Walked in at the beginning of dinner service while doing a self-guided tour of Glasgow. Amazingly gracious service--they squeezed us in, and were very accommodating of my wife's vegetarianism and my wine preservative allergies. The owner even called his wine distributor to see if any of their in-stock bottles were appropriate. We ordered one fixed price meal and two vegan ala carte items. The food was some of the best we had in Scotland, and reasonably priced by US standards. The blurb on the menu says John Quigley (the owner) used to cook for rock stars, and we believe it, given the quality of service and cuisine.

Ranjini S.

I was part of a Scotland tour and we got lucky with an optional outing to this award-winning restaurant. The food and presentation is incredible. We had a set menu to pick from and I chose the garden salad that had rocket and watercress, the mushroom risotto with rocket and the chocolate brownie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The food was really decadent and the staff is really friendly and efficient.

We walked in without a reservation to this restaurant. The staff was polite but seemed very aloof. Our waitress seemed to be new but she was by far the friendliest of them. We ordered the Bang Bang chicken to start. It was recommended as the popular dish people have before their meals. When it arrived it looked like a salad with chicken somewhere underneath. The flavor was just not there. There was a dollop of peanut butter on top of the chicken, covered with lettuce, some crispy rice noodles and a drizzle of some spicy sriracha. Except for the drizzle of spice, the flavors were pretty bland. The peanut butter on top of the chicken was a weird combination and all the textures of this side were pretty soft except the little white crispy noodles. There wasn't enough contrast in texture or flavor. I don't recommend it. For our mains we ordered the Duck with sweet potato and roasted vegetables, the Sea Bass salad with avocado and the Steak Frites. Everything in our main dishes were cooked well. This was my first time having duck and the texture was soft and juicy and the sweet potato was baked well but the sauce they added didn't taste like much. The sea bass was ok, cooked well and the steak was nice and tender and the fries were tasty. The overall flavors of our dishes were pretty mild, nothing really stood out as exceptional but it was all good.

Christina M.

The Red Onion has always been popular in Glasgow; it's that one place where someone you know has been there for a celebratory meal for their birthday or a graduation etc. However I'd never tried it (shockingly!) so when an enticing invite popped up, I was more than a little curious to try it! Their pre-theatre menu has an excellent range of dishes to suit all tastes and is good value for money. For me it had been a long day and I wanted to treat myself so I opted for the steak. Rare, slight bloody and drenched in peppercorn sauce, an absolute delight! And the portions are enormous! I felt like they'd just slapped half a cow on my plate with a kilo of chips. All delicious however. I was the only dessert eater of the group - yes I am that person, sorry (not sorry - total sweet tooth!) and I chose a good ole' slab of chocolate brownie. It was warm, rich and topped with a sweet vanilla ice cream - the perfect treat to end my meal. Service was OK, I'd ordered a glass of red with my steak that they forgot about but that was no big issue and they were very apologetic about it. The decor could perhaps use updating but the restaurant was comfortable enough and the company was awesome enough that I didn't really care! Great night, good food; definitely a good choice for a meal to treat yo' self!

Gavin M.

I noticed this restaurant a few months back mainly because I liked the name. After giving it a try to celebrate my birth last week I can gladly report that I like everything else about it too. The menu has a good mix of dishes including Italian, Oriental and modern Scottish influences, and my starter of bang bang chicken was absolute dynamite, as were the mussels that followed. I was too full up for a dessert, though ended up ravenously scavenging the remainder of E-Bot's blueberry sundae as she wasn't too crazy about it. I was a big fan of the laid back, brasserie style feel of the place, our waitress was friendly and efficient, and the price for a 3 course pre-theatre wasn't too bad at all. All in all, full marks to the Red Onion.

Bobbie O.

So I've been here twice and both times have been great. If you want posh vegan food this is the place to go. They have a separate vegan menu which is so good that my meat eating pal ordered from it. My starter was the bang bang avocado salad which was lovely I wasn't that keen on the crispy noodles but that's just a personal texture issue. The peanut sauce was to die for and I loved the wee candied peanuts they were amazing! I was torn between the bean burger and the gnocchi so I got the burger and my pal got the gnocchi and we stole bits from each other. Hands down poshest burger I've ever had it was delicious! Not the easiest thing to eat when your trying to be posh mind you. The gnocchi was amazing it came in a rich tasty tomato sauce that was packed with veggies and sundried tomatoes and it packed a nice peppery punch. Oh and the portion was huge! The staff were lovely very attentive and the atmosphere inside is great. It's great for both friends meeting up for dinner and wine or for a romantic date night. I'll be requesting a table on the mezzanine when I treat my hubby to date night here soon. It is pricey but the pre theatre menu is brilliant! There were 3 of us, we all had 2 courses and shared a bottle of wine and it came in at £20pp. I've knocked a star off as we were given the wrong bill and also I would have liked a bit more time between courses I have a feeling I'll be revising this at a later date.

