I'm slowly but surely working my way through my list of places that I must visit (however, this list is growing at an increasingly rapid pace) so cafezique was next on the list. I have heard loads of great things about cafezique and I was really looking forward to it. We were aware that we may have a bit of a wait for a table so we were all prepared to sit at the bar and have a coffee and read the paper. To our surprise when we arrived we were given a table upstairs straight away - we even had a choice of tables so we went for the one that overlooked the restaurant downstairs.
Food
So we were given the menu and all I can say is that the menu is very extensive - I felt I nearly had to have my coffee first before I could start reading it. As with any good brunch spot you can get the normal breakfast (& a veggie version), you can get eggs done a number of different ways, french toast, a b.l.t. (& a h.l.t. - the veggie version) and granola. There is also an extensive lunch menu that is available on Saturday and Sundays too.
I went for the veggie breakfast (minus the mushroom and picked poached eggs) - Mr EmmaEats went for the full breakfast and he had his eggs poached. I loved my breakfast, from the way it looked to the way it tasted. It was beautifully presented and I thought all the colours looked great together. The poached eggs were cooked to perfection, the halloumi was so tasty and the chilli oil was a great addition to the dish. I thought it was quiet a big portion. I actually thought the veggie breakfast was bigger than the 'normal' breakfast which is completely unusual as when you get a veggie dish in most places the assumption is made that you have the stomach the size of a 2 month old ;-). Mr EE loved his breakfast too - he didn't think it was on the small side - I thought it just kinda looked lost on the plate. However, Mr EE was very happy with it and said that it was one of the best breakfasts that he has had. Food rating: 4.5/5.
Service
Service was really good here. Very efficient and friendly. There was plenty of staff so if you needed someone there was also someone at hand - but they weren't in your face either. Sometimes I hate sitting upstairs as I feel you can be forgotten about, but thankfully this was not the case. Service rating: 5/5
Atmosphere
This place has a great atmosphere - I loved it from the minute I walked in the door. It is somewhere that I could imagine going with my paper, sitting in the corner and watching the world go by me. There didn't seem to be a rush on anyone, everyone just seemed to be completely relaxed. It is small and compact and the tables are kinda very close but it didn't seem to bother me here. Atmosphere rating 4.5/5.
Price
When I was looking at the menu I would have thought that the price of the food was certainly on the higher end of the scale - the full breakfast being £10.50 - which to me is expensive. However, given the quality of the food and service I do actually think that my breakfast was worth it. The total bill came to £27.00 and this included two dishes, 2 americano's and 1 cappuccino. The price of the coffee is in line with what I would expect to pay. Price rating: 4/5.
Last Words
This place has it all and is certainly in contention for the best brunch spot. The menu has a great selection on it, the quality of the food is great, service is excellent and the atmosphere is just right up my street. This really is somewhere that you should head to. Cafezique has a sister restaurant (right next door) called Delizique, I'm really looking forward to visiting it sometime soon. Total Rating: 18 out of 20.
Date Visited: 20 August 2016.
Restaurant Details
Cafezique,
66 Hyndland Street,
Glasgow,
G11 5PT.
Website: click HERE
Telephone:0141 339 7180
If there is anywhere that you think I should try out please let me know. You can either leave a comment below or send me an email to emma@emmaeats.co.uk
Thanks a mil for reading.
Emma mai xx
I walk up and down Hope Street regularly so I had noticed Halloumi slowly coming together. I was always trying to have a snoop in through the windows but I never got much of a feel for the place.
For some reason when I think of Greek food I think of healthy so I was really looking forward to trying out this place. I was even more excited when I received an invitation for the launch party. I'm not going to do a normal review on Halloumi as it is difficult to review a launch night or a tasting night, so I'm just going to write about my experience on the night.
The launch was during our second summer (those 3 days of sun we had in August - the first being back in June) so the weather was perfect for some greek food. Halloumi is a Greek-Cypriot Mezze restaurant. Their website states that Mezze is about sharing so it's similar to the tapas concept.
I really liked the look of the restaurant, I loved the contrast between the stark white walls and the beautiful colourful tiles. The bathrooms are downstairs and the stairs had candles along it - when I was walking up the stairs I did get a little bit of a med feel about the place.
So to the main event - food and drinks. When we first arrived we were given lovely dips and pitta bread - these were tasty. The dips included: houmous, taramasalata, tzatziki, avocado and black olive houmous and tahini. Next up was the halloumi and watermelon skewers - and for me these were the winner of the night. The halloumi was delicious. I'm a halloumi fan but I have to say I have never tasted halloumi like this. There was also plenty of fizz, cocktails, mocktails to taste and all went down very well.
