Glasgow’s vibrant culinary hub in the west end just gained a new edition with dynamic and decadent fare at Lennox on Byres Road.
The location will be familiar to fans of Nico Simeone’s menus as it had previously been a Six by Nico. Though the rebrand has changed the nature of the restaurant, Nico remains the flavour architect behind Lennox which promises a menu just as ‘unapologetic’ in its creativity as it is ‘indulgent’ in its layering of rich flavour.
We were delighted to go along to its grand opening to test just how indulgent said menu was.
The interior of the restaurant is modern, fusing dark sleek furniture that is brightened up by natural lighting, marble table tops and leafy plants. It feels like a place to have an elevated meal without being to fussy.
Lennox have quite a large selection of wines by the bottle but as a notorious lightweight, I had a glass of their Rosato rosé (£9 125ml/£13 175ml) which was suggested by our server as a good pairing for the dishes we ordered. He was right.
My guest, unbothered by food pairing and more interested in immediate cravings, had their Rhubarb & Custard Sour (£12) that artfully blended its gorgeously silky and decadent custard top with a drier and tangy refreshing sparkling cocktail. It was so good I wish I had followed her lead.
Their House Baked Milk Bread (£6.50) was one of our favourite dishes of the evening. Fluffy, gorgeous milk bread is truly a simple yet decadent joy. Invented in Post-WW1 Japan using the Chinese method called tanzhong which makes a roux out of the flour with milk to increase moisture retention and give it that signature soft and pillowy texture.
Lennox’s version was gorgeously buttery, easy to pull apart and dripping in garlic sauce. We devoured this way too quickly and wished it came in bigger portions.
My guest also noted that it would have made a better side dish than a starter, so she could mop up all the flavour from the plates to come.
As a uncertified seafood lover, I was keen to try their Buffalo Squid (£11.50) in a nori ranch sauce with pickled celery. These were layered – and I mean LAYERED – in flavour. The crunchy batter was covered in a tangy buffalo sauce enhanced tenfold by the pickled celery. The nori mayo tasted more like dill than seaweed to me but it worked well and my guest noted that the flavours together were more interesting than each note on their own.
While the squid inside was perfectly cooked and exquisitely tender, I think these would have benefited from a stronger-tasting meat as the delicate notes of squid were completely undetectable.
The Loaded Potato Skins (£11) with oxtail ragù generously topped in a herb crumb were a little smaller than we had anticipated. But what they lacked in size they made up in, for at least for me, nostalgia. With the herb crumb and rich salty ragù, it tasted very similar to how a proper poutine should taste. A comforting treat that also provided a textural pay off in its crisp skin and gooey centres.
When our server suggested the Gnocchi Chicken Wings (£13.50) topped with strips of parmesan as the chef’s speciality, we knew we had to try it. This was brilliant. I know I rave about texture a lot but it had it hall: the slightly crisp but then soft gnocchi, the boneless and perfectly tender chicken wings in a tangy sauce with notes of dill.
We ordered two sides: Corn Ribs (£8.50) drenched in chilli & lime butter with chorizo crumbs and Fried Baby Spuds (£6.5) dressed in salt & vinegar with roasted garlic aioli which tasted exactly like a chippy but with more interesting texture. Corn ribs are one of my favourite snacks and these were immensely flavoursome with their herbaceous and sweet coating. However, I think they should be swapped on the menu with the milk bread as they would have been a great starter.
The pièce de résistance that evening was the Pork Tomahawk (£27) in a sauce Diane topped with green peppercorn. This is a gorgeous cut that balances its meat to fat ratio to enhance its overall flavour and masterfully handled and cooked by the chefs so its juicy and tender with a crispy, crackling fat layer that turns a great dish into a sumptuous one.
I am still salivating as I type up this review.
Unbelievably for me who can always manage to squeeze in a pudding, I was far too full so I decided to get my sugar fix in a digestif. Their Last Call (£13) with rum, espresso, crème de cacao blanc, crème de menthe and chocolate was my soulmate after dinner drink. Chocolate and mint is already a perfect marriage, but this cocktail improved on it as it wasn’t too cloying or sweet, having just enough of each flavour to somehow be light while delivering on its decadence.
My guest had the Glasgow Manhattan (£12) and as a Glaswegian, born and raised, she delighted in the Irn Bru, bourbon and vermouth fusion.
While their menu boasts and certainty delivers on explosive, decadent flavours, it would benefit from a simple side dish or two like rice or a leavened bread to refresh the palate between dishes and to soak up all the delicious sauces that they have put so much thought in to.
But without a doubt a heartily enjoyable meal; one that you would want to bring good friends, family or a date to appreciate it with. There are still many items on the menu that my heart and eyes wanted to taste, so I will be back to eat my way though it.
Despite the meat heavy dishes we chose, a varied vegetarian menu and a smaller vegan menu are both available.
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