SPANISH
In association with
GLASGOW
THAI
Casa Olé 1835 Paisley Road West, Southside, G52 3SX (Map 8: D1, off) 0141 882 3222, casaoletapas.co.uk | Tue–Thu noon–10pm; Fri/Sat noon–midnight; Sun 5pm–midnight. Veg; Pre; HW £12.95; Kids; T/A. £5.95 (set lunch) / £16 (dinner)
Opening in October 2012, Glasgow’s latest Spanish-themed restaurant occupies a Cardonald site that’s housed a succession of Italian restaurants over the years. An appealing menu lists 29 tapas and four paellas, and some interesting options include grilled mackerel with a citrus dressing, morcilla (Spanish black pudding), a typically Andalusian dish of slow-cooked leeks with garlic, and a salad of roasted pear with Serrano ham. Prices are a bit below average, with tapas going from about £3.75 up rather than the more typical Àver – order two or three tapas per head and the difference will be noticeable – and there are good lunch and pre-theatre deals. Decent temp ranillo (red) and airen (white) house wines will also help keep the bill down to a modest level. + Looks like good value for money - Off the beaten track for most
Che Que Bo!!! 1287 Argyle Street, West End, G3 8TL See Bars & Pubs
4 Malaga Tapas 213–215 St Andrew’s Road, Southside, G41 1PD (Map 8: D1, off) 0141 429 4604, malagatapas.co.uk | Mon–Sat noon– 2.30pm, 5–10pm; Sun 2–10pm. Pre; HW £13.95; Kids; Wh; T/A. £6.95 (set lunch) / £18 (dinner)
Spain’s a big place, with lots of regional variation in the kitchen (and the tapas bar), so it’s good to see a focus on a speciÀc part of the country. Andalusia was the natural choice for chef Guillermo (raised in Seville) and his business partner and maitre d’ Cristóbal (from Cordoba). Although the familiar ‘national’ dishes – like tortilla española and patatas bravas – are all present and correct, it’s in the southern specialities that the real interest lies. These tend to be on the blackboard rather than the printed menu and include things like rabbit in almond sauce, salmorejo (like a more satisfying, luxuriously thick gazpacho), a garlic and chilli-laced Àsh casserole, and deliciously earthy, slowcooked lentils with chorizo. There’s a neighbourhood feel here, with friendly banter from the staff (it’s a great place to practise your Spanish) and presumably local regulars, but it’s worth crossing town for this authentic, satisfying food. Tapas here are generous, but at around a Àver each the bill can soon mount up. Lunch and pre-theatre deals are good value. + Genuine ‘Andalu’ Áavours - A bit on the pricey side – unless you go for a deal
Tinto Tapas Bar 138 Battlefield Road, Southside, G42 9JT (Map 8: D6, 28) 0141 636 6838, tintotapasbar.co.uk | Mon–Sun 10am– midnight. Pre; HW £12.95; Kids; T/A. £7.95 (set lunch) / £19 (dinner)
Tinto Tapas Bar brings a welcome dash of Mediterranean sunshine to BattleÀeld Road, where the Victoria InÀrmary and Langside College provide a steady stream of hungry punters looking for something informal, quick and inexpensive. Tinto delivers with a menu boasting no less than 47 tapas including the expected albóndigas and patatas bravas together with a few Spanish classics that are a little harder to track down in these parts – such as lamb and
4 HITLIST SPANISH 4
Malaga Tapas Excellent renditions of tapas favourites, plus harder-to-find Andalusian specials at this welcoming Southside restaurant. A little out of the way for most but well worth seeking out.
peppers stewed in Rioja, or salt cod with roasted garlic. Portion size can be variable here, with some tapas much more generous than others, but prices are a little below average. The best bet may be to choose from the blackboard, where daily specials reÁect what’s in season and in the market. Lunch, pretheatre and soup and sandwich deals are all decent value. + Seasonal specials on the blackboard - Unpredictable serving sizes
Torres 327 Sauchiehall Street, City Centre, G2 3HW (Map 6: B2, 12) 0141 332 6789, kamasutrarestaurants.com | Mon–Sun noon–11pm. Veg; Pre; HW £14.95; Kids; T/A. £6.95 (set lunch) / £13 (dinner)
One of the most complex cuisines with regards to balancing flavours – spicy, sweet, salty and sour all come together to allow for beautiful dishes to be created with flair and imagination. With two interesting and contrasting newcomers this year, there are more options to sample a wickedly hot curry or perhaps a delicate steamed fish with the lightest of Thai seasoning. There are plenty of ways to enjoy some of the most fragrant food in the world. Reviewer: Kirsty Bush
BKK Thai
4 HITLIST THAI
4 Thai Lemongrass A little piece of heaven in the City Centre – go here for fantastic curries, grilled meats with bags of flavour plus fantastic seafood specials.
946 Argyle Street, West End, G3 8YJ See Takeaway & Home Delivery
Chaophraya The Townhouse, Nelson Mandela Place, City Centre, G1 2LL (Map 6: F3, 69) 0141 332 0041, chaophraya.co.uk | Mon–Sun noon–10.30pm. [Bar open: Sun–Thu noon–midnight, Fri/Sat noon–1am.] Pre; HW £15.95; Kids; Wh; T/A. £10.95 (set lunch) / £23 (dinner)
Chaophraya sits proudly on the corner of Nelson Mandela Place, holding the title of Europe’s largest Thai restaurant. Climbing the small stairway outside, opulence and grandeur awaits in this A-listed building. Enjoy a cocktail on the Àrst Áoor before ascending the plush staircase and into the palatial
surroundings of the restaurant with high ceilings, ornate furnishings and comfy seating. Scallops and black pudding are a good east meets west starter, while tempura king prawns are massive and meaty with the lightest of batter served with a punchy sweet chilli sauce. Mains include a wide variety of poultry, seafood and meat offerings, the massaman lamb is particularly good – tender nuggets of sweet lamb bound in a nutty sauce full of coconut, cinnamon, chillies and turmeric, diced potatoes and extra cashew nuts give texture and crunch. If you feel like splashing out, a private table for two sits on its own balcony, overlooking the entire dining room, a minimum spend of
The black pudding here (or ‘butifarra negra’) might owe more to Stornoway than Seville, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. This cheerful little restaurant embraces the spirit of Spanish food more than the letter, and putting together Scottish materials with a bit of Iberian Áair seems a perfectly reasonable approach. Some things work better than others; there’s a particularly light hand at work on a tapa of mixed fried seafood, with its non-greasy batter, and a pisto de verduras is a wholesome ratatouille-like stew of fresh vegetables. The Torres pincho moruno, though, is a skewer of grilled chicken doused in sweet chilli sauce; not unpleasant, but not exactly as advertised. A small selection of ‘Mexican tapas’ is a bit of a surprise too, but mild jalapeño chillies stuffed with melting cheese in a crispy coating of breadcrumbs work well alongside the Spanish offerings. Reasonable prices, good house wine and pleasant service make for a happy visit, although the décor is looking a little unloved. + Good value, fresh food - Interior a bit tired looking
FOR UPTO-DATE RESTAURANT REVIEWS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AND ONLINE MAPS SEE LIST.CO.UK/EAT Thairiffic (page 170): a recent opener doing good things with Thai flavours The List Eating & Drinking Guide 169