So here we are – Dawny of itk fame, doing what she does best. Eating and drinking gin. Only this time, she’s managed to sweet talk the auld boss man into paying for it. She has somehow managed to twist Simon’s arm and get £25 out of his wallet each month, on the pretence of writing a monthly blog in which she will review and recommend some of Glasgow’s most talked about hot spots, both new and old. It’s a hard job, but someone has to do it and who better than our very own consultant In The Know, Dawn Haldane. In the spotlight this month is the independently owned Anchor Line on St Vincent Place.
Dawny’s Blog
I’ve been dying to go here for quite some time after hearing rave reviews from a few of my candidates. I’m a busy working mummy, which means, my Saturday afternoons are normally spent in Adsa Café grabbing a coffee a portion of chips and gravy as opposed to anywhere half decent where I can get my high heels on, slap on the lipstick on and meet my muckers! Today, Miss Haldane was officially “ON IT”!
On first impression as you walk through the door, this place definitely has the WOW factor. It’s a big, ‘ole building that holds in excess of 220 covers including the private dining area. The décor is exquisite, so plush and luxurious and you feel like you’ve stepped back in time to a bygone age. You can see that no expense has been spared on the restoration of this former booking office. I was greeted by a host who very kindly showed me to my table where my friends were already getting stuck into the first paragraph of cocktails on the menu!
Marilyn Monroe Takes Centre Stage
I was in a ‘thirsty’ mood and decided on a ‘long’ cocktail. Janet, our server, recommended 
the Sloe Berry Mojito after I had bored her silly with my ‘love of gin’ chat. In Anchor Line they use Brockams gin and Haymans sloe gin, with ‘muddled’ blackberries and fresh lime juice. OH-EM-GEE. Absolutely phenomenal. Not cheap at £8 a pop – but hey, I’m used to spending a quid on an Asda coffee, I’ve actually no idea if £8 is reasonable or not! The rest of my crowd arrived fashionably late, but Janet was quick to spot them and come to the rescue with more of her delightful recommendations. This time she recommended a Marilyn Monroe, which consisted of Finlandia mango vodka, pineapple juice and grapefruit foam. For the others, a Cucumber Fizz, which was made up of Hendricks gin (one of my favourites), lemon juice and Bitter Truth orange bitters. These took around 10 minutes to make and were excellent…. Janet fair knows her stuff. We like Janet. Very professional, looked immaculate and engaged in our lively ‘Glasgow Bants’. The atmosphere in the place was buzzing and the service – outstanding. A great wee combination in my book.
Next up – Grub
We thought it best to line our bellies before the cocktails went to our heeds. We opted for the ‘Snacks and Light Bites’ menu (mainly because big boss man only gave me £25 and I’m a tight ass.) I opted for oysters. Two reasons; I love them and secondly, as mentioned, I don’t get out often so thought I’d be aw posh for the day. I picked 6 fresh Cumbrae oysters which came with a vinaigrette, tabasco and lemon and also 6 Rockafellas, these bad boys came grilled with spinach, garlic and lemon. The oysters arrived in no time at all before the rest of the food. Blinkin heck. What can I say? These were fresh, plump, and super tasty – (no, we’re not talking about me, although I may fit the description these day’s!) I’d go as far as to say they were the best ones I’ve ever tasted. 10/10. Anchor Line charge £27 for the pleasure, but worth every penny if you ask me! Boss, you owe me £2.
The remainder of the group opted for burgers. We had a Black Angus Burger (which Janet suggested we add caramelised onions and cheddar cheese), a Cajun burger (as it comes) and 2 Steak sandwiches. My friends are clearly much less posh than me. Ahem. The food took about 25 minutes to arrive and the kitchen managed to misread the order, so we were missing a steak sandwich. However, generous Haldane to the rescue – I offered one of my oysters. Grudgingly.
First up, the Blackhouse Angus burger. The portion size was great, burger was juicy and tender. The only downside was the brioche bun which disintegrated when you tried to lift it up. This meant it was really difficult to eat. However, our normally very hard to please crowd still gave the thumbs up and a very fair 8/10. The Angus burger was £10.95 and a further £3 for the extra toppings.
The Cajun Burger
No issues here at all. Portion size good, skinny fries – fabulous, warm and tasty and a nice wee portion of slaw on the side. Does what it says on the tin. A good 7/10 on taste and a wee minus point for the silly bucket that the fries came in, that was only filled half way down. £10.95 for the pleasure.
The Steak Sandwiches
To be honest, this was the only thing that let the side down. The steak seemed really fatty and of poor quality. In the words of my dear wee granny Downie – it was ‘Teuch’ (a grizzly, fatty, tough piece of meat.) Both friends gave up half way through, it was just too difficult to chew. Janet came over to check on us and asked if everything was ok and spotted the leftovers. She swiftly cleared our table and came back to inform us that the chef was not happy with the cut of meat at all. They took both the sandwiches off of the bill with no questions asked. They didn’t have to do this, but just another reason that we found the service to be top notch. The steak sandwiches would have cost us £11.95 each if we were charged for them. Only a 2/10 for this dish, but Anchor Line redeemed themselves by how it was efficiently the issue was handled.
Anchor Line is the ‘Bees Knees’
I loved every minute of my day out. The atmosphere was electric, the surroundings are decadent and the staff are some of the best I’ve come across in a long time. Janet – you really made our day!
We did however still manage to spend £183.95 between the 5 of us… You do the math. Hic.
The Anchor Line
12–16 St Vincent Place, Glasgow, G1 2DH
Tel: 0141 248 1434
Celebrating the grand ocean voyages of the 1920s and 30s from Glasgow to New York. The Anchor Line is set in the stunning and completely restored grade A1 listed first class booking offices at 12–16 St Vincent Place.
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About itk Recruitment Blogger
Dawn Looks after our Glasgow office and covers the North of England and the ever emerging Scottish hospitality scene. Check out the latest catering and hospitality jobs Dawn is recruiting for here.