Reviews The Ubiquitous Chip

Excellent food, excellent service, beautiful ambience and interiors. Can't ask for more! A welcome safe haven from the rowdy and raucous pubs and pub-goers outside. Elegant and delicious interpretations of traditional Scottish and English food

Stunning decor and vibe, delicious food and great service - that sums up the 'chip'. All the food is great, but the desserts are the most memorable! Highly recommended!

I have been twice to Ubiquitous chip. Absolutely fabulous food, wine is excellent but it is without doubt the staff that make the experience 5 star! it is definitely worth the money, flavours, portion size and attention to detail makes this my favourite resturant.

The Chip, as it's referred to locally, has been around for quite a long time and once you've dined here, the reason for its success becomes crystal clear. Not only is the setting unique and charming, the menu offers a variety of refreshingly original dishes, all expertly crafted and served in an utterly romantic environment.

This famous Glaswegian restaurant on Ashton Lane is a stronghold of culinary excellence and has stood the test of time. The interior is unique and unpretentious yet luxurious - think double volume "courtyard style" indoor-outdoor dining, with hanging plants and greenery all round.

Their wine list is very extensive and more like a wine bible, which is s good thing. The level of food quality is outstanding - you can tell that only the best produce and ingredients are used. Service is prompt, efficient and friendly and the overall dining experience was definitely worth the price.

I certainly recommend it!

Sack the sommelier! My partner and I went for a lovely meal at the chip; returning to savour their culinary delights and we were not disappointed by the beautiful scallops and haunch of venison, however less can be said for the wine steward. He wanted to hurry us along in our decision and so we asked for his suggestion on two wines we had selected. He basically chose the most expensive wine on two pages advising us that we want something light with our venison to avoid not being able to taste it. Venison being a very flavoursome meat I was suspicious and advised we would continue to have a think about it. We went my partner's more full bodied choice and thank goodness we did as it was delicious and complimented our meal perfectly (at half the price of the recommendation). The food was exemplary as was the friendly service. Beware the sommelier!

Excellent. I was brought here while in Glasgow on a business trip in November 2011. Service was excellent, the food came quicker than expected, was very elegantly presented and tasted superb.

Definitely recommend the pidgin if it's available as it was cooked perfectly.

Gorgeous Brasserie Rump. I only popped in to catch up with friends over some fine ales in the wonderful fire-warmed bar, but ended up having a look at the Brasserie menu. I plumped for the Inverurie rump steak, slow roast tomato, grilled red onion and stovies with pepper sauce - £23, and worth every penny.

Best steak I've had for years. Faultless. Will be back for more.

Just had lunch. Being a veggie, the Chip has never been easy to get a meal at. Fair enough, hearty meaty Scottish dishes is what it does best. I had vegetarian haggis and spinach and butter bean tortellini . Both lovely. Everyone else had salmon, guinea fowl and pork, all cooked perfectly. Our server was great and one of the most attentive I've encountered for a while. Really good.

Fabulous place with a unique setting and atmosphere! We eat here several times a year and their Sunday lunch is amazing value (but watch out if you hit the wine list etc!!!) I proposed in the chip 19 years ago and still have our favourite table. If you want large steaks and plates groaning with food , this isn't the place for you! But if you like great Scottish seafood, lamb, steak, etc, with perhaps a French influence then you should be well rewarded.

Best place in the West End for Sunday lunch. Great atmosphere, good food, professional but relaxed service and very good value for money. However I do think the evening menu is pretty expensive but worth the occasional treat.

After four years of living in Glasgow I finally went. Well worth it.

The Chip has one of the most magical interiors of any restaurant I've visited. Delicious food and knowledgeable, friendly staff mean a memorable if perhaps pricey meal is certain. Treat yourself.

November 2014

Some restaurants are special. They demand your attention, pull you in and have you thinking happy thoughts. The Ubiquitous Chip on Ashton Lane is known as a Glasgow institution and their downstairs restaurant brings back memories of Christmas Eve 2012 and all the merriment that comes with good food & lots of tipples. Last Christmas we got a present of a gift voucher to spend in ‘the Chip’ that we kept until now.

