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The Food Loving Fifer., 104 Hope Street, Glasgow (2026)

25/01/2026

Courtesy of Mr David Coutts and the soon to be Mrs Clare Coutts the Food Loving Fifer visited Rogue Brothers in South Queensferry. Table for 4 required as Mark & Nicola were also treated to a visit here by the aforementioned couple. 1st impression was very good, busy with lots of chat and laughter but not overly noisy. We were shown to the seats by a very polite young lady which was a noticeable point for the rest of the evening, that every member of staff was a credit to this restaurant. So to drinks and the gents went for Estrella whilst the ladies opted for a bottle of Calusari Pinot Noir, a Romanian red wine. I'm told this was an excellent choice and when in the glass had legs that would put Tina Turner to shame. I loved this menu as it had less options to pick from for each course and I'm led to believe the menu changes periodically with only 1 dessert that keeps it's place each time. Haggis, neeps and tatties were 2 starters that were as expected, top notch. Karen had frickles, deep fried gherkins with a coffee chilli mayo, well I have to say that mayo was stunning, hint of coffee then a hit of chilli, fair play to whoever created that. Being a seafood fan I went for the fish frito, deep fried morsels of fish in a light crispy batter along with deep fried sprat like fish too, absolutely delicious. Choosing mains was a bit more challenging but after some thought we opted for brisket rigatoni, beer battered fish n chips, shepherds pie and finally buttermilk chicken burger. I can only comment on my own choice of burger which was an inspired one, moist succulent chicken on a soft roll with the star of the show the the gochugang mayo, quite simply a tongue tingler, never tasted this before but it's already on next week message list. Three empty plates to go along with mine tell you all you need to know. Onto the desserts and 3 for the date & ginger pudding, as mentioned earlier this is never taken off the menu and it's easy to see why, the ginger just nips the back of your throat and then the ice cream cools it down again, once more well done to the chef on that one, sadly Mark never got the world's smallest violin with his. Karen had the blueberry cheesecake and allowed me a small ( and I mean small) corner of it and it was great, that would be my choice next time we visit. So overall thoughts on Rogue Bros were that it was faultless and quite possibly my new favourite eatery, in the words of Tina it was Simply The Best.

18/12/2025

An evening in Glasgow to see Cian Ducrot was a great excuse to visit Mezcal, a Mexican restaurant that sits on Hope Street. Glad we booked as not long after we sat to eat, the place was full. A vast drinks menu took a minute or two of deliberation but a lovely lager called Menabrea and a grilled pineapple margarita were the picks. The rim of the Margherita glass was sprinkled with a chilli salt and was perfectly balanced. We chose fish tacos and the quesadillas filled with chicken and chorizo supported by a bowl of fries. I will be brutally honest and admit that whilst the taco was very tasty I was expecting a bit more fish than a strip and a half strip in each taco, it was more like a lettuce taco and the chef had put fish in as an afterthought. Note to self, go big or go home next time. The quesadillas on the other hand had more than enough of the star of the show, packed with plenty of both chicken and chorizo. The fries were excellent, piping hot, crispy and perfectly salted. To the desserts and you can't pass up the opportunity to have churros with milk chocolate dip, they were as perfect as you'd wish them to be and I rather enjoyed slurping the sugar from my fingertips. The other pudding was pineapple with a tequila sauce topped with ice cream. Quite simply this was a delight to help eat, you can't get much better than sticky pineapple with a goey toffee like sauce and the tequila hit. Overall Mezcal is definitely worth a visit, price was reasonable considering it's Glasgow city centre, service was excellent and everything we ate was delicious, as mentioned next time I'd be veering away from the taco options and go for something more substantial.

