Porter & Rye

Had a wonderful lunch
Smoked mackerel starter was sublime and I could have eaten it 10 more times
I got the steak and fries and was a little disappointed that the medium I ordered came as what I would classify as rare.
Team were so lovely and helpful I even loved he idea of choosing your very own steak knife from a selection
The place seemed clean however being placed just under the stairs gives you a view of where the cleaners miss and all the crap under there

February 2015
After hearing from friends and reading in reviews about Kained Holdings’ (think Lebowskis, Crafty Pig, The Finnieston) latest venture, we were very excited about having finally got around to giving it a go. Adjacent to The Finnieston, on the main strip of the area of the same name, Porter & Rye was buzzing with atmosphere when we walked in. The décor is a mix of modern/​traditional and the walls have been stripped back to limestone in areas. The first thing that really grabs your attention though is the meat freezer which is next to the bar. All carnivores will like this; it showcases cuts of beef selectively sourced, by Rodgers (butcher), from the Brown family farm, Gaindykehead, in Airdrie.
The bubbly Australian waitress led us to our table which was nestled under the split staircase. This may have put some people off but we kind of like being out of the way. She came back with the blackboard of the available cuts of steak and knowledgeably talked us through the options. After some thought, we decided on our starters, steaks and a carafe of red.
Mrs G has a penchant for venison and went with the pan-​seared venison with salt baked celeriac, sherbet blackberries and port jus. This was simply delicious (I was permitted a morsel to try!). The venison was cooked perfectly and was very tender and flavoursome. The sweet blackberries and salty celeriac accompanied it perfectly. I think I’ll be ordering this to start when (not if) we next go!
I decided to go for one of the specials they had on the night which was a crispy duck egg served with risotto. Wow. This was sheer indulgent bliss. The egg was cooked perfectly and went together with the risotto beautifully. For a starter, it was perhaps a bit much (I felt like I’d finished dinner afterwards) for me, albeit I finished every crumb due to the fact it was damn right gorgeous! If I had been able to resist finishing it all then I would have, but that was an impossible task; wonderful!
For the main event we both chose our favourite cut, rib-​eye, medium rare. For sides, we went with bone marrow mac ‘n’ cheese, fries and purple sprouting broccoli. I chose the house sauce (a hybrid similar to a mix of bearnaise and diane) and Mrs G went for the beef jus. We selected our weapons (steak knives) from the selection that was brought to our table and were poised to attack the mouth-​watering plates that were put before us.
The 8 oz slabs of meat gracing our table looked amazing; the criss crossing of the griddle just adding to the beauty, and our expectations! Cooked to perfection and full of juicy flavours these steaks were awesome. The sauces were delicious and the sides were brilliant. The mac ‘n’ cheese was as good as the reviews I’d read about it and the fries and broccoli also very good.
As usual, neither of us had room for dessert given the foodie goodness we had consumed; we saw some being served to other diners and they looked of equal quality and flavour to our savoury delights. Perhaps next time…
Yes, this was a great meal out and compliments must be given to the team at Kained Holdings and the culinary brilliance of Group Head Chef, John Traynor. We’ll certainly be back.
The one criticism (and I’m digging deep to find it) is the proximity of the neighbouring tables. When the table next to us left the arse of one of the diners came worryingly close to my food and then brushed up against my shoulder. I think one less table in the area under the stairs would solve that issue.

Looking at other reviews I feel that I may have been simply unlucky in my dining experience here. I had very high hopes for my meal and left feeling slightly disappointed.
It was my boyfriend’s birthday and I surprised him with a meal at Porter & Rye after we had heard very good things. I like the interior of the restaurant and although the table we were given was in close proximity to other diners, it didn’t feel too cramped. Someone had mentioned that the small plates were good so we decided to order a couple as starters. My boyfriend had a lamb dish (I can’t remember the exact details) and was perfectly happy with his choice. I ordered asparagus with poached egg. I’m normally a massive fan of this combination but the way the egg had been cooked had left the texture feeling gelatinous, which was incredibly off-​putting. For main course we decided to share the Porterhouse steak. The meat was incredibly tasty (I managed to get away with eating most of the fillet side) but for £65 I felt that it merited more than just 2 (smallish) side portions of chips and a measly serving of sauce.
Although I could see the great potential in this place, I felt somewhat disappointed in my meal here and at over £100 for two I really expected to come away feeling wowed. I would return again as I feel I may have just been unlucky but I have had much better meals in other places in the surrounding area.

