Pizza Punks

Another day, another pizza restaurant for us...  Pizza Punks, on St Vincent Street in Glasgow city centre, was an impulse eating choice when we were in town hunting Oor Wullies on the Big Bucket Trail.  Pizza is always a sure-fire hit with our boys.

The seating is fairly comfy but not perfect.  The music was our-kind-of-thing but not too loud. The staff were attentive.  The boys enjoyed it.

Foodwise, the USP is that for £11 you create your own pizza with as many toppings as you want.  We both chose House Specials though that are both interesting flavour combinations and cheaper.  The sourdough base is delicious and we both had great pizzas.  The kids menu is a whopping £7 for a drink, pizza and ice-cream (with as many toppings as you want, both on the pizza and the ice-cream).  Again, Angus enjoyed his meal very much.  I'm sure I saw an offer on a poster in the toilet for £5 pizza delivered in 5 minutes Monday - Thursday lunchtimes.  I can't see this on their website, Twitter or Facebook though.  I would return for this deal but I'm  not sure it's special enough to warrant choosing it over other pizza options.

The baby change was fine and there are a couple of steps to bump up into the restaurant (although I think there's a ramp if you ask).

The Sparkle Horse Baby Disco

This event is becoming a mini Glasgow Families Institution.  I feel like everyone I know has been once.  The Sparkle Horse pub runs a baby disco on the last Sunday of every month.  There's no entry fee but the set up is fairly basic.

First let me describe the venue: the pub is the old Dowanhill but with a much-changed clientele.  The interior is shabby chic with the emphasis on shabby.  There are some fairy lights and lots of toy horses scattered about.  The seating is black wooden chairs, wooden tables and booths.  It's not a huge establishment and the area at the back is raised up some stairs.  It's not dark and gloomy with big (ish) windows at the front.  There is a long bar along the side.  The staff are young and friendly and were up for the challenge of mini-patrons.

The pub is open from 12pm with the disco running from 1-3pm.  We arrived about 12.30pm to bag a table and have some lunch.  It is typical pub fare: macaroni cheese, burgers etc.  There was a special baby disco menu which was mostly small portions of the main menu around £4.50 a go.  Angus enjoyed his chicken goujons, Mr GFM's beef burger was huge and my Cajun chicken burger was delicious.  A note for picky eaters, the chips are the skin-on wedge sort (and covered in salt grrrrr).

On to the disco itself.  There was a disco light revolving but the house lights stay up.  In one corner was a reputable Glasgow DJ playing very enjoyable music.  In the other corner was a face painter charging £4 a go.  There is a small space for dancing, which we did.  Angus made friends with other children too.  The tunes are a mix of pre-schooler hits, Motown, indie...

We had a good afternoon out and will definitely be back when the Sundays become rainy and cold.  We will definitely be bringing toys along and friends for a more relaxed time.  If you're looking for more entertainment for the children, then you should try the more organised, ticketed events.

The toilets are easily accessible and there was a nice baby change set up in the Ladies.  There was a small buggy park and guests are invited to fold up buggies.   There is metered parking available but we walked round the corner from Kelvinhall.

Finsbay, Milngavie

Finsbay, in Milngavie, was a spontaneous choice for lunch before visiting Kilmardinny Loch (or the Gruffalo Trail, review here).  It was Saturday lunchtime and seemed popular as it was fairly busy.

They were able to accommodate the buggy at our table.  The decor is young, trendy and fun (a bit mid-century modern, I'd say).  There was an aquarium at the back, on the way to the toilet, which we went up to have a look at a few times.  The staff were welcoming to Angus but there's no children's menu; which is odd as there are toys for children to play with.

Angus had soup; he loves soup and our food was tasty too.  The drinks selection was good too.  I can't quite put my finger on it but I don't think I'd go back though.  Perhaps the service was a little slow, despite being friendly.  Perhaps it felt a little stuffy.  I just didn't feel that relaxed.  I think that, despite some toys and books, really it's a grown ups venue and best to leave it to them.

The toilets and baby change were fine.  We parked in the Marks and Spencer's car park for free.  The cafe is close to the town centre.