21/11/2025

Comida Comida Gloriosa. The Food Loving Fifer was today at Piggs, a Spanish tapas restaurant in Edinburgh. A small in size place to eat with maybe only 7 or 8 tables so booking is very much recommended however it's definitely not small in flavour or atmosphere. My favourite lager Estrella Galicia was a delight to see at the bar tho today due to having to drive later it was the zero alcohol option but still very much an enjoyable amber nectar. We chose to go for the mixed platter accompanied with 3 tapas dishes for starters. The menu shows exactly what the platter comprises, let's just say if you like cheese or Spanish cold meats then this is the pick for you and what a size of portion too, if anything maybe a little too big even for 2. Our tapas dishes were jamon croquetas, wow, plump little crunchy morsels of mash potato with bits of ham and a delicious sauce, next was pimientos padron, this was green pepper chargrilled then sprinkled with sea salt, these were magnificent. The next choice was from the specials board and called sobrasada. This was the star dish of the day. It's a chorizo pate with cheese and honey on a brioche bread and toasted. This I'm told from my Spanish mamacita is a Majorcan dish so for certain when I'm next in Majorca I will be hunting this down. Sourdough bread with olive oil was a nice addition also. Onto pudding and we had churros and manchego cheesecake. The churros were piping hot, laced with sugar and a dark chocolate dipping sauce. The cheesecake had the same consistency of a burnt Basque one and the taste was exceptional with hints of cheese, salt and vanilla. We finished up with a latte and cappuccino, both of which were a great way to finish the meal. To sum up Piggs id say it's very much worth a visit, don't think it's going to be a quiet ambience tho, there's music playing and lots of chat and background noise however that does not distract from the actual food which is quite simply outstanding. Muy Bueno.

03/09/2025

Today The Food Loving Fifer was treated to afternoon tea at The Signet Library. Sitting in West Parliament Square next to St Giles Cathedral the interior of this establishment is quite exceptional and made for a beautiful dining experience. While we were both blown away by the setting for what we hoped would be delicious fare, Karen's first comment was that " she bet the mirrored table top was a nightmare to clean". So as normal with an afternoon tea it's a selection of savouries followed by another stand of cakes and pastries not to mention tea or coffee. From the pic of the menu you will see what was today's offerings. Very fancy words but when the waitress explains each item it's more understandable to the native Fifer. To start is an Amuse Bouche, this is a Bloody Mary. Of the savoury choices our favourites were the venison with mash, wild mushroom choux and coronation sweet potato turmeric focaccia., however that was after a great deal of consideration. I had to ask myself why a knife and fork were aside the plate being as they were basically 2 bites and gone!! Maybe some diners were trying to be posh eh? Onto the cakes and pastries, wow, unbelievable craftsmanship,every one of these was 10/10 but if I had to pick a No1 it would be the pear & vanilla bavarois, this was visually stunning and tasted as good as it looked. A palate cleanser of pineapple sorbet was a nice way to end, just enough so as not to cause brain feeeze. So with it being afternoon tea we had a vast choice of teas to choose from, for my 1st pot I had the masala chai which had all the spice you would expect, my 2nd pot was lapsang souchong which is a smoky tea and has a comparable taste to Islay whiskies, an acquired taste to be honest but according to the waiter both Karen and myself had made very good choices. Signet blend and oolong coconut were the teas Karen went with, both lovely tasting but very different to each other. I also observed many of our fellow customers being given this square cardboard box type thing, no idea what the purpose of those are. We had 2 pots of tea each but had we wished we could have had as many as we wanted, I thought that was excellent as each pot is priced at £7 so definitely value for money. I've had many an afternoon tea from places such as Fortnum & Mason and The Balmoral Hotel however The Signet Library beats both in every department. Should anyone reading fancy a few hours of calm, peace and quiet and an elegant surroundings then get over to Edinburgh, you won't be disappointed.

23/03/2025

Fit like Loons, Quinies and abidy else? The Food Loving Fifer has been in Aibirdein this weekend to spend Saturday evening alongside Karen to witness the quite outstanding Alison Moyet of Yazoo fame. My goodness that lady has some range of vocals and more bangers than Bonfire Night. Prior to the concert we dined at The Terrace Bar and Cafe which is adjoined to His Majesty Theatre, this was actually an Instagram suggestion and happy to say it was an inspired decision. They have a choice of menus being small plates, large plates, various burgers and desserts. We chose from the small plates as we fancied a varied range of foods. 3 small plates each was more than enough to give us both a taste of each dish. Monkfish Tacos were delicious, soft flour taco loaded with crispy chunky monkfish. Korean cauliflower buffalo wings next, these were melt in the mouth due to how soft the cauliflower was. We went for the trio of bon bons and I wish my local chippy had haggis, black and white pudding encased in the crispy shell like these were, they were magnificent and the whisky sauce was devine. Onto the breaded brie served with oatcakes and sweet chilli sauce, as new fans to melted brie we had to try it deep fried and it was superb. Spread over crunchy oatcakes has given us another option of how to eat this cheese. After much deliberation for our last 2 picks we plumped for nachos and sticky buttermilk chicken. To the nachos and they were as expected topped with guacamole, salsa and sour cream my only criticism would be they could have done with a few more dollops of sour cream to the same equivalent of the guacamole would be perfect. The buttermilk chicken was indeed sticky, small nuggets of sumptuous meat coated in a thick sauce that took a bit of mopping up with the last morsel. Sadly and very surprisingly we had no room for desserts. I could return to this eatery and choose another 6 plates from the menu and be more than happy never mind venturing to the large plates or burgers. Alison Moyet sings Don't Go but The Food Loving Fifer says in this Situation you should most definitely go.

