Criterion

Dull as mud. This place was so lacking atmosphere. I felt i realy was missing a personalty sorry but there is a clear lack of care for this place and that rub’s off on the night. I would give this one a miss guys.

This is the second time I’ve been in here and both trips were A-​OK!
Nice atmosphere though on both occasions we were pretty much the only people in.
There was a good selection on the Sat-​Sun brunch menu and as tempted I was with the full brekie I finally opted for the chicken burger which was well tasty. The chicken comes coated in what tasted like a cajan batter and was accompanied by a light side salad and a hefty portion of fries which I just couldn’t finish.
It doesn’t have the buzz of its sister company Velvet Elvis next door but still had a darn fine burger!

I liked the look of this place. We’d had a drink there few weeks ago. Nice atmosphere for a quiet wee drink.
Service was good, though the waitress was busy and having to watch the bar too.
Here’s what we got:
French onion soup — bit bland. Onions still quite firm so I’m thinking not sweated and caramelised to make that wonderful sweet/​sour base. No taste of brandy or sherry or butter either.
Deep fried squid — nice, not rubbery.
Burger and huuuge portion of chips was fine. Burger a bit dry, but nice flavour. Nice salad with a light dressing on it. (I do like my salad to have dressing on it. why do some restaurants not do that?) I liked the peppercorn sauce, though my other half didn’t — for the same reason, very creamy and peppery.
Sticky toffee pudding. Nice light sponge (was it gingerbread?) nice sauce, ice cream ok.
With drinks we spent £50.
You know, it was OK. They’ve got the atmosphere perfect and also the style of the place, I just felt very underwhelmed by the food. When there is similarly priced competition like from The Left Bank and Fanny Trollope’s out there these guys might need to up their game a bit in the kitchen to keep folk coming back.

In the spirit of keeping Partick «weird» Criterion opened its doors to join the ranks of its sister restaurants Velvet Elvis and Pinxto. This Italian café offers some unfussy but tasty food. On our visit, Lumberjack and I had our picks from the menu and shared between the two of us.
To start:
Deep fried baby squid with alioli (£3.95)
Wild mushroom risotto with white truffle oil (£4.95)
The verdict: nom. for both dishes. The baby squid was fried to perfection and not rubbery at all. The alioli perfectly complimented it. As for the risotto, it was beautifully done, which is difficult for some restaurants to do because risotto is so time-​sensitive. Either you end up with squishy risotto or undercooked pebbles.
Mains:
Pizza — custom half and half they did for us — chorizo and chargrilled red pepper, and smoked chicken, parma ham and red onion (£8.25)
Pasta — Cabonara (£8.95)
The verdict: nom all around again. The staff were gracious enough to entertain our request to do half and half on the pizza, which was thin and wonderfully crispy with just the right amount of topping. As for the pasta, it’s a major creamy indulgence that makes my mouth sing. Cabonara is definitely one of my guilty pleasures, and Criterion nailed it.
As for the atmosphere… it’s definitely not as bustling as Velvet on a nightly basis. But if you’re up for a quiet drink, Criterion would be a sure bet. The staff, including the general manager, are great and friendly, and are always up for making sure everything’s all well and good.
The Criterion is a welcome addition to the Partick food/​drink scene. With the food, price and quality, it’s definitely a worthy option when you don’t feel like cooking at home.