aka "Spuntinis" - This eye catching Italian came highly recommended from a friend and it had already caught my eye due to its beautiful floral display and open front doors in the summer months. 🌸

I was meeting my Dad for an early Xmas 🎄lunch and when we arrived the place was busy and it is stunning inside with a gorgeous blossom tree when you enter and they have Santa hats on all the place mats getting in the festive spirit. The menu needs a bit of explaining at first but it is generally smaller Italian Tapas and you can share a variety of pasta dishes in the centre of the table. They also have pizzas, calzones but we decide to go with the main concept.

We decide to share the Pasta Mi Casa in the centre of our table. This was beautiful and the best seller with chunks of broccoli, mushroom, garlic, cream & chilli. Super traditional and a must have! For my Tapas I chose the Stornaway Black Pudding Croquettes, these were lightly coated with a creamy mash that melted in the mouth, this came with a mustard sauce. The real dish that blew me away was the Chicken Stew with vegetables in a Spicy Italian Sauce served with Fired Dough Sticks. This was so addictive and I wanted even more dough sticks to dunk in the delicious sauce.

My Dad had the Fish Stew and Italian Spring Roll which he enjoyed very much and said it was a 5/5.

The service was super friendly and attentive with all the waiters being very smiley and chatty and they are all wearing tartan aprons that almost look like Kilts. It was well organised and felt like a well oiled Italian machine.

I would 💯 want to come back soon and show this place off to friends and family. It’s a must try!

@lavitaspuntini #glasgow #italian #scottish #review #tapas #beautiful #instafood #instadaily #scotland #christmas #diningout #pasta #greatservice #musttry

🙋🏻‍♂️Newly opened Bucks Bar has been all the chat 💭 down the Merchant City. It seems that chicken/waffle combos are the in thing and this new venue is a welcome addition to the corner next to Maggie Mays. Inside it feels like you have been transported to 1950s USA with rockabilly music like a genuine 50s diner. Some very NSFW signage provides the lols, so parents might think twice about taking the kids here.
Service is outstanding with friendly warm banter. For my meal, I choose the Flaming Mac n Cheese Chicken and Waffles. What a combination. It’s the day after more Christmas party’s and this boy wants carbs 🙋🏻‍♂️, which this meal from Bucks bar delivers tenfold. I love my spice and this dish is HOT 🔥 It was the best mac n cheese I have had in a long time, and furthermore, the chicken was amazing so tender and crunchy batter which wasn’t greasy like a KFC. For sides, I had some Korean Fried Chicken Wings and Sweet Potato Fries
💁🏻‍♀️Entering the venue, I loved the cheeky innuendo of the signage as I have quite a mischevious personality, I also loved the 1950s feel of the joint. I opted for the MexiCheese Chicken Burger - Tex Mex cheese sauce, American cheese, jalapeños and crisp lettuce, with the salt and chilli fries. This dish is a sight for sore eyes, with a large portion. Very tasty with tender chicken with a crispy coating. If you love cheese you'll love this. The chips were seasoned well and very spicy.
Bonus Opinion: Ordering a Mojito, I found it to be a bit overly sweet, and this seemed to be the case for the other cocktails the others had. For food, I ordered The Buck Mac - a chicken "burger" with Mac sauce, crisp lettuce and American cheese. This was a very large bit of chicken in a nice crispy coating with a bun covering a small amount of the chicken( with cheese). A very generous American sized portion, full of flavour and very tasty. Perfect if you're hungry.
Overall, the vibes and atmosphere, as well as the scran, make it potentially addictive, encouraging you to return to this fun venue. @bucksbartrongate #glasgow#instafood

Opened in 1917, The Ivy became one of the most famous restaurants in London for its high quality and luxury fine dining. It became a hot spot for celebrities and theatre goers due to it being located just at the corner of Covent Garden, next to London’s sprawling Theatre land with big names such as the Beckhams, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Amy Winehouse being regular visitors. Very rarely could you pick up a copy of Heat magazine without seeing some big name being spotted and therefore became a desirable place to visit.

Having been to the London restaurant roughly 7 years ago we were delighted to see the venue like all good things was coming to Glasgow and have been eagerly anticipating its arrival. It’s fair to say that it has had very mixed reviews since arriving with criticisms of its high price point and “service charge” not a popular or common thing to do in Glasgow. Alas, we are here to finally give you the lowdown on what is considered this years biggest and perhaps most controversial arrival. It is essentially a very British institution so can Glasgow stomach a huge piece of London Town? Well judging by the initial footfall it would appear so but will the initial hype keep up to become a staple Glasgow eaterie? You are about to get 3 opinions! Two from the original Mystery Diners and a bonus opinion. Let’s dig in and find out...

