Location
There are two Loop restaurants in Glasgow - at 10 Bath Street, Glasgow beside Bewley's Hotel (telephone 0141 354 7705) and also at 64 Ingram Street, Glasgow (telephone 0141 572 1472)
The Restaurant
The story of the creation of the restaurant Loop in Glasgow reads like an impossible dream for the young chef and co-owner, Donald Angus Munro. While still at school he took a summer job working in a restaurant kitchen and got a real buzz out of it. His life changed for ever. "I didn't go back to school", he admits. "I went to college to study food technology and my first job was at the RAC Club where the hours were long but gave a good classical training. I moved around various five star establishments ending up as Executive Chef at Skibo Castle."A couple of years ago he met an old friend in London and they discussed the possibility of opening a restaurant. "We wanted to combine my experience with his philosophy to keep it simple. We believed the restaurant should be an informal and friendly environment."
Loop was born in July 1999, on Ingram Street, with a second Loop opening the following summer on the ground floor of Bewley`s Hotel, on Bath Street. This is where a friend and I recently experienced an excellent dinner. This is a busy, buzzing bar and bistro atmosphere with cosy seating in private booths as well as round tables near the window with big armchairs.
The Food
There is a wide choice of lite-bites and main courses. The attractive menu is clearly divided into sections - "To begin", " On the side", "the middle bit," followed by "puddings". The emphasis veers towards spicy Asian and Thai dishes, but also a mouthwatering selection of soups, salads, steak, salmon and chicken, pasta and pizza to suit all tastes. If spicy food is not to your taste, there is traditional deep-fried fish and chips (French-fries in some parts of the world).After swithering over the steamed mussels, I selected the speciality Loop fishcake as a starter - soft, flakey inside, crisp outside, with a salad, and accompanying plum tomato and chilli sauce. Absolutely delicious and a meal in itself. After a deep breath I moved on to sweet and sour vegetables on a bed of thick noodles. My partner began with a tasty vegetable spring roll with soya and ginger sauce, followed by a tender char-grilled Rib-eye steak and thick cut chips - a couple of which of course I had to sample, for research purposes. No pudding for us, but you could choose Sticky Toffee Pudding, Ice cream, Chocolate tart or cheese. From an excellent and very reasonably priced wine-list, we shared an ice-cold bottle of dry sparkling wine, perfect as an aperitif and ideal throughout our meal.
The Bill
Starters: £4.00; mains; £8-10; pudding/dessert £3.50. Wine £14.00.Conclusion
Just as Donald Angus Munro and his team had envisaged, Loop has a lively and relaxing ambience, very friendly service and exceptional value for excellent cuisine. I shall certainly return.
