Have visited this restaurant once before and I enjoyed my second visit…read more It was a Wedesday evening and it was quiet with just one couple and us three. The waitress was young and a little inexperienced. Nevertheless she did well and was cheerful and helpful. We started with 2 soups - potato and leek which was lovely and I went for the Garlic Bruschetta which I enjoyed There was a Steak Dinner offer on at £12.50 and we all went for it. Friend has difficulty swallowing but really likes a steak. The chef came out and gave her various options. She went for the "batter into submission" option. It duly arrived and she was very happy. The steak came with potatoes, mushrooms, cooked tomatoes on the vine (mmmm), battered onion rings and a peppercorn sauce. I do not like peppercorn anything so he came up with a creamy mushroom sauce which was delicious. My only gripe was that the potatoes were not nice. Very dry and looked and tasted like they had been cooked some time ago and reheated. We had tablet ice cream with toffee sauce for sweet. The tablet ice creams was good but the toffee sauce was extremely good. So much so I quickly ate the ice cream with some of the sauce and scoffed the toffee sauce straight from its boat. We finished with coffees, The price considering we had three courses, wine and coffee was very reasonable. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit

Returned here for the first time in years, used to be "the poachers", really impressed. Lovely…read moremeal, friendly attentive service, and good value for money. We shall return soon.

As ever, Balloch was packed for the one soiltary day that the sun shines in Scotland. Most places…read morewithin the main street were packed so we headed along to Loch Lomond shores and discovered The Kilted Skirlie. We managed to get the perfect seat out on the balcony overlooking the perfect view of Loch Lomond. Waiters were really friendly and quick to attend. Great choice of menu. We had the Heather chicken served with Rumbledethumps and fresh vegetables..... Delicious! and highly recommended. Great cocktail list too. So if your looking for the place to go on a sunny day, chill out and have a cheeky wee cocktail (or 2 or 3 or..... ;) then get yourselves down there.

Wonderful place with good food and even better views…read more Upstairs on loch Lomond shores you have a balcony for he occasional sunny day to eat outside or a choice from restaurant or bar type area to eat I was out on the bike so all alone and the bar was perfect for a solo diner Hit a negative which lost it a star.... Cash only in the bar!!!! Rage Luckily had cash but I dislike cash only businesses!! Anyway tea came in a little pot.... Enough for 1 1/4 cups of tea - not really enough but the guy working there was really nice and offered to refill ..... Star for service I had a salmon wrap with fries and it was delicious as was the side salad Star for food the venue is spotless so another star Views get a star all day long If you're about this area I recommend popping in

Does anyone remember Lip Service? The BBC 3 drama based in Glasgow. I was hooked on that show and…read morefor some reason I always noticed the Trans-Europe Cafe featured in the background of lots of scenes and I made a vow that I had to give it a visit. By chance this past Sunday my boyfriend Mark was getting his camera cleaned a few doors down from the cafe so I gave him my best "I'm hungry eyes" and we decided to pop in for some lunch. The decor is beyond cool, the walls are a tilled map of the world and the the seating areas consist of old bus seats. The staff make you feel welcome straight away and just chat to you as if they are your best pal. I didn't even have my bum on the seat before I was asked did I know what part of Greece, Cyprus was in? Answers on a postcard because no one knew the answer! The table next to us were going in on their all day breakfast which I made a mental note to try at a later date but today I was in the mood for the classic soup and sandwich combo. All the sandwiches and salads are named after locations and the home made soups change daily. I had a toastie with peppers, balsamic vinegar, mozzarella, tomato and onion with lentil and chickpea soup. Mark had a chicken and pesto pannini with the pea and ham soup. The food was just brilliant. Fresh, tasty and filling. I really couldn't have asked for anything more. There was little to no talking as we ate and we both left very clean plates. The highlight for me had to be the soup, I've never had chickpeas in a soup before but it was pretty special. The prices were more than reasonable and I had a lovely earl grey tea with my food while mark enjoyed a beer. The Trans-Europe cafe is one of those special places in Glasgow that is kept alive by its great food, staff and returning customers and I've just put myself firmly in that last category.