I don’t say this lightly– as a lover of Glasgow food with super high standards– Best overall dining experience I’ve had in Glasgow. Woohoooo! I love being bowled over by a new experience and getting to share the awesomeness!
Wow, I’m totally blown away by Porter and Rye. The coolest buzzing vibe with brilliant music (think upbeat 50s 60s), spectacular food and the best customer service I’ve had for a long time.
The waiter took lots of time to explain the menu to us and tell us all about the ageing process of the meats (the are locally sourced and aged in house in sci-​fi stylee dry ice fridges you can ogle!)
There’s a good selection of soft drinks– I had a rose lemonade which is one of my faves. We got a nice carafe of tap water too.
When taking our orders I let the waiter know I was vegetarian… I was a bit apprehensive about dining here as lots of reviews I’ve read basically say it is a veggies nightmare in here! the waiter was so helpful and talked me through how substantial each of the vegetarian small plates was and helped me choose. He also said that next time I’m coming if I phone ahead the chefs would be delighted to make me a vegetarian main course and that they love getting to make new off-​menu dishes. I felt really looked after and valued which was a brill start to the night!
We were delighted by the amuse bouche– with a veggie one for me! I got mushroom and truffle velouté with hazelnut dust. Super concentrated über yum.
After that we got a lovely bread basket with delicious soda bread and salt and pepper bread. The waiter then visited our table with the knife selection for my fellow diners (all having steak!) to choose their weapon! Really quirky touch of magic here– creating a bespoke dining experience in this way is a genius idea in my view.
I had 2 small plates and a side. The attention to detail in the presentation along with the delicately balanced flavours was a genuine delight. I had: «textures of tomatoes» the sorbet and the dyed mozzarella pearls were so fun and amazingly tasty. The second small plate was goats cheese curd with duck egg and little potato gnocchi. Really full on salty flavours in just the right quantities– I want more right now.
I also a had a pickled radish and compressed apple salad — so light and sharp while also refreshing and sweet. A really commendable salad!
The dessert menu was eye poppingly seductive. In the end I went for the hot toddy cheese cake– unbelievable tastes of ginger, whisky, orange and clove. My fellow diners had the two flavours of flaming crème brûlée. Seriously dramatic and theatrical dessert which makes for an entertaining end to a memorable meal. I had a wee cuppa which also stepped up to the plate– fantastic taste– I’d call it attention seeking tea! All the while we were attended to by our really confident and personable waiter. The food isn’t cheap but in my view really brilliant value for money.
The toilets were lovely too with Arran Aromatics toiletries and good hand driers. I know it’s a small thing but no one likes a soggy paw!
Jolly good show Porter and Rye. The perfect combination of attention to detail, staff who are enthusiastic about the locally sourced produce and beautifully prepared food, and top quality eating. I’ll definitely be back.

AMAZING. Can’t rave enough. Wasn’t too keen on any of the starters but that meant there was room for something sweet later. Had a delicious fillet steak & then the texture strawberry dessert. Best steak I’ve had in a while — cooked to perfection.
Staff super friendly too! Oh & one tip, nab a table upstairs. Beautiful view of the restaurant.

