Number 16

Modern European, West End

16 Byres Rd, Glasgow G11 5JY

<£105 for 2 drinks, bread+olives, 2 starters, 2 mains and 2 teas

You do not hear social media influencers shouting about Number 16, and we like it that way. It is an intimate restaurant located on busy Byres Road. The moment you step inside, you are met with a cosy Scottish vibe that feels warm and earthy. The small plates and salt-and-pepper shakers are adorable and immediately catch our eye. It is exactly how we like our restaurants, cosy and quiet, with enough tables to create an atmosphere but not so many that you cannot hear yourself. We like the vibe here. We like it a lot.

The menu offered both a set menu and an à la carte menu, and we were told we could order anything available. That said, we initially found the layout confusing because it was labelled “Lunch Set Menu,” but the host quickly cleared it up.

We started with both snacks. The olives were big and juicy. I would love to know where they source them from. They were served with Parmesan crackers, which were clearly homemade and very moreish.

Basil chose the slow-cooked pork cheek with mustard pomme purée and apple, which he highly recommends. I chose the butternut squash and goats’ cheese arancini with squash velouté and crispy sage. The arancini were incredibly moreish and perfectly complemented by the velouté. I was delighted they served two.

I think I ordered badly for my main. I really wanted to love the slow-cooked pork belly with smoked pancetta cassoulet, king cabbage, and pickled mustard seeds. The flavour was incredible, and the pork had an amazing smoky taste with a delicious glaze, but alongside the king cabbage and beans, it was missing texture. In the end, I left most of the plate as it did not quite whet my appetite.

Basil, however, had the fillet of halibut with hasselback potato, roasted hispi cabbage, and caper herb butter, and he felt he had struck gold. The fish was perfectly cooked, the potatoes were cut and roasted to perfection, and the entire plate was delicious. He would order it again in a heartbeat. I am sad I cannot say the same, but I enjoyed the atmosphere, the starter, and the service so much that I would gladly give Number 16 another go.

Three Things to Know

• A cosy, understated spot that feels like a neighbourhood secret.
• Starters and snacks shine, and the fish dishes are a safe bet.
• Even if your main misses the mark, the atmosphere and service make it worth returning.