Bistro Eleven Fifty Five
Glasgow
Reviews
First time visitor & it certainly won’t be my last! The food is incredible - although it’s expensive, you are paying for quality. The quail, lamp & choux pastry dessert were out of this world! Very good service, didn’t catch her name but the server had shoulder length curly hair (I think she was Australian). The hand soap & lotion in the bathroom were top tier. A couple of small details which could be improved - used staff plates were left on the table beside us (restaurant had just opened), a staff laptop left charging on a console table beside where we were seated, they seemed to have forgotten to light candles as did so after we had been seated & the internal door handle of the gents wasn’t in keeping with the high standards of everything else. Minor details, but these would have just elevated the experience more
I’ve been a fan of Peter McKenna and Kevin Dow’s Glasgow fine-diner The Gannet for over 10 years. So I was excited to visit just after they recently refurbed and relaunched as Eleven Fifty Five (their number on Argyll Street in the foodie West End). Changes are subtle and the same quality food, wine, service and ambience make for a very special evening. Peter says he doesn't want it to be too serious, just somewhere they and their guests can “have fun”. They’ve certainly created a warm relaxing space, with forest tones of brown and green and some exposed stone (though less than before). A few plush green seats around the wooden bar are ideal for solo diners or cosy couples. Lighting is dark enough to be moody yet positioned to highlight the food on the table and the impressive wall of wine below the mezzanine speaks to Kevin’s passion and forte. And oh my, the food, certainly as good as ever. The best beef tartare I’ve had, Scottish beef rump cap with pickled shallot, parsley and capers served with a separate piece of bone with warm marrow inside; the combination of hot and cold taking this classic to the next level. Three large Isle of Gigha oyster, each presented differently, harks back to Peter’s days with Liam Tomlin at Banc in Sydney in the late ‘90s; in fact further back to Liam’s days at Level 41 with Dietmar Sawyer (isn’t it wonderful how food travels the world through time and restaurants?). The natural was a lesson in what a freshly shucked oyster should be: creamy, briny, a touch sweet, and umami in one delicious mouthful of meat and liquor. The others, Vietnamese-style and a tempura of fermented chilli and rhubarb (so good it disappeared before I photographed it), went down a treat too. Pioppini, oyster and lion’s mane mushrooms, grown in the restaurant basement, were cooked in garlic butter and assembled with a just-set egg yolk, lardo, radicchio and white pudding. A nascetta from Piedmont producer Rivetto was an excellent match seamlessly balancing the richness of the white pudding, egg yolk and lardo. Tiny john dory in a delicate yet rich green peppercorn, miso and dashi sauce, the just-set flesh simply lifting away from the bone, is possibly the best piece of fish I’ve ever eaten. I finished with a superb and decadent bar of chocolate mousse coated in dark couverture with Guinness ice cream (a nod to Peter’s Irish heritage) and biscuit crumble. The Maury Grenat fortified grenache, from Roussillon with it was my favourite wine pairing of the meal. Best of all, I didn’t look at the wine list all night, just asked Kevin what I should drink – and I loved every combination. The new Eleven Fifty Five – so good in every way!
We celebrated our anniversary dinner there and absolutely loved it! A lovely card from the staff touched me deeply. Everything was beautifully presented and the food looked and tasted even better. Our steak was a definite highlight and has become my top choice. The extensive wine selection was fantastic. The friendly staff made the whole experience unforgettable. Thank you all for an amazing night! ❤️
Having been a fan of the gannet for many years was excited to try the new relaunch of Eleven Fifty Five and it did not disappoint! Peter, Kevin and team have delivered another amazing experience! Whilst we were only 3 we came with a big appetite and ordered a lot of the menu and it did not disappoint. Every dish was a winner. A lovely meal in a warm welcoming restaurant in some classic Glaswegian weather
Went here for an anniversary dinner with my partner. I think it's a great place for this type of special event. The prices are high, but it is to be expected for this kind of place and I think the quality of the food, the presentation, the atmosphere, and the staff all match up to the expectations of the price tag. We tried the set menu, which includes 2 starters to share, 5 main dishes and a dessert. We didn't go for the wine glass pairing, instead opting for just a bottle to split. The best way to describe the food is amazing, it was all delicious, it was all fresh and the presentations were impressive. The seasoning on the focaccia was a real pleasant surprise and it reminded me a lot of dry cured meat flavours. The starters overall were quite good, and all the mains were amazing. It's hard to pick a favourite, so I will refrain from it. I also really enjoyed the dessert. The staff were great throughout the night and the atmosphere and decoration are very nice. Great place, too bad it's closing at the end of 2025, but I'm hoping that what comes next is just as good at least.