10/03/2025

The Food Loving Fifer has just returned from a reccy to Booffi in The Fort Glasgow, primarily as one is due to open in the old Hollywood Boulevard building in Dunfermline shortly, or for older readers the Kinema ballroom. So as the name suggests it's an all you can eat buffet dining experience with a drinks menu comprising alcohol, cocktails, mocktails and soft drinks with an option on soft drinks of unlimited refills. The choice of foods range from Chinese, Italian, Indian, chicken nuggets, sushi and on a Sunday a roast is available with turkey, beef and lamb. Every nation is very well represented with a vast choice of starters and mains. The roast dinner also has mash, roast totties, broccoli, carrots, sprouts, yorkies in small or flying saucer size and a lovely gravy. If you have room for pudding there is a massive selection of cakes, cheesecake and tarts not to mention the chocolate fountain, ice cream with toppings of sweets and lastly fresh fruit. I won't bore you with what I ate but from the pictures you will see I had a varied selection of starters, mains and puddings and if I may say the roast beef was top notch. I was well and truly stuffed by the time I lifted my backside from the seat for the last time but can't help feeling that slice of watermelon tipped me over the edge. I reckon Booffi is going to be very popular when it arrives in the toon and I for one will definitely be in the queue for what is in real terms a greedy ba****ds heaven. See you soon Booffi.

08/03/2025

Today The Food Loving Fifer, thanks to the generosity of Clare & David visited Mother India Cafe in Edinburgh accompanied by Karen, Nicola and Mark. As a massive fan of Indian food this was one to look forward too and happy to report in no way were we disappointed. Whilst we perused the menu a portion of poppadoms, mango chutney and spiced onions were brought to the table, the poppadoms were so thin crispy and light I thought they were going to float from the table to the ceiling, the spiced onions were top notch and had the right balance of spice and heat. Starters were chicken pakora, veg pakora and veg samosa. A substantial portion of each choice was very welcome and it was commented by not myself or Mark that it could pass as a main course. The difference in supermarket bought pakora and restaurant fare is unbelievable in every department. So to mains and it was Chicken Achari for myself, ginger chicken with spinach for Karen while Nicola n Mark both opted for garlic chilli chicken. Pilau rice, garlic naan and peshwari naan were also ordered. My Achari was outstanding, it's a chicken and pickle dish, small bite size pieces of chicken in a sauce that doesn't quite draw your cheeks in but at the same time creates a hot forehead. At first look my impression was it wasn't a big portion however that bowl was very deceiving and in fact there was enough for two plates so happy days. Everyone else were delighted with there choice and empty plates all round apart from 2 forkfies too much so to speak eh Nicola?? We opted for tea and coffees to end and again no complaints there. The waiter and waitress were very polite and friendly, service was at a good pace and I'd highly recommend a visit to this Indian restaurant, certainly no one will go home hungry.

02/03/2025

So The Food Loving Fifer turned detective today alongside his trusted sidekick Mrs FLF with a visit to Six by Nico at Queensferry Street in Edinburgh to solve a crime at murder on the midnight express. An interactive meal where clues are given alongside each course to help find the culprit in the whodunit case. Props such as a booklet with information as well as a description of each plate, a magnifying glass, a torch and a coloured glass that enables you to see hidden words are provided to assist you. It really is an ingenious concept to eating a quite exceptional meal of fine dining. Glad to report we did indeed find the culprit but I won't reveal whom it is so as not to spoil it for anyone who may be visiting a Six by Nico in the next few days as this theme will be ending shortly and a new experience will be beginning it's run which will be The Italian road trip. So to the food and drink. First you are sipping on an aperitif called red herring, this is prosecco, soda, pampelle ruby and grapefruit and if I say so myself it was very drinkable indeed, in fact pampelle ruby is already being sourced. Every single course was delicious and I couldn't fault a single item on any of the plates. Fine dining isn't my way of eating however I was entirely satisfied with how much I ate and felt like I was on an episode of great British menu with Tom Kerridge what with emulsions and chocolate cremeux, I certainly never left needing to visit a chippy as was my fear in the lead up to eating here. My particular favourites in no order were the smoked ham hock terrine, pork blanquette, tarragon oil with vegetables a la grecque, next the tartiflette which was layers of soft potato and smoked bacon jam. Also chicken balotine which had Jerusalem artichokes, charcoal emulsion and truffle cafe au lait, this was quite brilliant. We went for an additional extra which was spiced date cake topped with baked brie and a drizzle of hot honey, whilst we ordered this with slight trepidation I have to say it was fantastic and we needn't have had any concerns. As stated there was not a failure on the entire menu and I have to confess I'm really glad we gave Six by Nico a chance. Id highly recommend a visit to the next themed run if today's food is anything to compare too.

