Lunch at Singl-end, Glasgow City

My friend was over for a few days and I wanted to show her what Glasgow had to offer, so we spent a day eating our way around the city. I had planned to go to Singl-end for lunch, I had a vague idea as to where it was and understood that it was a bit of a walk so off we went. I was a little concerned about getting a seat as it was 1 o'clock when we were arriving but thankfully once we found it there was plenty of availability for us. I loved this place from the minute I walked in. I was surprised at how big it was - in my head I had thought it was going to be a small place. When you walk in the door you are greeted with the smell of lovely freshly baked bread and cakes and then you see them displayed. Straight away I decided that whatever I was having had to come with bread and that I was having cake after lunch. 

Food

There is such a comprehensive menu here, you even get to choose from 9 different types of bread. The All day menu includes dishes such as porridge; eggs done loads of different ways; cooked breakfasts; smoothies; open sandwiches and daily specials. I decided to go for the veggie spicey baked eggs and my friend Noreen went for egg's benedict. My photos don't do the food justice - I think there was something on my camera. My first reaction when my lunch was put down in front of me was that I won't have room for any cake - the portion size was HUGE. My food was lovely and tasty, great texture and cooked to perfection. I must admit I didn't find the dish spicy and to be honest I would have preferred if there was a bit more of a kick from it. Also I was a little disappointed with the bread - I'm not sure what it was, I think it could have been the texture. But all in all it was a lovely dish. Noreen's egg's Benedict was lovely - I couldn't resist trying out the sweet potato that was part of the dish in place of a crumpet. Food rating 4/5.

Service

Service was really good here. Staff were so friendly and welcoming. There was a jug of water and glasses on the table even before we took our seats which if you read my blogs you know is a big positive for me. On another note - when butter was brought out for our bread it was soft - I'm so used to getting hard butter straight from the fridge that you can't spread so this was a pleasant change. Service rating: 4.5/5.

Atmosphere

The atmosphere is lovely here, from the smell of freshly baked goods to the cool and quirky interior. The female bathrooms need to get a special mention to - the taps are amazing! The restaurant itself it bright and airy with lovely high ceilings. As I was leaving I noticed a little side room with a couch and a couple of chairs - this side room is the total opposite to the main restaurant, it is dark and has no natural light - however it is a lovely looking room. I could imagine sitting in one of the comfy chairs with a cup of something and having a long leisurely chat. Atmosphere rating: 4/5.

Price

We had two dishes and one coffee, the total cost of the meal was £19.80. I think this is a great price for the quality of the food, the great services and the huge portions. Price rating: 5/5.

Last Words

This is a great spot and I really can't wait to go back to try out more of the menu and to have some cake (or a lot of cake). It is a little out of the way - not a problem for me or my companion on the day but I'm guessing it might be too much of walk for some. I'm delighted to see that even though it is out of the way it is doing very well. I did notice when I was paying the bill that it is owned by the same people as the Butterfly and the Pig and if you know me, you will know that both the Butterfly and the Pig in Shawlands and town are regular haunts of mine and that I'm particularly fond of them so it is probably no surprise that I'm loving Singl-end. Total rating:- 17.5 out of 20.

Date Visited: Friday, 10 June 2016.

Restaurant Details:

265 Renfrew Street,

Glasgow,

G3 6TT.

Telephone:- 0141 353 1277

Thanks a mil for reading.

Emma Mai xx

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Brunch at Titchfield's, Kilmarnock, Ayrshire

So it was that time of the week, my favourite time ... Saturday Brunch. We were both a little tired after our night out in Glasgow the night before so we decided to stay local. I had driven by Titchfield's in Kilmarnock a few times and thought it looked really nice so we decided to give it a go. We arrived into the restaurant just before 12 and it was empty - I mean there was not one other person in the restaurant - to be honest it was a little disconcerting! I couldn't really understand it - I follow Titchfield's on social media and they always appeared to be producing amazing looking food. However, it was one of those rare sunny Saturday mornings so maybe people were having a picnic by the sea. 