Trudie M.

Red onion has been in the same spot of Donks and I can't quite understand why it hasn't been on my list until now. First up I need to say is what an incredible menu they have! The Pre theatre had something for everyone. Vegans Veggies kids and the fussy eaters! You will be totally spoilt for choice. We were 5 mins early for our table and luckily we got seated right away. We still were missing one member of our party so we got a bottle of red whilst we waited. Waiter #1 was very helpful with our drinks. food up! I choose my starter from the vegan menu and had crispy tempura vegetables which were lovely. Mains I had the haddock fish cake with a parsley sauce. The fish cake was the biggest I've ever seen it! Austen M and I also shared French fries! Desert salted caramel ice cream which had thick caramel sauce over it! Desert was over about 30 seconds and the bill arrived at the table - Austen M gets his wallet out and places his card with the check! No one arrives with the machine. Finally we pay and are about to leave and grumpy waiter request that they have the table back in 5 minutes!! WHAT? We had only been in the restaurant for under 2 hours! 1 hour 40 minutes to be exact. It's like they time you from the minute you walk through that door and it's not like we took our time over the food! RUDE is the only word I can use to explain the situation. It's a shame as I doubt I will be back to try the rest of the menu!

Gordon M.

Yelp reviews are a funny thing, was I in for a great meal or a mediocre one? It's hard to tell with such a mix of ratings so I'll get the important bit out of the way first. It was good! I've walked past Red Onion many times and never really felt the need to enter, in fact I'm not sure if I've even been aware of what type of cuisine they do until last night (answer: fairly standard choices you'd find in most UK restaurants). Admittedly the location is a bit of an odd one for me so I was keen to get inside and get some grub in ma face! The decor is, as we commented at dinner, a bit 90s. A bit too bright as well, I think if they lowered the general lighting and spotlight the tables a little better it would feel much more inviting. As it was it was airy and bright, not unpleasant but a little too 'shopping centre' for my tastes. The menu is good, with plenty of variety and nothing that I'd class as 'adventurous' but for me as long as the food is good I'm not that bothered about the choices I have. As it was there was even enough variety in their set menu to have me hmmmm-ing and hawwwww-ing... In the end I went with my gurgling gut and started with the Bang bang chicken salad with crispy noodles and spicy peanut dressing. YUMMY!! The peanut dressing had a nice gentle chilli kick to it, the chicken was succulent and soft, and the crispy noodles and fresh salad all worked really well. A very tasty dish with a good variety of textures. That disappeared pretty quickly but thankfully we weren't kept waiting for our main courses and soon a generous portion of Penne pomodoro with chilli, chicken and chorizo was set in front of me. It's a simple enough dish but again, the rich tomato and chilli sauce was delicious, the chunks of chorizo fried just enough to have some char but not so much the weren't still juicy and moist, and the chilli kick was perfectly judged. Some generous peelings of parmesan helped bring it all together and even though I was taking my time, it too disappeared sharpish cos it was so damn tasty! Given the quality of the chat at the table it's telling that I was enjoying every mouthful, rather than forgetting what I was eating, a sure sign of a dish hitting the right spot. My waist-line made me forego dessert but the Hot chocolate brownie with vanilla ice-cream looked divine... stupid waist-line... All in some good food, well prepared and I left feeling happily full. The staff were good, efficient and friendly. So, why not a 5-star review? Well the food is good and I can definitely see me visiting again as it looks like it would be consistently good, but it wasn't stellar. The decor/ambience is a bit lacking (sort out the lighting for an instant uplift!) and overall I was pleased but not amazed. I will be back for sure, and it's good to have found a reliable brasserie, aka somewhere I can take my fussy Mother!

Nicola B.

The Red Onion is a lovely restaurant. You enter to find an open space with high ceilings and a very welcoming, homey feel to it. The walls are exposed brick, and there's a fireplace burning away in the corner. They also have a newspaper rack, making it the perfect place to relax by the fire and enjoy a coffee after your lunch. The downstairs dining area is very modern with several booths and wooden tables. It's basically my dream dining room. The booths are very comfortable and aren't so close together that you feel like you're dining with the next couple along. We went pretty early in the evening, so it was very quiet until just before we left, but it maintained a very warm and comfortable atmosphere regardless. I ordered the sirloin steak with peppercorn sauce and potato wedges, and it was delicious. My boyfriend had the shin of beef with mustard mash, which he enjoyed but didn't have enough gravy for his liking. The steak was really tender and, well, put peppercorn sauce on just about anything and I'll be like putty in your hands. The desserts are amazing. I had a warm caramel shortcake, and gosh, yum! I hadn't had a non-shop bought one in forever, and it was well worth the wait. My boyfriend had the warm brownie with ice-cream, which seemed to go down a treat. They also stock a couple of different beers, including Innes and Gunn, a Scottish beer with a toffee aftertaste. I had a glass of Chilean Sauvingnon Blanc, which can be pretty sharp, but this one was top notch. A very homey restaurant with lovely decor and welcoming atmosphere. The wait staff were present without being overbearing, and generally lovely. I had a fantastic dining experience here, and will definitely return.

