Bar Brett

Brett might be a direct descendent of Michelin starred Cail Bruich, but it refuses to be overshadowed by its sibling’s lofty status. It’s here to hold its own. There’s a sort of magic that seems to spark from the coming together of a simpatico team and some impeccably sourced produce, plus the not-so-trivial fact that the kitchen cooks over fire for an on-trend edge.

It’s counter stools only unless you plump for a spot on the terrace or head upstairs to the mezzanine, and the best seats in the house are undeniably round the central bar. Here you can watch the chefs work and get yourself doe eyed about what’s to come.

The team seem to have no regard for such dull things as cuisines and instead have created a menu of the best bits from... well, anywhere. There’s a heart-stopping baked potato dutifully snuggled under its blanket of raclette cheese side by side with a hearty wedge of cabbage liberally doused in intensely savoury XO sauce, plus plates of 10/10 sweet potato tempura nests with a ponzu dipping sauce. On Monday-Wednesday there’s an inexplicable but much-loved Yakitori night which has proven so popular that items regularly sell-out on the menu before the evening’s second sitting of guests. A chargrilled chicken meatball explained the hype. Highly seasoned - and magically not dry -, the outside was sweet and caramelised and there was a yolk to dunk it in that made the whole bite rich and indulgent.

Expertly paired drinks enhance the eating experience and showcase small-scale producers doing really interesting things. Everyone on the floor knows their stuff too, which removes the hassle of having to really read the list and allows you to relax in the safety net of strong recommendations.

It’s a brave move to present a menu of ‘global’ cuisine – anyone who’s ever stepped foot in a world buffet will know the pitfalls – but Brett has flourished where so many have failed. This is food that's hard to fault. 

Bar Brett is a modern wine bar and barbecue restaurant from the team behind Michelin-starred Cail Bruich, the latter being located in Glasgow’s West End and serving British, produce-led tasting menus. Bar Brett’s offering is a little different, however, in that it specialises in natural, low-intervention wine and cooking with fire. At the heart of its concept is an open kitchen with a custom elevated ox grill where diners can easily watch the chefs work their magic, while also injecting plenty of fun and playfulness into Brett's wine-and-dine experience.   

Equal attention is paid to the food and the drinks here. If focuses on wines that are made naturally using minimal intervention techniques, and highlights small producers who farm grapes using sustainable and regenerative working practices. Discover a range of reds and whites for something more familiar, as well as orange wines and pet nat if you’re looking to push the boat out. You can also find a selection of seasonal bottled cocktails, plus signature serves such as a White Americano made with suze, cocchi americano vermouth and soda.  

The food menu offers a concise collection of small sharing plates which take inspiration from global flavours and cuisines. Smaller dishes include the likes of BBQ jerusalem artichokes with lime, crème fraîche and sunflower seeds, and hand dived scallops cooked in the shell with salted egg yolk butter. While larger plates feature shin of beef with adobo sauce, spring onions and ‘crispy bits’ and BBQ halibut on the bone with arbroath smokie XO sauce, chinese greens and fried onions. For dessert, look out for unusual and inventive combinations including gorgonzola dolce with pecan pie and pickled pecans.  

From Monday to Wednesday, Bar Brett also offers a yakitori menu featuring an array of Japanese chicken dishes – think chicken thigh with egg yolk butter, chicken fillet with dark soy salt and chicken wing with furikake.