Finest in Finnieston?
With a stack of awards to its name including AA Best Restaurant of the Year and a Bib Gourmand from Michelin two years running, the pressure is on at The Gannet Glasgow to have an out of this world dining experience.
The interior décor is ruggedly modern, with exposed brick and stonework, minimalist artwork as well as the muted colours. The focus is definitely on the food here and not on flashy surroundings, a good sign.
We arrived 5 minutes early but our table wasn’t ready so we had a drink at the fully stocked bar. An interesting cocktail list is available but we decided on a bottle of red – a 2013 Monrouby Syrah/Carignan from Languedoc for £19 (we couldn’t find it on Vivino, only the Chardonnay is listed). It was a “school night” after all and we didn’t want to spend all evening at the bar!
It wasn’t the most exciting or fruity but it wasn’t that tannic so made for a basic dinner wine. After a couple of slurps, it was time for our table and a look at the food menu. Seating was comfortable with a heater underneath my seat to warm my toes (it was a rather cold night).
It’s good not to see a vast range of items. I always think that a smaller menu means fresher food as well as a Chef who knows what he is doing. But it was still a hard choice to pick a single dish each which is perhaps why their small plates menu is so popular!
An amuse-bouche was brought over, served beside huge chunks of fresh bread and butter.
Breast and Confit leg of Perthshire Partridge, butternut squash puree, pickled artichoke and game sauce.
The first dish looked good but was a little underwhelming taste-wise, we found the meat to be quite dry and despite all the flavours listed, it didn’t pack as much as punch as it should have but nevermind, things quickly improved…
Melting salmon lightly flavoured with the herb puree. This is the second time I’ve had confit salmon and really enjoyed the pleasant blend of cooked and smoked salmon textures. The sliver of cauliflower added a tart bite.
Moist and tender beef served with perfect fluffy, almost fondant like potatoes. The dripping tasted top notch, I love dripping cooked potatoes (I’d even go so far to say better than goose fat) and these were fluffy and crisp. The celeriac added a crunch, and a light touch from the wild mushrooms, not a slimy button mushroom to be found here. My only gripe was that I wasn’t asked how I would have liked it cooked, however thankfully it was cooked pink, the way I like it.
The duck breast was really tender but the confit stole the show – so much flavour condensed into a single piece of meat – I could’ve happily eaten a plate of these! And the potatoes, while different to those which came with the beef were equally soft, fluffy and delicious with a crisp exterior. The five spice flavour was very subtle and not overpowering.
We heard the term “if Michelin restaurants did chocolate bars” describing this one, and this is pretty apt. Like a posh Double Decker meets a posh Toffee Crisp. The chocolate mousse dissolved effortlessly and the crunchy peanut base gave a mouth pleasing chew. We were impressed with the hazelnut ice cream with a good hit of nuttiness there.
George Mewes Cheeseboard, The Gannet. Left to Right: Dorston Goats Ash, Keens Cheddar, Waterloo Brie Style, Blue Colston Basset Stilton.
Hurrah, ripe room-temperature cheese and being told what each cheese was, which from local supplier George Mewes, brought an ideal end to the meal. Scoffed in double quick time as the pair of us delved in.
We ended with a couple of flat white coffees, which was the weakest part of the meal. Far too milky and mild for us and more like a latte.
At £93.10 for three courses, coffee and a bottle of wine it was an expensive night. However, the quality of food and service would make it a choice for a treat dinner.
TL;DR
+ Quality modern Scottish cuisine
+ Food presentation
+ Excellent service
– Expensive
– Coffee was too weak for us.
