Two Fat Ladies at The Buttery
The Buttery is one of Glasgow's oldest, most enduring and celebrated restaurants, well known for its relaxed atmosphere and unique interior of oak panelling, stained glass and wonderful mahogany and marble bar. The new restaurant will retain these features and team them with the excellent dining to be expected from The Buttery and Two Fat Ladies (the West End and City Centre restaurants now institutions in their own right).
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Two fat ladies at the buttery, Glasgow
CATE DEVINE January 10 2008
652 Argyle Street, Glasgow
0141 221 8188
Style: Laid-back and unpretentious
Food: Mainly fish and seafood
Price: Starter £5-£9, mains from £17
Wheelchair access: No
A miserable Monday evening in winter may not seem the wisest time to visit a fish restaurant - let alone one which is still unknown to certain Glasgow taxi drivers. But the minute we burst into Two Fat Ladies at the Buttery (a strong gust of wind ensuring our entrance is far from elegant), any fears we have of eating alone in an empty dining room are put to rest. The place, as they say in Finnieston, is hoaching. Not packed, but not filleted either. Phew.
It’s immediately clear that the formality of the Buttery - which was built in 1860s, had its most recent heyday in the 1980s under Ken McCulloch and was bought from Ian Fleming last year by Ryan James’s Two Fat Ladies group - has vanished. In its place is a less starchy vibe. The darkly imposing mahogany bar and original wood panelling are still there but the bar area has been reduced in size to accommodate more tables, and the welcome is a collegiate staff affair rather than a single “good evening” from a lone maitre d’.
We are allocated a lovely wooden booth, complete with dedicated lighting, which offers both privacy and a ringside view of proceedings. Unfortunately, I can see too much of the coffee machine which seems to dominate the main dining room. But a swiftly served glass of house red sorts me out: mine’s a mellow Languedoc Cabernet Sauvignon at £4.50 while my companion’s is a Chenin blanc. We choose a slice of parmesan and rosemary bread from a communal basket; it’s tasty and unusual, but doesn’t feel newly baked.
“…one of the best places to eat fish in Glasgow…”- The List