Paesano Pizza

Paesano Pizza is the most raved about pizza in Glasgow, so on a wet Sunday we paid the Great Western Road restaurant a visit.

Is it the best pizza in town?  Probably, yes.  There's a lot of talk about using the best, freshest ingredients and you can taste that the base is amazing and the toppings are tasty.  The pizzas cost between £5-£8 and there is a choice of nine plus specials.  You can also specify any changes.  There are also some sides and a choice of soft-serve ice-cream or the tart of the day and that's the whole menu.  Spotted the omission?  There's no kids menu.  We were told they would do a kids size of anything on the menu.  Here is Angus's cheese and tomato.  It's slightly smaller than a regular and I'm not sure what they charged us for it (no more than £5 anyway, which is what the full size costs).

The staff were some of the most welcoming we've come across.  The stereotypical "Italians are nuts about children" thing really came across even though it was all Glasgow students working there.

At the end of the day, I felt the pizza and service was better than Pizza Express, which is our usual go to for pizza all round.  We haven't tried the restaurant in Miller Street yet but we definitely intend to.   Watch this space!  Very, very delicious.

There are steps up to the entrance, which we managed with the pram between the two of us.  However, there is a step-free side entrance, which we left by.

I think there was a baby change on the same level as the restaurant (we didn't need to use it) but all the toilets were down lots of stairs.  There is metered parking nearby and the restaurant is close to Kelvinbridge Subway station.   They don't take reservations but we arrived early and were easily accommodated.

The Beech Tree Inn

This venue is a little way out of Glasgow, close to the Glengoyne Distillery near Dumgoyne.  It is right on the West Highland Way.

We chose to visit the Beech Tree Inn following some good reviews and the promise of a sunny day.  I had intended to stop at Mugdock Park on the way to build up an appetite but we missed the turning!

Arriving a little early, we had a coffee in the garden and met all the animals.  It's not a petting zoo but you can buy feed.  There are Shetland Ponies, sheep, rabbits, ducks, goats and an aviary.  They seem very well-kept and loved.  There is also a small play area with a couple of fixed tractors to sit on, climbing frame and slide.  Enough to keep a toddler entertained for half an hour or more and whilst you are waiting for food etc.

We were lucky to get a table and I advise booking (or at least, arriving early and reserving a table, which is what we had to do).  The menu is vast and is pub grub food.  Angus and I both had soup (a delicious tomato and red pepper), mine with a sandwich.  There is lots of choice for children too.  Mr GFN had a chicken wings special and a side of chips, which he really enjoyed. We also had delicious desserts; so save room!

In the end, we were there from about 11.45am to 2.30pm.  So a fair day out with a toddler and not too much walking when you are heavily pregnant.

The toilets are clean (we didn't use the baby change).  The car park has a fair capacity.  I don't think you could get there using public transport.

Butterfly and Pig, Shawlands

Since my days of working in town, Butterfly and Pig has been a long favourite from the day it opened (and the subsequent tea rooms too).

One sunny day, we thought we would visit Queen's Park and get some lunch nearby.  There were a few options but we wanted something filling and perhaps a little grown-up. We chose Butterfly and Pig in Shawlands, in the old Corona building.

The inside is very pubby and, despite several families being seated in the dining area, feels like a proper adult destination.  It has the typical Butterfly and Pig decor of trinkets and nick-nacks and is dark and mysterious.

The food is delicious.  Mr GFN had a great burger.  There is no children's menu, you get a "half portion" of anything on the menu.  Angus had macaroni cheese with garlic bread.  We're fairly certain that this was full-size, just charged at half.  The two negatives for Butterfly and Pig are the prices (quite expensive for a lunch) and giving Angus a lollipop at the end of the meal.  I know this isn't a problem for lots of folk but it arrived without us being asked and we had to subsequently lose it in the park, as he's a bit young for boiled sweets.

You can find on-street parking further up Langside Avenue or on a road just off.  There is step-free access to the building (I think) but steps down to the toilets.  The toilets are clean, we didn't try the baby change.

The Lansdowne

The Lansdowne is a bar frequented by both myself and Mr Glasgow Family Notebook long before we met each other and we only recently decided to revisit it with a toddler in tow.  It was a success and we have since returned.