Yes, I’m a fan of Porter and Rye.
…if I get to sit downstairs in a booth.
I went and spent 10mins faffing about with seats. It was about 2pm on a Sunday afternoon and there was only another table of 4 in. They tried to sit us at a small bench with very difficult to sit in chairs. Try and avoid them when you’re booking, you’ll need the space.
I like a lot of space when I’m out for a meal. A big table. If I’m trying a new restaurant then I will order multiple starters and a main, usually white and red, plus water. So space is needed. Anyway after the faff and walks up and down the stairs, hidden chats and checking the booking system, they did agree to sit us in a booth.
From then on, it was great.
We ordered 3 starters. My mate had been up for the weekend and this was a quick (ish) lunch before he took a taxi to the airport.
A confused, lost pigeon dish. Excellent breast, cooked rare just right. I was just unsure about the nuts and overly fragrant accompaniments. Bit of a mish mash.
Superb scallops with cauli, foam, apple strips and gel… and I mean superb. Yes, it’s scallops and a safe bet… however these bad boys had the most unctuous searing coating. Very, very good indeed.
Bön-​bons. Perfectly fried in panko and with a squash purée and compote. Slight north African influence and very good.
3 good starts.
As it was Sunday I went for the traditional lunch and he had a steak. Steak was perfectly cooked, well rested and good strong sauce.
The Sunday lunch… now then… this was ace.
Loads of slow roast brisket, good light veg, perfect roasties and… strips of sirloin draped over a Yorkshire. I loved it. Slow roast beef and seared sirloin, I’m nicking that idea for my next Sunday lunch visitor.
Cheese was good and pleasing to see not only a good selection, a good slice too. the Mull cheddar a fav.
For dessert we took the chocolate parfait with brittle. Superb. So much that we had to order coffee and brandies to continue the hit.
Great afternoon, good service (once we’d got settled) and great food.

I went here with my partner to celebrate a rare day off together. We ordered the same things — pigeon starter followed by sirloins. We also had drinks and dessert.
We were served drinks when we came in and offered a carafe of water. The restaurant was clearly extremely busy. We waited a short while to have an order taken, the staff were very apologetic about this. We were brought a ham and picallili amuse bouche with a gel thing on it, which was pleasant enough and looked very exciting. we were also brought some nice bread and butter.
The pigeon starter came with wallnuts and dried beetroot stuff. I thought it was the best dish I’d had in a restaurant. cooked perfectly for me, lovely sauce, brilliant melt-​in-​the-​mouth texture. A more generous portion than I was expecting too, which was pleasant. My partner thought the pigeon was too rare for him, but he still ate and enjoyed it.
My steak was a medium-​rare sirloin. I am a very slow eater, and I don’t know if that affected the steak, but after the first few bites I found it extremely chewy. So much so that I couldn’t finish it. However it was cooked to an accurate medium-​rare and tasted very pleasant, so I was not willing to complain about it. I might order it medium if I get the same steak again, since my partner LOVED his steak (a medium-​done sirloin). However, he declared the best part of the meal the beef-​dripping chips he ordered on the side. I pinched a few, they were fantastic. Attention to detail in the mains was good too — nice dressing on the rocket salad. I got garlic and peppercorn butter (okay) and a mac-​and-​cheese side with bacon through it (very nice).
Staff were very attentive throughout despite the business of the restaurant. We ordered a beer from Stirling (our hometown!) and a mocktail called ‘tea and toast’. Both were enjoyed and I thought the mocktail was reasonably priced (the beer was £4.60, expensive but a microbrewed speciality beer which my partner said was excellent, so no complaints there either!).
I had crème brûlée and a cookie to finish. This was a bit less set than I’m used to, but none the worse for that. It came in two flavours — vanilla and amaretto — and was most enjoyable. The cookie served with it was perfect.
We didn’t have coffee, and both left feeling full. Bill came to £73.35 and I felt the dinner was worth what I paid for it. I would go back! the only thing I would change is that maybe next time I will order my steak medium-​done to see if that improves the chewiness factor. Also I’m definitely getting beef-​dripping fries next time. A pleasant experience which I recommend.

