Review: Bamboleo, Bearsden

Ellie Forbes heads to Nico Simone’s news Spanish steakhouse, Bamboleo in Bearsden, which is raising money for Beatson Cancer Charity.

One of Scotland’s most successful chefs, it’s hard to keep up with Nico Simone’s quest for culinary domination.

But Nico’s ambitions go further than food. His latest venture, a Spanish steakhouse and wine bar in Bearsden, will see 100% of the profits donated to the Beatson Cancer Charity.

Bamboleo occupies the site of his former non-profit restaurant, Beat 6, which raised more than £1 million earlier this year. While Bamboleo retains the moral driving force of its predecessor it’s a new experience and Nico hopes it will help them to reach the £2 million target for the cancer charity.

Bamboleo offers an a la carta menu with tapas dishes and steak variations, all paired with an impressively curated wine list. 

The 48-cover restaurant is spread over two levels The bright and sophisticated ground floor is decorated with warm timber and earthy tones. Spanish-inspired tiles line the floor with brown leather chairs and an open kitchen, while upstairs the mezzanine, where we are seated for dinner, feels darker and more intimate.

We started with some bits from the snack portion of the menu – sourdough bread with a delicious olive tapenade and crispy ham croquettes stuffed with a rich béchamel sauce – before moving on to the tapas.

Succulent pork cheeks arrived out of the kitchen first alongside garlic and chilli butter prawns. The sourdough bread came in handy here for mopping up the incredible sauce from both dishes. 

The serrano ham was perfectly paired with soft, sweet plums, while the patatas bravas (which I normally shy away from after having endured many terrible variations) were golden and buttery soft inside, smothered in a romesco sauce. 

For our mains, we opted for the fillet steak and the Iberian blackened pork. The tender steak had a brilliant sear and the glistening meat was perfectly cooked. But the pork was a surprising standout. A meat that can be incredibly difficult to perfect, it was juicy and packed with flavour. Served with the traditional Canary Islands red mojo sauce, I would highly recommend this star of the show. 

Our sides were triple cooked chips with paprika salt and fried new potatoes covered in dollops of garlic aioli. 

Bamboleo is one of those perfect neighbourhood restaurants. The atmosphere is buzzing, the food is really solid and you are dining to donate – what could be better. 

If Nico’s chefs continue to serve up food as good as this, it’s hard to imagine him not smashing that £2 million target.

Bamboleo, 149 Milngavie Road in Bearsden, Glasgow.

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