Photo of
December 5, 2016
Bilson Eleven kitchen brigade in action. Pic: restaurant Facebook.
Bilson Eleven kitchen brigade in action. Pic: [Bilson Eleven][1].

Since the opening of the SSE Hydro, the last few years have seen Glasgow’s Finnieston district be completely transformed.

Restaurateurs in the Merchant City or city centre may argue differently but, these days, many people would name Finnieston as the Glasgow’s most interesting place to eat out.

The million dollar question is which neighbourhood will be next?

Forecasting the future is not our forte – you should see the car my bookie drives – but we have heard people mention the East End and, in particular, Dennistoun as an up and coming culinary hotspot.

The area’s gastro credentials firmed up recently when Bilson Eleven opened on Annfield Place.

19th century townhouse

It is a new restaurant in a refurbished 19th century townhouse. It has been restored by chef Nick Rietz and his family.

Previously, Nick was Head Chef at Two Fat Ladies in the city centre. More recently, he honed his skills at Hof van Cleve, a Belgian restaurant with three Michelin stars.

Lunch at Hof van Cleve starts at 155 euro per person, a price point which is unlikely to find many friends in Dennistoun. Or indeed most of Scotland.

At Bilson Eleven, a three course dinner will come in somewhere around a much more manageable £30-£40 a head. At the moment, they are BYOB which helps keeps the bank balance happy.

The new Finnieston?

You can see the full menu here.

There are lots of interesting dishes on there. Among the starters, we like the sound of the caramel chicken which consists of chicken mousseline, quince, chicken liver parfait and caramel.

We’ve also got our eye on the pork belly and apple: belly of pork with pecan crumble, pork and apple pie plus cider pickles.

Will Dennistoun become the Finnieston?

We have no idea but we wish Nick all the best with Bilson Eleven.