The Times
Chitra Ramaswamy found sex at every turn at a new, much hyped city-centre venue from all-conquering Scoop, the people behind Ox and Finch in Finniestoun and Ka Pao in Glasgow and Edinburgh. Before setting foot inside she clocked the “big neon M sign winking at you sexily as you approach”, then came the “stunning, industrial Manhattan-vibed” interior that makes guests “feel hotter than they otherwise do”, and finally the “sexy as hell” menu (“if a touch heavy on rich meat and fish dishes. Which, admittedly, is a damn sexy problem to have”).
Oddly enough for a rave review, Chitra found quite a lot to fault in the cuisine. She didn’t like the “gloopy texture” of the kumquat kosho poured over a skate wing or the trout roe in its sauce, while the “hipster” Piedmontese agnolotti del plin was too thick and the delicate sweetness of the red prawns it accompanied was concealed by a “too-buttery, too one-note sauce”.
But a “sensational” beef tartare and a “divine” crab tart more than compensated, contributing to “the best and indeed naughtiest lunch I’ve had in a long time… Margo, I’m happy to confirm, is the hottest new restaurant in town.”
Chitra Ramaswamy - 2024-11-10The Observer
Kirsty Wark, sitting in for the departed Jay Rayner, visited the third venue from Glasgow restaurateur Jonathan MacDonald, 11 years on from his debut Ox and Finch. Named in honour of his mother, this is a “real passion project from the man who has set a high bar for dining in the city”, with a New York feel and a “beautifully curated main dining area” that can accommodate solo diners at the counter, tables for two or parties of 14 with equal ease.
A “crack front-of-house team” combined with chef Robin Aitken’s kitchen brigade to deliver “relaxed, elegant eating that still feels bohemian and adventurous”, with European-inspired cooking using top-quality Scottish ingredients plus a wine list “designed to suit pockets as shallow as a puddle and as deep as Loch Ness”.
Kirsty insisted that is was “unthinkable” to leave Margo without sampling a selection of puddings to share.
Kirsty Wark - 2025-03-16The Sunday Times
Charlotte Ivers had her faith in small-plates restaurants restored by “a meal I’ll always remember” at the latest opening from Jonathan MacDonald and Daniel Spurr, the team behind Glasgow’s Ox and Finch and Ka Pao.
Chef Robin Aitken, a local boy, deploys a “subtlety of touch” to bring together mismatched elements from disparate cuisines, such as cured trout in tiger milk with salted melon; Spanish sobrasada with Shetland mussels in Breton cider; kosho (a citrussy Japanese chilli paste) with skate wing; and miso with mustardy beef.
“It’s clever, properly thought out. Even better, there’s no shouting about the menu’s mission statement. Nobody tries to explain ‘the Concept’ to us. This is just assured food from a chef who seems able to march into any country in the world and declare, ‘I’ll have a bit of that’.”
Charlotte Ivers - 2025-10-05
Drinks
Extras
