Amalfi Restaurant 148 West Nile Street, Glasgow

We thought we’d take the children for a pizza and this Italian Pizza house did a pretty decent job. Situated in the centre of Glasgow, the Amalfi restaurant may not look a great deal from outside, but it’s the food that matters and those who serve it- am I right? Inside it’s very snug; the kitchen smokes away behind you and open to view, (which I always like). We ordered a portion of calamari and mushrooms on bruschetta to start, the children opting for potato skins (I did try to dissuade them!) The starters were okay, but the main course was good. My wife and I both choose the spaghetti with sausage, (lots of sage in there and fantastic tomato sauce). The boys shared a pizza, which was decent.

The service was tentative and helpful (although the poor waitress couldn’t speak a word of English- perhaps no bad thing. We enjoyed a nice bottle of Pinot Grigio not what I originally ordered. The owner searched the wine fridge but couldn’t find a bottle; instead he thrust a bottle of the Pinot Grigio into the waitress’ hand. I think he should have come over and explained rather than leaving it to the waitress knowing her English was limited. Can’t for the life of me understand when it’s your own business, how easy it is to forget the importance of ‘touching flesh’ and interacting with your customers. Hey-ho!

I would recommend Amalfi, if you're in Glasgow, but a touch expensive perhaps for the food.

FOOD 6 SERVICE 7 VALUE 5 REFER 6 TOTAL: 24 GOOD

The Grill on the Corner-21-25 Bothwell Street, Glasgow G2 6NL

Monday 28th September 2009. This was a challenge for any restaurant on Bank Holiday Monday evening. Think: really swanky restaurant in the centre of Glasgow, where all the tables are fully booked, lights dim and the atmosphere buzzing, and we arrive — with two children under the age of eight!

They agreed in allowing us to book a table, (under condition we left by 9.00 o’clock), a reasonable request considering it’s full of couples and large groups, probably not the place where families eat- or am I mistaken?

We arrived a good fifteen minutes late and were shown to our table by polite friendly waiting staff. My wife and I love our food and we’ve brought our children up to enjoy and embrace all things. They’ll never shy from any given seafood, nor will they dismiss vegetables or greens. Instead of choosing from the surprising existence of a 'Children’s Menu'! Instead we opted for a rump steak, one for both my wife and children, theirs to be halved and shared on two plates. I had the rib, not sure if it looked 11oz, but it was still tasty with a nice amount of fat making it full of flavor. One day I’ll order the Kobe Beef (£50!).

The children’s food was only a pound more than if we’d chosen two meals from the Children’s Menu. We had broccoli, beans and chips before a shared starter of squid.

Not cheap, but great dining. The service at The Grill on the Corner is exceptional. The waitress understood our fickle requirements, and did her very best to accommodate. Perhaps the squid could have been served on one plate to share, but the steaks came out top dollar. Rare, yet black! Our waitress also new the score when we tried to mix and match our desserts. She was a credit to the establishment I just hope the tips make it all worthwhile.

Tab was on the expensive side, but that included a couple of beers, two soft drinks and a superb bottle of Friendly Gruner.

I would really recommend The Grill on the Corner, if you're in Glasgow.

FOOD 8 SERVICE 9 VALUE 7 REFER 9 TOTAL: 33 V GOOD