Food

The menu for brunch isn't extensive - there are 6 options on it. You can have breakfast rolls, scrambled eggs, french toast, breakfast, ironmonger (description below) and pancakes. I decided to go for the ironmonger and Mr EmmaEats went for the breakfast (surprisingly enough). My ironmonger breakfast was a three egg omelette of chorizo, black pudding, grilled bacon & caramelised onions served in a cast iron pan. I can confirm that it tasted as good as it sounds. I wasn't blown away with the chorizo - I do like it in general but I just wasn't enjoying this particular one. However the rest of the breakfast was totally delicious. The cast iron pan also kept the heat in it for ages.

Mr EE loved his breakfast, he said it was just the perfect amount. He loved the sour dough bread as well. He said there was very little grease on the plate (so he reckoned he had gone for the healthy option). I even commented on the fact that the sausage looked like a real proper sausage, it really did look good. Food rating: 4/5.

Service

The service here was very good - given that we were their only customers I wouldn't expect anything less though. The waitress was really friendly. Everything arrived quickly and with a smile. Service rating: 4/5.

Atmosphere 

This is a weird one - even though the place was empty I thought there was a lovely vibe about the place. It is beautifully decorated and very clean. I was sitting by the window just watching the world go by. The restaurant didn't feel empty, even though it was. Atmosphere rating: 4/5.

Price

The cost of our breakfast was £18.20 - we had 2 breakfasts and 3 coffee's. I thought this was great value for money given that the quality of the food is great here. Price rating: 5/5.

Last Words

I really enjoyed my breakfast here, it is a great find in Kilmarnock. I really don't understand why it was empty. I did ask the waitress was the place normally this empty and she said no. She said they were nearly fully booked for dinner that evening. So I'm just putting it down to the lovely weather. I can safely say that this is the nicest spot in Kilmarnock for brunch and I'm guessing it's safe to the say the same for dinner but just to be sure I will be back to try it out. Total rating: 17 out of 20.

Date visited: Saturday, 4 June 2016.

Restaurant details:

10 Titchfield Street,

Kilmarnock,

KA1 1PH

Website: click here 

Telephone number: 01563 530100

Thanks for reading.

Emma Mai xx

Dinner at McPhabbs, West End, Glasgow

It was Friday lunch time, Mr EmmaEats and I were deciding what to do that evening - it had been a lovely week of amazing weather and I thought it would be lovely to be up in the city drinking cocktails. Mr EE suggested that we might see if we could catch a show, so we hit google and found that American Idiot was on in Glasgow Kings Theatre and there was actually some tickets available. So we snapped up the tickets and the next job was to figure out where to go for food. We were going to be short on time so we were looking for somewhere convenient to the theatre and somewhere that we could get food quickly. After checking out a few places we decided on McPhabbs. I didn't really know what to expect but I liked the look of the menu so off we went. 

As we were walking up to McPhabbs we could see a huge crowd of people outside enjoy the great weather - I immediately got a good vibe about the place. We walked inside and the good vibe continued. It was around 6.30pm on a Friday evening and the place was hopping. Any of the free tables had reserved signs on them so things weren't looking good for us. We asked a member of staff would they be able to take us for dinner and thankfully they could fit us in. We were seated at our table by a very friendly member of staff. We gave our drink order and were left to look over the menu. 

Food
Even though I had looked at the menu I still wasn't able to decide on what to eat - there were so many things on the menu that I wanted so it was a case of waiting until I was placing my order to pick. I eventually went for the cauliflower gnocchi, wild garlic salsa verdi, asparagus, shaved cauliflower, toasted hazelnuts. Mr EE went for the Cheese burger on seeded brioche with onion jam and rosemary fries. When I had looked at the menu I had seen the carne asada fries (there are fries with shredded beef, hot sauce, sour cream, avocado and Monterey jack cheese) and I knew straight away that once Mr EE saw these he would have to have them - and yes he had to order a side of them.