🙋🏻‍♂‍OPINION 1: This kind of venue is what I live for. When entering it oozes class. Remembering the building well as my old bank Nationwide, it has had a total transformation in layout and looks incredible. The artwork and plants give it a unique feel and there is a cosy Christmas touch also. Instantly we are greeted with a very warm Glaswegian welcome, one that London would struggle to achieve. When it comes to service we do it best. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Once sat down, first thing is drinks and let’s get this out the way you will need to come with a heavy wallet with an impressive wine list but also a pricy one. We choose the cheapest bottle of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc which came in at £38 which we did consider to be pricier than most other restaraunts for one of the cheaper options. We also decide to have something sparkly as it’s Xmas and choose a glass of gold label Champagne, a Bellini and Kir Royale ranging from £11-£14 each. 🤑 Once drinks arrive though we are impressed with the quality.

Looking at the menu you really have a more British affair with Shepards Pie, Prawn Cocktail and Fish & Chips but also some unique worldly foods.

For my starter I chose Rosti & Wild Mushroom. It was delicious 😋 I love Mushrooms and the Rosti was like a decent sized non greasy hash brown it tasted light while feeling carby and wholesome. The sauce was to die for. I would have this again for sure.

For my main I decided on the Aromatic Duck. I was really pleased with my option as it had a touch of spice and the duck was so tender it was a decent effort, almost a little Thai. It was rather good. Dessert, I normally choose a lighter option if I am doing 3 courses so choose the ice cream & frozen berries. It had a lovely green & earthy flavour but was essentially a simple dish.

The service was really great throughout and I had a lovely time here. Once the bill arrived, I won’t lie, it's a shocker 😂 A visit to The Ivy is for a special occasion and if you have cash to splash then it’s a must try!

OPINION 2: The Ivy Glasgow makes a good first impression with its classy relaxed 1900s / 1920s style interior. Like its London cousin, the green accent colour is heavily emphasised giving some feeling of an English garden. We are soon shown to our table and the service is very attentive. I order some yellow label champagne whilst I am perusing the menu which proves ideal for the occasion.

For a starter, I order the crispy duck salad. This is well presented, although it has a punchy ginger flavour which I find pleasant, yet a bit too intense verging on overpowering. For my main, I pick the lobster linguine, this is perfectly pleasant, although the lobster is a bit on the tough side (perhaps being a bit overcooked). A squeeze of lemon over the top helped bring it together. I select a nice New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc to accompany, which proves to be a nice bottle. Finally, for dessert, I select the Malted banana ice cream – a chocolate brownie, caramelised banana, candied pecans and cocoa nib tuile. This is fabulous, and a perfect dessert to end the meal. Overall, this was a pleasant festive experience, the service is excellent, the atmosphere agreeable. The food could perhaps be perfected with a little more attention to detail.

OPINION 3 👩‍🍳 The Ivy, on first impressions, has a luxurious and cosy interior with a classy but unpretentious vibe. I went with high expectations as this is the famous Ivy brand everyone is talking about.

As an Instagram addict, I was browsing on the Insta page before my visit to check out pictures of the food, but I also found quite a few pics of celebs, which proves that this is the place to be.
To start with I opted for the signature cocktail, The Ivy Royale, which was tasty with lovely botanical flavours.

For starters, I had Laverstoke Park Farm buffalo mozzarella, which was very flavoursome and the cheese went very well with the pear and truffle honey, making it very moreish.

For my main, I requested the Sirloin Steak (medium rare) with truffle and parmesan chips and Creamed spinach, toasted pine nuts and grated Parmesan. Unfortunately, when this arrived it had not been cooked medium rare but was more well done. This was mentioned to the waiter who quickly offered to fix this with no issues, which I was very pleased with. He took away the dish and said he would bring a new one with fresh sides cooked correctly.

When my new steak arrived I cut into it and it was cooked the way I wanted, juicy and tender. The chips with truffle and parmesan were nice but were a little dry, however, there could have been more seasoning and more truffle flavour.

