CafeZique has been here for ages but we’d both never been (we’ve been in delizique next door though).
Tables are crammed into every available space, right up to the door, so it’s a bit awkward standing over someone’s dinner while waiting for the attention of staff to show you to your table.
Decor wise, It’s quite dark with those hipster filament bulbs above the bar – they look good but provide so little light that they’re really for show only. You can also see the ches at work in the kitchen behind the bar area.
We were seated under one of Alasdair Gray’s finest drawings of Brendan O’Carroll as Mrs.Brown, well, that’s what it looked like anyway!
The menu was on an A4 sheet; quite large and varied so we struggled to pick our food.
We had half pints of Sam Smiths Pure Brewed lager and Harviestoun’s Bitter & Twisted.
Puy lentil salad £5.50
Meaty stock, satisfying crunch from the walnuts, creamy & pungent Strathdon blue cheese – very moreish.
Aberfoyle beef stirfry £5.75
Beef steaming hot, taste and aroma both reminiscent of trips to Asia with the soy/umami flavours, slightly caramelised onions and a warming kick aftertaste.
Loch Duart Salmon £13.50
Salty fried Parma ham, crisp Salmon skin with moist, crumbly flesh. Buttery texture and juice. Parsnips could’ve been crisped more for my taste. So buttery and juicy that it could’ve done with some bread to soak the juices.
Pork sausage stew £12
More a soup than a stew and came with a soup spoon as a result. Piping hot with plenty of sausage pieces, butter beans, …beans and celery. Also came with some roast pepper focaccia. Very nice and perfect for winter.
Panna Cotta with honey Madeline and poached cherries. £5
Green Panna cotta tasted like fennel, which was supposed to be in the sausage stew but we couldn’t taste it! Creamy texture and not too wobbly. Not overpowering honey Madeleine. Light cherries. Choc, flake like crumbled over.
Spiced plum and walnut crumble £5
Wintry and comforting, could safely had eaten more. We detected star anise but couldn’t taste the cardamom in the custard.
Toilet – Has a disabled one at the back at ground level, which was clean, but we doubt anyone with a wheelchair would be able to squeeze through and even if they did, and needed help, the emergency cord was tied up.
We dined with a voucher deal which cost £26 for three courses for two persons. We had one soft drink and three half pints of beer which meant a mere £9 was all we owed. Overall, very satisfied – good food at good prices.
TL;DR
+ Can see chefs cook
+ very good food for the price
+ Small but decent draft beer selection
– No WIFI
– Tables too close together, your bum in someone’s dinner risk!
– not really disabled access friendly