13/07/2024

Today after many years of persuasion and encouragement The Food Loving Fifer finally paid a visit to what many class as the best eatery in the toon namely Dhoom on New Row. As a massive fan of Mowgli I've been reluctant to give Dhoom a go but having done so I can honestly say that whilst both serve Indian food, both dining experiences are totally unique to each other. So dinner is a 10 course taster menu. 9 dishes giving you a taste of each one then you choose a main course that includes rice, masala fries and a chapati. Just to add they ask if any guests have dietary requirements or are vegetarian and bring an alternative should any of the 9 on offer not be suitable, this is genius as with a few tweeks the vegetarian is getting the same taste as everyone else. So from the picture of the menu you will be able to read the starters, every single one was a winner, my own favourite was the tomato soup which was flavoursome and certainly packed a punch with a hit of heat on the back of the throat followed closely by the cube of chicken, some of the sauces on the plates were exquisite it has to be said and were definitely taste sensations. For mains our choices were Tirupati paneer matar, malabari aubergine, kongunadu kozhi kuzhambu, mango chicken curry and meen moilee. I dived in and had the fish curry and was not disappointed, chunks of meat in a rich sauce accompanied with rice and chips, those chips were quite simply brilliant and masala salt is on the message list for next week, the chapati was warm, soft and made for great dipping into some of the left over sauces. The mango chicken whilst tasty was very sweet, Neil's kongunadu sauce was also high in the scoring charts for taste and consistency. On the recommendation of a certain person ( Mark V) Neil partook in sampling Cobra lager and I'm reliably informed that Mark does indeed know his lagers as if that was ever in doubt eh ( I hear you Nicola). So Cobra is on route to the bedroom fridge. The great thing about eating at Dhoom is that you are advised its at least a 90 mins sitting. At no point are you hurried or rushed, the food comes out at nice intervals and a good 10 minutes is left between the palate cleanser and main course, this helps to avoid being left with the feeling that you can't eat anymore and I know that feeling only too well unlike some. In my opinion Dhoom is very much worth a visit, offers value for money and I will most certainly be a returning customer whilst also staying loyal to Mowgli of coarse.

30/06/2024

After a fantastic meal at the recent wedding of Mr & Mrs Venters we took the opportunity to pay a return visit to The Pitbauchlie. Plenty of options on the menu for starters, mains and pudding. All 4 opted out of a starter and went straight to the mains. I after much deliberation plumped for fish and chips. Crispy batter encased a lovely piece of flaky white fish, and a heap of chips that obviously was right up my street. Faultless. Karen had hunters chicken and it was cooked to perfection, no complaints and a cleared plate. Mark chose braised beef and for the next 5 minutes we never heard a cheep whilst he devoured succulent beef with a meaty gravy accompanied by creamy mashed potato, red cabbage and a perfect Yorkshire pud. Nicola being a macaroni cheese officianado couldn't resist and decided on chips rather than garlic bread, more cheesyness would have been preferred however it was judged to be up there with some of the best in the area. Puddings were also tough picks but after having seen the strawberry meringue glacé being demolished at an opposite table myself and Mark had to do likewise. Karen decided on panna cotta with blueberry compote whilst it was sticky toffee pudding for Nicola. Both were enjoyed and comments made that you canny beat traditional desserts. Being as the hotel is within walking distance of our houses we were all able to enjoy a sociable drink during and afterwards and the ladies can recommend the house Rose wine as a tipple. We ended the evening on Drambuie for the gents and Baileys for the wives. Overall a great meal, staff very helpful and knowledgeable and definitely value for money. Should we get that weekend of summer in the next few months we may well make use of the stunning beer garden.

