The South side of Glasgow isn’t known for its restaurants. In Glasgow, Finnieston is the area to head for if you want really good food but for South siders, its frustrating that there is not much nearby, with the exception of The Glad Cafe. Fortunately, Black Dove in Shawlands is a welcome addition to the area.
The concept is a mix of small sharing plates and larger main dishes with a regularly changing menu. I popped in for lunch last week and was pleasantly surprised by how good the food was. Inside, there is a lot of exposed brick and white tiles with what looks like a Scottish Highlands landscape mural reflected in a large mirror. It gives the place a modern, minimalist feel while two large wine glass chandeliers add something a little bit different. I’m already planning a second trip as I struggled to pick just a couple of dishes. I already know what my next meal is going to be!
The first dish I ordered was Cured Lock Earn Trout with lime vodka jelly, apple gel and pickled cucumber (£7.50)…
It arrived looking as pretty as a picture. The trout tasted almost creamy when paired with the sharp pickled cucumber and made my taste buds tingle. The zingy lime with the soft texture of the jelly was a nice contrast to the almost crunchy cucumber. The apple gel added a lovely sweetness.
Next up was Loch Fyne Scallops with slow cooked pork belly, celeriac puree, raisins and capers (£10). Normally this comes with curried parsnip but they didn’t have that the day I went.
Biting through the thin crispy pork skin, the soft belly underneath melted in my mouth. The scallops were soft and sweet and cooked to perfection. This dish was simply glorious. Sweet and salty, a good balance of textures… it ticked every box for me.
For dessert I ordered the Chocolate Cremeux with salted caramel, vanilla ice cream and popcorn (£6). This actually comes with banana ice-crean normally but I requested vanilla as I don’t actually like banana ice-cream.
The chocolate was smooth, rich and indulgent, almost like a ganache. There was a good hit of salt in the caramel which calmed down the sweetness, as did the salty popcorn which added a bit of bite. It is rich though and I had to take a break half way through eating it, and that was after quite a light meal. It may be too rich after a heavy meal but it would be a good one to share as it’s definitely worth trying!
I thoroughly enjoyed my meal at Black Dove and will definitely be returning soon. The service was spot on and they had an excellent playlist on the go when I was there. Its definitely worth travelling to the South side for.
Black Dove, 67 Kilmarnock Road, Shawlands, Glasgow, G41 3YR
Tel: 0141 231 1021
Twitter: @blackdovedining
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