We took our seats to have the warm dishes and we were provided with souvlaki chicken skewers, lamb moussaka, vegetarian moussaka and vegetable dolmades to try. (and there was till plenty of fizz, cocktails and mocktails to try) Of these dishes my favourite was the lamb moussaka and my least favourite was the souvlaki chicken. When the table next to us were served the chicken the smell coming from the dish was all kinds of amazing - however the taste, for me, wasn't as amazing as it smelled. Oh and while all these hot dishes were being served we were also kept topped up with the delicious houmous and pitta.
So if all that food wasn't enough my second favourite dish of the night was served - I don't even know the name for them but they were deep fried dough balls (I'm sure there is a lovely fancy name for them). Not everyone at the table liked them (which was great for me) I just loved the greasiness of them. I think one of my fellow companions for the night described it as an eruption of grease.
So what did I think? I think the concept is great, the place looks lovely, the menu looks extensive and the food was good. However, I think I would like to go back some day soon and have a proper sit down dinner to experience it properly.
Restaurant Details
Halloumi Glasgow,
61 Hope Street,
Glasgow,
G2 QU2.
Website: click HERE
Telephone: 0141 772 7292
Thanks a mil for reading.
Emma mai xx
I was invited along to Mussel Inn to try out their dinner menu. I had walked by this place loads and it always seemed busy so I was really looking forward to trying it out. I don't eat huge quantities of fish, although it is something that I am trying to eat more of.
We decided to go on a Monday evening and I wondered would the place be quiet - it certainly wasn't heaving with people but there were plenty of people seated and there was also a continuous flow of people coming and going. We were greeted by a very friendly member of staff and shown to our table. We were advised of the specials board and also given menus.
Food
I had looked at the menu before I went so I kinda knew exactly what I was going to have but I did have a quick look at the specials board and there were some serious contenders (namely the lobster). I decided to go for crab salad and the sea bass and Mr EmmaEats went for the fish cakes and the rump steak. Before we went we had decided that we would try out a non fish main because not everyone eats fish so we thought we'd let the non fish eaters know that there was something here for them too.
We weren't waiting very long when our starters came out. My crab salad look really pretty and it was a very decent sized portion. To be honest, this dish didn't really do much for me. I had somehow imagined that the crab would be warm (I stress the imagined bit as it was not mentioned on the menu). It was also my first time tasting crab and I don't think crab is for me. So whilst I didn't particularly enjoy this dish I don't think there was anything wrong with it, it just wasn't for me. Mr EE loved his fish cakes, I had a taste of them too and I thought they were lovely.
So next up were our mains. We were both blown away with our main dishes. My sea bass was delicious - everything about the dish was great. All the flavours worked well together. I felt it was another very generous portion. Mr EE loved his steak, he said it was a good piece of meat - he also loved the wedges that came with his dish.
Whilst I had popped to the bathroom the waitress came over and gave Mr EE the dessert menu and informed him that all the desserts were homemade. She also advised that the chocolate torte was the most popular. So even before I got to look at the menu Mr EE had decided he was having the chocolate torte - so obviously to do my visit justice I had to go for another dessert. I decided to go with the coconut pannacotta. We also ordered two americano's. Whilst we were waiting on dessert I was thinking that I was so stuffed I probably wasn't going to be able to eat much of my dish ..... well that statement is a little hilarious as once I put the first bite of my pannacotta into my mouth I knew it didn't matter how full I was because I was just going to eat it all. It was melt in your mouth kinda stuff, just so tasty and smooth. Mr EE loved his chocolate torte, which had a strong orange flavour in it. I tasted it too and it was just as good as my dessert. Mr EE loved his coffee, however it just wasn't my cup of tea ;-) Food rating: 4/5.
Service
Service was great here. The staff were friendly and were always on hand if you needed them. I know you are thinking that maybe because I was invited there to try it out I got some special treatment, however I did keep a close eye on how the staff were interacting with other customers and I have to say they were just as friendly and attentive to them. Service rating: 5/5.
Atmosphere
Atmosphere gets a bit of a mixed review - when we first walked in both our impressions of the place were that it looked very sterile. Whilst my sterile meant clean & crisp Mr EE's meant that he felt he was in a waiting room. We were seated at the front part of the restaurant where there is a high ceiling and all the windows are very big. I think this is where I got my sterile view from. However, there seemed to be a lot more warmth (and I'm not talking heat) at the seating area down the back and the seating upstairs. In saying that as there were plenty of people around there was a really good vibe in the place. Atmosphere rating: 3.5.
Price
As I was invited here to review the restaurant no money was exchanged so I'm not going to rate the price. However from looking at the menu I would say that everything is reasonably priced and the portions are very generous.
