We know. It's January. It's dark and cold and money is too
tight to mention.
Fight the gloom with 5pm's Dining Sale. Featuring some of the most popular restaurants in Glasgow and Edinburgh, the sale means you can treat yourself to a meal out without worrying about the overdraft.
You can browse all of the restaurants in the sale here.
Glasgow restaurants
Embargo
Embargo is a sleek eating and drinking spot on Byres Road. Promising the vibrant flavours of Australasia and East Asia, the kitchen focuses on tapas dishes.
The offer is for £12 per person for two small plates from the main menu plus a cocktail or 125ml glass of house wine.
The menu may vary but typical small plates might include the crispy suckling pig pork belly with jalapeño pineapple salsa; the salt and chilli baby squid with lime dip and the massaman cauliflower cheese. A vegan choice could be the moromi miso aubergine with honey and pomegranate. We have an eye on the short rib with roasted peanuts, root ginger and cucumber relish.
You can book the 5pm sale offer here.
The Corinthian Club
Once the headquarters of a bank, The Corinthian Club on Ingram Street is a five floor entertainment complex with several bars, a club, private dining rooms, a casino and the jaw-dropping Teller’s Bar and Brasserie. A visually stunning venue, Teller’s features elaborate cornicing, amazing gold leaf work and a dazzling glass dome. Locally sourced, fresh and cooked to order, the food in Teller’s draws on global influences as well as home-grown flavours.
The offer is £12 for two courses on the Market Menu. The exact dishes change regularly but typical starters might be the smoked salmon with dill crème fraiche, shallots, capers and lemon or the avocado and chilli salad. Popular main courses include the char grilled salmon with crushed potatoes and pesto plus the braised pork loin with spicy pork croquette, green beans and a tomato salsa. A veggie option might be the asparagus risotto with garden peas, Grana Padano and coriander oil.
Café Andaluz West End
The first of Glasgow’s two Cafe Andaluz tapas restaurants, the Cresswell Lane branch has long been a favourite eating out destination in the West End. It looks like the interior of a stylish, white-washed hacienda. Stained glass lamps, carved wooden furniture and alcoves filled with colourful ceramics all make the sunken dining room look like the sort of authentic Spanish restaurant that you remember from your holidays.
Divided into vegetarian, meat and seafood sections, the tapas menu is ideal for a quick solo lunch, a lingering romantic meal or a party night with a group of friends. The dishes range from simple plates of roasted padron peppers to more complex choices such as the Moroccan style salad which mixes roasted sweet potato, parsnip and chickpea with chopped parsley, coriander and a topping of tahini dressing. More meaty choices might include the Andalucian black pudding with onion and apple chutney or the confit duck leg. The crisp baby squid and spicy prawns are always a hit.
The offer is £12 per person for three tapas dishes.
Finsbay
Milngavie’s Main Street plays host to Finsbay, an endearingly quirky restaurant, bar and café. It is a welcoming neighbourhood hangout and the retro chic decor is fun. G Plan furniture, a Tretchikoff-style portrait and a wall decorated with rotary dial phones set the tone.
Finsbay’s chefs like to combine Scottish ingredients with recipes from around the world. The offer is £12 per person for two courses on the dinner menu. Typical starters might be the mushroom bruschetta; the soup of the day or half crock of mussels in a Thai green sauce. When it comes to main courses, we like the sound of the Highland venison casserole topped with a fluffy Mull cheddar and chive dumpling. But we could easily be persuaded by the masala sweet potato, butternut squash and chickpea daal raita. Or the IPA beer-battered haddock fillet.
Bawarchi Indian Restaurant
Bawarchi Indian Restaurant is on Crow Road in the Anniesland area of Glasgow’s West End. Under new ownership since autumn 2017, this cosy little restaurant has quickly established a glowing reputation for providing great food and a warm welcome. Bawarchi has an extensive menu offering a wide range of classic dishes from across the different Indian regions. With more than two dozen starters, ranging from chicken pakora to spiced sea bass, there are plenty of much loved options to begin with. For an Indo-Scot start to your meal, you could even order the haggis pakora.
With main courses split into old favourites, house specials and vegetarian dishes, not to mention tandoori options, there are many choices for both old hands and Indian food newcomers.
Bookable via 5pm, the Dining Sale offer is £12 per person for two courses from the a la carte menu plus a glass of wine.
