Brian Maule at Chardon d’Or

Very disappointing. For a while this restaurant was the only fine dining experience to be had in Glasgow, but in the past 5 years there’s been a dining renaissance in Glasgow and Brian Maule has not kept up. The menu is tired and the service is extremely, overbearingly formal. Not good formal, where you barely are aware of the change of courses and refilling of your wine glass, but disruptive and stiff, as if being served by robots.
To start I had the duck rillette which was wet and bland. There was a slight bit of texture and pop from the green peppercorn but mostly it was like eating tuna salad where someone had gone hog wild with the mayonaisse. My husband had the grilled chorizo salad. The chorizo was lovely but overall it wasn’t anything to write home about.
The main for me was the roast coley fillet over the gratin of macaroni with buttered kale. Sigh. More mush. The cheese over the macaroni tasted like it was from a box and clanged against my palate. Too much smoky/​salty. My husband had the pot roast shoulder and that was the one solid dish of the night.
The wine list was really good — big range of interesting choices and prices.
Overall it added up to a lot of disappointment. We ordered off the pre-​theatre menu which in a fine dining establishment should be simple ingredients done with panache, instead of a lot of style and no substance (or, nearly entirely mushy substance). The atmosphere was too stuffy literally (I was sweating like a bull by the end) and figuratively. It felt like a place that was exciting and glamorous when it first started out, but has stiffened into something pompous and staid. Try Ian Brown, Ox and Finch, Two Fat Ladies, Rum Shack, The Bungo and Gandolfi for Glasgow’s true fine dining. They are not beholden to the rituals and trappings – just serving up exciting, delicious food in charming environments.

Just nice. Ate here for a a special occasion in a party of 20 in a private dining area. We were ordering from a special limited menu. I ate the goats cheese and beetroot starter, beef with wild mushrooms and crème brûlée. The food was very nice, but not as mindblowing as I expected it to be. The crème brûlée was great though, and a larger portion, in proportion to the other courses, than I expected.
The service though was great, unobtrusive and polite and smiley. Very attentive in refilling drinks (perhaps too attentive from my headache the next day!).
I’m not sure I’d hurry back, as this was not the all-​out amazing extravaganza I’d expected but it was pleasant enough. I wasn’t paying, so I can’t comment on price/​value, but I suspect if I had been, I’d have been disappointed.

Was treated to dinner here by two of my lovely friends for my 40^th birthday. We went on a Monday night and it was fairly quiet, but with a nice atmosphere. We were early so had a drink in the bar before moving to our table– the barman was helpful and attentive.
The menu had a good variation of meat, fish and vegetarian dishes, most with really interesting flavour combinations. We had 3 courses and everything was delicious; portions were not huge but plenty big enough. The waiters were lovely and helpful. My friends had brought a birthday cake which was brought out by a trio of singing waiters and they had written happy birthday in chocolate on the plate which was a nice touch. I also liked the way that Brian Maule himself came round every table checking that everyone had enjoyed their meal.
Prices are quite high, which would make this a special occasion venue in my book, but well worth it as the quality is superb.

Lovely special-​occasion restaurant, with great service, atmosphere and delicious food.
Brian and his team have won me forever though, after kindly obliging my husband’s request for a special intermediate course to be served at a dinner celebrating our anniversary. Having thought he was chancing his arm asking for a dish to be prepared just for us, my partner was very surprised to receive a phone call the day before to talk over how he would like his dish prepared. Amazing service!

This has to be one of the fanciest restaurants I have visited. Definately the fanciest in Glasgow. Its Michelin standard which is reflected in the price though — average £25 for a main.
Great service and atmosphere. The waiter was really lovely and attentive, and Brian Maule also came out at the end of service to speak with customers which was a nice touch.
I had the prawns to start and cod for main which came with a lovely sauce. We were given free bread rolls and an amuse bouche which was lovely. Others in my group loved the scallops and sirloin. Desserts looked lovely but I was a bit full from all the free bread. The presentation of all dishes reflect the fine dining feel of the place. Portions are quite small (which is expected at fine dining restaurants) so starter and a main was needed. The wine list was big and the prosecco was gorgeous.
I would recommend for a special occasion as it is quite formal and the layout of the restaurant is very classy.

My husband and I went here for a special meal and we left feeling very disappointed. The atmosphere was very quiet and not very welcoming. One member of the staff were being trained when we arrived and we felt most of the attention was spent talking her through what she should do rather than making us feel welcome. We were not talked through the menu or advised of any specials. My husband ordered the ham hough terrine for his starter and had to send it back as it was extremely fatty. My starter the fish cakes were ok but nothing special. We both had the sea bream for our main meal. Again this was ok but we were left unimpressed. I felt it was slightly cold but did not want to send it back as we had already sent a starter back. The desserts were delicious. I had the crème brule and my husband had rice pudding. The highlight of the meal for both of us. Rather than enjoying a special meal together, we couldn’t wait to leave.

WOW WOW WOW WOW. What a restaurant, probably the best in Glasgow.
Fine dining all the way. If there was a restaurant in Glasgow that deserves a Michelin star then this is it.
Brian Maule was head chef at La Gavroche in London (The famous Roux family restaurant) so it gives you a flavour of what to expect.
Went here with a work colleague for a business lunch.
The restaurant was clean, crisp and elegant.
The goats cheese salad with white truffle dressing was simply out of this world, the braised lamb was divine. All rounded off with a trio of ice creams and washed down with a bottle of fine Pinot Noir.
After service the man himself comes round each table asking how your meal was, nice to see the chap taking pride in his establishment and ensuring his customers are satisfied.
It is pricey but hey you get what you pay for and this is seriously worth the money.
Check
as the restaurant sometimes does good lunch deals.

