Kevin Bridges is back in Glasgow for another round of sold out shows at the Hydro. The last time the comedian was here for his Brand New tour, he took over Tiffney’s for friends and crew.
Food often makes it into Birdges set, so it seemed fitting to visit the steakhouse before attending a weekend show of his recent tour, The Overdue Catch Up.
Located on Otago Street, just off Great Western Road, Tiffney’s is set back from the street and between flats, meaning it has a hidden gem feel.
Tiffney’s owners say that their steakhouse is a product of fine Anglo Irish American history, and its name comes from the owners’ great grandparents.
The restaurant has often been lauded as ‘number one in Glasgow’ thanks to TripAdvisor, and has carved out its niche in the often crowded steakhouse offering, as ‘the home of dry-aged beef.’
The beef in question is selected from the North East and Speyside, and is then aged to ‘tender perfection’ for 70+ days in a humidity-controlled meat locker and the available cuts are presented raw on a board - with explanation from the waitress on the different steaks - just after we arrived and took our seats.
Inside, Tiffney’s is cosy and traditionally classy, with an exposed brick wall, small ambient table lamps and fairy lights in the window.
Despite it being a sunny early September evening, it was easy to see how welcoming the restaurant could be on a cold winter’s night.
After finding out more about the steaks and the different cuts, which range from T-bone to fillet and rib eye, we browsed the menu while enjoying aperitif drinks of an Aperol spritz (£8) and a Pedro's Almacenista Fino sherry (£6).
When it comes to the food, the menu is compact, and very meat focused (as you might imagine).
There’s scallops, quail and beef tartare, but we opted to share the monkfish scampi (£12) and heritage tomato and halloumi salad (£12). The colourful array of tomatoes were tart and fresh, and given some oomph with tomato consommé and basil oil.
Small cubes of squeezy, salty halloumi gave the right amount of seasoning for this refreshing starter. We recently reviewed the new Crabshakk at the Botanics, and it’d be hard to beat their monkfish scampi but Tiffney’s comes close.
The meaty fish, bound in crisp batter, was served with minty crushed peas and a rich caviar butter sauce. I’d happily have had a big portion of this as a main course.
Speaking of which, we were quickly served our steaks - mine a fillet (£19 per 100g) and across the table a T-bone (£44) - both of which came with a salad of pea shoots, a choice of sauces and potatoes.
I chose the garlic and rosemary chipped roosters and a classic peppercorn sauce whereas the classic Dauphinoise and blue cheese sauce was the choice of my dining partner.
My, quite petite, fillet steak was as tall as it was wide - my dad will call this a dod of beef - and is a lesson on not judging a book by its cover. It may look small, but it was very filling. It also couldn’t have been more different in stature to the monstrous T-bone.
The fillet was melting soft with a charred taste in each bite of its perfectly medium rare cook. The peppercorn sauce was deeply spicy and rich, but the steak didn't really need it.
The chipped potatoes were crispy and utterly delicious, with hints of caramelised garlic and the peppery tang of rosemary. I was going to order fries, but glad I didn’t.
The t-bone was also extremely soft and cooked perfectly with the same lovely charred taste. The Dauphinoise however was a disappointment - dry with a slightly overpowering taste of nutmeg.
For dessert we chose the sticky toffee pudding (£8) and coconut panna cotta (£8)
The milky coconut dessert was served with a Malibu gel (not enough to bring back memories of club nights gone by) and sticky sweet caramelised pineapple.
The sticky toffee pudding was nice, but not going down as a must-have.
Prices here aren’t for those looking for a cheap night out, but there’s no denying the quality of the steak and service.
Over the years the site at which Tiffney’s sits has changed, but it’s been this incarnation for years and was not only busy when we visited, but constantly gets rave reviews.
It may seem like a hidden gem, but it’s clearly well loved by those in the know.
61 Otago St, Glasgow, G12 8PQ
0141 328 9557
