Emma Ox and Finch return with a refreshed look and menu
Ox and Finch are back, after a refurbishment to claim their spot amongst the must-visit restaurants in Glasgow. With a relaxed, sharing menu and chilled-out surroundings, Ox and Finch have been featured in the Bib Gourmand – The Michelin Guide Great Britain & Ireland for 10 consecutive years.
From Michelin: ‘Run like a well-oiled machine, this is a hugely likeable bistro with a rustic edge thanks to its tile-backed open kitchen and wines displayed in a huge metal cage. The Mediterranean dishes are big enough for sharing and showcase skilful use of simple ingredients, with the flavours really shining through. The appeal of the cooking is enhanced by its fantastic value for money, with delicious dishes like tubetti with brown butter, peas and guanciale an absolute steal.’
It was a gorgeous evening for sitting, eating and relaxing when we dined, and inside the restaurant was full.
We were pleased to see Robert Welch cutlery, we do like his stuff, and in fact have a set of his cutlery at home.
Menu
Ox and Finch Main Menu
Ox and Finch Vegetarian and Vegan Menu
Ox and Finch Children’s Menu
What we ate and drank
Being trainee oenophiles, we reviewed the wine list and started the evening with a glass each.
Les Funambules Soif! – a sparkling pét nat from Alsace. This was naturally cloudy with some sediment in the glass. It had a sour sherbet lemon aroma, and a taste more like a sour beer or scrumpy cider. It was dry, tart, and very acidic.
Our other wine was more conventional, a Roland Schmitt Glintzberg Riesling, also from Alsace, and quite typical of the Rieslings from this region. It had a plasticky mineral aroma with pear, apple and lemon flavours. It was off dry and acidic.
Our first food to arrive was the bread and butter…but would it pass the test?
Of course it did! Warmed Freedom Bakery bread which had a chewy crust, fluffy interior and was so very easy to feast on.
The dishes here at Ox and Finch arrive as they are made in the kitchen; there’s no starter to main structure so just go with the flow.
Next to arrive was the beef tartare with crisps.
Not the usual presentation for beef tartare – there was no circle of meat with an egg on top, and it was served with crisps. These crunchy crisps were actually ideally for scooping up the rich, oleaginous meat.
Barbecued bream crudo, citrus dashi
Another oily dish, this time with a pleasant citrus taste, and flavoursome Maillard charring on each slice of fish. Simple yet so incredibly moreish.
Confit lamb shoulder, swede, yoghurt, harissa and pickled cucumbers
This was our favourite dish of the day. Expertly cooked lamb with a mix of creamy, acidic and spicy tastes – the harissa was on the warming, flavoursome side rather than fiery, and everything went together supremely well.
Skate wing, crab sauce, guindillas and capers
We ordered the skate because it isn’t something we usually order in restaurants or prepare at home, and it’s a bit fiddly to eat if you’re not used to it, having a scaly skeleton structure made of cartilage running through the wing, although technically not bone, the ‘fingers’ can easily snap off and end up on your fork and they’re not as conspicuous as normal fish bones. If you slice it right, you should be able to free the meat from one side then flip over to get the rest.
Once we’d dissected it we tucked in, and were rewarded with a strong flavours of capers, an unctuous bisque and piquant peppers.
Last but not least, we also had a bowl of chips as this is always a good marker for a restaurant, and they were warm, thick and fluffy – ideal really, though we didn’t finish them as we wanted to leave room for pudding…
Ox and Finch Dessert Menu
It was difficult to pick just two desserts from the selection but we got there in the end.
Rhubarb, custard and gingerbread trifle
I’m not normally one to order a trifle, but we saw this being delivered to another table and decided that it looked the part, and combined two of my favourite ingredients: rhubarb and ginger. This was smooth and creamy with a tart crunch provided by the rhubarb.
Rum baba, vanilla cream and orange
A light, fluffy baba with a healthy dollop of cream and orange segments. We managed to finish it without bursting.
We also finished our meal with two sweet wines.
Echeverria Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc from Chile – a bright golden dessert wine with a plasticky honey aroma and very sweet, syrupy honey, and apricot taste.
Barbadillo La Cilla Pedro Ximenez – dark Ruby/tawny in colour with a lusciously sweet aroma and syrupy taste of dates and prunes with a slightly woody and medicinal flavour.
Overall verdict
Until this visit we had both only eaten here once, on separate occasions. There wasn’t a single disappointing dish, everything hit the mark.
It was filling too, the drinks were great, and service was great even though staff were still learning the new menu. We would happily return, in fact we are already thinking of a family visit next time instead.
We’ve also visited some of their sister restaurants, click to find out what we thought of Ka Pao Glasgow; Ka Pao Edinburgh; and Sebb’s.
Book a table
Click here to book a table direct
Where
Ox and Finch, 920 Sauchiehall St, Finnieston, Glasgow G3 7TF