I recently traveled to Glasgow with a large group — and made reservations at Brian Maule in advance — based on some of the reviews and details I had found online and in travel guides. We had a smaller menu designed, with three options from Starters, Mains and Desserts, and took over a private room downstairs. This restaurant was my favorite meal in Glasgow — I wished we could have returned each and every day — and our entire group raved about it. Highlights? Tian of Crab, Seared Tuna and Scallops, Roast Fillet of Lamb, Beef Cheek and their Warm Soft Chocolate Cake with Cointreau Cream, Orange Reduction and Pistachio Powder.
The service for our large group was fantastic, with friendly attentive staff. Kudos to Steven for his assistance in coordinating everything with me and for the staff who took such great care of our group that evening. We had a wonderful experience.

We read the three star reviews on Frommers and booked a meal and we were so dissapointed that I left most of my Pork on the plate as it was dry as a piece of cardboard. The vegatables were soggy and overcooked like the meat. My wife had the lamb which she also ordered medium rare and while not cardboard like the pork it a promise of pink. The lamb was bland like the Pork. The veggies were coloreless, soggy, tastless. We also had the rabbit and froi gras starter which did not have much flavor. The meal was so bad at this point we did not trust any desert the chef had to use any skill so we ordered the cheese plate. That was amazingly weak as we had no choice of cheeses, there was not attempt to match the cheese to our tastes like most decent restaurants would provide.
Now the meal was so bad and I was so starved that we took our mobile and called Gamba and were in luck that they could take us in. We had a wonderful seafood soup and their frozen rasberries with hot white chocolate mixed with I think a sweet condensed type milk which as fabulous.
If Brian Maule was there then he must have had a stroke as the food was rubbish. If it was his second then he should be fired! This was a total waste of money. The staff was also very slow and not experienced. When a restaurant has only a few tables you would expect decent service, no need to wavey your arms in the air to get their attention. The Frommer review must be years old as this was one of our worst meals and we eat at two to three star Michelen restaurants often and this was not even get a half a star.

I have to admit the service here is out standing and the food is good but I was a little disspointed in the amount of food I had on my plate. Maybe I was over hungry but the starter was a little sparce. Anyway the chef came and said hello which was a nice touch. I din’t have the guts to mention my starter though. I’m going to try again as I did like the place. slighly expensive though.

This is fine dining the way of the francaise. Brian Maule himself although not French which I found very difficult to come to terms with. I thought how could a man dare to open one of the so-​called finest restaurants in Glasgow. But he did and it is!
The culinary expertise from Brian is astounding. This restaurant is out on its own in Glasgow, truely utterly luxurious. My boyfriend loved it. We attended one of the cookery demonstrations which was insightful and a great spin on having dinner, but these seem to only be held in the day, which is a bit wierd but so very much worth it.

There are few restaurants in Glasgow of the caliber of Chardon d’Or, if in fact there are any at all! Brian has won many awards and while he is born and bred Scottish he received most of his training in France and his menus reflect this blend of Scottish and French cuisine. This guy was spotted by the Roux brothers and was appointed head chef of their Michelin star restaurant Le Gavroche in London. So that gives you an idea of how good you can expect Brian’s very own Chardon d’Or restaurant to be!
The restaurant is in an old tenement building with big windows and high ceilings but is decorated in a modern minimalist fashion. This place oozes class with the «proper» table clothes, china plates and solid silver cutlery. The staff always look immaculate and are very friendly. Chardon d’Or is fine dining at is best but is never pretentious and you are always made to feel welcome.
The menu is constantly changing as Brian likes to use seasonal ingredients but generally you can expect a modern take on some French and Scottish classics. From starter to dessert everything is intensely flavored and impeccably presented. You will be completely stuffed but you must keep going through all three courses. The sticky toffee pudding is orgasmic! The last time I ate here I remember saying to my friend, «These carrots are amazing!» It is very rare than anyone would describe carrots as amazing! Perhaps, «The meat was cooked to perfection», or «The sauce is wonderful», but complimenting the vegetables? But that’s how good this guy is! Every component of every course will be individually divine and the combination of components will add up to three fantastic courses.
If you book your table for later on in the evening you will get to meet Brian. After last service he always comes round the tables to speak personally with every diner. I think this is a fabulous touch and it is fantastic to know that Brian is actually in the kitchen overseeing all the food that is served in his restaurant.
It is definitely worth checking out the website as there is always something going on at this restaurant. I have been to one of the cooking demonstrations and it was a fantastic way to spend a few hours. There are around 30 people there and you are all served a glass of champagne on arrival and then Brian personally demonstrates how to cook an amazing two course meal. You can ask him as many questions as you like and he will happily answer them. You are also given detailed written instructions home with you on how to cook the two courses yourself at home. You also get to enjoy tea or coffee and the two courses which have just been demonstrated to you, all for around £40 per person.

my fiancée and i really liked the restaurant. service could have been a bit quicker though.
the pork belly appetizer was delicious salty and fatty. the belly had a nice crisp to it
i had the duck dish which was cooked to perfection. the foie grois was decadent.
the braised lamb was also quite rich and flavorful.
it’s pricy. but worth checking out if you’re in glasgow

I know some people who swear by this place, and it has been around for a fair number of years now, so I decided to give it a go. The décor is very very subdued, and to my personal taste this was echoed in the food. While the menu reads very well, and our starters were very good, somehow we ended up underwhelmed. Not that anything was wrong or horrible. Not at all. Everything was well cooked, well seasoned and well thought out. But there was no X factor, and as it is very expensive, I think there should be something that you think is fantastic, or exciting or different. It was all very professional, but just not enough to get the taste-​buds tingling. This was a real disappointment, and as it costs so much we are not likely to give it another go, which is perhaps our loss.