One of my simple pleasures in life is going to a restaurant, loving the food, and deciding there and then, that you have to go back.
That’s the feeling I had when I visited Kilmurry & Co, located on Glasgow’s southside, in Shawlands.
Located in the former Newlands Post Office building, this restaurant offers a rustic charm, with exposed brick walls and wooden panels salvaged from a variety of objects and doors, which give it an immediately endearing feel.
During my visit, on a pleasantly warm spring evening, the outside seating area was full, with quite a few more inside, creating a joyful and convivial atmosphere, in these first days of non-compulsory mask wearing.
Before we ordered our food, we chose some drinks, and I couldn’t have been more pleased with my freshly-squeezed orange juice – it still had the froth on it!
My companion chose a smoky French Martini, a cocktail with a health dose of Laphroaig 10-year-old whisky, Chambord and pineapple juice. My companion isn’t a fan of whisky, but she was instantly blown away by the flavour. This is a must-try.
As a starter, we had sourdough, with extra virgin olive oil, and balsamic vinegar (£4). The bread was perfect – thick and chunky, and absorbed the oil and vinegar perfectly. A delicious, filling start.
We chose our our main course from Kilmurry and Co’s new evening menu. There was a substantial brunch menu that’s already tempted us to go back, but sadly we were too late for these dishes.
However, there was no need to worry about choice, as we chose from the new evening menu. There was a choice of big and small plates designed to suit every taste, with small plates like Kilmurry fried cauliflower, with Asian style bbq sauce, spring onion, fresh chilli and sesame seeds and larger dishes such as ribeye steak, salad bowls and risottos.
We both chose a large plate, and I opted for five-spiced chicken (£13), with honey ginger noodles, peppers and onions, all topped off with a fried egg.
If, like me, you like food with a wee bit of heat to it, without being overpowering, then this is very much the dish for you. The chicken was succulent, with a delicious coating on it (the honey ginger), and the noodles were lovely and soft. The vegetables added a delicious texture contrast. There’s a delicious tiny amount of broth at the bottom of the bowl, which had a tiny bit of warmth to it – and was absolutely delicious.
On the side, I had some sweet potato fries (£3.90), packed full of flavour and perfectly crisps. There were lightly salted, and were so good, I could have gone a second bowl, if I hadn’t been feeling so full.
My companion decided to go for a tried and tested staple – you can always judge a restaurant by the quality of the foods that everyone knows well, so she opted for the Kilmurry beef burger (£12), which came with fries.
The burger was cooked to perfection – not fatty, the meat was full of flavour, and although it was seasoned, the taste of the beef shone through. Presented in a tasty brioche bun, it came with salad, a slice of beef tomato, and the Kilmurry mayo, which seemed to have a hint of chipotle sauce in it, but wasn’t overpoweringly hot.
As for the fries, you’ll be hard pressed to beat these anywhere in Glasgow. Crisp on the outside and perfectly fluffy inside, they certainly kept their heat. Fry perfection.
After we had finished, we thought we would have a slice of the millionaire’s shortbread, which I had noticed on the counter on the way in.
This was duly ordered, but we were recommended by our server that the millionaire’s shortbread cheesecake was worth trying.
When it arrived, it was a real surprise, as we were presented it in a beautiful little glass pot. After unscrewing the lid, there were chunks of the shortbread, with lashings of chocolate sauce and cheesecake. I don’t think a dessert has excited me this much in years, and very quickly, it was polished off. It’s sweet, it’s decadent, there’s a clash of textures, and best of all, it’s bloody delicious!
And then, I still had the slice of millionaire’s shortbread to consume. A crumbly base, beautiful caramel topping, and a pleasantly thick chocolate on top, this was just the way I like it. By the time I left, my head was buzzing with all the sugar.
My companion was unable to finish hers, so took it home for the junior diner, who had opted to remain behind.
Kilmurry & Co is, without a doubt, one of friendliest, most welcoming restaurants I have visited in years. The staff are first class – our server was good humoured, knew the menu, and very quickly was joining in with our banter at the table, and she made us feel exceptionally welcome.
The prices are more than affordable, and portion sizes are perfect. Quite probably, this is my new favourite place to eat.
The new menus are now available at Kilmurry & Co, which is open daily from 10am to 10.30pm Monday to Friday, and 9am to 10.30pm Saturday and Sunday.
Kilmurry & Co, 210 Kilmarnock Rd, Shawlands, Glasgow, G43 1TY
Phone: 0141 632 5606
Website: www.kilmurryandco.co.uk
Author
TAGS
FOLLOW US
