Restaurant Review: The Corinthian Club

A favoured haunt of ladies who lunch (often on decadent afternoon tea and bubbly) and a glam weekend crowd Merchant City-bound in search of cocktails, it’s the bar equivalent of a slinky dress, a sleek suit and tie combo.

And it works, with a building so opulent — the fixtures of the former bank are so intricate that only enormous chandeliers would do, and a presumptuous ice bucket adjoining every table is a must.

The other half and I chose a not-so-special Monday evening to peruse the menu, settling into a very cosy high-backed booth in the Teller’s Bar and Brasserie for a look.

The Corinthian’s layout deserves a mention, with its plush velvet seats and cocoon chairs — providing plenty to look up at, without having to ogle your fellow diner’s dinner.

This is private dining for the masses, and it’s easy to feel VIP special when you have one of those booths to yourself.

The OH chose haggis bon bons from the usual staple starters. What arrived was a refined take on the classic Scottish dish; delicious crisp-coated haggis, a smidge of neep and tatty and both a tasty gravy and a whisky cream — a nice touch if you struggle to choose between old fashioned comfort and trendy new flavours.

My wild mushrooms and garlic on brioche went down a treat, earthy mushrooms and silky sauce paired well with that sweet toasted crunch.

A word of warning: there’s a hefty garlic punch to this dish, so it’s not exactly first date food — but if you’re armed with a tic tac or two then it’s worth the risk.

I couldn’t stop him from ordering up an indulgent fillet steak — the OH is a man possessed these days when it comes to a decent cut of meat, despite me moaning at him to broaden his horizons.

And he wasn’t disappointed with a deep-seared, dark-charred hunk of steak paired with thick wedge-like chips and a tasty bernaise sauce — the steak may have gone a little beyond medium, but he didn’t seem to mind.

But it’s safe to say I won the mains round with seared scallops, chorizo and butternut squash.

Perfectly cooked seafood, spice-rich sausage and sweet squash puree — it’s not a new combination but that’s a few of my favourite things on one plate, so The Corinthian kitchen was always on to a winner.

It would have tasted better on a Friday night, exotic cocktail in hand — but even on a dreich Monday, scallops and surroundings worth staring at make for an enjoyable meal out.

If you’re looking to impress, then The Corinthian is the club for you.

Wild mushrooms on toasted brioche - £6.50

Crispy haggis bon bons with neeps, tatties and malt whisky gravy - £6

Scallops from MacCallum’s of Troon with butternut squash puree and chorizo - £18

8oz fillet, hand cut chips, slow roasted tomatoes, grilled mushrooms and watercress - £28

Total for two (without drinks) - £58.50

The Corinthian Club

191 Ingram Street

Glasgow

G1 1DA

Tel: 0141 552 1101