fish fingers. The kids wolfed their meals (apart from the lettuce!) and gave their dinner a big thumbs up.

I had ordered a Thai Duck Stir Fry, and it was really delicious. Rick had Firecracker Chicken Katsu (£11.25) which he also loved. We shared some sweet potato fries too - the kids weren't keen on these but Rick & I enjoyed them very much. The dishes were presented well- I loved the grey bowl that my stir fry arrived in - right up my street!

Thai Duck Stir Fry, £10.95

Firecracker Chicken Katsu, £11.25

Sweet Potato Fries, £3.95

Grilled Salmon Fillet & Salad, £5.65

 

Of course we had to try dessert. The kids had the kids sundae, which of course they were delighted with! I had the Rocky Road Sundae (£5.95) and I didn't anticipate the size being so huge! It was immense, by this point I was pretty full but I managed to eat it all!! We washed down our pudding with a 'Moroccan' Fresh Mint Tea (£1.95), which along with some fresh mint it had a tea bag, so it wasn't the authentic experience I had expected, but it was still a nice end to the meal.

I was pleasantly surprised by my experience at Giraffe and thoroughly enjoyed our meal. The staff were attentive (although they knew we were reviewing the restaurant) and the food was lovely. I'd definitely go back.

The menu for breakfast/brunch looks great - Mon to Fri until noon you can have a Breakfast Burrito with a hot drink for £5! Warm tortilla filled with scrambled egg, chorizo, jalapenos, melted cheese, chipotle sauce, tomato & avocado salsa - yum!! 

 

We left the restaurant, the kids with their balloons, and we walked back to the car

with happy, full tummies :-)

 

We received a complimentary dinner in exchange for this review. Opinions, as always, are our own and are honest.

 

 

Review - Cote Brasserie, Glasgow

We were thrilled to be invited along to Scotland's first Cote Brasserie which opened it's doors in Glasgow last month. The restaurant is situated on West Nile Street and serves relaxed French breakfasts (French toast, crepes and pastries amongst others) from 8am mid-week through to the evening dinner service which stops at 11pm (Sunday at 10.30pm).

"Our inspiration for the food and design of Cote is a modern interpretation of the many famous bistros of Paris. Inspired by new trends, we are dedicated to serving authentic classic brasserie dishes with a modern twist, using high quality produce at great prices"

We were welcomed by the maitre d' who took us to our table. He was very friendly and I immediately felt relaxed. The staff knew we were there to review the restaurant, and we were given special treatment such as the Kir Royales that were brought to our table as we perused the menu. However, I would like to think that the customer service we experienced would be the same if we had just walked in off the street, just without the free fizz! After an 11 hour shift at work, it was so lovely to sit back and enjoy a dinner date with my man!

Cheers!

It took us a while to decide what to order - there really is so much choice and it all sounds fantastic.

We ended up ordering starters of French Onion Soup (£5.25) and Baked Crottin, a traditional Goat's Cheese from the Loire Valley, served warm with lamb's lettuce and apple salad, walnuts, croutons and golden raisins (£5.95). Rick was amazed at the size of his soup with a giant cheesy crouton on top, and the waitress said that it wasn't a starter for a first date as it was a bit tricky to eat! Just as well we've been together a while now! My Goat's Cheese was delicious. The variety of textures and flavours in the salad was just beautiful and the warm cheese was oh so perfect. Yum! I should also mention the complimentary filtered water which we had on our table throughout the meal - the Cote branded bottle was a really nice touch.

French Onion Soup

Baked Crottin

For mains I ordered the fillet steak (medium) with Bernaise Sauce (£18.95 plus £1.95 for the sauce); the steak was served with frites. Rick opted for the Poulet Grille (£11.50) - chargrilled butterflied chicken breast with wild mushroomm, creme fraiche and thyme sauce served with gratin potato. Oh and of course I had to try some French beans too (£2.95). The steak was possibly medium-rare but it was really tasty and the sauce was just delicious. I had a forkful of Rick's chicken and it was equally good, and such great value for money.