Urban Bar and Brasserie
Formerly home to the Bank of England’s Scottish headquarters, Urban Bar and Brasserie looks a million dollars. Located on St Vincent Place in the city centre, the food is eclectic, and the décor blends old school elegance with a contemporary edge. Wherever possible, the kitchen uses locally sourced and seasonal ingredients.
Priced at £12 per person for two courses on the sale menu,
the offer
includes starters such as mushroom and blue cheese risotto cake or chicken
liver parfait served with spiced apricot chutney and oatcakes. Main course
choices include smoked salmon linguine; wild boar and apple sausages
with creamy mash and herb jus or veggie options like the roast aubergine,
tomato and coconut curry.
Ardnamurchan
Ardnamurchan is a contemporary Scottish restaurant on Hope Street, opposite the Theatre Royal. As the name suggests, the West Coast peninsula of Ardnamurchan has inspired the restaurant and its owners have close links to the area. Whisky barrels, Harris tweed, exposed brick and stone walls plus designer lighting all mean that the decor treads a neat line between rustic and city centre chic. The chefs at Ardnamurchan make the most of unique Scottish produce such as wild venison from Ardnamurchan Estate; Hebridean blue cheese and seafood landed on Barra. Taken from the restaurant's Facebook page, the main pic shows a dish of hake from Ardnamurchan.
The offer is £12 per person for two courses from the lunch menu plus a glass of wine. The lunch menu changes regularly but sample main courses might be the pie filled with slow cooked wild venison from Ardnamurchan Estate or Portuairk free range pork sausages on mashed potato with a shallot gravy.
Edinburgh offers
Angel's Share Hotel, Bar and Restaurant
The Angels Share Hotel, Bar and Restaurant is a stylish, Scottish restaurant set on Hope Street on the border between Edinburgh’s city centre and West End. Named after the whisky lost to evaporation during the distilling process, and decorated with portraits of Scottish stars, it has a large bar area and a second dining room hosting the restaurant.
The Angel’s Share specialises in mostly Scottish based dishes using quality, fresh Scottish ingredients. The offer is £12 per person for two courses from the lunch menu. Sample lunch options include a starter of crayfish salad with new potatoes and mustard dressing. Comforting, wintry main courses might be the chicken supreme with garlic-roast new potatoes, leek and bacon plus a mustard cream sauce. A lighter option would be the linguine with sun-blushed tomato pesto, Parmesan and rocket.
The Basement Bar
The Basement is a Mexican bar and restaurant on Edinburgh’s Broughton Street. With decor of patterned fabrics, multicolour painted seats and día de muertos artwork, it is a fun and festive environment. A menu of Mexican dishes, an impressive drinks list (featuring an extensive list of tequilas and mezcals) and live music are further enticing reasons to visit The Basement.
The Basement's sale offer is £12 per person for two dishes on the brunch or lunch menu. We like the brunch burrito which is filled with chorizo potato, scrambled egg, refried beans, salsa and Monterey Jack cheese. We could also go for tacos filled with a choice of orange and chilli pulled pork, turkey mole poblano, chipotle chilli beef or three bean chilli. Arriba!
11 Brasserie @ No 11
11 Brasserie at No 11 is a stylish, Scottish restaurant in the classical setting of a Grade A listed Georgian townhouse. Ideally located for the Edinburgh Playhouse, 11 Brasserie @ No 11 has a classic wooden decor and inviting, comfortable seating. The relaxed, welcoming ambience of the restaurant make it the perfect venue for friends to catch up over a light lunch or fine dining evening meal. The restaurant prides itself on providing simple yet tasty Scottish fare, using the finest artisan producers and suppliers for the highest quality seasonal ingredients.
The January Dining offer at 11 Brasserie @ No 11 is £12 per person for two courses on the seasonal menu. As the name suggests, the seasonal menu changes according to the cycles of nature's larder. Sample starters might be the warm tart of Arbroath smokie, cherry tomato and artichoke or the chicken, squash, sage and mascarpone ravioli. Main courses might be the warm confit of duck, with a sticky chilli beetroot, Jersey Royal potato and smoked bacon salad. A vegetarian option would be the roast spiced cauliflower, ratatouille, Clava bonbons and a crispy soft boiled egg.