Eating Out: The Grill Room At The Square

Apr 18 2012 By Joe McGuire

I’M fairly well-versed on where’s good to eat in Glasgow, so when I heard I’d be reviewing The Grill Room I may have done a brief jig at my desk.

Based in luxurious private member’s club 29, The Grill Room is well-established as one of the best restaurants in a city full of top eateries.

As such I was more than happy to go along to sample its brand new menu.

Entering 29 you’re immediately struck by two things; the tastefully opulent decor and the friendly staff who greet you at the door.

Whisked upstairs to the restaurant we were promptly seated at a window table, which afforded excellent views over Royal Exchange Square as we persued the new menue (three courses plus coffee for £21).

While deliberating our waiter brought us a complimentary mini loaf of freshly-baked bread, and when I say freshly baked I mean still toasty warm.

So tasty was the gourmet bread ( I believe it was tomato and mozzarella) my friend declared she’d quite happily eat that alone all night.

Luckily I managed to talk her out of this and in no time at all her chicken and asparagus consomme was in front of her, which she assured me was even more delicious.

I plumped for the chicken liver parfait, presented like artwork on a plate.

Served with ugly toast (nothing ugly about it) and onion marmalade the parfait was rich and smooth, and there was plenty of it.

Now if you’re at all familiar with The Grill Room you’ll know there’s a reason both of us opted for the fillet steak (£22 supplement).

All the restaurant’s steaks are certified Scotch beef from cattle that have been suitably pampered, naturally fed and aged to best effect, but the fillet, now that is a culinary masterpiece.

It’s the kind of steak that if fed to a vegetarian would have them shouting from the rooftops they’ve seen the error of their ways, that they’ll never eat another vegetable again and would quite happily slaughter the cow themselves, if they could please just have one more bite.

It’s no wonder then that Restaurant Magazine named it the best steak in the UK.

We both opted to have it medium with the peppercorn sauce, and it came with a roast tomato, portobello mushroom and a hefty pile of chunky chips served in a delightful little copper pot.

The sides, though delicious, were hardly needed, with the eight ounce steak dominating the beautifully presented plate.

And as that first perfectly cooked bite melted in my mouth it confirmed Restaurant Magazine’s assertion; truly meat doesn’t get better than this.

Even though we were absolutely bursting, my companion and I felt a dessert menu as fine as the Grill Room’s deserved due consideration.

As such I ordered the darkly delicious chocolate and hazelnut mousse, served with passion fruit and mango coulis.

To me the mousse was like posh Nutella, with the chocolatey goodness of the mousse countered nicely by the tartness of the coulis, a delectable juxtaposition.

My friend, despite protesting she couldn’t eat another thing, was seduced by the exotic fruit sorbet, which was served with fresh fruit on a brandy snap biscuit.

She assured me it was top notch, with the speed of its consumption excellent proof of testimony.

After a microspcopic examination of the new menu I’ve reached the following conclusion.

The Grill Room has always set out its stall as the place to go for steak in Glasgow, and though the menu has changed this hasn’t.

So if you’re looking to indulge your carnivorous side, head for 29.

 

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