The Grapevine - 4 out of 5*
Review published on 05/10/2009 © Sunday Herald
Marianne Gunn

The Grapevine has been Bothwell's answer to fine dining for many years and although the main street has had a few newcomers over the last few years (even recently introducing deli culture to Lanarkshire) it has been a stand-out stalwart.

A recent change in ownership and quite a heavy-duty facelift meant we were tempted to see if it had changed for the good - and a night over Uddingston way was a good excuse to check out what was on offer.

Being an organised group, we did our research and opted for the astonishingly good-value pre-theatre menu. The Grapevine is currently offering a free bottle of wine per couple, so between four of us that was our alcohol intake sorted. The wine deal is available Monday to Friday from 4.30pm to 6.30pm. This meant a sharp Friday exit from the big city, but by the time we entered the bungalow-like building we had left our work woes well behind.

My first impression on entering was how homely, warm and comforting the front of the restaurant now is. We were seated quickly and all glanced around admiringly at the quirky pictures and cosy upholstery while eyeing up the sofas on the other side of the room. Perfect for pre or post-dinner drinks, their seats held a magnetic attraction for us four working girls.

We knew we had to order sharpish as our booking was for 6.30pm, but it appeared we were in more of a hurry than the staff who offered and served us drinks before we were furnished with a food menu. It was also great that the free bottle of wine was perfectly chilled and exceedingly drinkable. The menu was also full of pleasant surprises: each of us could have ordered every dish on it.

The rest of the girls opted for goat's cheese tart to start, but I decided on the chicken and duck liver parfait, which was served with pear chutney and oatcakes and absolutely delicious, as well as looking a little more filling than their filo first course. The tart was, however, served on a fresh bed of peppery salad and nicely dressed with a balsamic glaze.

With a pleasant pause between courses, our mains arrived: piping hot and pretty decent pre-theatre portions. Jo was the odd one out this time as she had gone for the fillet of salmon served on crunchy vegetables and pak choi. Being the healthy eating enthusiast among us, she was in seventh heaven. For the rest of us, our eyes had stopped at beef bourguignon on the menu and defied us to move any further. The beef had been cooked extremely slowly and was utterly tender. The creamy mash, seasonal vegetables and tasty bourguignon jus made it the perfect meal for what was probably the last weekend before winter sets in, as it put us all in the mood for autumnal hibernation and extreme comfort food.

On finishing our mains, the dishes were whisked away swiftly but after that the service dwindled. Perhaps they had a large party through the back or were gearing up for their later evening guests, but we had to strive to get the attention we needed for Ash to secure her chocolate torte with homemade ice cream. And when the dish arrived, we realised it was foolish to have considered ourselves full and unable to devour chocolate whipped to perfection and freshly baked, so another was hastily ordered and three more spoons appeared.

Not opting for any more wine or coffee meant that when the bill arrived (we had to ask for it but that was actually quite nice as it meant we weren't being hounded to vacate the table) we all audibly gasped at what good value our meal had been. At just over fifty quid, it felt almost dishonest to have eaten and drank so well.

The main attraction of the evening for me, though, was how laid-back and welcoming the small restaurant actually is: looking around the lushly carpeted room at the end of the meal, Jo observed that most of the largely female clientele had kicked off their shoes so they could enjoy their meal without the pain of pinching shoes. For this pre-theatre menu, the only pinch they'd be feeling was on their feet.