As you can see from the photo above the food looked great and tasted as good as it looked. My gnocchi was delicious - the flavours were amazing - it was like a subtle taste explosion in my mouth - no flavour was too strong and it all just worked great together. It was a lovely and light dish. When I was placing my order I had contemplated ordering a side dish but I decided against it - I do think that you might need to order a side dish with the gnocchi though. Mr EE had loads of food and even had two portions of chips - he said his burger was cooked to perfection, exactly how he likes it. Then he tasted the carne asada fries and exclaimed that they were the nicest chips he has ever had in his life. Of course I had to taste them to and I will agree they were delicious - all the flavours worked really well together - the hot sauce was a really good addition to the dish but it wasn't overpowering. My only issue here is that when Mr EE ordered the cheese burger (that came with fries) and then and additional side of fries I would have expected the waitress to point out that the burger came with fries (even though it was stated on the menu) but maybe she thought the side was for me. Anyway as the food was so delicious we decided that we would have to sample the deserts and coffee.

I went for the lemon meringue baked Alaska, raspberry, crumbled shortbread and popping candy and Mr EE went for the sticky toffee pudding, bourbon soaked apple, custard ice cream. You may not believe me but before I moved to Scotland I was never the biggest dessert person but now it is my biggest weakness. I've never had baked Alaska so I decided to give it a go (and I think the popping candy helped make my decision). It was delicious, I loved every single bite of it - as with all the other dishes it was so flavoursome. Mr EE loved his sticky toffee pudding and if his face was anything to go by - there was a good kick of alcohol from it. To round it all off we both had an americano with hot milk. The coffee was lovely but I had to say you would need teeny tiny fingers to fit your finger through the handle of the cup. Food rating: 4/5.

Service

Exceptional - that is the only word for it (leaving aside the issue with the fries above). The staff were so friendly, welcoming and helpful. Service rating: 5/5.

Atmosphere

There was a great atmosphere here. When we first went in it was really busy with the after work crowd - but it did quieten down. It was absolutely perfect for what we needed. It's loud and lively and I wish I worked beside it so it could be my after work spot. Atmosphere rating: 4/5.

Price

Our total meal cost £66.10 and this was for 2 main courses, 1 side, 2 desserts, 2 coffees, 2 cocktails and 2 glasses of red wine. I felt for the quality of the food and service that this was a very reasonable price. They also seem to do offers for the after work crowd and I think there are showing the Euro's and are doing food and drink specials. Price rating: 4.5/5.

Last Words

This place is definitely worth a visit, the food is great as were the cocktails. The staff are so friendly and the atmosphere in the place is great. Total rating 17.5 out of 20.

Date visited: Friday, 3 June 2016

Restaurant Details:

McPhabbs,

23 Sandyford Place,

Charing Cross,

Glasgow,

G3 7NG

Website: CLICK HERE

Phone number: 0141 221 8176

Thanks for reading.

Emma Mai xx

Dinner at Lido, Troon, Ayrshire - Buzzworks Restaurant

So if you read my blog regularly you will know that I eat in the Buzzwork's chain of restaurants very regularly. My latest visit was to Lido in Troon - I have previously reviewed brunch at Lido, you can check out my review HERE. It was a beautiful sunny Thursday evening and I decided that I didn't want to be stuck in the kitchen cooking dinner, I also thought that it was cocktail weather so we headed out to Lido. Lido is always busy so I was a little apprehensive that we mightn't get a seat but thankfully because of the good weather we got a seat straight away. 

Food
I know Lido's menu upside down and inside out so even before I got to Lido I knew what I was having. I was having a pizza and cocktails. Mr EmmaEats also decided that he was going to have pizza but he went for beer instead. Aside from pizza there are loads of options on the menu and on different days Lido runs specials - if I remember correctly on Wednesdays they do two pizza's for the price of one. So I ordered the goats cheese pizza which had sweet potato, spinach, black olives, red onion and rocket leaves. Mr EE went for the inferno chicken which had fresh chillies and inferno sauce on it. We also ordered a side of piri spiced sweet potato wedges. Both our pizza's were absolutely delicious - I love the pizza's here. We had never tasted the piri spiced sweet potato wedges before but we will certainly be having them again, they were so tasty. 

For desert we went for buzzworks tablet sundae and the warm chocolate fudge cake. Mr EE loved the fudge cake but said it was probably a bit too heavy after the pizza. I wasn't blown away with my sundae, there was nothing wrong with it, it just didn't do anything for me. Food rating: 4/5. 