We paid a late night visit to Porter & Rye the other weekend. Overall, it was a delicious dining experience but there were a few wee issues which mean I think an update is in order — and sadly, a downgrade.
Firstly, Porter & Rye have started doing a late night menu from 11pm — 1am on a Friday and Saturday night which I think is a great idea. Other than Chinese restaurants, I can’t think of many dining-​in options in Glasgow where you can eat at that time of night. We headed over and arrived around 11.30pm and were seated upstairs on the mezzanine.
The late night menu is short — two starters, two mains, two desserts. We were going to get starters but service from the outset was pretty slow, so by the time we were ordering I’d decided to just get a main so we weren’t there til 1am. The main offering is the «cut of the day» however we were still given the choice from the blackboard of cuts (e.g. the whole menu) which was nice. I ordered the fillet steak and was then asked what sides I wanted. Now, looking at the late night menu, there was only two sides offered so I thought it was strange. I got the truffled fries and béarnaise sauce mentioned on the late night menu.
Food didn’t take long to arrive which was great as I was starving and tired. I did notice that there seemed to be tomatoes of ours which were left on the pass but that’s no big deal. The steak was delicious — juicy, very tender, perfectly cooked and very smoky. I also really like the truffle fries and they also have quite a smoky punch. Together though, it’s just too much — smoky steak, smoky chips. It just made me thirsty and crave something with a bit of freshness (a nice tomato, perhaps).
We finished eating and waited for our plates to be cleared and to get the bill. By this time, our waiter seemed to finish his shift and was at the bar having his knockoff drinks. Now obviously I can’t begrudge someone finishing work, but he didn’t tell us or another staff member, so we were left on the mezzanine waiting for some time (at least 15 minutes). In the end, we decided to just leave and pay at the bar. We didn’t get an apology from the staff member down there and obviously the staff were in knock-​off mode — which again, I don’t mind but when you have paying customers in, perhaps give them a bit of attention.
I rarely leave without leaving a tip but I just felt like a late-​night menu at somewhere as expensive/​upmarket as Porter & Rye deserves a bit more care and attention than we got on this visit.

Wow, such steak, very rye.
First visit last night on a whim (breaking my rule about «solo dining in Glasgow») but it was a bank holiday and if we are breaking rules about eating out then that’s the day to do it.
The place was pretty quiet as you’d imagine at 21:30 on a bank holiday Monday and I was given one of the small tables upstairs overlooking the bar. Small is the word to be used here — dashing my usual routine of solo dining of reading a book as I eat. I can see how those little table/​booth things might work for a couple doing an intimate meal together but only if they were very careful about not ordering too much food. (So, top tip: If you book a table here explicitly request any other table than those)
Moving past my discomfort I started off with their signature drink the Porter and Rye — using one of my favourite ryes (rittenhouse) this was immensely drinkable — although my personal tastes mean I’d prefer to just have the rittenhouse over ice haha.
The staff were attentive without rushing me to make decisions and walked me through the menu, quite a few things had been sold out because of the busy bank holiday weekend but I note that they’d also added some things off-​menu no doubt to make up for this so I’ll not hold that against them.
Irrelevant anyway because it was clear the moment I laid eyes on the chalkboard that I wasn’t going to be bothering with any of those «small dishes» and that the only thing that would let me get the measure of this new restaurant would be the full on porterhouse steak (I don’t believe in sharing, get your own!).
Being a «sharer» this came with two sides and two sauces so I went for a couple of the butters, the Bone Marrow Mac and Cheese, and some greens on the side (asparagus and kale)
I called it a gimmick when they came up with the magnetic board of knives to choose and I bet they’ve heard *all* of the crocodile dundee jokes in the short time they’ve been open. It is a gimmick but I guess some people have a preference over their cutlery choice (all the knives looked great, high quality and sharp — the way they should be).
When the meal arrived, the steak was on a plate with the two melted butter dishes — there is no room on this plate for manoeuvring and I’m surprised they didn’t give me a separate plate to actually eat from. (I can see how on the small table this might be a problem with two people however — the logistics are a little confusing).
So I had to awkwardly reach across my big plate of steak to get to my sides and I ended up using my side dish as a transport mechanism for get those sides into a form where I could actually scoop them up with my cutlery. Awkward awkward awkward, I can’t use that word enough in this paragraph — this is pretty badly thought out.
HOWEVER — the steak exceeded expectations — it was on par with some of the good ones I’ve had in London and far better than anything I’ve tried in Glasgow so far. The butters were left alone (I didn’t like them anyway) and the steak was good enough to stand on its own very strongly. I’m salivating just thinking about it.
The mac and cheese is probably the best mac and cheese I’ve ever eaten. Despite eating a whole porterhouse steak I still managed to polish off the entire bowl of it — to my shame/​pride. That’s a must on anybody’s meal I think.
I finished off with the crème brulee (not sure I understand the cookie served with the two little flaming dishes, very out of place after a huge meal of meat and not at all desirable but the twin crème brulees were lovely and creamy and not overbearing on either of the fruit flavours added to their contents.
As I sat there with my closing cocktail (their enthusiast’s sazerac), I reflected on my meal as one of the better things I’ve had in Glasgow so far. The cocktails are very good and they have a fair collection of ryes and bourbons indeed. I’d say that they’ve catered for an audience who might not be into the booze as much as me so they’re a little on the sweet side — I suspect with the right conversation they’d fix that though.
The only downside was the really bad ergonomics of everything — eating my steak was like a game of «operation» with a giant knife instead of tweezers. So four stars for now — I’ll go with company next time and see if they were just doing something weird because I was by myself.

