Last week had some pretty spectacular dining out that I’ve just been dying to share with you. We had some very different dining experiences – from a fancier meal at one of the best steak houses in Glasgow, in my humble opinion, Porter & Rye – to casual dinners at Malaysian restaurant Satu Satu and Indian tapas & craft beer pub Crossing the Rubicon, and managed to sneak in a brunch at the Trans Europe Cafe. Today’s post will probably make you hungry, but, it should also give you some great ideas for eating out in Glasgow – some of these restaurants were truly exceptional (looking at you Porter & Rye and Satu Satu!)
Tuesday – Dinner at Porter & Rye (Finnieston)
What a good way to start both my week and today’s blog post. Porter & Rye is a wee restaurant situated on the Argyle street strip in Finnieston. They specialise in meat, and more specifically steak. And the steak they serve is good! There are small touches in the service and atmosphere which I really like. For example, as you walk in you can see a fridge full of various beef cuts being dry-aged. After you order your steak, the staff come by with a board with a number of sharp looking steak knifes and you are asked to pick one to have your steak with – all, of course, based on your personal preference. The restaurant is more on the pricey side but it’s definitely worth it!
In terms of food, we had a starter each (the staff assured us that they are really light so won’t interfere with us having a lot of steak), a Chateaubriand to share, two sides and two steak sauces. For a starter I had the Pheasant Rillette which was indeed very light and tasty, while my other half had the slow-cooked Ox Broth, which was definitely not light but it was incredibly delicious. Our steak was served rare (we usually order blue but were advised that rare is better for this cut) and it was sublime. The meat just melts in your mouth, it was beautifully seasoned and it was so delicious, it did not need the accompanying red wine jus or salsa verde. Our sides were good too, but the steak was really the highlight of our visit to Porter & Rye. There are a couple of other options on the menu that are not steak, but if you are visiting the restaurant than I wholeheartedly recommend you go for the steak. It’s worth it.
- Price: Around £40-50 pp incl starter and main with sides and sauces and a drink each.
- Perfect for a treat or an occasion. One for the steak lovers!
Friday – Dinner at Satu Satu (Charring Cross)
It’s always a good sign when a Malaysian friend recommends you a Malaysian restaurant. It’s even a better sign to see the restaurant full of Asian diners every time you pass by. That’s the case with Satu Satu, which I have been wanting to try for a long time now. Finally, I made it over last Friday and oh my – was it good! The restaurant is not big, it’s modest in interior (the centrepiece of which is a lovely mural painted on one of the walls) and the kitchen is open, next to the dining tables, so you are hit by the delicious smell of food being cooked.
And the food… it’s the best Malaysian I’ve had outside of Malaysia. My friend and I both started with the Won Ton Soup, which was delicious. For main I had the Roti Canai which was a favourite of mine when I went to Malaysia last year and my friend had the Laksa which packed just enough heat to warm up a cold Glasgow evening. Everything about the place, the atmosphere, the aromas and the food took me right back to my trip to Malaysia. I can’t recommend Satu Satu strongly enough.
- Price: £17pp – two courses + soft drinks each;
- Great for casual dining and if you want to try Malaysian food. One for the spice lovers.
Saturday – Brunch at Trans Europe Cafe (East End/Merchant City)
I know that Trans Europe Cafe has been part of Glasgow’s food scene for a while, but I’ve never been in it. It’s a charming little cafe in Merchant City. I loved the fact that the cafe kept to a theme in both its name and decor. With tables and seats as in a retro train, and music flowing which reminded me of an old style French bistro, it was almost like I wasn’t in Glasgow. The food options are fairly standard – think Scottish breakfast, poached eggs, omelettes and so on. Both my friend and I had an omelette which was very large and fluffy, and very delicious. I wasn’t a big fan of the coffee but they also have a good selection of teas too. It’s one to try when in Merchant City.
- Price: £13pp – including breakfast, and a couple of hot drinks.
- Great for casual breakfast, lunch and everything in between.
Sunday – Dinner at Crossing the Rubicon (West End)
I’ll start by causing some controversy… Practically, almost every food blogger in Glasgow raved about the place when it first opened. I tried it in its first months and I really didn’t like it. It offered Indian tapas and craft beer so it sounded great on paper. But the food really wasn’t great, and considering Glasgow is thriving with fantastic Indian food… it wasn’t worth it. However, I visited again last Sunday and was really pleased to see a change for the better. They have changed their menu while still offering Indian food – both small and large dishes. They are also offering some interesting fusion dishes like the Rubicon Frankie, Chaana Chat Taco and more. We went with a couple of friends, one of which is Coeliac so is completely Gluten Free. The staff weren’t very knowledgeable about their GF offering so it took some time to narrow down what was safe to eat. Anyway, it’s worth saying that the menu now looks a lot more interesting now and the food has definitely improved. They host a number of events during the week, instead of a brilliant quiz night, open mic nights and more. Definitely worth a visit when in the West End.
- Dishes range from £2 (small dishes) to £7.50 (bigger dishes), well priced.
- Good for casual dining and great for craft beer lovers.
This is it for this week! I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this and let me know in the comments if you have been to any of those restaurants or if you are planning to go!
~Em.
Food Notes 