The Giffnock Ivy

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• Average price 2 courses:
   £7.95 (set lunch)
   £21 (evening meal)
• House wine: £10.95 per bottle

• High point: Moist and meaty monkfish
• Low point: Off the beaten track for die-hard city dwellers
• Food served: Mon-Sat noon-10pm; Sun noon-9pm
• Private dining: Up to 8 covers
• Open since: 2001 unbder new owne
• Also offers: Childrens portions, Childrens high chairs, Pre-theatre menu

The List's Eating & Drinking Guide 2008 is now in the shops.

This review is from the 2007 edition.

The Giffnock Ivy is a welcoming neighbourhood eatery with dark green tiles and warm glowing windows that entice discerning locals inside. Soft lighting, thoughtfully spaced tables and a convivial atmosphere, together with relaxed and friendly service, make this both a local favourite and a place worth venturing beyond the Glasgow boundary for. The menu balances a confident Scottish flavour (haggis, venison and smoked haddock) and Asian and Mediterranean influences such as lime and coriander, chorizo and pesto. To start the meal, crunchy king prawns are served in a delicate filo basket and smothered in a velvety cream sauce, replete with a hint of wine, garlic and a subtle citrus tang. A not-so-mini tartlet has a light, crumbly pastry and is filled with sweet tomatoes and melting mozzarella. Delightfully tender hunks of monkfish sit proudly atop an island of wild rice and are surrounded by a Thai curry sauce that gives the dish a spicy ginger and lemon-grass lift; the sauce enhances but does not overpower the meaty moistness of the fish. An impressive pot of plump mussels has no hint of chewiness and is drenched in a creamy marinière broth. The berry parfait - two sizeable triangles of chilled creamy loveliness with fruit and honeycomb flavours - is a dreamy end to a marvellous meal.