Shucks
Glasgow, Strathclyde
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Shucks brings seafood with swagger to the upscale Hyndland neighbourhood – think airy loft-style dining meets chic Champagne and oyster bar. Extensive use of blues and greys against pale wood, brass and sisal rope evokes a high-end yacht. Once seated, a gleaming brass fizz trolley trundles temptation to your table with seven options of bubbles by the glass. Energetic staff sporting jeans, tweed and some good patter bring warmth as well as expertise. However, as befits the pedigree of a family-owned restaurant group that includes Cail Bruich and Bar Brett, there’s real culinary substance behind the contemporary style. Menu headings include 'raw, cured and smoked', 'shellfish', 'from the fire' and 'fish fillets', along with a sheet of daily changing specials. Unapologetic hunks of pliant sourdough with a suitably salty fermented squash butter and creamy taramasalata lay down a marker for generous portions and exuberant flavours. Ample slabs of turbot or halibut on the bone are big enough for sharing and confidently cooked over open flame to ensure a depth of flavour that stands up to a rich Arbroath smokie and ‘nduja cream – this is a plateful of pescatarian hedonism. For more meaty preferences, ‘surf and turf’ pairs Ibérico pork 'two ways' with Orkney scallop, black garlic and apple. Desserts are perhaps not the main focus, while the house espresso Martini featuring 12-year-old double-cask Macallan whisky and tonka beans is often as much of an attraction as Valrhona chocolate with blackthorn sea salt, caramel and blueberries. Cocktails aside, the drinks list runs appetisingly from Harviestoun 'Heaven Cent' IPA to an impressive slate of global wines tailored to seafood.
