The Social

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• What are these?

• Average price 2 courses:
   £14 (lunch)
   £14 (evening meal)
• House wine: £9.95 per bottle

• High point: Location, location, location
• Low point: Drinkers take priority before food has stopped being served
• Food served: Mon-Fri noon-8pm; Sat/Sun 11am-8pm
• Bar open: Sun-Thu 11am-2am; Fri/Sat 11am-3am
• Open since: 2003
• Also offers: Childrens portions, Childrens high chairs, Wheelchair access

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

This review is from the 2007 edition.

Outdoor seating and a choice location just a few steps from Buchanan Street make The Social a popular destination for shoppers, whether for a quick drink or a light lunch. Clean lines, comfy leather seats and ample room indoors are features that also seem to work for the city-centre set. If the interior sounds slightly clinical, it's offset by a menu that approximates some kind of modern pub food, with an extensive selection of pizzas, pastas (both half-price from 5-7pm during the week), burgers and the like. Good old nachos are impressively portioned, with giant dollops of guacamole and sour cream, and the option of a beef chilli that's mild and full of kidney beans. Pastas can disappoint - the sauce of the spicy meatball fettuccine lacks the kick, or the robustness, that the big, crumbly meatballs demand. When the menu aims higher it has a similar success rate, mismatching the juiciness of tomato chutney with a smooth, yet strong chicken pâté. The Social does, however, score with a lamb shank that's readily teased from the bone, slightly herby and served with fine garlic-infused vegetables. As evening sets in and the pre-clubbers gather, menus can vanish a little earlier than 8pm - so it might be worth ordering desserts at the same time as other courses if time requires.