Cool bar; very friendly, knowledgeable and unpretentious staff. Will be back for food in the future.

Boy oh boy! Where do I start with this review — Epic? Awesome? Insanely Good? Utterly Outstanding??? Where ever I chose to start they all lead to the same destination — that this is one outstanding restaurant.
The vibe in the restaurant is very west end, it’s cool, industrial and trendy. It’s all exposed brick walls, metal mezzanine & stairs, gorgeous tiled floor, there are cuts of beef on display in a large fridge in the middle of the restaurant and a massive picture of a cow which I now want for my flat. We were located in the booths down the stairs under the mezzanine level, I thought I would feel very closed in but the lighting was great so it felt more intimate and cosy rather than claustrophobic.
The staff were outstanding, our waitress was so charming and warm. She was happy to make excellent recommendations throughout every single course, including cocktails. Couldn’t fault the staff at all.
I can’t go any further without talking about my cocktail — I went for the Still Game cocktail, described as Diplomatico Reserva, Amaro Montenegro, Plum muscovado syrup, duck tincture, Stirred, served on ice, garnished with a blurred fig. Now I’ll be honest I didn’t understand about 80% of this description but I was talked into it anyway after the lovely waitress confirmed that duck tincture was indeed a duck essence spray… how could I not try that. when it arrived with the worlds largest ice-​cube it wasn’t my normal type of thing but it tasted delicious — duck and all.
Now if you don’t want steak this is not the restaurant for you at all, as all they have for mains is steaks and a burger, which is essentially ground steak. To start with Mr G and I decided to share a starter after TrudieM talked for about 10 minutes about her love of the Cheese Bön Bons I knew I had to try them, but I would normally always have the carpaccio if it was on the menu… so we had both.
The Knockraiche Farm Crowdie Cheese Bonbons served with parmesan air and amaretto crumbs were delicious, they were large, crunchy on the outside and creamy on the inside. Give the size of them they were incredibly light and very moorish.
The Lightly-​Smoked Gaindykehead Farm Beef Carpaccio which came with pickled shallots, candy walnut & quail’s egg was incredible. It was served with a little panache under a gloche full of smoke, when it was lifted this waft of perfumed air circulate around me make my mouth water before even take a bite. The carpaccio was tender and as soft as butter. Easily the best I’ve ever eaten.
For my main I opted for the 28 day aged sirloin with porter and bacon butter and a side of hand cut chip and bone marrow mac and cheese. While waiting for our steaks we were presented with a selection of steak knifes for you to choose your weapon from… naturally I went for the larger and most sword like — a very nice and clever touch.
Once the steak arrived I was in meat heaven. The steak was incredibly flavourful, it was charred to perfection giving it a really lovely bbq style flavour, the meat was sensational and tasted like a dream. The hand cut chips were chunky and cooked to perfection — crunchy yet soft, I could have eaten a bucket of these no problem. The mac and cheese was deliciously meaty but creamy. This dish to me was utter perfection.
Even after all this food my pudding belly was still empty so the dessert menu was requested. As soon as I saw my 2 favourite words on a dessert menu — Peanut Butter, I knew what I was going to have. The Peanut Butter Ice Cream served with toffee sauce, caramel salt, torched bananas, banana sherbet and almond crumble… I genuinely have no words to tell how my much I loved this dish. Every single element of the dish was incredible… sensational…outstanding!
Everything I have heard about this restaurant is true, it is wonderful and right up there with one of my favourite meals ever. I will 100% definitely be back very soon.