Service

Service can be a little hit and miss here. On this occasion the majority of the service was great. We had two really nice female members of staff serving us - one I'm guessing is a manager as she wears a shirt. However, there was one female member of staff who brought me down my glass of water and slightly spilled it on my cutlery, the table in front of me and some on my dress and she walked off as if nothing happened! I really don't see how she didn't realise that she had spilled it! It was only a small bit but ... On a positive note when I asked for a glass of water I was given a jug - if you have read my review of brunch here you will know that I had big issues with water here so I'm really glad to see that they are putting a jug on the table now. Service Rating 4/5.

Atmosphere

As I've said before, there is a lovely atmosphere in Lido, there is always plenty of people here to create a good buzz around the place. The restaurant itself it very stylish and always very clean. Atmosphere Rating 4/5.

Price

The total cost of our dinner was £66 (approx, I forget to take the receipt with me) - we had 2 pizza's, piri sweet potato wedges, 2 deserts, 3 cocktails, a beer, a glass of red wine and two coffees. I think this was a very reasonable price for the quality and quantity of food. Price Rating 4/5.

Last Words

I do like Lido, its not perfect (but I have have to come across a 'perfect' restaurant) and as I've been here so many times I feel there is a lack of variation on the menu (and for Buzzworks restaurants in general) but in general the quality of food is good. There is always a great atmosphere here and its generally packed. Total Rating:- 16 out of 20.

You can also check out my reviews of the other Buzzworks restaurants by clicking on the following links:- dinner at The Treehouse, Ayr and dinner at The Mill House, Stewarton.

Restaurant Details:-

Lido,

11-17 West Portland Street,

Troon,

KA10 6AB.

Website:- click HERE

Telephone:- 01292 310 088

Date visited - Thursday, 2 June 2016.

Thanks for reading.

Emma mai x

Dinner at HillHead Bookclub, West End, Glasgow

So it was bank holiday Monday (30 May) and both Mr EmmaEats and I had a free day and we decided that we would do some more sightseeing around this beautiful country. We started off the day in Bell & Felix from breakfast (you can read my review by clicking HERE) and then went through to Edinburgh for the day. We had a late lunch at the Royal Deck Tea Rooms on the Royal Yacht Britannia which meant when we were finished in Edinburgh we still weren't hungry so we decided to head back to Glasgow for dinner. Before I move on I must say that I wasn't very impressed with lunch in the Royal Deck Tea Rooms, it was a little disappointing. As we were driving back to Glasgow we were trying to figure out where to eat. I had heard a lot about Hillhead Bookclub so we decided to head there. I wasn't sure if we would need to book or not so to avoid disappointment I easily booked a table online. When we arrived we were given a very warm greeting and shown to our table. I was very impressed with the place as soon as I walked in - it looked great and then when I sat down at the table I just loved the table setting.

Food

I wasn't really sure what I was in the mood for and neither was Mr EE. It had been a beautiful day and I think the heat sometimes affects my appetite (note I said sometimes). There was a huge choice of dishes on the menu and I was well impressed that they had a separate vegetarian menu, I'm not a vegetarian but I would eat a lot of meat free dishes so I was delighted with the choice here. I decided to go with the spinach and potato saag with homemade naan and rice. Mr EE went for the steak and chips. I must admit when my saag was put in front of me I didn't think that it was the prettiest dish ever (but I do find the likes of saag's and dhal's tend not to look very pretty) but I'm glad to report that it was very tasty - it wasn't too spicy but there was a nice kick off it. The naan was just fine. 

Mr EE loved his steak, it was done to perfection and he said it was a nice cut of meat. He liked his chips but he was pretty full so didn't eat much of them - which meant that I needed to eat them! And I must agree with Mr EE, the chips were lovely. 

We didn't go for any desserts but Mr EE had a coffee. Food rating:- 4/5.

Service
The service here was exceptional. The staff seemed really happy and looked to be really enjoying their work! Nothing seemed to be a problem to them. If you have read the about me section of my blog you will know that I have an issue water - so I'm pleased to report that when I asked for a glass of water a jug of water was placed in front of me! You can see my about me section by clicking HERE. Service rating:- 5/5. 

