The Left Bank is a pretty nice cafe/restaurant that we visited on a recent trip to Glasgow in Scotland. We were in the area as we were doing a pretty cool treasure hunt with the kids around the area of the Glasgow University, which meant that we were walking for a couple of hours visiting the various locations around where we were staying... and most importantly, keeping the kids occupied whilst we were exploring the local area!
Anyway... with all of these longer walking excursions, there will come a point in the day when little legs need a bit of a rest and something to fill up their bellies... actually, the longer legs also will need the same!
As we were walking down the hill away from the University, we saw quite a few pubs and cafes that likely cater for the University staff and students... and we decided to stop into this pleasant looking place!
The Space
Now... for some reason, I can't seem to find the photos that I had taken of the interior of this restaurant. So, you will have to put up with my wordy description instead.
The staff were really quite pleasant when we entered, the front is adorned with huge open windows allowing a great deal of natural light into the eating areas. The furniture and floors were mostly wooden, and made for a nice comfy/cosy atmosphere... but perhaps a touch loud as the place started to fill up.
There was good spacing between the various tables, and several floor sections at different heights. This made for a nice feeling of intimacy with your dining companions and good deal of privacy from the other eating patrons. There is nothing more disconcerting than when you are seated right next to other people... and you are basically watching them eat and listening to their conversations!
The Menu
Again... a bit of an oversight here. I can't find the photos that I had made of the menu (but if you are interested, you can find it on their website listed below). Suffice to say that there was a wide mix of fusion type dishes, a Lebanese breakfast and some more traditional English/Scottish fare as well. Most tastes will be catered for... but be prepared for something quite unusual as well!
I have noticed that Anglo countries are quite aware of intolerance and allergies, and so you will find a variety of foods and dishes that cater to those with specific needs or preferences.
The Food
My wife was in the mood for something lighter... and she found herself ordering a red curry rice soup. With the sourdough bread, it made for a really pleasant light lunch, and was definitely one of the better choices!
I was in the mood for something a little heavier.... but not so heavy that I would find it difficult to walk around afterwards. I opted for a Thai-like (I think it was Thai?) beef noodle dish with vegetables. I'm afraid that I was a bit dissapointed by it... the sauce was quite salty and incredibly peanut heavy in flavour. I'm not even certain that I was keen on the noodles either... somehow, they were just bland.... and the sauce was just too heavy. I didn't feel that great afterwards...
Our kids picked up some very traditional fish and chips... and this might have also been one of the better selections. The chips were nice and crispy, and the fish was moist and well cooked. This was also our kid's first exposure to the TARTARE sauce that my wife and I had always grown up with when eating fish... and well, they LOVED the tartare sauce. In fact, they were weirdly crazy about it... strange!
Well... at least the coffee was pretty decent! I ended up having a couple of cups of cappuccino... actually, it was nice to be in a country that was serving decent cups of coffee. We were in Glasgow visiting a relative of my wife... and he said that Glasgow had recently seen a surge in really decent restaurants and cafes... especially in the area where we were staying at an AirBNB. Well, the food was mostly decent (except for my choice...), and the coffee was pretty decent as well... so, no complaints on that front from most of us!
The Experience
Well.. the staff was friendly, the atmosphere was nice and private... and the food was mostly good. I think I just got unlucky on my choice of dish for lunch... perhaps I will revisit when I'm next in Glasgow and choose something else... after all, there was that Lebanese breakfast... and a lamb roast that also looked interesting... but I suspected that they would have been too heavy for a post lunch treasure hunt walk and exploration!
Opening Times
Monday 10am–12am
Tuesday 10am–12am
Wednesday 10am–12am
Thursday 10am–12am
Friday 10am–12am
Saturday 10am–12am
Sunday 10am–12am
Contact Details
Address: 33-35 Gibson St, Glasgow G12 8NU, United Kingdom
Phone: +44 141 339 5969
Website: http://theleftbank.co.uk/food/