I tried chef's menu in newly refurbished 'relaxed' restaurant - my verdict
A popular Michelin recommended Scottish restaurant has reopened after a refurbishment. Rosalind Erskine visited for a midweek meal.
“I can’t imagine working in any other way now. I love seeing people’s reactions to the food,” said chef director Colin Anderson of his restaurant Brett and its sleek new look. The small restaurant started life as a ‘little sister’ of the now Michelin Starred Cail Bruich in 2019, and was launched as a natural wine bar.
As with many things since the pre-Covid times, it’s had to change and evolve going from a wine bar with food, to supplying bottles and picnics during lockdown to focusing more on its food post-pandemic.
The latest iteration of this popular and award-winning spot on Great Western Road in Glasgow’s west end is a new look. Gone is the gantry, and guests now have an even better view into the small kitchen from the bar seating.
It looks for all the world like a bar you might find in New York, with low lighting, minimalist interiors and range of table and bar seating. The chefs move around each other like a dance and diners can see first hand the range of dishes being made from fridge to pan to plating. There’s music and chatter - a buzz that comes from groups of people enjoying a night out.
Mr Anderson, who joined Brett in 2020, previously worked in Michelin-starred City Social, three Michelin-starred Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, and several venues in Australia including Estelle, Cullen Wines and Quay at the Rocks.
He works alongside general manager Christopher R. Brewer, who joined in 2023, formerly of the Palm Restaurant, to bring a produce-driven menu with an emphasis on zero waste. In the early days of Brett the team used leftovers from Cail Bruich one night a week on their menu; this zero waste ethos has always been baked into the business and now, practises like fermentation are used to create a plethora of ingredients that are used in dishes all year round.
Inspired by modern fine dining and taking influence from Mr Anderson’s travels and work with renowned chefs across the world, his menus balance classical cooking with high-quality seasonal ingredients, all of which is served from an open kitchen.
The menu changes seasonally, with Mr Anderson and his team working closely with local producers and suppliers. We visited in mid-March when Brett had just reopened and decided to try the Chef’s menu, which is £85 with an optional wine pairing for £65. This is available alongside a three-course menu priced at £59, with a wine pairing for £40. On Fridays and Saturdays, Brett is also open for lunch, offering a two course or three course menu, priced at £32 and £42.
Our meal started with two slices of sourdough served with light, whipped chicken fat butter and salted olive oil before a fish and chips style scallop dish. This consisted of a deep fried scallop served with the crispiest potato I’ve eaten and a creamy tartare sauce. The sweetness of the scallop was complemented by the saltiness of the potato which cut through the sauce, which had a bit of a mustard kick. The meal was off to an excellent start.
The next dish was the intriguingly named sand carrot, which was a tender carrot served with crispy kale that had a dusting of vinegar powder, sliced kumquats and a saffron, sauternes and ginger sauce and tiny basil leaves. I am not a huge fan of saffron or carrots, so I was a bit dubious about this dish but it surprised me. The saffron was subtle, with the really punchy flavours coming from the kumquat and vinegar kale.
The raw aged beef was a healthy portion of beef mixed with chopped zingy apple and topped with watercress and an olive oil and lapsang souchong dressing. Rich but bursting with flavour.
The next dish is a Brett favourite - the mushroom XO linguini. Our waitress explained that there was discussion about taking it off the menu, but the team decided it’d be too controversial. I’d been looking forward to this dish and it did not disappoint.
A swirl of perfectly al dente pasta was topped with a Cantabrian anchovy, a tumble of crispy leek, and 36-month-aged parmesan. It was creamy but full of umami thanks to the fish and cheese. I’d love to be able to create something even half as good at home.
Next was lamb saddle, which I am told was “the best lamb dish I’ve eaten”. I went for the meaty and rich monkfish tail which was served with a crisp Jerusalem artichoke, brown butter sauce, shavings of chestnut mushrooms and dotted with vibrant trout roe. The creamy sauce complemented the meaty fish with the artichoke adding some different texture.
Finally dessert of the season's first Yorkshire rhubarb served with a creme frachie mousse, slivers of crispy milk and pulled toffee. This was quite a nostalgic end to the meal, not too large or too sweet (ideal after so many dishes).
We were the last diners in the restaurant, so had watched it go from bustling to serene as the chef’s cleaned up the kitchen. It was an excellent meal, in a lovely atmosphere. Brett and its team have always known how to move with the times and this space, plus the range of menus, are exciting and I am looking forward to my return hopefully to sit outside in sunny weather with a glass of wine and that XO pasta dish. Sublime.
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