The Wheelhouse

If you want to walk to the Falkirk wheel and then have good grub in a modern clean and comfortable surroundings then look up this place, menus change regularly so always something new to try and the foods good, very good.

From the outside, and perhaps even from the entrance vestibule, this place seems instantly worthy of its previous accolades and five star reviews. My experience, however, was slightly less straightforward and I don’t think I could justify the fourth and fifth stars without a subsequent visit where a couple of key issues would have to have been addressed (there is a reason people should not write in the conditional tense for very long).
There were five of us going for what was, for a couple of us at least, a long overdue catch up. This added an element of importance to this meal which would otherwise have been just another family luncheon and we booked a week in advance to (hopefully) avoid disappointment.
Upon arrival we were told politely by the maître d’ to take a seat, perhaps have a drink from the bar, and wait for a few minutes while our table was prepared. For what was evidently a reasonable busy Sunday afternoon, with the place operating at around 85% capacity, that seemed acceptable so we gladly did as we were told and sat down with a view of the entrance as one of us went to the bar.
Twenty minutes after returning from the bar, we were apologised to profusely and served drinks which had evidently been poured as soon as we had ordered them, but which had been sitting waiting as the single Guinness, which had had to wait for its second pour, lay forgotten by the barman for all that time. During this timeframe the eldest among us had lifted the vase on the table to have a look at it and had cut her finger on the exposed and broken upper half of its rear. So far, not so good.
When we did make our way to our table, we were told by the maître d’ that she thought we were waiting on one more and the ‘man in the pink’ was still to arrive. Having seen a party whose man in pink arrived five minutes after the rest of them (fifteen minutes before we were seated), we knew immediately that this was not the reason for our late seating and she had confused our entire group with a party who were already seated (at a better table).
The service from there on in was impeccable as it could have been. Unfortunately this did nothing to make up for the long wait, missed seating, cut finger and very late, flat, forgotten drinks.
The food was similarly flawless and it is easy to see why the place is lauded so by previous Unilocalers. Stornaway black pudding with poached egg was done to perfection and the burger was well cooked, not overdone. Presentation of the other dishes was considerate and not too showy.
I would concede that, removing the confused service and decision to serve us drinks that had been sitting for fifteen minutes or more from my review would make this a far more appealing critique but there would still be the issue of the broken glass vase being left out. My chair at the table also felt unsteady and I am by no means overweight. I noticed further details like scratch marks on the the walls near our table and areas where the flooring needed fixing; perhaps I picked up on these in a subliminal quest to find fault. They may have gone entirely unnoticed had I been transfixed immediately by he wonderful service I thought we were all in for from the start. As these things, atmosphere and service, can make or break an experience and as the drinks issue involved a staff member deciding, upon discovering the flat drinks, that we should be served what had been poured rather than have fresh drinks swiftly follow a sincere apology, I don’t think I could honestly give this place more stars without betraying my own values.
I am not terribly inclined to return but if I ever do I would be very much hoping to are a marked improvement in the upkeep of the place and a solid, robust staffing operation that does not forget and mix up large families (especially where gentlemen are wearing rather bold colours, à la Mr. Pink).

The wheelhouse was a bit of a random choice for a family get together but one that turned out to be well worth the gamble!
Situated very close to the Falkirk wheel this place is slightly tricky to find if you don’t know the area, having said that when you get there it is a stunning place to eat.
Inside is a very contemporary feel with a well organised bar and restaurant area. The place is clean, well presented and quite welcoming.
Ample parking makes it very easy to drive there but I am uncertain about the availability of public transport.
The staff are impeccably polite and extremely attentive.
Now finally… the food!!! Of the six of us around the table there was not a single thing to complain or criticise about. I had to go for an old favourite of Stornoway black pudding topped with rocket and a poached egg. The whole dish was perfectly cooked throughout and the combination of flavours were superb. A family member also had grilled halloumi with red onion pickle and poached pears which I can also say was perfectly cooked.
The mains ranged from pasta to fish and chips but the star of the show was a chateaubriand steak for two. The steak was cooked to perfection, full of flavour and the meat tender and succulent. It has been a long time since I found a restaurant steak I truly enjoyed however I truly enjoyed more than half of this one!
Desserts were also presented beautifully and rounded off the meal on a perfect high note. Key lime pie with lemon sorbet and banoffee waffles with ice cream were created exactly to follow the main courses in my opinion!
All in all the Wheelhouse is a little bit difficult to find, is not the cheapest place in the world, quite busy… totally worth it! You would be missing out if you didn’t try it! I will certainly be returning as soon as possible!