The lunch menu is fairly good value.  There are lots of other daily offers on too.  The kids menu is excellent; a choice of protein, carb and side (mix and match) and pudding for £4.  You are supposed to get crudites as well but I don't think these have ever appeared.  Also, the salmon fishcakes (Angus's favourite) have always been "sold out".  It's a good balance of healthy options and treats.  The food for grown-ups has lots of options and is very tasty too.  We have taken the grandparents and Auntie and would be a good meet-up for larger groups.

There are lots of TV screens showing sport.  Which Angus and Daddy appreciate.

As the dining section is separate from the bar, you don't feel like you are in a pub or disturbing someone else's appreciation of a game of football.  The "glasshouse" looks like a pleasant place to eat too.  I can see Angus and Daddy coming here in a few years "for lunch" to watch whole sporting events.

The Lansdowne is at 7a Lansdowne Crescent, just off Great Western Road.  Parking is free on Sundays but more complicated the rest of the week!  There is a flight of steps down into the bar but I think there might be a step-free back entrance into the conservatory (I have seen people with buggies come and go this way).  The toilets are lovely and clean but I'm not sure the baby change is exceptional (as with most bars!).  The staff are busy and do double-check your receipt.

Wagamama

We have visited several branches of Wagamama and received exactly the same level of service and quality of food at each, so I'm lumping them all in together in this review!

Angus (and Mummy and Daddy) all love a Wagamama.  I used to find it too much for lunch but now I order from the children's menu and that's perfect.  Angus always has grilled fish with noodles and I have the chicken katsu curry.  All the children's dishes are served with sweetcorn, grated carrot and grated courgette.  Babycinos are free but they charge for milk (!).  It feels very healthy, especially when we get edamame to share (I feel very Smug Mum, when my toddler sits there demanding more green beans are popped into his mouth!).  The quality of food is always identical and excellent.

I think a lot of people with toddlers walk straight past Wagamama believing there's nothing here for them but Angus enjoyed the food as soon as we were past the packed lunch stage of weaning.  If you're worried about the salt content, just whip the bowl of sauce away as soon as it arrives at the table.

The dishes are £4-5 each in our neck of the woods.

The baby change facilities are always clean and well-located.  You do have to watch out as some of the seating arrangements aren't the most suitable for a toddler (high-up stools etc.) but every branch I've been to has a range of different tables, so just ask.  A lot of the branches have the Mountain Buggy Pod high chairs, which clamp on to the table; if I had known about them before I bought our high chair, I would have got one.  It is so nice to have your child sat right up at the table with you.

Service is always brisk but friendly.  I never feel rushed even though I always think of Wagamama as being fairly like a fast food restaurant.

Our most frequently visited restaurants are Silverburn and Glasgow city centre but we've also been to Glasgow Fort and Croydon.  The Silverburn restaurant is in the Winter Garden, so very light and bright but still quite secluded, I don't feel like I'm eating in a shopping centre too much.  (Going here means I can tie in doing some chores and getting to the library to change our books too).  The city centre restaurant is very handy when we're in town but much busier.  Glasgow Fort is usually busy too and we have also been put in some out of the way corners before.  It is one of the best options at the mall though.

Starbucks, Next Home, Braehead

Braehead is just down the road from us but if you don't want pizza, I sometimes find it hard to choose somewhere to eat lunch.

The Starbucks in Next Home was sold to Angus on the basis that you can see a lot of buses from a window seat.  This is very true and occasionally you can see an aeroplane.

It's actually a very nicely situated unit. It's upstairs, generally very quiet (usually quieter than anywhere in the actual shopping centre) and has floor to ceiling windows, so it's very sunny.

The staff are friendly and they have given me a cup to help myself to milk for Angus before.  My last food bill didn't come in too high.  They do a mini-toastie with cheese or cheese and ham, which is perfect for Angus.  And babycinos are free.

It goes without saying that parking is copious.  I haven't used the toilets or baby change yet.  The place is clean, light and very relaxed.

