Monteiths is a restaurant I have walked past on numerous occasions, and yet somehow I have never ventured down the fairylight-lit close to discover what lies within. It came highly recommended by friends and colleagues, however having read some of the reviews on this site, I was somewhat hesitant to pay a visit. Having been for dinner and cocktails, I'm glad I didn't let the reviews of my fellow Qype diners stop me going.
I feel it is necessary to give a somewhat detailed description of my evening, in the hope that those who read this review will ignore the disparaging ones posted previously.
From the moment I stepped foot down the close, and got a glimpse of the secret garden, I knew it was something special. We were greeted immediately by a waitress and offered a seat by the bar for cocktails before the meal. I am unsure whether she was psychic or could see me staring at the armchairs by the fire, but she asked us if we would prefer a place next to the fire to warm ourselves before the meal - an offer we, of course, took her up on. We were unsure of which cocktails to go for, so again she helped in our decision process by suggesting some of her preferred cocktails. They were superb! Our indecisiveness continued when presented with the menu. It all looked so delicious. I chose the confit belly of pork and my sister had the Scallops with black pudding. Both dishes were cooked to perfection, and were of a size that filled us yet left enough room for the two following courses. For the main course I had Halibut (again cooked perfectly) and my sister went for the loin of lamb. Beautiful! The desserts were equally good, the open cheesecake making me want to learn how to make cheesecake just to reproduce the dessert at home. If I have any complaint of the evening it is that although we were by the fire, the door to the smoking area was used regularly by other customers causing cold air to come in. This is, however, just a minor quibble.
Monteiths is a great find. The service and food are excellent, and the atmosphere is unmatched in this part of town. I cannot recommend it highly enough. read more