A new fine dining restaurant has opened up on Nitshill Road in Strathbungo, adding to the growing food and drink scene in Glasgow’s near Southside. I was invited to the menu preview at Vera, which promises to bring “Scottish produce and relaxed neighbourhood dining” to the area. When I arrived, I was greeted by a simple mint-green facade and an intimate dining room of partially exposed brick and simple earth tones. Though I was dining alone, I was comforted quickly by the warm and friendly greetings of the staff, from the host stand all the way up to the general manager, who seemed both eager and anxious for this trial run.
Menu highlights
I was given complimentary focaccia bread and prosecco quickly after I sat down. Immediately, I was met with the “familiar, comforting” food I had heard so much about. This theme followed me throughout the meal. I had a sea bream ceviche starter in a grape Nahm jim, which was crisp and fresh and evidently sourced close by. Though I’ve got a healthy appetite and a love for community spots, I’m no expert in the fine dining scene by any stretch of the imagination. This didn’t feel like a shortcoming in Vera; the waitresses and managers were eager to advise me and other diners around me on good dish and wine pairings.
For my main course, I had their St. Bride’s chicken paired with a Marchais Viognier white wine. This was easily my favourite course. As soon as I dug in, I was transported through time to a honey-glazed chicken recipe my dad used to make on the grill back home. In their promise to produce comfort food with a “considered twist”, I feel Vera delivered well. My fellow diners seemed to agree with me. Chantelle and Kerry, diners and influencers at the next table over, were blown away by the “great interior” and especially by their steak tartare, which they described as tasting like “elevated big macs.”
A chat with management
After finishing a bittersweet barbequed lemon ice cream with pickled Amalfi lemon and a signature “Vera Spritz”, I sat down with the general manager Fabio for a quick chat. Fabio expressed a passion for the environment he created and a pride in his kitchen staff. Combining quality food, sourced seasonally and locally, and highly experienced chefs, he felt confident in the abilities of the kitchen and in the overall performance of the staff over the course of the preview. While we talked, his motivations seemed to always come back to the community Vera has popped up in. Fabio and his staff are keenly aware of the strong sense of communal pride of Glasgow’s Southside, and want to be a staple of that community.
“I don’t want this to be a one-time visit”, he told me. Celebratory occasions are wonderful, but he doesn’t want guests to feel they have to save it for only those special days. The décor, which he described as “refined, but comfortable”, the energetic open kitchen, and the warm, low lighting were all chosen with the intention of Vera being as inviting as possible. They want this to be a “place people can visit regularly.” A real neighbourhood staple.
Glasgow South and the growing foodie movement
In the past few years an influx of renters has changed the face of the city south of the Clyde. Seeking out cheaper rent prices than that of the areas in the West end, students, young professionals and artists have flocked to areas around Queens Park and many new independent businesses have followed. The new people and sights have drawn visitors to the area as well, creating an ideal spot to start up new enterprises. Condé Nast Traveller called it “an incubator for culinary talent on the West Coast”, referencing the massive jump in housing prices as eateries make the Southside an increasingly desirable and fashionable place to live.
Glasgow South and its various neighbourhoods have become an ‘answer’ to the more expensive neighbourhoods in the West End, and the restaurants are no exception. Rent in Glasgow named Shawlands, one of the most popular areas on the Southside, an area with a food and drink scene that “now rivals Finnieston for dining quality.” On Nitshill Road alone, Vera is competing with other beloved restaurants, such as The Loveable Rogue and Studio Modou. The Strathbungo area therefore provides Vera with both opportunities and challenges; a strong-knit community eager to try what’s new, and a pool of tight culinary competition.
Worth the trip?
I’m not a Southside local and I’m quite loyal to my neighbourhood in the West End. However, as a newbie to the foodie world, and an admittedly nervous one, I didn’t feel out of place at Vera. At times, watching the chefs busying around behind the counter and listening to the enthusiastic chatter around me, I felt like I could be having dinner at a well-to-do neighbour’s house. Between influencers, press, family and friends, the anticipation for this new business was palpable.
Menu previews, as well as an opportunity for press and social media to bring exposure, can also be a sort of rehearsal for the staff to play out recipes, training, and the like. Fabio described this as a sort of “learning curve” for everyone and I felt that positivity amongst the staff the evening I visited. Altogether, I feel Vera is on a path to achieve what it set out to. Though it’s a bit of a journey from my locals, I hope to revisit soon. If for nothing else, to see what the menu has in store for the seasons to come.