Despite demolishing my starter and main, I was still keen to try the puds. I ordered the Tarte Fine aux Pommes (£5.50) and Rick chose the Creme Brulee (£5.35). I have such a sweet tooth, and this apple tart was a highlight for me. The crisp, flaky pastry and the warm, soft apples topped with vanilla ice cream were just to die for. I could have easily had more than one portion! Again, I snuck a spoon of the Creme Brulee (for review purposes of course!) and it was a gorgeous consistency. I think sometimes it can be tricky to get it right, but this was spot on. 

The surroundings are just beautiful. I love the art deco style, the unique light fittings and the tiled flooring. It's a lovely venue. I could quite easily have been in France somewhere for the night! I checked out the toilets, as you do, and they were equally lovely. My only comment would be the wooden toilet seats which didn't fit very well and personally weren't to my taste.

Bathroom selfie!

So my overall thoughts? A definite thumbs up from us - fantastic food and service at great prices. We will most certainly be back. We've already picked up our Breakfast Club keyrings - join the club and you can have a complimentary hot drink with each breakfast for you and your guests every weekday.

We received a complimentary meal in exchange for this review - as always opinions are honest and are my own.

Review - Chop Chop, Glasgow

Rick & I headed out to try the new Chop Chop restaurant in Glasgow's city centre a few weeks ago. The restaurant is on Mitchell Street and thankfully isn't far to walk from Central Station as I had high heels on for a change! We were celebrating being together for two whole years (hasn't it flown!) and so I had dressed up especially in my sequin skirt, to be greeted by Rick who had come straight from work in his jeans and T-shirt as it was dress down Friday. Ever so slightly mismatched, we were greeted at the restaurant and shown to our table. I had hoped to be seated under the fantastic (fake) blossom trees, but we were offered a window seat instead. Next time I'll ask for the tables in the middle!

We ordered a range of dishes from the extensive menu rather than going for the unlimited banquet (£20.95 per person). I did note that children under 5 can eat from the unlimited banquet menu for free, so perhaps on our next visit we'll take the kids so they can try too.  

The dishes come to the table as they are made, in random order. We had ordered a few 'small' plates - although they were far from small!! 

"In China, diners order collectively and share all dishes."

As it was our first visit, the waitress made us up some dipping sauce for the dumplings we ordered of soy sauce and vinegar to which we added garlic and chilli to suit our taste. The service was spot-on; just enough attention to make us feel special. I've been at some Chinese restaurants before when the waiting staff walked by your table every 2 seconds which was just too much!

The fried pork & Chinese leaves dumplings (£4.85) were delightful, dipped in my mix of soy, vinegar and garlic - using my chopstsicks I might add! After our dumplings the remainder of our dishes arrived. The food was amazing, and there was so much of it! We thoroughly enjoyed each and every dish.

I had aubergines with garlic (£5.65), chicken with peanuts (£5.55) and beef with red peppers (£5.95). Each dish was flavoursome (I had steered clear from the spicy ones) and there was a variety of textures which made for an interesting meal... the soft cooked aubergine, the melt in the mouth beef (my favourite) and the crunchy peanuts through the chicken. 

I of course had to try the desserts too. I had the ice cream dumpling (oh my word!! I could have easily eaten more than one, it was soooo good) and a small plate of sugar string apples that you dip in iced water before eating to crystallise the sugar coating. It was bizarre biting through the crisp sugar to be met with a warm cooked apple, but they were really tasty.

"Chop Chop" is a phrase that reminds me of my mum... my sister and I would hear her exclaiming these two words as she tried to get us to hurry up and get a move on. It's thought that the English word "chopstick" originates from this phrase, basically meaning "quickly". When I'm using chopsticks though I'm far from quick! 

You might think from the name that the restaurant is a fast food diner. The restaurant is very brightly lit and the paper placemats and plastic plates perhaps might make you think chain/fast food restaurant, however the tables and chairs are stylish and the blossom trees, to me, are beautiful and unique. So it's a bit of a mixed bag in terms of the interior decor. There were a couple of larger groups at the restaurant during our visit, and it's definitely the place that would be well suited to groups of friends rather than couples looking for an intimate meal.

The food, however, is far from what you would expect in terms of fast food quality. Every dish was freshly prepared and they all were fantastic. There's no artificial colourings or preservatives used, and I didn't have a food hangover! 

