Margo, Glasgow

Margo is massive. From the big M dangling in the middle of Miller Street to the high ceilings, mezzanine level and big booths, the sheer scale of the place is impressive. That scale extends to an exciting, varied and Quite Large menu that feels less like a kitchen hedging its bets and more like a group of chefs aching to play with all of their new toys at once. 

And so reporting back from somewhere like Margo risks ending up like those weird Google reviews of a river path or forest; there’s a non-zero chance we all approach from completely different angles, with contradictory expectations, and no-one learns anything. Also, dare I say it, running hog-wild down the menu without a care in the world might not result in the most helpful write-up for you lot. Instead, after a bit of digging, we’ve found that the average UK restaurant-goer spends around £30 per head when they go for dinner… so that’s the budget. £30 per head, times two heads, sixty bucks, spoiler alert: we pretty much did it.

Interiors at Margo, Glasgow. Photo: Connor Stewart

The menu is divided into four sections, increasing in size and price as they go, so you’ve got to be tactical. We go for the classic few-from-each plan, and a fairly omnivorous palate. A whole lemon sole in prawn butter does sound delicious, but it’s two-thirds of the budget so it has to miss out. No matter your strategy, some items are must-orders. The ham hough croquettes (£4) might look dinky, but that’s just a trick of perspective. They’re two to three good bites of crunchy, crispy shell and gooey, savoury interior, all covered in cheese. The focaccia (£5) isn’t quite at that level, but it is a very nice bit of bread served with a smoosh-it-yourself garlic butter that’s sweet, salty and fatty all at once. Crucially, there’s enough of it to help mop up the various sauces that will come along later. It’s monumental. It’s jumbo. It’s a good amount of bread.

The beetroot, goat's curd and cocoa tortellini (£9) is a sweet, earthy and surprisingly goth dish; if we’re being honest, there’s slightly too much sweetness here, but when the curd cuts through the beet it’s a good time. The charred pumpkin (£9) is more successful, with a serious char on the squash, and a pumpkin seed butter that brightens up everything it touches. It’s seasonal, it’s a bit zesty, it’s no croquette but it’s a solid option. Next up is pork belly with hispi cabbage (£12), working in a fatty-and-sour mode with a load of cider and mushrooms thrown in. When you hit a particularly crusty bit of pork, it all comes together, while its tablemate – a stuffed roll of Swiss Chard (£12) – is excellent in a totally different way. It’s fibrous, it’s herby, packed with goats cheese and there are pistachios all over the place. These are both very rich so eating them in tandem is a bit like watching a band with two front people who can’t agree on who’s the leader, but it’s just as entertaining as that would be. At this point we look across at the next table, and don’t recognise a single dish.

Anyway, dessert! In one corner, a brown butter almond tart (£6) that’s a cross between an apple pie and the biggest amaretti biscuit you’ve ever seen. A dollop of creme fraiche, poached quince that’s so tasty we suspect they’ve replaced it with a nicer fruit (but no, it’s genuinely quince!), and a sweet, sticky, chewy bounce to everything. In the other, a zingy and clean lemon posset (£6) topped with an extremely herbaceous and absolutely delicious sorrel granita. Did we think we’d be saying the phrase “delicious sorrel granita” in 2024? No, but we’re glad it’s happened. Also we’ve gone £3 over, but these desserts are worth breaking the rules.

Margo is very impressive and almost too vast to judge on one visit, but we’ll give it a go. The cooking is great and the variety is impressive, and once you accept that ‘orderer’s remorse’ is an occupational hazard you’ll have a really good time. Get the croquettes, save room for dessert, and don’t be afraid to roll the dice. Whole lemon sole in prawn butter, we’ll be back for you in 2025.

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68 Miller St, Glasgow, G1 1DT Mon-Thu, 12-3pm & 5-10pm; Fri-Sun, 12-10pm
margo.restaurant