Atmosphere

As a result of the very happy staff the atmosphere here is great. The decor is great, there are lovely high ceilings and a balcony going around the edges. It is pretty cool and funky. There is also a ping pong table up in the balcony area. There was a really good buzz about the place - however, I'm guessing at some occasions the crowd might be a little younger than me! I'm guessing it is a very popular spot for the local college students - not that there is anything wrong with that, I'm just in a different age category. Atmosphere rating: 4/5. 

Price
Our meal came to £26.60 - this was for two main courses, a bottle of sparkling water and an americano. I thought this was great value for money for the quantity and quality of food and for the service and atmosphere. Price rating: 4/5. 

Last Words
I really like this place, the staff are great and so is the atmosphere. If you are looking for good food in a place with a bit of life, then this is your place. It might not be somewhere you would go for a deep and meaningful but it would be great for a catch up. I reckon it is a great afterwork spot too. Total rating: 17 out of 20.

Date Visited: Monday 30 May 2016

Restaurant Details:

HillHead Bookclub,
17 Vinicombe Street,
Glasgow,
G12 8SJ.

Website: HillHead Bookclub Website
Phone number: 0141 576 1700

Thanks a mil for reading.

Emma Mai xx

Breakfast at Bell & Felix, Shawlands, Glasgow

It was the bank holiday weekend and both Mr EmmaEats and I were free on the Monday so we decided that we would do some more sightseeing around Scotland. My OCD personality generally means that I organise all our excursions however, I decided that I would let Mr EE take the reigns for a day. Which meant that I didn't know where we were going but I was told that the Southside would be suitable for breakfast. I've been to Bell & Felix for dinner before and loved it - you can check out my review by clicking HERE. I had heard great things about their breakfast/brunch so I decided that we would pop in there to fuel up for the day.

We arrived at about 9.15am on a bank holiday Monday morning so as you can imagine the place was quiet(ish) but to my surprise there were other diners there. We had the choice of tables so I took a seat down the back underneath the Bell & Felix sign. We were given our menu's by a very friendly waitress.

Food
We were given the weekend brunch menu and there was lots of variety on it from scones; rolls; porridge; eggs (done loads of different ways); pancakes and the Scottish breakfast. I decided to go for the free range three egg omelette with mature cheddar & cherry tomatoes - however I asked for this without the cheese. Mr EE went for the porridge and french toast with bacon - very unusual for him but he had had a fry for the last two mornings so he was going for something healthier ;-). Our food came out nice and quickly which suited us as Mr EE had the day planned with military precision (I thought I was the one with the OCD tendencies) and we didn't have time to sit over a long lazy breakfast. My omelette was cooked to perfection, it was light and fluffy and not oily at all. I do find when I eat omelettes out they tend to be oily but not here. Mr EE enjoyed his porridge and thought that his french toast was really tasty. Food rating:- 4/5.

Service
Once again the service here was brilliant. The waitress was very friendly and she seemed to make time to have a few words with all of the customers which I thought was a really nice touch. Service rating:- 5/5.

Atmosphere
The last time I was here I said that there was something missing but that I couldn't put my finger on it. I'm still not sure what it is - I like the vibe of the place and much preferred sitting at the back of the restaurant this time but I still think it lacks something and I wish I could put my finger on it. There were a few people coming and going which I was surprised at given that it was very early on a bank holiday Monday morning. Atmosphere rating: 4/5.

Price
Our meal came to £24.30 and this included 3 dishes (as Mr EE's had 2), 2 americano's and 1 cappuccino. For the quality of the food and the friendly welcome that I've received every time I have been here I think this price is very reasonable. Price rating: 4/5.

Last Words
Once again I was impressed with the food and service in Bell & Felix. On both occasions the staff have been so friendly and welcoming. It is certainly a great neighbourhood restaurant and a spot that I can see myself going back to again and again. Total rating: 17 out of 20. 

Date Visited: 30 May 2016

Restaurant Details:-
Bell & Felix,
248 Kilmarnock Road,
Glasgow,
G43 1TT.

