The Gannet — Restaurant in Great Britain

The Gannet has been on my list to try for some time and after seeing the buzz on Twitter about it being awarded a second AA rosette it immediately came to the front of my mind. It is also one of only 3 restaurants in Glasgow to have been awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand.

Situated on the famous Finnieston Strip, a street home to some of the best restaurants and bars in Glasgow, The Gannet has a really relaxed, homely surrounding. Decked out with exposed brick and warm wood I felt like it projected the image of just a cool place to hang out on a Sunday afternoon. Definitely not overly stuffy or pretentious, which is really refreshing considering the extremely high quality food you are about to tuck into!

We went for lunch during the week and opted for the small plates menu as opposed to the al a carte menu as there were a few on there we fancied trying. Tables need to either pick one menu or the other and all done from the same one. The recommend 2-3 plates to share per person and you can order additional plates if you want. As we were quite hungry, and there was lots we wanted to try we went for 3 each.

Everything was not only beautifully cooked and tasted but it all looked incredible. Every little dish had been executed so well. The portion sizes for the price of the dishes was also very generous. The must try dish, which is frequently on the menu, is the stornoway black pudding scotch egg.

Now, perhaps a little naughty but we decided to share a dessert. After such an amazing meal we knew the desserts were going to be pretty special.

We opted for the salted chocolate feuilletine with peanuts and banana ice cream. It did not disappoint. The feuilletine was a chocolate mousse with a crispy base, coated in a chocolate glaze and with the addition of sea salt it was heavenly. For me anything sweet and salty is a winning combination.

All the small plates are priced between £5 and £7 with the exception of the bread and chips which are £1.50 and £3. We add the chips too and they were amazing! I was really impressed my the quality of food (which I never doubted) but what was equally impressive was the price. For 7 small plates, a soft drink, a cocktail and a dessert it was only £55 for the two of course. Considering the size of the portions, the quality of the food and the thought that goes into each plate I thought it...

We went to back to The Gannet earlier this month (Ocotber 2022) for the first time since the lockdowns of the pandemeic. We were treating a friend to dinner for her birthday. We have all been at The Gannet before and it is one of our favourite Glasgow restaurants. It was uchanged to my eye on the outside. Inside there were some subtle improvements. The same urban/industrail vibe is still there. As ever Kevin was at the top of his excellent front of house game. He made us feel we were returning home. We had the 6 coursre tasting menu. There is a 4 course option. The price for the 6 course is £80 a head. Not cheap, of course, but given the quality good value and not as much as some of Glasgow's fine dining places. The staff are as friendly, helpful and knowledgeable as ever. The kitchen has lost none of its truly outstanding skills and the tasting menu approach lets you taste a wide range of their skill and ingenuity. Given we were celebrating we pushed the bpost out when it came to the wines (there are wine pairings which we did not have). The Gannet has always had an eclectic wine list cafefully curated and sommeliers who know what's what and impart their knowledge with warmth and genuine helpfulnes. That is very much still the case. I was taken, though, by how many exclellent wines there are at very reasonable prices for a fine dining reastaurant. As a birthday present, our guest had a fantastic time and, of course, we had one too! Still one of Glasgow's great restaurants, it has done the impossible and got better. A great place to celebrate or just to...

To be honest, I was slightly underwhelmed by the food and the service when I went to the Gannet at the weekend. We went for the four course with wine pairings. It started well, the snacks were great - a parfait in a small cone and a bonbon. Having the next two course as cold courses seemed strange - halibut dish and then the beef tartare. Both were good though and the wines went well with them. The others thought everything was under seasoned. We asked for salt and were given sugar. So, they had a sugary beef tartare! Apart from an apology, nothing else was done to correct the error. The wine waiter gave us the wrong wine to go with the main dish, the deer, but this was swiftly corrected. The dish was good, but mixed reviews at the table. Then we were asked if we wanted the cheese before or after our dessert. At no point we were told this would be extra until the bill. A deceptive sales pitch. We received two small slices of cheese not worth the £8 per person that was charged for it. You could get a decent lunch for that price. The saving grace were the crackers which were exceptional. The pre-dessert was great, a nice palette cleanser and chocolate dessert was tasty. Although, i expected a bit more in terms of presentation - the chocolate was covered with a ball of cream instead of showcasing the chocolate. Overall, I didn't feel satisfied, tiny portions and over priced. The best bits were the items not on the menu itself. Expected more from restaurant with a good reputation. I would...