This place has recently had an outside paint job from bright beige to daring grey, this restaurant stands proudly opposite Queens Park and is the gatekeeper of Shawlands. With easy access from Crossmyloof or Queens Park train stations and on street parking available on Titwood road the McMillan is easily accessible.
Its interior is a contemporary modern masterclass for any establishment trying to attract middle class, professional types. Its unashamedly not attempting to attract any of these hispter types that have bred so furiously in the last couple of years. The lighting is probably just right and noticeably different between the bar area and restaurant. Naturally bright from the tall windows in the bar leads to a more cosy dimmed restaurant.
The food and drink prices are slightly inflated compared to the surrounding area, but so is the quality. I had a starter of pate, which was lovely (if lacking enough crackers to actually spread it on, but this is a pet hate and fairly common occurrence anywhere) and chicken on a bed (nae king size mattress) of mash. It was perfectly cooked and they done a proper nice job with it!. Drink prices were slightly ambitious, but the wine was a nice quality, so fair enough.
What then makes me so mean as to award only three stars? Yup you guessed it, the service was pretty p**s poor. It started fine we were shown to our table, which is always good, but no drinks order was offered and then it took 10 minutes for anyone to show up again and that was only after managing to catch the eye of one of the members of the plenty of staff. we had to ask for table water twice, no real care taken with the drinks order, and when we suggested there was corn bread missing from one of the orders the waitress seemed to take great delight in proving us wrong by showing us the menu, before we politely told her it was ordered from the Market menu, another waiter then informed us there was actually none left, but we could've been told that in the first place.
Unfortunately there was also a smell from smokers somewhere. I can only guess the seats were near a fire exit and there were staff smoking out the back, but it just added to the obvious lack in attention to detail.
To paraphrase my school report card- If the McMillan applied itself better, they would find themselves advancing from general to credit level fairly easily, must try harder.
I would go back, probably to sit in the bar area, and I would give it another go with the food, cos it wis guid, but the service means I'm not in any hurry to. read more