Website:- None
Telephone:- 0141 649 1684

Thanks a mil for reading.

Emma Mai xx

Dinner at the Treehouse, Ayr (Buzzworks restaurant)

Given that the sun finally made an appearance I decided it was time to take my bike out for a spin (yes I am one of those fair weather cyclists). Mr EmmaEats and I dusted the cobwebs off our bikes on a sunny sunday evening and decided that we would cycle from Troon to Ayr. During the better weather we also try to get in one decent cycle every weekend - however what we normally do is cycle somewhere, have a meal and then cycle back. Neither one of us knows Ayr very well and I didn't have time to check out places to eat so we just decided that we would have a look around when we got there. The first place that we came across was the Treehouse and as we were reading the menu we thought that it looked very familiar and like a Buzzworks restaurant - and we were right. So off we went in our cycling gear (yes we did get some funny looks).

Food
We tend to eat in Buzzworks restaurants very regularly and are quite familiar with their menus. So as I was looking through the menu I knew most of the dishes (and had tried a lot of them in other restaurants). So I suppose this is a bit of a drawback for me - I know some of the restaurants have their own dishes but in general I feel maybe they lack variation. But in saying that the food is good (clearly because we keep going back). After looking at the menu, I decided that I was going to try a dish that I had never had before - the cottage pie and Mr EE went for the southern fried chicken duo. My cottage pie, described as slow braised minced beef & vegetables, parsnip & potato mash & roast roots, was really delicious and very hearty. It all came out piping hot - the roast veg on the side were done to perfection with a nice bite still left to them (I dislike over done veg). When I first cut into the cottage pie I thought it looked a bit anaemic, the sauce/gravy was very pale, I would expect it to be a bit darker, so as I was putting it into my mouth I was expecting to find that I didn't like it at all. But thankfully it was really full of flavour and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Mr EE's southern fried chicken duo, described as spiced, crumbed chicken breast & thigh, corn on the cob, slaw salad, garlic dip and cajun fries, was very tasty. He has had this a number of times and really enjoys it. 

We didn't have any starters or desserts as we are trying to be a bit healthier (but I must admit it took a lot of willpower). We just had coffee's to round off our meal. Food rating: 3.5/5.
  
Service
Service was pretty good from the minute we walked in until we were finished. There was no issue with us arriving in our cycling gear. We were brought to our table immediately, given our menu's and our drinks and food orders were taken promptly. There were plenty of staff working so if you needed something there was always someone at hand. As we were paying the friendly waitress started up a conversation about cycling which I thought was a nice touch. Service rating: 4/5.

Atmosphere
As with the other Buzzworks premises the Treehouse is tastefully decorated. Above the bar area you have what looks like a tree, with leaves on the ceiling - which I thought was pretty cool. The ceiling was also quiet high which gave a nice airy feeling to the place, however, even though it was a nice sunny bright evening I did think the place looked a bit dark. There was a mixture of high tables and low tables. There was a good crowd and a good flow of people coming and going, which lent itself to a nice buzz about the place. Female toilets were lacking a bit of something, they didn't fit in with the rest of the atmosphere, it was like they were forgotten about. Atmosphere rating:- 4/5 

Price
As with all the other Buzzworks the price is very reasonable for the quality and quantity of food. For two mains, parmesan fries, two coffee's and a bottle of sparkling water it came to £34.45. Price rating:- 4/5.

Last Words
This is another lovely place by Buzzworks. The food, service and atmosphere is very good. I suppose I feel I would like a bit more variety between the restaurants but leaving that aside I do like going to their restaurants and I will be back to the Treehouse again. Total Rating:- 15.5 out of 20.

You can find my reviews of other Buzzworks restaurants on my blog by clicking here or going directly to each review:- for brunch at Lido in Troon click here and for dinner at the Mill House, Stewarton click here.

Date Visited:- Sunday, 15 May 2016

Restaurant Details:-
Treehouse, 
67 - 69 Sandgate, 
Ayr,
KA7 1BZ

Website: Treehouse Website
Telephone: 01292 288 500

Thanks a mil for reading.

Emma Mai xx