Food Review: Ubiquitous Chip in Glasgow
It was the most dank and dreary of days. Typical Glasgow fare. Drowned by torrential downpours and dodging flooded pavements and abandoned backward spread umbrellas we wandered around Scotland’s largest city. While jumping puddles the breadth of the pavement I followed my Dad and his twin sister to his teenage haunt. My father being a man whose culinary tastes extends to Heinz beans on toast, I was amazed that he brought us out of the revolting weather to Ubiquitous Chip, a generously-sized pub nestled inconspicuously down a side street.
Extending over two floors, we meandered past the mural walls, covered in faces of staff and customers to commemorate the Ubiquitous Chips’ 40th anniversary, and continued on to the Brassiere room. This double storey space was embellished with succulents, vines and other greenery under a glass peaked roof. We watched the rain pummel the glass and admired our lavish greenhouse like surrounds.
For lunch I sampled the Tunworth Brie (£4.95), with generous chunks of glorious brie with a pickled vegetable salad, ribbons of carrots dancing around blips of potent apricot gel on a plate smeared with a tasty green herby spread. This fresh, delicate summery salad was strangely accompanied by a Beef Stovie (£3.45), which I ordered out of curiosity. The beef, which was combined with mixed winter vegetables, was absolutely delicious and tender. This dish however, that would have been more suitable greedily gobbled by the fire while wearing my jams on a rainy Sunday afternoon rather than alongside my pretty salad.
I also helped myself to a greedy dunk of the Roast cauliflower, potato and cheddar soup (£3.95). Usually not a fan of potato-based soups after a revolting attempt at potato and leek years ago, this cauliflower soup was filling, flavoursome and just the thing to warm tummies after battling the elements outside. With the servings more suited to sampling a few items from the menu, the soup was combined with delicious crunchy, thickly Hand-cut chips (£3.45) .
‘Pieces’ (Glaswegian slang for sandwiches) were gobbled also. Thick romesco ciabatta rolls were filled generously with Grilled halloumi and courgette (£6.25), and were delicious when paired with the thick chips.
The once factory site that produced military equipment hidden in the cul-de-sac off off the West End now produces a dining experience that, for under a tenner each is great. Make sure you pop in for a bite if you’re ever in Glasgow.
Opening hours for the bar are a follows: Mon–Sun 11am–1am and if you’re after some fine grub, the restaurant is open Mon–Sat noon–2.30pm, then 5pm–11pm, Sun 12.30pm–3pm, then 5pm–11pm. For more information, check out the Ubiquitous Chip website.
Words by Carol Bowditch. Header image taken from here.