My favourite place for brunch in Glasgow. It's a little hard to find at first but it's well worth…read moremaking the effort to eat here. The interior reminds me of being back in Berlin (my favourite place in the world) with it's quirky seating, the countless postcards on the wall and 80s music on in the background. I have eaten here at all times of the day and have never been disappointed. For breakfast the Eggs Benedict are amazing, there is a huge range of salads and sandwiches for lunch and on Friday and Saturday nights they now open for dinner. I tried the evening menu a few weeks ago and it was excellent. Beef with black pudding to start, perfectly cooked fish to follow and then really good coffee. At just over £40 for 2 starters, 2 mains, dessert and coffee it is amazing value. I cannot recommend this place enough. If you want a little bit of Europe in Glasgow this is the place to be.

Oh dear, went with someone who had been a couple of times before and they noticed a huge…read moredeterioration in food and service. Cramped, small tables. Slow, slow service with aperitifs arriving half way through meal and paired wine arriving as plates clearing. We continually had to flag staff for ordering drinks as never offered and then chase so they'd arrive. We weren't the only table in the same position. Staff seemed to be enjoying themselves with animated conversations and laughs among themselves while we waited for bill 10 mins after asking. Ended up having to walk out to the front and make it clear we were leaving. Large service fee automatically added. Food was very average with many listed ingredients and flavours missing in the final dish. Consequently bland or unbalanced. Small portions and despite ordering more plates than they recommended we left hungry. Expensive for what it is. Very very disappointing. Trading on a good old name.

We had dinner at Eighty Eight last night and it was lovely. It's a small restaurant and very cosy…read more Their concept of small plates works really well, we shared four dishes and a dessert between the two of us and we were very happy. The menu changes regularly, but if you are interested in going any time soon (March 2022) I'd highly recommend the scallop ceviche (we ate it before I managed to take a picture) which was mind blowing and the wild mushroom and gnocchi dish. The prices are very reasonable and the staff were so nice. I'll definitely be back!!!!

Food was okay. Service was okay. Definitely not the food highlight of our vacation, but also not…read moreregrettable. My husband really liked his order, which was something smothered in cheese. Can't go wrong with cheese! My mom ordered the burrito, and she thought it was okay (but not great).

This was my choice for a farewell evening meal with mother at the end of a fortnight vacation in…read moreAyrshire. She is now raving about this place to all her friends! For me, this shows the power of online research or word of mouth - although Saffy's is easily accessible in Ayr town centre and just across from the Mercure Hotel, it is not at all on the main drag. But Saffy's is highly ranked on Tripadvisor. What we have here is a forty cover (estimate) bistro which doesn't really catch the eye from the street. You can't really see much through the windows, and nothing of the signage or the standard Ayr old sandstone building gives any clues. Inside, the ambience is informally elegant and friendly - one of our waitress was good enough, but the head waitress was outstanding in terms of bubbly and informative communication. From the website, Saffy's looks to be a chef-patron place of a former head chef of local upmarket country hotel Enterkine House. One nice touch for the foodies amongst us is that the chef has kindly stored his cookbook collection in two full height bookshelves front of house, with an implied invitation to diners to browse - I could have happily spent several hours doing just that! Foodwise, there is a line on Saffy's website that 'good food doesn't have to be expensive' or words to that effect. I would say both our mains were good food with unfussy presentation, with a bit of labour cost saved by skipping any attempt at fancy plating. Mother had a korma-type curry of market vegetables which she really enjoyed. I didn't get a taste, but it sounded as though there were some veg in there which would be unlikely to feature at your average curry house - think celeriac, sweet potatoes. My main course was roasted veg and brocolli over sautéed potatoes topped with melting brie - not outstanding, but a wholesome meal with which I was well pleased. Vegetarian choices on the menu were impressively extensive and imaginative compared with the small number of other Modern British venues I've visited. In Ayrshire, I wouldn't be surprised if Saffy's is a better choice for vegetarians than any of the upmarket mini-chains - Costley, Simpsinns, Buzzworks. I read out the dessert menu to mother and we both decide on crème brûlée, which is turns out mother has extensive previous experience of. This came as a small ramekin on a side plate, with a rhubarb compote at the bottom of the ramekin, beneath the custard, and three mini-shortbreads on the side (see photos). Whereas the mains felt good value at £9 or so, £4.50 each (from memory) for the desserts felt a bit steep. Although there weren't any 'mistakes' to warrant sending them back, mother had been expecting a hot pudding and was disappointed when they were served cold. Also, the combined sweetness of the brûlée topping and the 'jammy' rhubarb compote was too much for both our palates. All in all, Saffy's was just right for a nice evening meal out with a parent of advanced years. By 7.30pm, the place was busy with couples of various ages, what looked like families on holiday and mixed-age ladies' night out. However, I do have a few niggles. I felt the presentation of the food could have been a bit more elegant. And while I liked the mix-and-match décor , some of the furniture looked a bit worse for wear - scratched glass, worn corners on wooden veneer. While I sympathise that modern furniture isn't constructed for sanding down and revarnishing, I felt that the oil-stained placemats smacked of a place needing just a bit more TLC. If mother had her way, we would be going straight back to Saffy's during my next visit north - I would have no complaints if we did.