We'll definitely be back.

We received a complimentary meal in exchange for an honest review. As always, opinions are my own.

Review - Wagamama at Glasgow Fort

You might have noticed from my earlier competition with Glasgow Fort that there is a newly opened Wagamama restaurant at the retail park. I was invited along to review the eatery and I took Rick along with me, cos I'm nice like that ;-)

On arrival, the restaurant really does have that wow factor. It's an impressive building. I particularly like all the large glass windows that go right to the floor; there are also tables outside for when the summer finally lands in Glasgow. The interior has an industrial feel with polished concrete walls, exposed air handling pipework (is that what you call it?), and filament bulbs dotted about. I've only been to Wagamama a handful of times, and this is certainly the nicest one I've been to in terms of the look and feel of the restaurant.

It was Rick's first time experiencing Japanese fusion food at Wagamama, but he knew what he was going to order as my sister had recommended the Firecracker Chicken to him ahead of our visit. He does love his spicy food! 

We chose two starters - pulled pork gyoza and a beef filled bun. For mains Rick chose the Firecracker Chicken and I had Teriyaki Chicken with rice. What I didn't realise was that the food would be brought out when it was ready, so Rick had his main first, then his starter. My starter arrived as Rick got his food... and then I had to wait 15-20 minutes for my main to arrive. So by the time my food got to the table, Rick had finished (he inhales his food!!). I've had a peek at the Wagamama website and they refer to the starters as sides, whereas on the menu at the restaurant I'm sure it referred to them as starters, which is perhaps a bit misleading.

We chose to visit the restaurant the week it had opened to the public (Day 2 to be precise). I think this was a mistake on our part as the service wasn't what I would have expected unfortunately. That said I can totally appreciate that there are members of staff new to Wagamama that will still be undergoing training and I do think it's fantastic that the restaurant has brought 40 new jobs to the retail park.

The food was lovely, presented beautifully on a range of gorgeous platters and bowls. I'll certainly go back in the future.  

Firecracker Chicken

Korean Barbecue Beef & Red Onion Hirata Steamed Bun

Pulled Pork Steamed Gyoza

Teriyaki Chicken Donburi (steamed rice stir-fried with chicken and mixed vegetables served with a pickled side)

Free green tea? Don't mind if I do!

As I was leaving I asked to see the children's menu and I was pleasantly surprised. We've been to restaurants before where the children's options are chicken nuggets and pizza regardless of the type of food on the adult menu. I liked that at Wagamama the kids have the choice of mini Japanese dishes... ramen, noodles and katsu curry amongst others... giving them an introduction to Japanese food.

We received £30 towards our dinner at Wagamama Glasgow Fort in exchange for this review. As always, opinions are my own and are honest. 

Eating Out - Food Story, Aberdeen

I drove up to Aberdeen on Friday to visit my gran as she had been feeling a bit poorly. She's 92 years old (and most certainly doesn't look her age) and I do wish I was a bit closer so that I could visit more often than I do. Anyway, I was staying with my sister for the night and on Saturday morning she took me along to The Foodstory Cafe on Thistle Street for breakfast; despite it being open since 2013 I was yet to visit. 

It was amazing and I will most certainly be back!!!

Firstly I love the concept of the cafe and the ethos behind the brand. The cafe itself has been built using recycled materials - the interior is right up my street; lots of fairy lights, reclaimed wood, concrete and grey paint. 

All the tables and chairs are quirky; I especially like the bench... oh and the fairy lights!

Did I tell you how much I love fairy lights!?

And then there's the food. It has to be said that it was the best breakfast I've had in a while. I chose the rye toast with avocado and it was served with fresh tomato salsa and basil leaves. I let Ali have a bite and she had proper food envy! She had chosen the House Porridge (although I don't think she realised it was served with raisins, which she doesn't like, so these were promptly removed - after I had taken a photo of course!).

My rye toast with avocado

Alison's House Porridge

There were plenty gluten free options available too and the raw vegan blueberry cheesecake which was gluten, dairy and sugar free looked delish!

Yummy!!

Next time I'm up, this is where I'll be headed for lunch as Ali tells me the salads are to die for.