Bag O'Nails

 A friend recommended this pub in Partick as a good lunch spot.  The Bag O'Nails is in the old Partick Tavern, right on Dumbarton Road.  It's USP for families is that children make their own pizzas (for £4.95, I think).  I've been told that they get a chef's hat but Angus didn't.  I would also say that if you were meeting a big bunch of mum chums, the place could comfortably hold lots of buggies.

Angus made his own pizza and chose sweetcorn and meatballs to go on top.  You can see the process below.

Gareth had a pizza too and I had the soup of the day, which was split pea and cumin.  I noticed that they had a good range of alcohol-free beer, including West Nix, too late.  Gareth's pizza was on the greasy side with a tasty base and my soup was lumpy.  Angus liked his pizza and the waitress kindly packed up the leftovers for us.  Service was friendly although there was only one person on for the Monday lunch time.  My friend had said the burgers were good.  Pizzas are £7.50-£9.75 and burgers £8.50-£9.95.  I think you can find better value nearby.

The pub is clearly trying to be as family-friendly as it can and doing a good job.  We parked just off Gardner Street easily, so there was a little walk but nothing we couldn't cope with and combined it with looking in the the model shop window and exchanging our books at Partick Library.  The toilets were child-friendly and the baby change was clean.

Prezzo, Braehead

It's a very rainy Sunday in Glasgow...you have chores...your cupboard is bare...where do you go?  Braehead..

On this occasion we thought we would check out Prezzo.  If you have the VoucherCloud app, you can get either 30% off your food bill or a kids meal for £1 (instead of £3.99).  But not on a Saturday.

Angus loves a pizza.  His Daddy loves a pizza (but had meatballs).  It's a no brainer.

Given that you are in a shopping centre, the setting is quite airy.  They clearly separate the families from the couples in two different seating areas.  We received the obligatory crayons and menu to colour in.  It's not destination dining, that's for sure.

I was really surprised by how expensive the meals were for adults.  For the price, you would expect to be in a nice, relaxed restaurant not a glorified food court.  However the childrens' menus were good value.  For £3.99 (I think), Angus had garlic bread, pizza and a scoop of ice cream (squash is included too).  There was a menu for older children with more options, priced at £6.50.  Adult pizza and pasta is more like £10 a dish.  I had the carbonara and Gareth had meatballs, both of which were tasty.

Obviously we sampled Angus's pizza too and it was a good one.  I feel that too many eateries charge a couple of quid for a scoop of ice cream, so it's a nice touch to have it included - and a choice of vanilla, strawberry or chocolate!

Overall, it's not my first choice for lunch out.  It sits in a funny position between being a place to go for a nice family lunch (and priced as such) but being located in a shopping mall where you want to grab a bite to eat.  I'm going to keep sampling and draw up my Top 5 Braehead eateries!

Cafe Nero - Braehead

Living in Glasgow, I'm not a fan of big chains when there are so many great independents about.  You can't point to one in Braehead though, so after a bit of trial and error, this is my top pick.

Cafe Nero doesn't have the best location - next to H&M on the top floor, stuck in a corner.  They've tried to give it a terrace and an outdoors-feel but you can clearly see you are wedged in a corner of a large shopping centre.  Having said that the chairs, booths and decor are cosy, comfy, clean and plentiful.  It's only at top peak time that it's hard to get a seat.  I will also endorse the Motown tunes being played on our last visit (not too loud that you can't chat either).

Why this branch scores top marks is how friendly and helpful the staff are. I started going when Angus was just weaning and they don't mind the mess made and help bring over things.  On this visit, they pointed out I could get a bigger mocha if I had a single shot (yes, please).  Babycinos are on the house.  You can tell that people go in daily and weekly just because of the service.

My extra Braehead tips are the baby change/feeding area in the middle of the centre on the top floor; much nicer than the other locations.  If your child is into bus, truck and car watching (sometimes a plane too), they will enjoy the view from the Starbucks in Next Home.  It is often quieter than other places and the staff have given me a cup to help myself from the milk jugs for Angus before.

Don't forget to check out the play park behind the centre on the Clyde too (although often locked up).  It has a very realistic ship, which Angus adores.