Last weekend I FINALLY went to Porter & Rye. We were greeted and taken to our table which was situated on the upper level overlooking the restaurant. As we walked by the kitchen, I noticed that just next to it was a massive fridge full of hanging meat, which looked right out onto the staircase. Each cut had a slate sign attached to it showing where the meat was from and how long it had been hanging.
After getting seated upstairs we were handed our menu and brought the board with today’s cuts. All of the meat comes from Gaindykehead Farm in Airdrie, the waitress informed us, as she went through each cut and price on the list. She then told us about the special they had on: a 28oz, 50 day aged Porterhouse, designed to be split between two people. The second that Sam heard those words, his eyes lit up and I knew he was going to make me order it with him — it was pay day after all!
We placed our orders and were brought our wine — a bottle of Australian Shiraz called «The Black Craft» which was lovely — and a small wooden crate carrying two brioche buns and a pot of butter sprinkled with sea salt. The bread was slightly sweet, balanced out by the salty butter, and soft. We’d barely finished our bread when our starters arrived and this is where things got interesting. The molecular aspect of the cooking is all in the starters and desserts, and it was emphasised when Sam’s Lightly-​Smoked Beef Carpaccio arrived covered with a glass cloche filled with smoke. The plate was sat down and the cloche lifted to reveal a beautifully dressed plate and a faint aroma of smoke. Sam allowed me one small bite, and the meat was melt-​in-​the-​mouth perfect, with a light smoked flavour, and crunchy, sweet candied walnuts.
My dish was the Pan-​Seared Venison Haunch, with salt baked celeriac, sherbet blackberries & port jus. The plate looked stunning, and it was immediately clear how perfectly cooked the meat was (on the rare side) and how smooth and shiny the jus was — and it tasted just as good as it looked. The meat was super tender and full of flavour, the celeriac added an earthiness, the blackberries sweetness, and it was all pulled together by that rich, amazing port jus.
After our starters were cleared away, the waitress brought over a magnetic wooden slab with five steak knives attached so that we could select our own, which I felt really enhanced the whole experience. The Porterhouse, or T-​Bone, came off the bone and sliced, but with the bone on the plate in case we wanted to pick at it (which Sam obviously did). With the steak came two sides and a sauce each. We ordered truffle salt fries and buttered kale, and I chose the Smoked Garlic & Pink Peppercorn butter, while Sam went for the Blue Cheese with Port butter. Both of these butters came already melted in adorable little metal pails, for pouring or dipping, but I barely used mine as the meat was perfect on its own!
We had asked for the steak to be cooked medium-​rare, and it was spot on, definitely closer to rare than medium! I grabbed a slice from the sirloin side and found that it was a little on the tough side, which was a little disappointing. I realised the first slice I had taken was from the tail end, and the further up the sirloin I went, the more tender and delicious the meat got, and the fillet side was melt in the mouth.
Now you would think after all of that, we wouldn’t even consider dessert, but honestly, the sides were quite small (but very tasty) and the steak not overly filling, so we were more than happy to order another course! I ordered the Duo of Flaming Crème Brûlées, and they really do mean flaming. The two individual crème brûlées were served on a long dish, on fire, and with a big cookie in-​between. One was flavoured with apple, the other with wild berry. The topping mixed with the apple crème underneath gave me the taste of a lovely, warming apple pie. The wild berry one was bright pink and tasty, but I definitely preferred the apple.
Our bill came to a whopping £136, but considering the steak alone cost £74.95, this seemed almost reasonable. We knew that it was going to be pricey and we had decided to treat ourselves, so why not just go all out! If we had chosen a cheaper bottle of wine and a cheaper cut, it would have been under £100. We left a pretty hefty tip because we were so impressed by the friendly, knowledgeable staff, the service we had received, and most importantly, the food. It’s not every day you walk out of a restaurant thinking «that’s one of the best meals I’ve ever had» but that night, we definitely did!