Last Words
This place has something for fish and meat eaters alike (and there is even vegetarian dishes on the menu too). It has everything going for it from lovely staff, lovely atmosphere and great food. It is also so centrally located on Hope Street. It is certainly worth a visit. Total rating 17 out of 20 (I converted 12.5 out of 15 into a figure out of 20 (and rounded it up) so it is in line with all my other reviews)
Date Visited: Monday, 8 August 2016.
Restaurant Details:
157 Hope Street
Glasgow
G2 2UQ
Website: click HERE
Telephone: 0843 2892 283
Finally, whilst I was invited to try out Mussel Inn and didn't have to pay for my meal, this in no way has had an impact on my review. My review is unbiased and independent.
Thanks a mil for reading.
Emma mai xx
So it was a Saturday morning again and we decided to stay local in Ayrshire. We don't generally go to Prestwick much for food so we decided to give it a go. I told Mr EmmaEats to have a look and pick somewhere, so off we went. As we were walking to the chosen restaurant we walked past Murray's and we both commented on how nice it looked and decided if the chosen restaurant wasn't our cup of tea we would head back to Murray's. Well clearly, given the title of this post, we ended up going back to Murray's.
Once we walked in the door we were greeted by very friendly staff and shown to our table. There was a nice crowd in the restaurant but it thankfully wasn't too busy.
Food
The breakfast/brunch menu is not huge but they have everything you would expect for breakfast. I went for scrambled eggs and bacon (without the toast) and Mr EE went for it with toast. The first observation we had when the food was put down in front of us was that the portions were pretty big. I was also nearly ready to jump across the table to eat Mr EE's toast - it look amazing. The bread was so thick I'd say you would nearly be eating the equivalent of four slices of bread. My next observations was that the scrambled eggs practically looked anaemic as they were so pale. However, thankfully they tasted so much better than they looked. They were so creamy and full of flavour. The bacon was just delicious. Mr EE confirmed that his toast was amazing. Food rating: 4/5.
Service
Service was great here. All the staff were so friendly and you could see that there were loads of regulars in and the staff knew their names, which I think is a nice touch. What I also really liked was the fact that when my plate was being cleared, it was noted that I hadn't eaten all my bacon and I was asked was there a problem with it. I mean you would expect this in any restaurant, however, the amount of times that people don't see leftovers or choose not to see it, is unbelievable. However, this wasn't the case here. And there actually wasn't anything wrong with the bacon, I just had so much on my plate I couldn't finish it. Service rating: 5/5.
Atmosphere
The atmosphere is great here. Its your little local restaurant where everyone know's your name. The staff were so friendly (I know I'm saying that again but they really were so friendly and seemed so happy to be there). The decor is cute and ecliptic. Atmosphere rating: 4/5.
Price
Mr EE paid for this and forgot to get the receipt and also can't remember what he paid for it so I can't give you an exact figure (men!). But on the menu bacon and scrambled eggs are priced at £4.45 - yes you read that correctly - look at all the lovely tasty food I got for £4.45! Price rating: 4/5.
Last Words
This is a great wee find. I love when I randomly come across somewhere that isn't on my never ending list of places to go. I will definitely be back, it has it all. Total rating: 17 out of 20.
Date Visited: Saturday 6 August 2016
Restaurant Details:
Murray's,
101 Main Street,
Prestwick,
KA9 1JS
Website: none
Telephone: 01292 738386
If you have any suggestions of where I should try next I would love to hear them. You can comment below or drop me an email at: emma@emmaeats.co.uk
Thanks a mil for reading.
Emma mai xx
I was up in Glasgow for a meeting early one Monday morning - as I was leaving the house I was so excited to see that I needed my sun glasses - I love wearing sun glasses! Well that excitement didn't last very long, I think it lasted about 30 mins and then turned into a miserable rainy day (yes I know I live on the West Coast of Scotland but it is summer after all). So after my meeting I wanted to take shelter from the rain and decided to head down towards Merchant City as I knew I'd be spoilt for choice. The first place I came across was Cup Tearooms, which looked great so I decided to stop off here. There have an amazing outdoor seating area at the front with really pretty flowers around the place but as it was raining (AGAIN) I sat inside.
Food
There are plenty of options on the lunch menu here and you can even have afternoon tea. You can get sandwiches and toasties, baked potatoes and salads. Oh and don't forget you can also get CAKE for lunch, because thats allowed. As I'm still watching what I eat I decided to go for the Veg Chilli baked potato. I really liked my lunch, it was very tasty. However, it wasn't really what I expected. I presumed I would have more veg in the chilli rather than mostly beans & pulses but that's fine as I like beans and pulses. I am sometimes reluctant to get baked potatoes in a restaurant as I do love to eat the skin but I find when you get them out they may not have been washed very well (or to my liking). So I had a quick look at the skin and decided that I wasn't going to eat it. In saying all that the chilli was lovely and the potato was cooked to perfection. Food rating: 3.5/5.
