Bo & Birdy inside Kimpton Blythswood Hotel is a gorgeous, modern Scottish dining experience featuring locally sourced, organic Scottish produce, freshly caught fish and innovative drinks shaken and stirred by the house’s award-winning bar tenders. Operated by Scotland’s first first female 5-star hotel Executive Head Chef, Gillian Matthews, Bo & Birdy offers a new twist on traditional Scottish fare, with touches of French fine dining influences.
Bo & Birdy | Glasgow, Scotland
Location: Glasgow, Scotland
Address:11 Blythswood Square,
Glasgow G2 4AD, UK
Inside Kimpton Blythswood Hotel
Hours: 12:30pm – 2:30pm
5:30pm – 9:30pm
Daily
Food Type: Modern Scottish Cuisine
Dining Experience: Indoor
Price: £75+ per person
Dress Code: Smart Casual
Reservations: Recommended
Special Diets: Pescatarian, Gluten Free, Vegan
Bo & Birdy inside Kimpton Blythswood Hotel is a gorgeous, modern Scottish dining experience featuring locally sourced, organic Scottish produce, freshly caught fish and innovative drinks shaken and stirred by the house’s award-winning bar tenders. Operated by Scotland’s first first female 5-star hotel Executive Head Chef, Gillian Matthews, Bo & Birdy offers a new twist on traditional Scottish fare, with touches of French fine dining influences.
We absolutely loved the food we ordered. I had the vegetarian roasted celeriac which was served with Scottish mushroom polenta and broad beans. The flavors were so sublime and harmonious, and the complexity and richness of the polenta paired with delicate mushrooms and broad beans made this dish very satisfying. With my meal I had a Dark ‘n’ Stormy comprised of Dark Matter rum, Goslings Black Seal rum, a twist of lime, velvet falernum, a splash of ginger beer and aromatic bitters, which was positively heavenly.
For Robin’s dinner, he tried their house specialties, the Bo & Birdy signature cocktail made form Botanist gin, Edinburgh rhubarb & ginger liqueur, a twist of lemon, Byrrh, Peychaud’s Bitters, and egg whites, which was one of the best cocktails we’ve ever had. Pictured above, this is the one served with a peacock feather. His main course was the down country St Andrews Farmhouse Cheddar macaroni cheese, served in a Staub cast iron baking dish, which smelled heavenly. He absolutely loved the rich, creamy cheese blend and perfectly golden brown crust on top. All too often pasta dishes are mushy, bland, or too runny, but this dish was perfection.
Our only complaint was one dish that my husband tried, the scallop ceviche, which had deceptively simplistic plating. He said this dish lacked any kind of flavor at all and had a slimy texture, making even a huge fan of seafood (particularly scallops), sushi, and sashimi like him too squeamish to finish it out of fear of getting sick. Based on his assessment, the overly fishy smell of this dish, and the people seated next to us sending back their scallop ceviche too, I didn’t try it. Aside from this, everything else was absolutely heavenly.
The staff of Bo & Birdy were phenomenal, and were happy to give us extra information about our meals, and recommend drinks that would pair well with our orders. With their help, we had a great meal, with the one exception, and the staff helped us have a fabulous dining experience.
As far as the decor situation inside Bo & Birdy, we loved the hints of botanicals scattered tastefully throughout, and the subtle hints of Scottish pride, like the hidden Scottish flag motifs around the restaurant, and the color palette that reflected the greens, browns, golds, grays, and whites of the country we’d fallen in love with. It was delightful to stroll around the restaurant after our meal to explore the art displayed from local artists and explore the building’s architecture.
The next time you’re in Glasgow, check out Bo & Birdy for an elegant, fine dining experience unlike anything else in the city.
Until next time!
xAnnie Fairfax
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Savannah Hood says
You have such wonderful taste! I have never been to the UK but this post alone makes me want to visit.
Annette Mccartney says
Interesting. I’m not sure how many of the wonderful restaurants Glasgow has to offer you have visited and I hope this isn’t the only one after such a disappointing seafood experience. Since the West Coast of Scotland is renowned for it’s seafood I’m saddened you were let down. I haven’t yet visited this establishment but will be surprised if the food (especially at the prices they are asking) can surpass that of some others.