FOOD & DRINK RECENT OPENINGS
SUPPORTED BY
MUSCLING IN Sister to Milngavie bar Finsbay, this Woodlands diner has local rugby heroes Alastair Kellock and Stuart Hogg involved, so expect plenty of meat, as Erica Goodey discovers
I f you like to keep things simple, this place is for you. Finsbay Flatiron skips the starters and, bar a couple of specials, only serves one thing – a delicious, juicy, flat iron steak. It’s a lesser- known cut, which, as passionate serving staff explain in meticulous anatomical detail, comes from the cow’s shoulder area. Hidden underneath some tougher and blander cuts lies this tender nugget of meaty gold, which comes simply sliced on top of a tangle of rocket with a sprinkling of rock salt. It’s very good – and priced at £8 on weekdays, £10 weekends, it’s what you’d pay for a decent burger. Bump up the bill with some sides such as mac and cheese with pancetta or double-dip hand-cut chips in silky hollandaise sauce with huge shavings of parmesan. Sauces can be added, from which the ‘Finsbay chipotle funk’ mayo could carry more jazzed-up spicy smokiness. Among the reclaimed brick, wood and sandstone, the place sports a retro 1970s feel – wooden chairs and blackboards are reminiscent of high school, while a lounge-style area with lamps and armchairs has various samples of wild brown and orange wallpaper.
FINSBAY FLATIRON
160 Woodlands Road, West End, Glasgow, G3 6LF
0141 332 3399, finsbayflatiron.com £15 (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
COMET PIECES CAFES
150 Queen Margaret Drive, West End, 0141 945 2135, cometpieces.co.uk, £8.50 (lunch) Honouring Henry Bell’s paddle steamer, Comet Pieces has a menu that adds contemporary panache to traditional offerings. With beans from Papercup, the coffee is smooth, the sandwich selection enticing and the desserts, including a variation on the Scottish teacake, seductive. The fresca omelette is an original twist on a staple – fluffy and light, salsa and cottage cheese perfectly balanced, while the halloumi on Freedom Bakery sourdough is complemented by a delicious lime sauce. Seating is more bar-style places than tables, but the warmth of the welcome and the attention to detail ensure that this place will soon get popular.
PIZZA EAST ITALIAN
575 Duke Street, East End, 0141 556 4268, pizzaeastglasgow.com £12 (lunch/dinner) Duke Street’s former Bank of Scotland building has undergone a transformation – coin-counting has made way for pizza paradise. Every ingredient is sourced from Naples, meaning that the word ‘authentic’ hasn’t been thrown around lightly along with the pizza dough. And that dough – it’s lean, light and surrounds a valley of toppings as pure and simple
as tomato and mozzarella, or as potent as olives and anchovies. No bite is wasted – the restaurant’s filled with diners mopping up chilli oil with their final morsels, suggesting that this pizza parlour is on the path to becoming a Dennistoun mainstay.
10 10 STEAKHOUSES & BURGERS
9-11 Radnor Street, West End, 0141 357 1666, 1010glasgow.com, £12 (lunch) / £17 (dinner) Formerly Monty’s, 10 10 does inexpensive, US-style comfort food, from big brunches and hot dogs to some awesome cocktails and, of course, lots of burgers – the Sloppy Joe has satisfying chunks of chilli beef brisket. Sides include tender chicken dippers, but are you brave (or stupid) enough for the ‘near death’ chilli sauce? There’s a cosy mezzanine up top and several sweet nooks and crannies, with plenty of quirky features – church pews, jukebox, world map covering the ceiling. Desserts have a retro feel, or opt for an alcoholic milkshake for a sweet hit, such as salted caramel White Russian.
Edinburgh
BREWDOG LOTHIAN ROAD BARS & PUBS
50 Lothian Road, 0131 228 2305, brewdog.com/ bars, £15 (lunch) / £15 (dinner) BrewDog’s new Lothian Road bar’s industrial style is a far cry from the bank building it used to be. With 20 taps, there is an interesting, ever-changing variety of beer to sample, featuring well-chosen guests from around the world as well as their own brews – enthusiastic staff and a handy map guides drinkers between easy drinking and crazy, traditional and contemporary, so there’s plenty to help you make a selection. Food complements the brews, focusing on wings, buffalo cauliflower and (of course) burgers, which are well-filled and well-cooked, be they beef
brisket, juicy fried chicken or seitan.
FINN & BEAR CAFES
58 The Shore, Leith, 0131 555 4636, finnandbear. co.uk, £14 (lunch) / £21 (dinner) The latest venture from the Pantry crew on Leith’s Shore sees the rustic interior staying loyal to the site’s roots as a pub, with double glass doors opening onto the waterfront and a large seating area. The upstairs level provides a more family-friendly area, while downstairs already seems to have more appeal for dog-owners and kid-free folk. For brunch, smashed crab brings a fresh and flavoursome combo of hand- picked Uist crab, avocado, corn and yellow pepper pico de gallo with runny poached egg on toasted sourdough; confidently demonstrating that the Pantry’s well-deserved reputation for great food looks set to continue.
FAZENDA BRAZILIAN
102 George Street, 0131 215 1234, fazenda. co.uk, £20 (lunch) / £33 (dinner)
If you’ve been to Brazil you’ll be familiar with rodizio restaurants: skilled passadores hop between tables offering whatever is on their skewer and (after paying a fixed price) you eat as much as you like until you feel you’re gonna pop. That’s exactly the drill at Fazenda. Start off at the sides bar for an interesting selection of greens plus moreish black bean feijoada. Fifteen meats then come out thick and fast; from chicken hearts to chorizo to glazed pork to the signature picanha. It’s very theatrical but ultimately a special experience, reasonably priced for the quality of meat, with an impressive wine and cocktail list to match.
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
50 THE LIST 1 Apr–31 May 2018