Mr Foodie Valaria – not just cakes and coffee
Valaria, the Instagram-friendly patisserie and brunch spot on Byres Road in Hillhead which opened in 2023, recently had change of ownership and with that came later opening hours and a new evening menu that is available from 5 – 10pm.
We had missed the buzz when Valaria originally opened, so this was actually our virgin visit, and first impressions were good. Greeted at the entrance by the owner and taken to our table by the window, the room was clean, ordered and appealing.
The menu is a sensible size and ordered by: Snacks; Flat Breads or Buns; Dishes; Sides and Desserts. With the flat breads or buns you pick your ingredient and the type of bread you want, and these also come with coleslaw. We ordered a mix of items starting with ye olde faithful bread.
Listed as Warm Sourdough (£4), we received two types of bread, one of which tasted fresher than the other, with lots of soft, spreadable butter. We would definitely recommend ordering bread as a number of the dishes had sauce or cheese that was ideal for mopping up.
Bocconcini Mozzarella (£5)
We ordered both Italian cheese dishes on the menu. The first one is just an appetiser, which was quickly delivered to our table, comprising small mozzarella balls, served with a tangy tomato.
We also ordered the Burrata, Smoked Tomato Fondue (£8), and this bigger plate of creamy cheese was better than the mozzarella, having more flavour and being creamier of course. This one was served with a sweet, tangy Branston-type relish.
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Barbequed Courgettes (£6.50)
Although courgette was listed as the main ingredient, this was mostly creamy, whipped cheese with a salty, basil flavour. Perfectly fine, and good with the bread, but we would’ve liked more slices, or bigger pieces of courgette.
Flavoursome lamb kofta (£14) with spicy chilli was our favourite dish. With a choice of flat bread or brioche bun, we opted for the latter, which was soft and sweet. It was also served with a crisp and crunchy coleslaw in a separate bowl, which was a bit of a palate cleanser between courses.
Crispy Fried Potatoes (£6.50)
There are two potato options on the menu, and we opted for the fancier of the two. Crispy and fluffy tatties with a smokey flavour covered with a blanket of tomato pesto, aioli, and manchego. It was very moreish.
Overall verdict
As this was our first visit to Valaria we hadn’t sampled any of the cakes or brunch menu before so had no previous experience to compare it with but we can say that the food was mostly very good, the lamb kofta was our favourite, and with a few tweaks the courgette dish could be as good.
Staff were friendly and approach and the toilets were well maintained.
Opening Times
Monday – Friday: 10am – 10pm
Saturday – Sunday: 9am – 10pm
Brunch: 9am – 4pm
Evening meals: 5pm – 10pm
Location
333 Byres Road, Glasgow, G12 8UQ
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Disclaimer : we received a complimentary meal.
