There’s been so much happening in the Glasgow food scene over the past year. As a complete foodie, there are so many welcomed additions to the city centre.
One of the stand-outs has to be The Trading House. I attended the opening night last year and loved the shabby-chic feel, like a really unique luxury pub. After attending a Christmas bloggers dinner in their private dining room in December, I was so impressed with the yummy food and have been looking forward to stopping in again. When The Trading House team invited me (and Brian) in to try their new food and cocktail menu, I was already planning what to have!
Situated on St Vincent Place, the stirking building catches the eye with the sparkly lights adorning the high windows and grand steps leading in. We arrived around 5.30 on a rather rainy Saturday to the sound of an acoustic set and instantly relaxed (it’s worth noting that there is a live music act every night, I love it as it creates a nice atmosphere). Our hostess showed us to our table, walking through the large bar area and I eyed up the many cocktails being made. The cocktail menu has so many choices, all twists on originals and all sounding seriously appetizing! I asked our waitress for her recommendations based on the types of cocktails I usually love (sweet and fruity are usually my go-to) and she suggested the East Indian Pornstar which is similar to the traditional Pornstar Martini, served with a rose fizz. Brian, who is normally much more of a beer lover, decided to try the Disaronno Sour which was a really tasty contrast of sour yet sweet.
Cocktails going down nicely, we turned our attention to the food menu and I was genuinely excited deciding what to have. I have a bit of a random allergy, not only am I allergic to nuts, but I also can’t have peas, green beans, lentils…the list goes on. Any exotic dishes in restaurants are always ruled out which can make eating out a bit stressful! I love The Trading House for their classic dishes, all with a Trading House twist – nothing makes me happier knowing I can choose from lots of dishes without worrying. After much deliberating, I chose the Chicken Liver and Rum Parfait for starter, which was served with granary bread, a nice change from brioche or oat cakes. Brian had the Pan Fried Garlic Mushrooms which was served with truffle butter and toast and said they were cooked to perfection.
For main, I was tempted by the now famous Hanging Kebabs, but decided on the half Piri Piri chicken, served with seasoned chips and I ordered a side of charred corn on the cob, which was all delicious and such a generous serving. Brian, who is something of a burger connoisseur, chose the Beef Burger and was impressed. With so much eating, another cocktail was obviously needed. I had the Peach and Jasmine Sling which was so refreshing and Brian, unable to resist literally the biggest menu of beer choices he had ever seen, took it upon himself to try some of the beers he had always wanted to try (apparently one he drank is famous and was in a film). As we finished our mains, we agreed we didn’t have space for dessert. This agreement lasted about 30 seconds until we broke and said we ‘would have a look’ at the dessert menu. Needless to say, we couldn’t say no and I regret nothing – the cookie dough dessert is the kind of sweet treat my dreams are made of and Brian devoured the chocolate fudge cake so quickly I can safely say he enjoyed it!
The menus are fantastic, a lot of choice and the twist on many classic dishes makes for a nice selection to suit many tastes. The cocktails are made well and the staff are knowledgeable on the drinks menu which is great if you aren’t quite sure what you would like. It was dinner time on a Saturday, so service was a little slower than some may like, but for a relaxing meal, it was perfect. I’m already planning my next visit with some of the girls so we can test more of the cocktails – for research purposes only, of course…