We had a free night at the hotel when we missed our connecting flight. It included a meal in the…read morehotel restaurant, which I have to admit was something we weren't looking forward to. The hotel itself was pretty grim and there was no reason to believe the restaurant would be any better. But what a revelation. Friendly, attentive staff and a massive menu (literally) to choose from. The lentil and smoked garlic soup was perhaps the best soup I've ever had. For main course, my companions had a selection of fish based dishes. The hake dish was particularly well received, as was the salmon with risotto. I had a sirloin which, while not the most tender steak I've ever had, was extremely well seasoned and cooked. This is a really unassuming place in a pretty uninspiring location. But the food and service deserve way better. If you're in the area you could do much worse than come here.

Hitting it out of the park in week one with customers already queuing at the door, the newly…read moreopened Gnom Cafe in South side is my new favourite place. From a small but perfect formed menu we chose a Turkish pide pizza topped with an egg, pork belly breakfast bao buns, and the vegan mushroom bao buns. Perhaps the steamed bao buns served in bamboo steamers are a nod to their street food roots. I don't know what coffee beans they are grinding here but their coffee ranks among the best I have ever tasted. Hats off to the Barista. Open 9 til 4 Tuesday to Sunday I suggest beating as path to their door. The earlier in the day the better. Well done to the staff who were all lovely and kept their cool despite the overwhelming number of customers. Good luck in your new venture and thanks for being the highlight of my Saturday. Vegetarian and vegan friendly.

I had a flat white and the Pork Breakfast Bao which were both great. The breakfast Bao had pork, a…read moregorgeous runny egg and a really delicious gochujang ketchup which added a little spice to the dish. This was followed by an amazing orange tart with a black coffee. A very enjoyable morning all in.

We sat at the chefs table and had an incredible meal. The staff is friendly and accommodating of…read morefood preferences. The food was delicious. It's far outside Glasgow (20 minutes uber ride) and totally worth it.

Food was pretty good really! The barman was rather grumpy though, and it seemed like they were a…read morebit under staffed. As I was finishing up, a very VERY drunk lady I'd noticed at a nearby table staggered over and asked me to get her a taxi. I asked reception, who were very helpful. Mixed bag. An off night perhaps.

What a find! Excellent steak and ale pot pie with chips (fries) to die for. Done to perfection. And…read morethe sticky toffee pudding was absolutely stellar! Our server was wonderful and gave us lots of good tips for our visit. The food was truly prepared with love and care. Something for everyone!

From the owner: Family-friendly restaurant serving delicious British food with American and Asian influencesread more

Designed by Charles Rene Mackintosh, probably the most famous architect to come out of Glasgow. I…read morewould best describe him as a proto-modernist who was way ahead of his time and somehow achieved architecture, furniture, and design that could be both described as minimal and also Art Nouveau. Out of all the places you can visit in Glasgow I would recommend this one as closest to the original intent. Other places have had to unfortunately modernize with exit signs, lighting, etc... that were not part of the original vision. On site there is a gift shop, cafe with indoors and outdoor seating, upstairs private meeting room and wedding area, and of course rooms designed by Mackintosh. The only unfortunate name is "House For An Art Lover". It seems somehow not so serious and I think it should have just been called "Mackintosh House". This was designed in paper in 1908 but not completed until 1996, there is an alcove between the 1st and 2nd story that has a scale model and reproductions of the design drawings. The thing I LOVED is there were no barriers and you could touch and sit anywhere you want. There is a room with a fancy piano and I was surprised you could sit there and play on it, listened to our oldest play Minuet in G and felt like we were transported back in time. This is the room that shows up in a lot of photography and our favorite.

House for an art lover is situated in Bellahouston park, a beautiful house designed by Charles…read moreRennie Mackintosh in beautiful grounds with some interesting art pieces in and around the area. As you enter there is a £7 entry fee and you will be handed an audio guid and instructed to head upstairs where you will find stunning Mackintosh designed rooms including the main hall, the oval room and my favourite: the music room and the staircase! This is definitely a wonderful place to visit whether your a Mackintosh fan or not!