Merrylee Road Bar & Kitchen, Merrylee Rd, Glasgow 12.02.11

Merrylee Road Bar & Kitchen, Merrylee Rd, Glasgow 12.02.11

I had promised my good lady wife that we would go out but after my three courses at La Valle Blanche this very lunchtime i could see it far enough away.

However promises made and a quick nap later and i was ready to go for our 8.30 reservation.

Being the Saturday before Valentines Day i was expecting the restaurant to be mobbed but at best it was half full. This is a big restaurant so they need a lot of people in to make it look full. They have split the restaurant up into separate dining areas to make it more intimate but this is still a big place to fill.

The restaurant is laid out with crisp white tables and low slung lighting with dark wood features and gastro artwork adorning the walls.

We started off the night with a drink at the bar area where there are large leather sofas and chairs with a grand piano in the middle, sadly the only sounds this evening were coming from what sounded like the best of 80s volume 1.

After our drinks we were shown to our table in one of the raised areas in the restaurant and were presented with the menus for the evening. There are two menus to choose from with a sheet with the evenings specials. One of the menus offers a £8.95 two course set menu with a choice of three starters and three mains, surely this must be the best value menu in Glasgow on a Saturday night. The main menu offers a mix of dishes from around the globe, think Green Thai Curry, Smoked Haddock Risotto and Pork Belly with bubble & Squeek.

The specials menu harks back to the owner Gordon Yuills previous life in Rogano and Catch 22 with Oysters, Lobster and Sea Bass all making a show. I opted for the Mussels with white wine, garlic cream and herbs (£6.95) to start with my wife choosing the Scallops, black pudding and cherry tomato salad (£7.95).

For mains i ordered the Lobster Thermidor with Hand Cut Chips (£17.95) with my wife going for the Asparagus and Wild Mushroom Risotto (£6.50) from the £8.95 two course set menu. The wine of the month was ordered, a Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley (£15.00)

After a short wait our starters arrived, the mussels were big and juicy and went well with the delicate garlic cream sauce all i was missing was a chunk of bread to finish off the delightful broth. My wifes scallops were also cooked to perfection and the whole dish worked really well.

After a short wait the main courses arrived and did not disappoint, the lobster thermidor was excellent with the fresh taste of the lobster managing to shine above the creamy sauce. An excellent mix of textures and flavours.My only complaint was it was a little on the small side and i could have one with the other half, but decent value at the price. My wife had no complaints about her Risotto other than it was a bit to rich for her taste.

The desert menus presented and i really should say no but i am intrigued by the cheesecake of the day. A Black and White Russian Cheescake. After asking the waitress she explains to me that it is made with Coca Cola, Kahlua and Vodka. It arrives and i am pleasantly surprised , the top of the cake has a tiny lair of black jelly which i presume is the Coca Cola. I couldn’t taste the vodka but a slight coffee flavour coming from the Kahlua did come through and the whole thing was very good. The only let down was the ball of tasteless cheap ice cream served on the side of the plate.

I have read mixed reviews of this restaurant and have eaten here before with mixed results, however if Saturday was anything to go buy then they have finally got the kitchen in order, the level of service from the waiting staff on Saturday was also excellent.  Pianists apply within!!!

Total Price with wine & coffee £62.00

Rating Out of 100

80/100