Fine dining is evolving. Gone are the days of starchy formality and rigid etiquette. Stuffy dining rooms and menus you can’t decipher are making way for a more relaxed atmosphere.
Most of us want to go somewhere that centres around the food and a comfortable dining experience, rather than the prestige of listing arcane herbs that no-one outside of Heston Blumenthal has heard of.
So it was a joyous occasion when I walked into Gary Townsend’s new restaurant, Elements in Bearsden, on one of those perfectly peaceful Sunday afternoons, and was greeted by an unintimidating classic dining room with a buzzy neighbourhood feel.
Tipped to potentially be Scotland’s next Michellen star destination, it’s Townsend’s first solo venture after leaving his post as head chef of One Devonshire Gardens earlier this year.
The space is snug (just 36 covers) and bright with stunning light fixtures and well lit wine cabinets adorning the stylish deep blue walls. The menus are all inspired by the four elements, hence the restaurant’s name.
Diners relaxing in their plush velvet seats can see right through to the small kitchen where the busy chefs quietly go about their business.
You can even book a seat at the chef’s counter, a row of five seats along a granite worktop where you can watch the carefully curated plates be put together.
We are here to try out the lunch menu which starts with rustic French sourdough and two fantastic homemade butters – a cultured Jersey and a miso and poppy seed.
Proceedings start with a cube of heirloom tomatoes and a perfectly clear consommé. Paired with fragrant black garlic, parmesan and a subtle basil sorbet, it was delightfully fresh.
The delicate mackerel starter comes with crisp cabbage and shards of toasted sourdough, it was divine.
Onto ‘The Middle’ and we both opted for the Ayrshire pork belly. The tender meat was succulent but with that much sought after crispy top.
The pomme puree was packed with flavour, with hints of black truffle running through it. A dollop of celeriac apple mustard cut through the richness of the dish, which was brought together with one of the most fantastic sauces I have ever had the pleasure of eating. The whole thing was a triumph.
We ended with two really solid puddings. The first was Perthshire strawberries, with amalfi lemon and yuzu. It was the perfect balance of tangy and sweet.
A slither of chocolate ganache was deliciously rich, served with a refreshing raspberry sorbet, mint and crystallised chocolate.
The lunch menu comes in at £42 – extremely reasonable for the standard of food being served.
There is a market for Gary Townsend’s fine dining. A welcoming space with sensational food and innovation, that puts it up there with the crème de la crème of Scottish restaurants, without being too intimidating for people to actually walk through the door.
After all, glitz and glamour are great, but sometimes you just want good food in a space relaxing enough to enjoy it.
Elements, 19 New Kirk Rd, Bearsden, Glasgow G61 3SJ.
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