Sugar Dumplin

Lunch with my friend
— well priced menu with decent selection;
— quick service;
— food was presented brilliantly and tasted good;
— a tad quiet and lacked atmosphere;
— sweet potato fries were crispy but lacked flavour;

Very good selection of cocktails. Caribbean menu including jerk food. Very laid back beach shak style atmosphere with jammin music in the background

No applause necessary.
This truly was the first day of winter and possibly not the type of day to enjoy some Caribbean fun. Our first interaction with Sugar Dumplin was with New-​Waiter-​itis. He was a lovely chap, brim full of charm and I hope that smile and enthusiasm stay with him at the dregs of an 8 hour shift. It didn’t matter to us that WE were telling HIM how to take an order, or set up our table. Sometimes you just take to people :)
You seem to get 4 bowls of sauce (chilli, garlic, etc…) given to you no matter what you order and we all loved the way our new found friend presented them to us. We thoroughly believed he wanted (and merited) an applause for his lavish presenting style, and thus we obliged. I don’t think his sauce delivery approach is company policy though.
The rest of it? A quirky upturned Caribbean rowing boat of a space, with a standard blackened chicken menu that left us hungry for a post lunch burger.

We called in here after work the other Friday — yeah that was out first mistake, the second was to skip dinner!
Lured in by a free ‘rum punch for two’ voucher we were soon sucked in by the amazing cocktails menu and one drink became two rather large and probably very alcoholic rum cocktails! They were delicious and all too easy to drink!
It’s nice and cosy inside and we had a very comfy sofa to sit on whilst we waited for our drinks to arrive although I’m a bit confused by the strange travel agent sponsored holiday promotions going on — what’s all that about?
The downside for me is the prices, they seem a little steep and maybe that’s because it’s in Princes Square and they’re trying to be classy and sophisticated to match the other shops etc — or maybe it’s just because cocktails always seem overpriced for what you get… a lot of ice and unknown quantity of alcohol! Not convinced…

We were tempted in by the free rum cocktail tokens that a dude in Buchanan St had given me when I was out and about one lunch hour (and probably looking harassed and in need of a cocktail). Thanks very much, voucher guy!
We were greeted at the door by a very friendly chap, who seated us at a table with some nice comfy sofas. The décor is Caribbean themed, and if I’m honest, it seems a little bit contrived, like the Caribbean version of O’Neill’s. There was also, very strangely, tall display boards up for holidays in the Bahamas, along with a video of said holidays. It was like some sort of travel agent concessionary stall and after a while I did start to find the ever-​looping clip of slim, fancy bikini clad dancing people slightly irksome. But we were comfortable, and there was a nice atmosphere, and great reggae music playing. There are booths too, and I think it would be nice and cosy to sit in one of them, especially if you with with a group of people.
Our rum punches were brought over fairly quickly, and were delicious. Very thirst-​quenching and stress-​busting. So we ordered some more. I had the Bermuda Rum Swizzle, which is a mixture of dark rums with tropical juices and also had a taste of my partner’s Demerara Rum Punch, both priced at £7.95. They were delicious too, I liked both of them, and being a rum fan, there’s plenty on the drinks menu to tempt me. However, I do think that they are pricey for what they are — I’m not convinced that they were very strong. But then, you always think that about cocktails, then try to stand up and realise that you have lost the ability to walk.
We weren’t planning on eating anything, but had a look at the menu for future reference. It seemed like there were plenty of dishes that you won’t get anywhere else in Glasgow, such as plantain chips, which I’d really like to try. It looked to me (although I didn’t ask) that there might be a vegan main — ‘Roasted butternut, chickpea, spinach and coconut, in a creole style fresh tomato sauce’. Sounds lovely! Although I think I’d come back at lunchtime to try it as it seems a couple of quid cheaper then for the same meal compared to the dinner menu.
I liked it here, and I hope they do well, but for me it’s perhaps a little pricey. I think it would be a good place to come with people from work perhaps, or folk you don’t know that well, as there are plenty of features and interesting drinks and food to talk about to keep the conversation going.

I couldn’t pin this place down. Was the food good? Yes. Was the service good? Yes. Décor? Again, great and one of the main selling points of the place.
There was however a distinct lack of something, but I’m not sure what. That being said we had a great time here and enjoyed a fresh, tasty meal accompanied by a cocktail from their vast menu of drinks.
I opted for the prawn salad. It was fresh, crisp and flavoursome. Accompanied with some less than crisp sweet potato fries — still good but not what I’d hoped for.
There’s also a selection of dips out on the table which have various flavourings and levels of spice. A nice touch which is often neglected in most restaurants.
The other half opted for a fish dish, wrapped in banana leaf. Again, delicious I’m told but I think size wise it wasn’t sufficient for a main course at dinner and more of a light bite or lunch meal.
The cocktails were the star of the show at Sugar Dumplin. The menu is huuuuuge and most are rum based, which was great for a rum lover like myself. I’d be inclined to go back here for an afternoon of cocktails over the food.
The staff were pleasant enough in here and helpful when needed. Our interaction with them was quite limited but not bad.
Would I be back? I reckon so.