Service
Service was good here, it was easy to get a member of staff's attention when you needed them. Food arrived out quickly and in fairness anything I asked for was brought down nice and quickly. Service rating: 4/5.
Atmosphere
I really loved the atmosphere here and they were playing amazing music - it was like they were playing my playlist - I was completely in my element. Whilst it may have been quiet (ish) when I first went in, while I was having my lunch and drinking my tea, there were a lot of people coming and going. I was also using this time to do some work so I was there for probably over 2 hours and not once was I made feel like I should leave. Atmosphere rating: 4/5.
Price
I had a lunch, a pot of tea and an americano and the total cost was £10.95, which I thought was completely reasonable for what I got. Price rating: 4.5/5.
Last Words
This is a great spot. Its really pretty, they have loads of lovely cakes and the afternoon tea looks delicious. They have a number of restaurants around the city so there should be one convenient to you, wherever you find yourself. I will definitely have to go back for the afternoon tea (when I'm off my healthy eating buzz). Total rating: 16 out of 20.
Date Visited: Monday, 25 July 2016
Restaurant Details:-
No 4 Virginia Court
Merchant City West
Glasgow
Telephone: 0141 553 2326
Website: click HERE
If you have any recommendations of where I should go next I'd love to hear them.
Thanks a mil for reading.
Emma mai xx
We normally head to the southside for brunch but this week I decided to shake things up and head over to the west end. I had a few places in mind so I needed to do some scientific equation to pick where to go - by scientific I mean I gave each restaurant a number between 1 & 5 and asked Mr EmmaEats to pick a number - ya thats as scientific as I can get ;-) So who won on the day? The Left Bank did. The Left Bank had been recommended to me at the start of the year but there are so many places to eat in Glasgow I'm only getting around to it now. The Left Bank has a sister venue in the Southside called the Bungo. I've been to the Bungo on a few occasions and loved it, so I was really looking forward to trying the Left Bank out.
We hadn't made a booking as we don't really like to be tied to a time on a Saturday morning so I was a little apprehensive about getting a seat. However, I knew if we didn't get a seat there were loads more restaurants in the area. Thankfully though we got a seat, and even had a choice of seats. We were greeted by a very friendly waitress when we arrived and were shown to the table we picked upstairs in the balcony area.
Food
There is a great variety on the brunch menu, you can get your normal full breakfast, french toast, granola, breakfast rolls (in ciabatta) and then you can get some dishes that aren't your normal run of the mill such as overnight oats, masala spiced tofu bhurji and the lebanese breakfast to name a few. I went for the heuvos mexicanos which is described as eggs scrambled with peppers, cheddar, red onion, chilli, coriander and black beans and you have the option to add chorizo. This is all served with a grilled tortilla (needless to say I had to alter my dish and looked for it without the tortilla - there is always one fussy eater at a table). I must admit my dish did not match up to the exciting description - all the components were there but I found it to be very bland. There was nothing wrong with it, it could have just done with a bit more seasoning or something. I was a little disappointed as I had high hopes.
Mr EE went for the bank's breakfast - this was described as poached eggs, bacon, loch byre link sausage, homemade beans, herby mushrooms, grilled tomato, black pudding, potato scone and toast. The size of the breakfast was a really good portion, Mr EE felt that some things were a little over cooked and that the toast and potato scone was a bit burned. He wasn't really sold on the sausage either. He was a bit like me - a little disappointed with his dish. Food rating: 2.5/5.
Service
Service here is great. The staff are so friendly and welcoming and even though we were upstairs with only one other table occupied a staff member was up to us regularly to see did we need anything. Service rating: 5/5.
Atmosphere
I loved the atmosphere in this place, it is great, its just so chilled and relaxing. Sometimes I find in places like this that the staff take on a chilled and relaxed vibe too and are a little too laid back but thankfully that was not the case here. I love the look of the restaurant and I really enjoyed sitting up in the balcony looking down at what was going on. As the front of the restaurant is just all glass I was able to people watch outside of the restaurant as well. Atmosphere rating: 5/5.
Price
The price is very reasonable but maybe this is a reflection on the quality of food?? I don't know. We had two dishes, one americano and two cappuccino's and the total cost of our bill was £23.25. So whilst the price was good (really good) it is difficult to give it a good rating because the food wasn't at the same standard. Price rating: 3/5.
Last Words
I love the vibe of this place and I think it is nearly there - service is great, atmosphere is great, price is great but unfortunately I think the food let it down on this occasion. Maybe this was just a bad day? I don't know but I will get back again to try it out. Total rating: 15.5 out of 20.
Date Visited: Saturday 23 July 2016
Restaurant Details:-
Click here for The Left Bank's website.
If there is anywhere that you think I should visit please let me know.
Thanks a mil for reading.
Emma mai xx
