Curdle up a little closer, lovely mint
Halloumi is the bright Greek-Cypriot restaurant on Hope Street, named after the famous cheese from Cyprus which is usually made from a mix of goat and sheep milk. The finished “squeaky” product is typically garnished with mint for flavour and longevity, which is then grilled or fried rather than eaten raw. It’s also one of Mr Foodie’s favourite cheeses!
Halloumi, the restaurant that is, always seems to be busy and we haven’t heard a bad word about it. It’s the kind of catch-all eaterie that is perfect for a quick lunch, a night out with friends or for couples on a date. We were invited along to a press night to see what was new on the menu for Spring.
The dishes
Spinach and feta croquettes (V)
Bundles of creamy cheese and spinach in a thick coating. No greasy croquettes here.
Crab salad
Fresh and surprisingly spicy. Crab with spring onions, avocado and chive and a dose of chillies. Mouth warming stuff.
Goats cheese tart with red onion chutney and balsamic vinegar (V)
Grilled swordfish with tomatoes
Really meaty fish, grilled tomatoes and a good sprinkling of salt.
French cut roasted chicken breast in a mushroom and Metaxa brandy and red wine sauce
A French-style dish given the Halloumi treatment with the addition of Metaxa brandy! Perfectly-cooked succulent chicken in a rich peppery sauce with mushrooms that looked deceptively like the meat you’d get in a steak pie!
Halloumi fries with fresh mint, yoghurt and pomegranate
Perfect squeaky cheese with a fruity Mediterranean accompaniment.
Chocolate Brownie
A sweet chocolately final food course. Maybe not the most Cypriot or Mediterranean but who doesn’t love a good brownie?
Lovers Delight cocktail – vanilla Stoli, white chocolate and Amaretto
A far too easy to cocktail, which tasted a bit like a boozy latte with sprinkles and edible hearts (aww) but watch out as you can feel the effects after just one glass!
Hymettas cocktail – Hendricks Gin, elderflower and lemon
Named after a mountain range near Athens, this tart, citric cocktail is served in a martini glass and garnished with edible flowers. Lovely stuff!
WIN
How do you fancy a choice of five mezze and two cocktails from the folks at Halloumi?
To enter, all you need to do is tell us below what your fave dish is from their menu (Click here for Halloumi menu).
Closing date 7th March 2018
Where
Halloumi, 161 Hope St, Glasgow G2 2UQ
How to get there
Halloumi is on Hope Street (where Le Bistro Beaumartin used to be) between West George Street and St Vincent Street. For public transport plenty of buses travel up Hope St and both Queen Street Station and Glasgow Central Station train stations are only a five-minute walk away. There is limited on-street parking and the nearest multi-storey car park can be found at NCP Car Park Glasgow Mitchell Street.
Disclaimer: We were given VIP treatment by the lovely folks at Halloumi but Fred says that we haven’t embellished our visit as the food really is great and any exaggerations on our part will be dealt with by a swift pair of murder mittens to the face.
8 Comments