We finally got a night out for our anniversary and decided to head here for some steak. Wow! Really wow! (I’m actually lusting after some steak remembering just how good it was!)
We went on a Thursday and booked in advance as I knew the restaurant wasn’t very big. I’d never been inside and liked the open bar and mix of tables and booths. They have a pretty fabulous wine menu with 500ml carafes available on top of glasses or bottles of wine. There’s also a pretty traditional cocktail list and I enjoyed the drink I picked.
The menu is wall to wall steak! They did have one non steak special and a veggie option that the waitress told us about but we had pretty much decided in advance we were having the chateaubriand. It was quite simply phenomenal. Perfectly cooked as ordered and so full of flavour.
The individual steaks come with a side and a sauce or butter and the sharing steaks come with two of each. We got a mac n cheese, fries and ordered an extra side of mushrooms. All three were fabulous and nice big portions. I was glad we had only ordered one starter to share. The food was pretty quick coming out as well and the staff were attentive and friendly — describing some of the butter and sauce options and advising what went best with what we had chosen.
Despite being happily full, we were still tempted by the dessert menu and ordered the apple pie option and the one with peanut butter ice cream (mmmmm!). Unfortunately we were quite disappointed with what arrived. There was very little food on our plates, I think the desserts were deconstructed or meant to look super fancy, I’m afraid they simply missed the mark. I’m not say what we are was unpleasant, we simply had two small spoonfuls of sweetness for £7. A sad end to a fantastic meal.
I’ve still given the restaurant and our experience 5 stars. Because of the steak!
There’s a lot of competition for great steaks in Glasgow but I think Porter & Rye have stolen the crown! I’m keen to go back soon.

Best steak in Glasgow! Went here on valentines night so the place was packed. We had to book well in advance and booked for 9pm. I noticed on facebook that their steaks are first come first serve so they were happy to prebook the chateaubriand for us. It is quite a small place with a nice bar. however quite an expensive bar!
We were seated and the waitress recommended some food, sauce and wine. Unfortunately I was wanting to order some champagne as it was valentines day however this was very expensive so just opted for some red. We shared the chateaubriand which was amazing! Cooked brilliant. quite rare in the middle for me and more well done at the sides for my bf. We shared the truffle chips and broccoli sides, and the house sauce and bacon butter sauces. These came with the steak so we also ordered charred beetroot which was very tasty! The butter sauce wasn’t very great but I don’t like much sauce on my steak anyway.
We were stuffed after the steak and couldn’t manage a dessert but Il be back to sample the small plates soon!

A last minute decision and a quick dash across the city found us entering Porter and Rye, a new high-​end steak venture by the Finnieston folk next door. The trouble is the city has seen a number of similar establishments open over the last year or two, so how would it compare.
Well firstly it has a friendlier, more casual vibe than most, it is a small, intimate restaurant. It has the in-​vogue bare sandstone walls and contemporary industrial fixtures you’d expect in modern stylish Glasgow eaterie, downstairs there are homely-​looking booths, a dry-​aging cabinet and upstairs a small mezzanine.
We got led upstairs and were presented with the menu, argh, panic immediately set in — there were prices against everything, except the MAINS — they must be scared to tell us until after we’ve eaten we thought. It must cost a total bomb. Let’s run! — as we were discussing our escape our waitress appeared again, this time with the meat menu for the day, thankfully this did have prices on it. Phew, anyway I went for the tea-​smoked venison starter, and we went for the Chateaubriand steak for two, a snip (!) at £55 odd. What was nice as well was that a choice of two sides, a butter and a sauce came as part of the price. After making our order we could sit back and relax drinking a schooner of West GPA, aah — very civilised!
The tea-​smoked venison was lovely, lightly cooked with accompanying cubes of celeriac, blackberries and a port jus. Yes, it could have been bigger, but I reckon I’d win the scramble over the main, me being twice the size of my oppone… I mean partner.
Did I mention we had to choose our own steak knives? I was tempted by the bowie knife on the end, but given the setting I went for a more delicate, functional type. So the main came, and we dug in. It was cooked medium rare as requested and as we both like. It was soft, it was full-​flavoured, it wasn’t entirely uniformly textured, and so there was a minor bit of cutting required, but it was good. The chips were soft, yet crisp, the mixed mushrooms were interesting types and went well with their house classic sauce. We got the blue cheese and port butter as well, but to be honest I would rather just have had another sauce.
Was this the best in aged steaks in Glasgow, no I don’t think so, but it was close. The whole experience was very pleasant, a really good addition to an outstanding culinary part of the city. I think a five is only fair.

