Category: Brunch

Dakota Hotel Bar & Grill (Glasgow) : Review

179 West Regent Street
Glasgow
G2 4DP

T: 0141 404 3680
W : www.glasgow.dakotahotels.co.uk

Visit Date : 1st October 2016

1yd8z47-cilcgcsrzmx5fsg

This was my second visit to the Dakota Glasgow, as it was another family dinner. See first visit review here

Just like the first time we opted for the market menu, which is £15 for 2 courses and £20 for 3.

Again we were greated by the very friendly staff and shown to the lifts, where we went downstairs to the restaurant area.

Starter

Chicken Liver Parfait (walnut brioche & fig jam)

1z2pf4rjtonu2j5gz6kfz3q

The last time I was here I had the soup and was looking forward to having it again, but unfortunatley this updated Market Menu didnt have it so I opted for the Parfait.

I am guessing the change was due to the season, or if a few items were not that popular.

I am a big fan of Chicken Liver Parfait, and its always very hit or miss when I order it. Tonights was probably the best ive had for a very long time, it was soft, melted in your mouth and with the brioche it was a really nice flavour.

Cost N/A (part of market menu)

Main

Tomato, Lentil & Coconut Curry (basmati rice & condiments)

For me my options for my main were limited, nothing really grabbed me so I just opted for the curry.

The curry was nice, it had a little kick to it but it failed to have any coconut taste which was a dissapointment to me as I love a nice coconut curry. I dont think I would order this dish again, and the condiment yes it was presented nicely, but it didnt really add to the dish.

Cost N/A (part of market menu)

Dessert

Lime Tart with Ice Cream

1pseagtc-r35oh-sqlk2dzw

This was very nice and too easy to eat, I could have gone for another slice.

Overall :

Overall I had a nice meal, again the staff were very plesant and very helpful.

The Rating for this visit (out of 5) :

  • Service : *****
  • Menu Choice : ***
  • Taste : ****
  • Overall : ****

Dakota Deluxe Hotel Bar & Grill (Glasgow) : Review

179 West Regent Street
Glasgow G2 4DP
Scotland

T: 0141 404 3680
W: http://glasgow.dakotahotels.co.uk

Visit Date : 13 August 2016

1zvhrigmpsgz7x0iwk_q71w

The Dakota Deluxe Hotel is a new kid on the block as it’s only recently opened in Glasgow (spring 2016).

The night I was going here was for a family member’s birthday, and I hadn’t seen the hotel since it had opened though I had heard it opened. On entering the first thing you notice is how low lighting the entrance is, but it has a warm feeling to it. We were also greeted by the staff and they couldn’t have been friendlier.

18vfcc6di_xw2ni3uiavyzq

We were taken down the lift to the lower level, and again the decor is very nice it also had low lighting but don’t get me wrong it was nice and had a warm feeling to it.

We had a room to ourselves which was good as we required this as two members were in wheelchairs.

As you can see it was a very good-sized table, and we had more than enough space. This room is the same style as the rest of the restaurant, so as you can see it’s nicely decorated but just a little dull.

We were given a few minutes to sit and order our drinks, after a short time we all ordered from the Market Menu which has an ok selection for each course and is priced ok. While we waited for our starters we were brought a nice bread dish to nibble on. It was a tomato sauce with a goat’s cheese center. This was very good and very moreish!!

1iikhxw57wq5j88azjpnuww

Starter :

1wkxo8feiiq0wb5_co85czq

For my starter, I ordered the Creamed Sweetcorn Soup with morel mushrooms & creme fraiche. For those of you that know me I am not a soup person, for me, soup is an older-generation dish and I tend to never order it. I did this night and I am glad I did, this was very very nice and I would love to have had another bowl.

Main :

For my second course, I was toying between two dishes, but I decided on Confit Chicken Alsace bacon, black pudding & fine beans.

1sk39jmyvd6ccmewkd0pkqw

Presentation wise this was very nice, but my first impression was it looked good but not what I had in mind. Overall I was disappointed with this dish, the black pudding was dice sized, and there wasn’t really much flavour to it. Would I get this again….No! Granted it was off the Market Menu so it’s similar to a deals menu or an online voucher so the dish will be smaller, but it just didn’t feel ok enough for me.

1xjhnecd-pogrmibj3quqsw

For my last course, I ordered the Creme Brûlée fresh cherries & shortbread. I have always been a big fan of Creme Brûlée and if it’s done right it’s amazing. We were told this was a popular choice this night so the chef would need to make it fresh as they had run out of any that were ready, and would be about 20mins which was fine as it meant we could have coffee/tea and have a good chat.

After about 20mins it arrived and looked really good. The top to the creme brûlée looked just right, but little disappointed when I smashed through it as it was a little runny. It still tasted amazing, but I think due to it being made fresh it could have done with spending a little longer cooking and maybe rushed a little to save everyone waiting much longer.

Overall I was impressed with Dakota, and yes I would go back but I probably wouldn’t order the chicken again and try something else.

Score (out of 5) :

  • Service : *****
  • Menu Choice : ****
  • Taste : ****
  • Overall : ****

Ristorante La Terrazza (Venice, Italy)  :  Review

1*hRFdMoSghHerTWPA34rZYw.jpeg

Website: http://www.laterrazzavenezia.com

Most of you that know me know I love Italy and I try and go once a year, and when I am there I always make a point of visiting Venice.

I have tried a few popular and well-known places in Venice, for example, Harry’s Bar. For me it was a disappointment, I only went in for a drink but in the main area, there isn’t really much to it. It looks like just a local bar nothing special about it, I have heard that the restaurant is better but at first impression, I wasn’t a fan.

I have also been to another popular place, Cafe Florian’s just on the main square. Cafe Florian’s is the oldest coffee house in Europe and is mega popular with tourists all year round. As soon as you place an order in Florian’s you instantly have about 6 euros each added to the bill, as you can hear the orchestra outside. If you don’t mind this then it is really nice to do it at least once to say you have done it. I have been to Florians about 3 times and enjoyed it very much.

This year I did visit Florian’s but I found this new place La Terrazza. Normally with my long walks about Venice, every time I pass here I tend to just look and walk right past. This year I decided to stop and take a look at the menu and see what the prices are like, to my surprise the menu displayed was ok and not as costly as you might think.

I went for the snack menu where you could get a sandwich and a tea/coffee or coke for about £10 and also after that you could get a cake and a tea/coffee or coke for £9. The good part is unlike other places service charge was included so it was a nice ok priced lunch, and I felt a little more relaxed here than I have done in Florians.

Next time I go back to Venice, I will just be going here for any snacks or meals, and if you go why not give it a try?

1-mxeo9lthbebhrsl2epclg