I blogged about Alston Bar & Beef a few months ago and raved about their delicious food and cocktails – see my post here. Today I am going to continue that and introduce you their newest promotion which they invited me to check out…Steak Vs Lobster Wednesdays!
  

Alston are hosting a ‘ginaissance’ and have a specialised gin cocktail bar, hosting 50+ gins, including several Scottish brands and they’re dedicated to changing the view of gin as “mother’s ruin”. I’m not a massive fan of gin but the bar staff are amazing – they can recommend and tailor drinks to suit you, and on my first visit I was made up some drinks that weren’t on the menu to ease me in! We ordered some cocktails to start us off; my favourite, The Royal Passage, and a Mary Pickford.  

  

Mary Pickford

“Bacardi, maraschino liqueur, pineapple juice & grenadine; shaken with ice and finished with lemon.”

 

The Royal Passage

“Caorunn gin, lychee liqueur, fresh lychee, lime juice, homemade grenadine, & cranberry juice served tall over ice. Homage to the ship builders of Glasgow who built the famous HMS Brittania.”

  

So, the deal. The wonderful, wonderful deal. For £40, two people can enjoy a bottle of house wine with either a 250g steak, a 1/2 North Atlantic lobster or a lobster roll which is served with fries. The curious little badger that I am, and in the name of research, we decided to go for all three and share them between us. It was a lot of food but as the lobster is so light, it wasn’t a total burden.

Ha, burden. Listen to me.

It took me a few minutes to start eating – I had to just simply admire this sight for a few minutes when it was placed in front of me.

I’m a huge fan of lobster and this catch didn’t disappoint. I have to say though, I wouldn’t ever order it as a main meal as it’s so light. It’s perfect for a light dinner or a lunch. The lobster with the fries dipped in the garlic butter was absolutely delicious. You could easily eat unsafe amounts! 

I have been dying to try lobster rolls and I haven’t seen anywhere in Glasgow do them. Bread Meets Bread had them on their original menu and then removed them before I got the chance to try, so I couldn’t contain my excitement when I realised that Alston were going to do them. They tasted exactly how I hoped – really fresh and tasty. The lobster is cooled and mixed into creamy sauce which has a great texture with gherkin (which I’m sometimes funny with, but it worked beautifully) through it.

    

The steak was absolutely perfect. I almost couldn’t finish my half, but I made sure that I didn’t waste a tiny scrap. I’m a pretty die-hard Butchershop fan when it comes to steak and they’ve been my favourite for steak in Glasgow for a long time, but I have to be honest…the balance has tipped and I’m now undecided between the two.
 

Isn’t that just bloody perfection right there?!

This is one area where competition between all of the steakhouses can get really competitive, as in Glasgow the calibre of steaks available is fantastic so when comparing them, you’re usually comparing the chef’s cooking of the steak to your taste, price and accompaniments. The sides here are absolutely amazing, but nothing compares to the truffled macaroni cheese. It is the most delicious macaroni cheese I’ve eaten in Glasgow and beats all others hands down. Put it this way: if I only had space for the rest of my steak or the rest of my macaroni cheese, I’d struggle to pick which one to go for. 

(Obviously I’d just man up and eat both, but y’know…making a point.)
 

Battered Onions

 

Sautéed Mushrooms

We were stuffed, and I was ready to take the bill and roll myself into my train home (oh, the convenience of this place being in the station!) when I was lead astray. Happily, of course. My dessert on my first visit to Alston didn’t impress me much, but this time round I was blown away by both desserts. 

  
 

Pear with Shortbread Crumble & Creme Anglaise

This was so simple, but so beautiful. 

  
   

Caramelised Peach Melba with Raspberry Ripple Ice Cream & crushed Meringue

I don’t think I’ve enjoyed a dessert this much in a long time. I’m not a massive dessert fan and I’d much prefer to focus on savoury dishes, but this is definitely one to try. It’s so summery with a mixture of seriously gorgeous tangy flavours from the peach and raspberries. I LOVED it. 

As always, the service was flawless and we were served by knowledgable, friendly and attentive staff in both the restaurant and the bar. You can find yourself with a steep bill quite easily tee if you’re going a la carte, but it’s absolutely worth it and this 2 for £40 deal is a great way to see for yourself! 

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Alston Bar

Central Station

79 Gordon Street

Glasgow

G1 3SQ

(0141) 221 7627

@AlstonGlasgow

http://www.alstonglasgow.co.uk

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