Nostrana — Restaurant in Scotland

At approximately 11:20am this morning, a group of mums, including myself, and our babies met up in Hyndland with the intention of having our morning roll and coffee in Nostrana, as we do each week. We always pop our head before entering to considerately advise them of a few prams. The owner had been there on only one occasion previously and had not been the most welcoming, but we hadn't seen him since and have never had a problem being accommodated for. We never ask for high chairs or have special requests; our babies are young and therefor happily sit on our knee.

Unfortunately, today we were not allowed to enter. The reason being we would "block the disabled toilet." This remark wasn't even addressed to us by the owner but to a waiter, so we didn't even receive the courtesy of being told directly.

I'd like to point out this has never been an issue before and if a situation arose where someone needed to access the disabled toilet it would not be a problem to move a pram. Indeed, it would also not be a problem to seat us elsewhere in the restaurant too, especially as it was extremely quiet at the time.

The manner in which we were so quickly disregarded was unprofessional and severely disappointing. You cannot advertise your business as a "home from home" and "family friendly" if you do not accept families. I struggle to understand what kind of clientele the owner is hoping to attract at 11:20am on a Tuesday morning when the place is practically empty. I cannot help but feel we were discriminated against because we had children and we left feeling humiliated. Living nearby, we have always supported local businesses but unfortunately we will not be back and would strongly advise anyone with a child to visit alternative venues in the area. We walked along the road and were warmly greeted at an alternative bistro where we shall be going...

It's a lovely wee place, a hidden gem in West End. From the start we were welcome by waiting staff and taken straight to our pre-booked online table. The place has modern and cozy decor and it spotless clean. The waiting staff - we were being taken care by Nick, you couldn't ask for nicer and more attentive person. All waiting staff were checking on us frequently. The food was freshly made, you can have a peek at the back as kitchen is semi - open. You can see chefs cooking and preparing meals. Everything is tidy and clean. We had few side dishes as starters including freshly fried mozzarella fritters - you don't want to miss these if you're a fan of gooey mozarella in crispy coating. It was really yummy, the same as rocket salad and freshly baked garlic focaccia. We ordered few mains - my daughter said that it was the best pizza she ever ate - thank you Marco 🙂. Followed by head chef special - pasta cooked with pork cheek and some broccoli in creamy sauce which was simply delicious. A good choice for vegetarians - I had pasta piccante with fresh chillies and creamy sauce. I've been told that chef can adjust any dish for you to add extras or to make it vegetarian just for you. We're going to be definitely back, it's a new place but I can see it growing into local's favourite in no time. It's already gaining popularity - I spotted Frankie Boyle himself sitting at the table...

Wow! 2 stars might seem harsh but this was up there with the worst service I’ve ever had.

Initially seated outside but asked to be placed inside when table becomes available. Had to request menu after 10 mins sitting outside. Having waited a further 10 mins with tables clearly available inside, we asked if we could be moved inside which was done. Then had to request if we could order drinks and food.

Waited 40 mins for 2 pizzas - sad to say one pizza was overcooked. The pizzas were ok but nothing special, options limited………what happened to good old Hawaiian or ham and mushroom??

Asked for the bill, waited 10-15 mins, got up to leave and asked for bill at the counter……..further 5 mins passed and they came over with a card machine with figure punched in but no sign of an actual bill receipt. Then bill came, food for another table had been put on our bill so there had been lots of sorting out hence delay and we had a manually calculated bill.

10 inside tables, nearly all occupied with further 4-5 occupied outside. We counted 7 waiting staff!!! Shambles! This place could easily be run with 3 waiting staff even if a full house as there are no real starter options so quite simple. Lovely decor, well fitted out, hopefully all just...