Emma Did we land a big fish in Shawlands?
Salt and Vinegar in Shawlands seemed to take forever to open, teasing us, with the brown paper on the windows, as to what was inside. Now it is open and we wandered along to see if it was worth the wait.
Inside
A fair amount of thought and money has went into transferring Mario’s chippy and Mega Amusements next door into a nautical-themed restaurant and takeaway, with porthole windows peeking between the two.
Seafaring accoutrements adorn the walls and glass fishing floats, doubling as lights, hang from the ceiling.
Completing the decor makeover, and going for hipster points there’s distressed plaster and brickwork. This is a quirky, inviting place.
Menu
We settled down to look at the menu. As there’s no licence yet, we chose soft drinks. However St Mungo and NIX (alcohol free) is available.
It’s not all fish and chips, there’s also pasta and risotto dishes. However, we were there for the fish.
I went for haddock and chips at £7.95 which comes with chips, salad and tartare sauce. The fish was fluffy and the batter crispy. The chips were tasty and not over or under cooked. The tartare sauce however, could have done with some more gherkin/caper/onion as the mayonnaise taste was too overpowering.
Mr Foodie picked the battered haddock burger (£8.95). Served with chips, salad and tartare sauce. A sweet brioche-style bun, no butter so a bit dry. The haddock was tasty but Mr Foodie didn’t think it was quite as good as the fish finger sandwich from Catch in Giffnock.
Mr Triple D went for battered cod (£8.95) which came with chips, salad and tartare sauce. Triple D was disappointed in the cod being in two bits and the batter didn’t crisp up enough for his liking.
We also ordered a black pudding fritter costing £1.75. Crispy batter and a moist, delicious slice of black pudding. It would be good to see black pudding on the menu as a main and not just as a side. We also had a plate of mushy peas (£1.50).
Total cost was £36.80 for 3 mains, 3 drinks and 2 sides.
Conclusion: Service quick, prices good, toilets clean but the gents is so cramped that the hand dryer might turn on when you least expect it. On the plus side you get a warm bum.
Salt & vinegar (not the condiments!) is handy for buses along Pollokshaws Road (38, 57 etc.) or Minard Rd (34 etc.), and trains to Crossmyloof too.
TL;DR
+ restaurant looks good!
+ decent prices
+ good black pudding
+ handy for public transport
– no booze (yet)
– some minor issues with the mains
Location:
Salt & Vinegar, 1044-1046 Pollokshaws Road, Glasgow
Booking telephone Number:
0141 632 7289
Opening hours:
Monday to Sunday 12 to 10pm
Come say hello
