FOOD & DRINK RECENT OPENINGS
SUPPORTED BY
WINNING FORMULA Nico Simeone brings his rapidly rising stock as a restaurateur into the heart of the fiercely competitive Finnieston scene, as Malcolm Jack reports
T aking over the narrow premises which formerly housed Table 11, Six by Nico’s concept is so appealing as to surely have neighbouring businesses watching nervously. A six-course tasting menu costs just £25, with wine-pairings – large pourings, be warned – only an additional £25. Better still, the theme changes every six weeks making for a fun and functional gimmick. The inaugural ‘chippie’ theme puts inventive spins on Scottish favourites, be it chips and cheese transposed to an amuse-bouche of confit potato topped with frothy parmesan espuma, served in a tea cup, or ‘special fish’ comprising soft white Shetland cod topped with a crispy cloud of beer batter (the ‘wine pairing’ being a pale ale). There’s theatre as the lid is lifted on Ayrshire pork ‘smoked sausage’ in a literal swirl of smoke. Deep- fried Mars Bar has no place in a fine-dining restaurant, except when it’s deconstructed to dulce leche, chocolate nougat and malt, each bite a treat. Come back a few weeks later and you’ll eat a different meal altogether – and you will come back.
SIX BY NICO 1132 Argyle Street, West End, Glasgow, G3 8TD
0141 334 5661, sixbynico.co.uk £25 (set three-course 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 WILD FLOURS
CAFE & BAKERY
526 Kilmarnock Road, Southside, 0141 811 0441, wildflours.co.uk, £8 (lunch) Fresh doughnuts are to gluten-free dieters what bacon sandwiches are to vegetarians. So finding that a Louisiana doughnut, or ‘beignet’, is the speciality of Wild Flours bakery is a source of great joy and excitement. This family-run and beautifully remodelled shop and café, a few minutes south of Shawlands, has plenty of other things going on, such as fabulous vegan chocolate cakes, homemade soups and toasties. But the beignets, freshly fried and tossed in icing sugar, steal the show. Sunday service is even devoted to them, with toppings such as strawberries and cream, maple syrup and bacon, and Nutella. This sect of gluten-free worship could well gain followers.
PAESANO PIZZA ITALIAN
471 Great Western Road, West End, 0141 370 0534, paesanopizza.co.uk, £10 (lunch) / £10 (dinner) After massive anticipation, Italian food champion Paul Stevenson has opened a sister to his much-loved ‘peasant-style’ pizzeria in the Merchant City. The recipe for his latest Paesano, in a former bank at Kelvinbridge, is familiar: same short menu of pizzas and salads, beautiful slow-proved dough, soft and creamy mozzarella, and the solid wood-fired oven – none of your ‘wood-fired’ gas imitations here, and it shows in the perfectly light, just-charred pizzas. In this smaller venue, the open kitchen is more a part of the experience, and watching the chefs at
work is entertainment in itself. Ridiculously tasty and tremendous value, this successful train must be about to rumble on beyond Glasgow. Broughton Street have press-ganged the split-level bar into very 21st century use, with brick walls, slate floors and a strong selection of beer, cocktails and food.
MARCHTOWN HONEYCOMB & CO
WINE BAR & OFF LICENCE CAFES
741 Pollokshaws Road, 0141 423 3328, marchtown.co.uk, £7.50 (lunch) / £7.50 (dinner)
This Strathbungo bar/café hybrid has a delightfully unique pitch. It’s a wine bar mostly, though ‘global wine and Scottish craft beer bar to sit in or take away’ would be a more satisfactory (if less pithy) description. Interesting
bottles include Austrian reds, Australian malbec, Spanish and Portuguese lesser-spotted varieties – all reasonably priced. By the glass is concisely ‘red / rosé / white’, changing frequently. It’s neat and simple and – as owner Anthony Reynolds says – the way it is when you pop into a wee place on holiday. Food is cold meats and / or cheeses from IJ Mellis. Two beer lines and service with knowledge and warmth seal the deal.
Edinburgh
THE SALVATION OF LEITH BARS & PUBS
58 The Shore, Leith, 0131 555 4636, £16 (lunch) / £16 (dinner) ‘The journeyman’s house of call – estd. 1872’ reads the motto stencilled alongside the door of the recently refurbished Salvation of Leith. Formerly the Leith Beer Co, the bar’s main selling point remains the bright terrace out the front with a great view across The Shore. The bar pays homage to the building’s original use as a house for the poor where – ironically – sailors could be saved from the temptation of alcohol. But the owners of Jeremiah’s Taproom and The Empress of
1 Merchiston Place, Southside, 0131 228 4641, honeycombandco.com, £14 (lunch) Bright and cheery newcomer Honeycomb & Co blurs the distinctions between café and bistro. Mornings see a concise breakfast menu, including porridge and specials like shakshuka and smoky beans on toast. Lunch focuses on bold, colourful salads, available in four sizes, plus a selection of small plates and main- coursey specials. Apart from an Andante sourdough, everything is made in-house while meat comes from co-owner Susan Booth’s family farm. There’s a lot of experience and thought gone into this venture and it shows – not least in the pricing. That said, the confident, well-sourced food and sunny welcome means locals are positively buzzing about it.
OTRO BISTROS & BRASSERIES
22 Coates Crescent, West End, 0131 556 0004, otrorestaurant.co.uk, £20 (lunch) / £20 (dinner) The team behind Eyre Place’s New Chapter have opened Otro, a new West End brasserie. Open all day, the space is fresh and bright, with a seashore- inspired mural on the main dining room wall. The menu focuses on brasserie-style classics, from fish and chips with mushy peas to a Scottish beef burger stacked with maple-cured bacon, Isle of Mull cheddar, caramelised onions and pickles. There’s strong veggie options and interesting fish choices too. With a set lunch menu that’s definitely worth a look, this is a confident opening.
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
52 THE LIST 1 Jun–31 Aug 2017