We had our glad rags on and we were sat in a cute little corner table that felt like we were in our own sub-room. Upon booking it had been mentioned that Mr S had a nut allergy & when we arrived there was a special nut free menu for him. This is easier for the staff than faffing around trying to find out ingredients and much more customer friendly, I wish other places would take note.

The pre-starter was eaten before I could remember to write down details, but it was a bit like a gazpacho with a creamy foam if I remember correctly. Mine also had chopped nuts on top.

We asked our waiter about wine so he said the sommelier would be over but they never appeared. Glasgow is obviously full of wine guzzlers!

We were between two wines and really wanted advice so we asked again and the sommelier appeared. I’m glad that we persisted because the Chateauneuf-du-Pape that we almost ordered turned out to be white (I didn’t even know you got it in white).

Crisis averted, the wine arrived just before my venison haggis, champit tatties, carrot crisp & turnip cream. I’ve had haggis here before and that’s why I chose it again – it’s fantastic. The accompaniments actually hold their own too instead of blending into the spiced background.

Mr S chose the scallops – Islay scallops with crispy pork no less, served with fennel and cider cream. Perfectly cooked, the scallops were lifted by the salty pork and the sweet cider.

We swapped around with me having fish for my main and himself having meat. My dish wasn’t a complete meaty departure though as I ordered the Shetland Cod fillet, sautéed Jersey royals, fennel purée, samphire, shellfish & ham hock velouté. The cod was another element cooked to perfection and I loved the samphire, fennel and shellfish with it. The ham didn’t really do it for me with this dish but I’m not sure why. Mr S tasted it and thought the ham in the dish was lovely so it was probably just me. It was still a really well executed dish.

Next to me was fillet steak au poivre, truffled peas & dauphinoise potatoes. I was jealous, I’m not going to lie. Being a sterling husband, he let me have some and it was heavenly. I could eat those dauphinoise all day, every day. The meat was tender and cooked medium rare as asked. A bit more peas wouldn’t go amiss but the dish scored very highly with us.

The dessert debate ensued. Dessert or no dessert, dessert or no dessert? Knowing about our move from Glasgow & that we wouldn’t be at the Chip for a while answered it for me. I went for creme caramel, green apple sorbet, madeleine and Muscat jelly. Each element of the dish was individually delicious and, when put together, a pleasing combination. The green apple sorbet stood out and I’ve thought about how I want a bowl of that sorbet far too much since our visit!

My husband has a weakness for ice-cream so decided on ‘the Chip’s famous Caledonian oatmeal ice-cream with fruit compote’. The presentation was impressive, especially considering how quickly ice-cream melts. My terrible photography skills don’t show it but it’s rolled up like a Swiss roll. He loved it.

Afterwards, we went upstairs to enjoy a drink on the fairy lit terrace. We’ve spent many nights here drinking after work and it’s a favourite of mine.

A meal at the restaurant at the Chip is always special. We lapped up the experience & even loved the old guy at the table next to us with the booming laugh. No use in being in a silent restaurant with no atmosphere. The food is among the best in Glasgow and the service is both formal & informal where appropriate. These are people who enjoy what they do and listen to their customers. I miss it already.

----My previous visit -----

I remember as a teenager being told about The Ubiquitous Chip after the Interior Designer at my parents work took a client there. The food sounded expensive but magnificent, scary but brave and over everything else it sounded like an experience rather than a meal. This piqued my interest even back then. Fast forward to a few years ago when I started working, and drinking, in the west end of Glasgow. The Chip was a whole new place to me – somewhere far more casual than I’d expected that I would go for a gin or glass of wine after work because it stays open later. It was not until a year and a half ago when I had my first meal in The Chip Brasserie that I remembered how magical I had thought it sounded as a teenager. I can still remember the pigs cheeks I had on that visit in their rich jus – my mouth is watering.
We enjoyed it so much that we booked The Chip restaurant for our Christmas Eve meal 2012 & it was every bit the experience that I’d wanted it to be.
At the end of last year a friend and I visited the brasserie again as a post Pilates treat (yes, I am that kind of exerciser that I need a treat afterwards) and I then decided that it is firmly one of my Glasgow favourites.