Victoria C.

YUMMMMERS!! My work is verrrry generous...they take you out for (a free!!) lunch for your bday!! LOVE that!! We pre-ordered as there was a sizeable group of us and other than having to confirm how we liked out steaks cooked, there was no hooha...! I had tempura king prawns for starters, sirloin steak with chippies for main and a brownie with honeycomb ice cream for pud...TOTALLY scrummy!! I couldn't finish my pudding...stilllll not hungry!! Nice! I reeeally enjoyed all the flavours and the steak tasted properly BBQ'd!! My mate got scallops and chorizo for her starter and said that was delish too...I'm baaaaad for the ole food envy, so I IMMEDIATELY wanted hers-ha!! I'm not giving 5 stars as the king prawns still had their tails-I'm not someone that usually minds, but the told were underneath the tempura batter, so after my 1st bit I had to subtly remove crustacean she'll from my gob...NOT a good look-lol!! To be honest, I didn't even look at the prices, so can't comment on them, but I deffo enjoyed the food!!

Lucy B.

I'd wanted to try Red Onion for ages, but I had the mistaken impression that it was too expensive of a place for me. Not true at all! We were there on a weekday lunch and there was a lunch offer of 2 courses for £13.95 and 3 courses for £16.95. And with the menu being as good as it is, I think that's a great deal! I'd heard that they had a separate vegan menu and was so impressed when it was handed to me as the choice is great - just like a 'normal' menu really! For starters, I had the bang bang avocado salad with spicy peanut dressing and crispy noodles. It was exquisite. Main was a roast ratatouille tart, with mixed leaves and balsamic dressing. The tart tasted as though it may have been a little bit burnt at one side, but the sauce was absolutely gorgeous. To finish, I had banana fritters! Vegan banana fritters - yes! Service was excellent throughout, and I was really pleased to find out that their Pinot Grigio was vegan too. So I had a few glasses of it. On a chilly and wet day, Red Onion was warm and cosy, and while the place was buzzing with lots of lunchtime patrons, there was still a lovely relaxed atmosphere. We were all very comfortable, well-fed and happy, and enjoyed Red Onion very much.

Briony C.

Red Onion has the reputation for being a place you head for graduation meals, or dinner with your parents for a special occasion. I hadn't visited for nearly 5 years and was excited to get the chance to go back last week. While aspects of the restaurant are looking a little dated, overall it was a really tasty meal. First up, the decor. I'm sorry, but I'm not a fan. It actually reminds me a little bit of a shopping centre with the glass paneling and railings. And it's a pretty bright restaurant - although seeing as I love taking food photos, I don't necessarily see that as a bad thing. It could definitely do with a little bit of modernisation, although it didn't offend me so much as to affect my enjoyment of the food, I'm happy to say! I ordered the bang bang chicken to start (which is also available with avocado instead for a vegetarian option). I will say that the food arrived very quickly after we'd placed our order - it felt like less than 5 minutes but maybe that was the amazing company I was with. The bang bang chicken was nicely presented if not a little retro, and the peanut sauce with it was just lovely - perfect with the crunchy noodles. For main I opted for the steak - char-grilled rib-eye, skinny fries and pepper sauce and a very small £1.50 supplement. All up this was a really tasty dish and the pepper sauce had quite a bit of kick to it which was nice. I actually couldn't finish it all which goes to say something about their portion sizes! The pre-theatre is £13.90 for two courses and I found the food to be really enjoyable and good value for the price. I'd love to head back to try the a la carte to see if some more adventurous dishes are being offered there.

Darryl R.

The Red Onion is a fantastic restaurant in the city centre. It's a lovely relaxed place - somewhere where you could happily sit after a meal and drink coffee and chat until they throw you out (which has happened... oops). It's very 'grown-up' - and being a mere twenty-something, I don't think it's the best place for me and a group of friends, but it is nice for a family/work meal. The menu has something for everyone - it's not specific to any particular country, so it's quite general, and the pricing is fair. My only complaint would be the desserts, or one in particular, 'Frozen Raspberries in White Chocolate Sauce'. Sounds delicious no? Think again. It is quite literally frozen raspberries in white chocolate sauce, in a bowl. This is not the problem. My problem is that as the sauce is hot, it thaws the frozen raspberries which means that the sauce goes that horrible watery-chocolate consistency, which the raspberries then re-absorb, turning the entire dish into some sort of half-frozen raspberries floating in chocolatey water. Ewww.... Apart from that, a lovely place. A little too grown up for me at the moment, however, give it a few years and I'll go back regularly...