In a front room in townhouse in Dennistoun, you’ll find one of only a handful of the tasting menus available in Glasgow, Bilson Eleven. Despite it’s prices and culinary daring, Bilson Eleven is quite casual. Not casual enough to bring small children to, but casual enough to wear jeans. They don’t allow children under 5 years but children ages 5-15 are permitted until 9pm. They only serve lunch by appointment. It’s the sort of place you really have to know is there and one of only a very small handful of Michelin mentioned options in Glasgow too.

Gavin and I went for my birthday. We’d been living in Glasgow for three weeks at the time. I’m so pregnant and away from all my friends and didn’t really know how to go about celebrating turning 36. Weirdly I feel a bit more optimistic about it than 35, like maybe I can be a cougar now and that might be alright? ANYWAY. I digress. The meal was lovely and leisurely and I enjoyed everything presented to us, even all the things I wasn’t supposed to eat while preggo.

The longer however, I go away from the meal, the more I feel sort of nothing. I might have been influenced by my husband who sort of didn’t like it and couldn’t put his finger on why and then of course I googled it and found a scathing review from Marina O’Loughlin from 2017. Bilson has changed since then to be fair, we weren’t served any foam (Marina really hates foam?) at all. There is something missing there though. The staff were friendly but sort of nervous and looked like they might cry when I said I was pregnant which is my fault because I should have mentioned it in the booking and I forgot. The space is pleasant, the food is good. For Glasgow it is very expensive. I don’t know.

What’s good? I heartily enjoyed the seafood, the trout, the mushroom, chicken and truffle, those wee apples and the swedgers.

Kid friendly? Nope.

✗baby change facilities

✗highchairs available

✗cool with breastfeeding

✗loads of other parents

✗space for buggies

✗children’s menu

✗toys/play area

Rating ?