The Chip are now in their 43rd year of trading so they must be doing something right. It is multi-faceted with the posh restaurant, not quite casual brasserie, upstairs pub where you can also order from the brasserie menu for a more laid-back occasion, downstairs mainly standing traditional pub and the wee chip (round the corner but still the same building) that reminds me of a nicer old mans watering hole. My only complaint is that they share the same four ladies toilets – not my idea of fun on a stowed Saturday night. It’s such an old building that they are working with that I half forgive them but the drinks aren’t cheap so it really should be addressed.

Anyway, back to our brasserie treat night. We opted to forgo starters and all the mains sounded nice. I’d heard their haggis was worth trying and the mullet special used some of my favourite ingredients but I chose the pheasant special because it was similar to what Mr S had when we dined in the restaurant and I had been quite jealous of him when I tasted it.

Tender breast meat & earthy spelt and root veg casserole with a sherry gravy – it was the most Scottish dish I’d had all year. If I was Greg from Masterchef I would have said that it took me in from the cold like a big hug and it was solid cooking.

My friend tried the chicken, not because they are unadventurous, but because if the description of the roasted Ayrshire chicken breast dish on the menu translated then it was going to be a less than average choice. And it did. Phew.

Our first dessert was from the specials menu. As soon as I saw chocolate ganache I was having it but the dish was more than just ganache. Malt cream, milk gel and chocolate ganache were accompanied with chocolate crumble – very indulgent. For such a chocolately dish it was not horribly sweet or cloying, I was really pleased with it.

The chocolate tart, burnt orange sorbet & chocolate sauce was sublime. especially the sorbet. It was one of those desserts that you want to make lots of enjoying noises whilst you’re eating but remind yourself that you’re in public so you just make faces instead.

The presentation for each dish is carefully thought out to make you want to dive in, although sometimes I feel bad ruining such a pretty plate. I’m surprised none of the staff came over to check everything was okay with us just staring at the food.

I have always found the staff friendly and this visit was no exception. Our waitress was on hand when we needed her but was also happy to let us sit chatting for a while after eating.

We got gift vouchers for The Chip for Christmas so we’ll be heading back soon but we can’t decide whether it will be to the restaurant or brasserie…there are worst decisions in life to make I guess!

Definitely the place for a fancy occasion, it's otherwise a bit too pricey for a casual meal. But the service and atmosphere are sublime. Their selection of ice wines are incredible, and the food overall were delicious. They looked small but were actually very filling!

The inside of The Ubiquitous Chip is worth the trip alone, so incredibly stunning. This is a must! Food & wine is awesome, service was really great! So glad we got a reservation here, added a great experience to our trip!

Waiter took our coats from us when we were seated. Blown away by the flavour combinations and quality of the meals. Impressed by the waiter offering the vegetarian menu after my partner & I ordered the only vegetarian dish on the main menu. Ambiance was incredible. Would 10/10 recommend this place to anyone looking for an upmarket dining experience.

What an awesome find! Hands down the best food we tasted in Glasgow 🤤 The location is super unique and the atmosphere is chic with a trendy vibe. Easily a romantic date night or dinner with good friends. Great wine list and all the dishes were elevated with amazing flavor profiles. Their presentation was on point 👌 This will definitely be on our recommendation list for friends and family traveling to Glasgow. Would recommend a reservation, but general seating is available. Great location 💯

I love this place. Every time I’m in Glasgow, it’s at the top of my list to grab a bite. The service is great, the food is so flavorful and memorable, and the atmosphere is gorgeous. If you’re able to sit upstairs in the brasserie, the glass roof and generally airy vibe is great. Never been to the downstairs restaurant, but I hear it’s great as well. Love their Freedom bread partnership as well. If you’re nearby, do try!