It's always the way - having never visited here in the 5 years we've lived around the corner, we were pleasantly surprised by just how good the food was. We'd gone for a walk one sunny spring evening and ended up here. To be honest, I really wanted a fish supper but preferred the idea of dining in rather than a takeaway, so we decided to give it a try.
One downside of this restaurant is that it's in the basement of the building, meaning that on a lovely sunny night you don't get to enjoy the sunshine. The decor could definitely do with updating as it is very casual. I looked at the menu and decided to have the pre-theatre (available all night on a Thursday) which is £13.95 for 2 course. There is a good choice of dishes (about 5 options of mains and starters). I opted for chicken liver pâté followed by mushroom and asparagus risotto. Graeme had a pizza, so we decided to get a cheesy garlic bread to share with our starters so he didn't steal all my pâté.
The a la carte menu has pasta, pizza as well as meat and fish dishes. In all honesty I would have preferred one of the meat/fish mains but the prices were just too expensive for me, most coming in at over £15 for a main. Comparing these prices with decent city centre restaurants, I wouldn't expect to pay more on the south side and that's why this place loses a star.
The pâté was a good dollop, served with crackers and bread as well as some salad and red onion chutney. Delicious, and a great size for a starter. The garlic bread was heavenly and had a huge amount of cheese on it which was just perfect.
I really enjoyed the risotto as well - I've had a lot of bad risottos while dining out, and this wasn't one of them. Perfectly cooked, generously topped with Parmesan and lots of tasty mushrooms. I would have liked more asparagus but the pieces I did get were delicious and it was perfectly cooked, with the right amount of bite.
We didn't have dessert and decided to walk home. The bill came in close to £50 due to the expensive drinks, which was a little disappointing. A small glass of rose was £4.95 and Graeme had a beer, so that pushed things up a little.
I'm glad to say that we'd definitely go back and recommend it - the pre-theatre is a very good deal and I was really impressed by the cooking. It's great to find a great little restaurant right on your doorstep ... even if it's been there all along!
(Added note, there's carparking behind the row of shops if you're driving, it can often be hard to get a spot on Ayr Road in the evening). read more