15/06/2024

28 years married today to the wonderful Karen so we took the opportunity to visit a restaurant we have not yet tried, Louie Brown's in Dalgety Bay. Heard lots of great comments and every single one spot on. So plenty of options on the drink menu and food menu. I'm told ( by Laraine and Duck) the cocktails are supreme in these parts so cos I was nominated driver I had a Staropramen shandy whilst Aperol Spritz for a wee change was Mrs Moultrie's tipple. The choice of food was excellent and after changing our minds more than once we plumped for Sea Bass with Mediterranean Veg and pan fried potatoes for Karen and I went with steak and Guinness pie with seasonal veg and chips with a side order of onion rings. Obviously its stew and pastry not a pie however 10/10 for whatever you personally call it, chunks of steak that were so tender it required little to no chewing, a cracking gravy with carrot and onion. The chips were spectacular and exactly what a chip should be, how I wish I could perfect this chip in the air fryer. The onion rings were splendid, crispy, crunchy and not in the slightest greasy. We shared them with me having to eat 1 or 2 more. Karen devoured her plateful of deliciousness and tells me her sea bass was perfect, crispy skin with flaky boneless fish. The pan fried potatoes were crunchy and soft in the middle, again a challenge for the air fryer. We had decided to miss starters to make sure we would manage a pudding being as I'm not a big eater. Too much to pick from but sticky toffee pudding and cheesecake of the day which was lime were our chosen dishes. I'm told that its the best sticky toffee pudding Karen has ever eaten. I had a tiny taste and have to agree, my cheesecake was vast, a really creamy and light topping with a buttery biscuit base, a very nice palate cleanser. Overall an excellent meal and value for money in our opinion. We weren't rushed and the time between courses was perfect. The restaurant was very busy but the staff seemed in total control, with it being busy the noise levels were higher than some would prefer however it wasn't that bad so as I couldn't hear Karen constantly telling me how fantastic I am and how much she loves me. At least I think that was what she was saying. A return visit will be on the cards as already Neil wants to taste the sticky toffee pudding. Anyone looking for a good meal could do worse than give Louie Brown's a visit.

09/03/2024

Today The Food Loving Fifer paid a return visit to Fava in Edinburgh and as expected was not disappointed. Again the dishes were chosen from the Medezes section of the menu and the vast choice allowed us to select totally different plates of food from the last time except for the hummus which to be honest is a must pick as the difference to shop bought is beyond words. Smooth, creamy and full of flavour. After our last time we decided to play the less is better card as the portions are more than enough for 2 ( i know what you are all thinking aye right Daz you could eat those plates yourself). To accompany the Hummus we had pitta breads which were soft and warm with a nice chew, kolokithakia tiganita which is fried courgette chips that are the American version of chips, thin discs in a very light batter with a tasty dip. Beetroot salad that is what it says on the tin with the addition of orange segments and pomegranate. This dish was excellent as the flavours all surprisingly went with each other and the pops of the pomegranate were magic. Biftekakia sxaras that in Dunfermline would be known as beef meatballs, again a very tasty dish, the beef was moist and melt in the mouth, there was a little kick to the beef but not too hot as to spoil the enjoyment. Prawn saganaki and kalamari were our seafood selections and both were superb. The prawns were big and juicy and the saganaki sauce which is feta, garlic, tomato, white wine and chilli is one not to be missed, a perfect balance of heat and flavour. The kalamari was so tender it hardly required any effort to eat and the batter like the courgette was very light and crisp. Many won't be shocked to read that pudding or dessert for the educated amongst us was had. Baklava for myself which was a bigger piece than I anticipated and almost struggled to finish ( I wont go to heaven with that lie), you can't get a bad baklava in a Greek eatery and it was walnut and honey syrup deliciousness. Karen plumped for flsokolatopita, a greek style chocolate cake with ice cream and strawberries. I had a taste (a word i use loosely cos if looks could kill id not be composing this review maybe i should say quarter), however the cake was perfect and very chocolatey. All in all another brilliant meal at Fava and as said the last time anyone who likes greek food should definitely give Fava a try. Lastly could I thank 2 of my favourite people for the treat its much appreciated, maybe next time we can all go together eh?

The Food Loving Fifer.

25/01/2026

18/12/2025

21/11/2025

03/09/2025

23/03/2025

10/03/2025

08/03/2025

02/03/2025

13/07/2024

30/06/2024

15/06/2024

09/03/2024

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