For dessert, I opted for the Chocolate bombe - melting chocolate bombe with a vanilla ice cream and honeycomb centre with hot salted caramel sauce. I'd mentioned to the waiter that I had ordered the same dish from Chaophraya a few days earlier and that I would be comparing the two. When I was asked for my opinion I had to say that this wasn't as good as the Chaophraya one 🙈, as it wasn't as rich in flavour, and the honeycomb seemed to have popping candy in it which hadn't been mentioned in the description.

Overall, The Ivy is a place for a special occasion, if you have a bit of cash to splash. I will definitely return to try new dishes and a few cheeky (rather posh) cocktails 🍹🍸🕺

@theivyglasgow #theivyglasgow
#glasgow #scotland #finedining #scottish #theivy #new #restaurants #christmas

Spread over three floors, this stunning space is situated in the monolithic Townhouse building, built in 1909 to house the Glasgow Liberal Club.

🙋🏻‍♀️My Chaophraya cherry 🍒 has officially been popped This beautiful place is a sight for sore eyes and the food is ridiculously moreish. The sharing platter was delicious, perfect selection of starters! Thai chicken tacos were my favourite. My main choice was the Crispy Pork Belly with Thai Basil. Served with sugar snap peas & peppers. I opted for the Riceberry Rice as it sounded interesting! It’s Thailand’s own super-food! This rice is purple in colour, high in vitamins, minerals, fibre & antioxidants. The pork was juicy and tender with a nice crispy crackling! Flavours of garlic and chillies infused with the hot basil tantalise your taste buds! For Desert, a Chocolate Bombe! – a rich chocolate sphere filled with chocolate mousse peanuts & hot caramel sauce. Creamy chocolate combined with the soft, fluffy mousse & covered in hot caramel sauce… Heavenly! I can’t wait to go back here again & try some more dishes!

🙋🏻‍♂️We enjoy my staple choice of a Chaophraya Platter – a classic starter selection of Thai chicken tacos, Thai fish cakes, chicken spring rolls, red curry battered prawns and crispy duck salad, served with a selection of Thai sauces. Presented to perfection, it’s so good that you don’t want to share it. The duck salad and fish cakes were my faves.
For my main course – Weeping Tiger Steak (a dish I can’t stop having). This Chaophraya classic of 21-day dry-aged sirloin steak is served on a platter with seasonal vegetables and black pepper sauce. It arrives on a hot plate with loads of steam, catching the attention of other diners. It’s very tender and medium-rare as requested, with sticky egg fried rice.

Today’s service was a bit disappointing, not ideal as a wanted to show it off at its best. The front desk staff seemed stressed with their computer and the receptionist was a bit stern with our waitress. Our main server was softly spoken so we couldn’t really make him out. Overall – definitely recommend @chaophraya_glasgow

Home is where the heart 💖 is! A cosy bar that feels relaxed, and a place to kick back. This venue is geared to attract the Strathclyde Uni/Blackfriars student community, as well as office workers Mon-Fri for after-work tipples 🍻Pub Quizzes with a difference and good times are what you can expect from here! It’s a mixed crowd for sure, but it’s definitely more students that frequent the place. The menu seems to be up to date with plenty of vegan options 🌱 It’s very much drinks first and food second, it’s not food-focused, and we think Bar Home (despite having quite an extensive varied menu) don’t want to be taken too seriously on the food front based on the style of what is served. There is a great selection of “small plates” menu which is 3 for £8. Loving a wee Sunday nibble, I pick the Cheese and Chorizo Croquettes which came with an obscure & eye-popping 😳 spicy, yet zesty sauce that seemed out of place, it didn’t quite match the flavour. The “sloppy” nachos were much less nacho and overloaded with topping it could have done with more nacho and a bit more 50/50 balance although toppings were nice. Chicken wings with BBQ sauce were fine but a bung in the oven type of effort. You get what you pay for here. My partner had a burger which was enjoyable, served in typical fashion, very much like something you’d get at a Hard Rock Cafe, perhaps with a little less fresh salad in the bun.
It has to be said the service today was brilliant, very genuine, warm and friendly staff. Only caught the name Greg from one of the servers on the till but there was a lovely girl too! We recommend Bar Home for drinks, catch-ups and the food for a casual outing! @barhomeglasgow#glasgow#merchantcity#bars#reviews#sunday#funday#outings#tapas#students#foodblogs#mysterydiners#reviews#critics#instafood#instadaily