I’m sure most of us have got to the point where we can’t really remember the last time we ate dinner out, and by that I mean at a real restaurant (not a chicken burger and chips at Wetherspoons). Last week the boy and I had got to this stage and decided we were definitely going to take advantage of one of my nights off work to sample some seafood.
Aside from loving the name (I’m an ardent fan of puns), I hadn’t heard much about Mussel Inn on Hope Street. I’d passed by a couple of times and it always looked appealing, but Hope Streetis a strange one: you’ve got the bustle of Bath Streetand Sauchiehall so close, that it’s often overlooked. I feel this is maybe why Mussel Inn hadn’t registered with me previously. I booked on a whim through 5pm.co.uk, obtaining us an offer of £15.95 for three courses and a small glass of wine. With such good value for money, why wouldn’t you book ahead in this way? It means you won’t have to just muscle your way in on a whim… ! Oh, come on, it had to be said…
Terrible jokes aside, the meal was something to write home about. Any reservations about quality or quantity in relation to set price deals quickly evaporated with the arrival of our first course you’ve guessed it; mussels. Or, to be more specific: Mussels Moroccan – with garlic, chilli, ginger and herbs. This was the first time I’d ordered mussels for myself. As an incredibly fussy child and teenager, anything that came out of a shell or a field was completely avoided, and it’s only since about the age of eighteen that I’ve started to try the foods that I was scared of before. Well, let’s just say, from now on, shells are back in my good books. The mussels were delicious and the sauce had just the right amount of kick. With lots of hot, crusty bread constantly available, this dish was the most gratifying I’d eaten in a while.
It seemed my main course – pan-fried mushrooms with fettucini and spinach – couldn’t quite live up to the mussels, and I was right. The mussels were the star of the show for me, but that’s not to say my pasta wasn’t delicious in its own right. The mushrooms were fresh and woody, the sauce creamy but not too heavy, and with just the right amount of pasta I wasn’t too full, leaving space for dessert.
As for the service, I found it friendly and unobtrusive. We didn’t have to ask for more bread or water, we didn’t have to wait long for our food, but we weren’t rushed either. As I said, sometimes I worry that booking a set meal puts you at a disadvantage; taking the cheaper option isn’t always the best and I know some places use it as an excuse to serve mediocre dishes. However, this really wasn’t the case at Mussel Inn, and the menu provides great value for money. I can’t wait to check out their a la carte menu when I have a few more pennies in the bank and can justify eating full-price meals. It seems seafood’s now on my agenda.
What Katie Says 