So my NYE surprise dinner was to this little beaut of a place. Set up with a rustic feel, it was surprisingly cosy! Bright and warm perfect place for the last meal of the year.
Still finding their feet the staff were super keen to help. We had a table in the section under the stairs and we had it al to ourselves which was nice.
Starters I decided to go for the Cheese Bonbons… Wow! 2 massive balls coated in breadcrumbs filled with the creamiest Cream cheese ever served up with a sweet potato purée. Now you will notice on the menu that there is no pricing on the menu for the cuts of meat, this is because the price changes daily. At the beginning your waitress will show you a board with your cuts! We decided to go with the chateaubriand purely because we have never had this before.
That moment in between finishing the starters the waitress appeared with a board of really super sharp knifes… YES KNIFES!
Would you like to choose your steak knife? Eeek I’m not up to date with my steak knife etiquette! Anyway I’ll go with the shiniest. WARNING: this next part may make you hungry! A massive plate of beautifully sliced medium rear steak appeared. On the outside crispy and full of flavour this melted in my mouth. On the side Mac and Cheese along with skinny fries. The steak was so nice you really didn’t need any of the sauces however I went with the garlic butter and peppercorn! No real need for it as the meat too good to spoil with sauce.
Yes after all of that we did have desert. A crème brûlée. Served with real flames and even though we said one to share the portion size is actually x2 portion! I want to go again and again!

Good news! Our last meal out of 2014 was a top class experience. From start to finish the staff were super attentive and the service was top class. This new kid on the Finneston strip is certainly going to offer a challenge to all the other high end steak joints in Glasgow.
The décor inside is all bricks and metal, done up almost like an old warehouse but with a somehow cosier feel. The menu pricing changes daily as the meat prices vary so you don’t know how much your steak will be until you get there on the night. For starters I had duck egg with a tarragon sauce and crispy onions. It was lovely as the egg was cooked to perfection, they put the dish together at the table adding the sauce over the top of the egg. It was a nice touch to a great starter. I also tasted the cheese bon bons, which were superb, but I will let T describe them in her review.
For mains we shared chateaubriand medium rare and it was epic. Cooked to perfection with mac & cheese and fries on the side. A nice touch is you get choose from a selection of steak knifes to use with your meal. For dessert we had crème brûlée which came out on fire and has a cookie on the side. It was a brilliant dessert and perhaps the best brûlée I have ever had.
All in a great dining experience, superb service and with brilliant tasting food.
Some nice added touches, we asked to share a crème brûlée. They brought us two, but they still only charged us for one. We had a small bread roll before the starter, you get to choose between rye and white and again it was free of charge. Did I mention you get to choose from a selection of steak knifes!
Definitely will be visiting again soon!

FINALLY!
Meat your new best friend.
Not that there’s any need for a new restaurant of any description in Finnieston, it is of course nice to see a new addition. And this one ticks the BEEF box.
Stellar service in a cosy little place with 30 – 40 covers, Porter and Rye gives The Butchershop (up the road a piece) a real run for their money. With an extensive menu of beef cuts which vary price-​wise daily, this joint takes it’s meat seriously. So much so, that you get a choice of five different steak knives when your order is being prepared.
We ordered a ridiculous slab of beef for two to share with a bottle of wine with zero grumbles to speak of; the sides were amazing too, as were the butters/​sauces (go for the house sauce).
The ambience is chilled out with good music, and the menu is modest enough to focus on nothing but prime awesomeness, with no nonsense. I’m all about it.
It’s quite small inside, which wouldn’t be a grumble if we weren’t seated up the extreme far corner which granted us an unwanted window into the preparation of the meals — if you are sitting here, you will know all about it. Nothing sinister going on, but it’s not something I want to see: very Wizard of Oz.
Some other minuses were no mirrors in the bathrooms (courtesy of the missus) and that my toilet door, despite being locked, was not locked enough to stop someone else walkijng in mid-​flow. Was my face red (yes, it was).
Can’t rave enough about the service.
Go. Just now.
BEEF.