Dinner at HillHead Bookclub, West End, Glasgow

So it was bank holiday Monday (30 May) and both Mr EmmaEats and I had a free day and we decided that we would do some more sightseeing around this beautiful country. We started off the day in Bell & Felix from breakfast (you can read my review by clicking HERE) and then went through to Edinburgh for the day. We had a late lunch at the Royal Deck Tea Rooms on the Royal Yacht Britannia which meant when we were finished in Edinburgh we still weren't hungry so we decided to head back to Glasgow for dinner. Before I move on I must say that I wasn't very impressed with lunch in the Royal Deck Tea Rooms, it was a little disappointing. As we were driving back to Glasgow we were trying to figure out where to eat. I had heard a lot about Hillhead Bookclub so we decided to head there. I wasn't sure if we would need to book or not so to avoid disappointment I easily booked a table online. When we arrived we were given a very warm greeting and shown to our table. I was very impressed with the place as soon as I walked in - it looked great and then when I sat down at the table I just loved the table setting.

Food

I wasn't really sure what I was in the mood for and neither was Mr EE. It had been a beautiful day and I think the heat sometimes affects my appetite (note I said sometimes). There was a huge choice of dishes on the menu and I was well impressed that they had a separate vegetarian menu, I'm not a vegetarian but I would eat a lot of meat free dishes so I was delighted with the choice here. I decided to go with the spinach and potato saag with homemade naan and rice. Mr EE went for the steak and chips. I must admit when my saag was put in front of me I didn't think that it was the prettiest dish ever (but I do find the likes of saag's and dhal's tend not to look very pretty) but I'm glad to report that it was very tasty - it wasn't too spicy but there was a nice kick off it. The naan was just fine. 

Mr EE loved his steak, it was done to perfection and he said it was a nice cut of meat. He liked his chips but he was pretty full so didn't eat much of them - which meant that I needed to eat them! And I must agree with Mr EE, the chips were lovely. 

We didn't go for any desserts but Mr EE had a coffee. Food rating:- 4/5.

Service
The service here was exceptional. The staff seemed really happy and looked to be really enjoying their work! Nothing seemed to be a problem to them. If you have read the about me section of my blog you will know that I have an issue water - so I'm pleased to report that when I asked for a glass of water a jug of water was placed in front of me! You can see my about me section by clicking HERE. Service rating:- 5/5. 

Atmosphere

As a result of the very happy staff the atmosphere here is great. The decor is great, there are lovely high ceilings and a balcony going around the edges. It is pretty cool and funky. There is also a ping pong table up in the balcony area. There was a really good buzz about the place - however, I'm guessing at some occasions the crowd might be a little younger than me! I'm guessing it is a very popular spot for the local college students - not that there is anything wrong with that, I'm just in a different age category. Atmosphere rating: 4/5. 

Price
Our meal came to £26.60 - this was for two main courses, a bottle of sparkling water and an americano. I thought this was great value for money for the quantity and quality of food and for the service and atmosphere. Price rating: 4/5. 

Last Words
I really like this place, the staff are great and so is the atmosphere. If you are looking for good food in a place with a bit of life, then this is your place. It might not be somewhere you would go for a deep and meaningful but it would be great for a catch up. I reckon it is a great afterwork spot too. Total rating: 17 out of 20.

Date Visited: Monday 30 May 2016

Restaurant Details:

HillHead Bookclub,
17 Vinicombe Street,
Glasgow,
G12 8SJ.

Website: HillHead Bookclub Website
Phone number: 0141 576 1700

Thanks a mil for reading.

Emma Mai xx