It is nothing short of ridiculous how long it has taken me to eat in Guy’s Restaurant. I have been thinking and talking about it for absolutely ages. The menu always sounds glorious and walking past has always made me want to go in – cute romantic decor, live music and people drinking wine and cocktails around a beautiful bar.
That said: a while back I did walk in… And I stood for ages… And I was kept waiting long enough that I left. This time round our table was booked, but I have to say the staff are extremely passive. Lovely and friendly – but very laid back and there is never a rush (in the slightly annoying way, not the good way). It took a while to be served after we were seated, and we weren’t offered drinks after our first for the remainder of the meal. That’s the only negative – the staff were really knowledgeable and friendly, just not at all proactive.
The atmosphere in the restaurant is lovely. The whole place is dimly lit, live music is playing at the perfect volume to hear and enjoy it but also to converse as you dine. The walls are scattered with china plates and the bar is well stocked. It’s a beautiful dining environment.
I started with a cocktail, and I can’t lie, I chose it because of the name. Which I now can’t remember and they don’t have the drinks menu on the website! It’s named after one of these islands: Jura or Islay.
Ravioli filled with Duck in a sage cream sauce.
This wasn’t my starter, but I was allowed a piece! I loved what I ordered, but I would absolutely get this next time. I’m a fan of sage but I find sage and lemongrass to the the two flavourings that I need perfectly balanced in a sauce/dish or I won’t enjoy them. Needles to say, the sage was perfectly balanced and didn’t overpower the rest of the dish. The whole thing was rich and filling, but addictively so. It was absolutely delicious.
Scottish mussels, cooked with white wine, shallots, garlic, herbs & cream
The best thing about this glorious specimen was that the chunky piece of bread was underneath the mussels and it absorbed the gorgeously rich cream sauce. I absolutely LOVED every minute of eating this!
Smoked duck breast with fruit chutney and micro herb salad
I never really order duck because I can be funny with fat on meat, so tasting some of this was enough for me. It was genuinely delicious. The meat was rich and smoky and the chutney was absolutely perfect with it – tart and sweet. The micro herb salad isn’t really my thing – I would personally have wanted some proper leaves, both for colour and just the taste.
Fillet Steak
The steak here is beautiful. Absolutely beautiful! What makes it very interesting to me is that the accompaniments are different to what you would usually expect from other restaurants in Glasgow. I always expect your usual: sauce, fries/chips and then onion rings etc. They served it with a delicious and fresh feeling selection of roasted vegetables and pureed parsnip. It was a welcomed change!
This Macaroni Cheese with Chorizo as a side was absolutely delicious! I just can’t avoid a macaroni cheese side. Ever.
Ravioli filled with Scottish Crab
This was genuinely delicious, but I totally regretted ordering it as I just couldn’t finish it! 8 ravioli doesn’t look like a lot, but let me tell you – they are very well stuffed and extremely filling! The ravioli were thoroughly stuffed with deliciously citrussy and fresh crab meat and served in a creamy sauce. The crab filling was much more dry than the duck, so I would definitely pick the duck over the crab! Pam definitely had the right idea by ordering the ravioli as a starter – I would absolutely recommend their ravioli in general, but not as a main unless you have a mammoth appetite!
Affogato
After waiting so long to go there for dinner, Guy’s didn’t disappoint me. With that said, it wasn’t a perfect or flawless visit – the staff definitely need a bit of a kick up the bum. A three course meal and I had one cocktail! It could have easily been 5! In terms of their food and the general ambiance, I did love it here. I would happily eat there again!
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Merchant City
Glasgow
G1 1TD
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