As a big rum fan, I was excited when I heard ‘Sugar Dumpling Rum Shack’ was coming to Glasgow. However, a quick look at their main menu left me a little disappointed — as a veggie, there was only one option on the evening menu for me to choose from. Perhaps living in Glasgow I’m a little spoiled for choice with most restaurants offering a selection of meat-​free choices, but one option seemed rather stingy.
For that reason I hadn’t been yet of my own choosing, but a work night out last week meant I finally got to try Sugar Dumpling for myself. With very cool décor, good music and friendly staff, I definitely liked the vibe the restaurant gave off. I’ve never eaten somewhere Caribbean-​inspired before so the warm colours, Caribbean posters and mixture of textures (such as booths made roughly out of wood and a sign made from corrugated iron) made a really good impression — definitely somewhere different on the Glasgow restaurant scene!
I went for the roasted butternut, chickpea, spinach and coconut curry served with a side of peas and rice. As I said, this was the only veggie main on the evening menu, so thankfully it was completely delicious. Spicier than I expected, the coconut cream helped cool down my Unilocaling tastebuds without overpowering the dish with fragrance. The portion size was generous and, stuffed full of chickpeas and kidney beans, very filling. I couldn’t finish my plate, which rarely happens! While I didn’t try anyone else’s food, there were a lot of happy noises around the table which indicated that everyone enjoyed their choices.
My criticism would be that service was noticeably slow. While the restaurant was quieter than I expected for a Friday night (there were only about four tables while we were there), waiting on drinks took a considerable time. The majority of the table were ordering cocktails, which I understand do take longer, but as a bar specialising in cocktails I thought service would be a little smoother. As well as a wait between ordering and being served, often the table was left unattended for extended periods — with a large party, I’m surprised they weren’t more keen to keep our glasses continually topped up with more drinks! It was a little off putting to have to stop conversation to look around for the attention of a waitress several times during the night while the table was covered in empty glasses.
That being said, the food came quickly, so if you’re not a big cocktail drinker then perhaps the wait won’t be a problem for you!
While I did enjoy my meal — and the novelty of eating inside a beach hut! — with only one option for a meat-​free main I don’t know if I’d go back for dinner. The cocktails were delicious so perhaps I’ll go with friends for drinks — hopefully the service will be a little speedier next time!

Fantastic Caribbean style décor and seating arrangements– my friends and I sat in a little beach shack in the corner with comfortable booths. Great restaurant location in the pretty and buzzing Princes Square.
Lovely friendly and attentive waiting staff ensured we were aware of all the menu choices– I requested information about mocktails and was provided with a great selection of off-​menu options (I had a non-​alcoholic mojito which was gorgeous).
Only one vegetarian and one fish main meal option is a little disappointing but what there was tastes delicious! I had delicious sticky barbecue salmon with a really unusual but very tasty grilled watermelon and cucumber salad. I had this with an amazing red slaw (Green also available) and some sweet potato fries which were tasty. Three table sauces are provided– barbecue, a garlic one and hot scotch bonnet chilli. All delicious and definitely worth trying.
The drink selection is vast with a wide range of cocktails and bottled beers. No beers available draft though.
Will definitely return!

Booked some vouchers on itison but postponed visit until girls came back from uni. SO that meant extra spaces needed which the restaurant were happy to accommodate. We timed our visit exceptionally well and were seated quickly — coming out after lunch, the entire food hall in Princes Sq was abso rammed with queues at all bars/​cafes.
We were seated towards rear of the restaurant in the Rum Shack — the place has a big area inside that surprised me as it was a bit tardis like. Eclectic groups of people from hen parties — early start for these ladies — to family groups and couples. Caribbean tunes playing away in the background were loud enough to enjoy and shake along to but not so loud as to drown out catching up on patter — so hubub and tunes all lead to a fantastic atmosphere. Almost took me back to St Kitts for the cricket.
Wide range of grub on offer suitable for veggies and vegans, I opted for goat curry and wild pea rice (mixed beans to you and me) which was lovely, filling and spicy… mmmmmmmmmmmmm. Two older girls had veggie option with kids opting for cheese and chicken burgers. The weans, big and wee opted for the mocktails which were very refreshing and I stuck to a beer but will defo try the real cocktails next time — clue there that I will be back. The sides included a choice of slaws — green; cool and minty or red; spicy. All in — excellent and filling.
The staff service was just right. Nice balance of checking on need for drinks top up and since we just went in for the mains, kept us informed how long the food would be ready due to the place being so busy. That’s a big tick for the «Rum Skipper», Carla and the Crew. Thanks.
SO great food, quality service at a reasonable price in a great atmosphere big thumbs up.

Ok so I had been looking forward to trying Sugar Dumpling for a bit, I actually got an Itison deal and thought it was perfect timing to try somewhere new.
Initial thoughts on the décor, it very cute and a surprise find in the middle of a shopping centre. I loved the beach huts which would be great for a large booking. There is the option to sit outside in the centre area or inside the restaurant itself. We sat inside so i could have a proper nosey around. Can I just say I loved the lights, upside down mason jars and used liquor bottles, genius!
Ok anyway we say down and were quickly served, there is quite a large menu made up of starters — we had none so can’t comment — mains comprise of a such things as goat curry, pulled pork, ribs, wraps and … burgers (am I the only person scunnered of seeing burgers everywhere??) anyway I had the fried buttermilk chicken burger, and the hubb’s had the goat curry. So the food arrives and it looks good, hubb’s of course had envy at the burger. The chicken burger itself was alright, a large portion but with no sauce on it (ill come back to this later), sweet potato fries on the side and red slaw. The fries were nice, mushy but nice. The slaw I unfortunately couldn’t eat because it comprised mostly of large slices of red onion which I can’t stomach. The burger was big and moist but tasteless which was a shame. We were given as a side 4 small sauces, the waitress kindly described each one to us. Just as well we had them as I had to use these to ‘beef’ up the tasteless burger.
Hubby ordered the goat curry which was described as a ‘fiery curry’. He also ordered a side of rice and peas. The curry looked ok, Iv never seen a goat curry to compare it too. Anyways he tipped the rice and peas into it and begun munching in. Regretably as with the burger he felt this was somewhat tasteless and no where near a ‘fiery curry’. So much so he tipped the full contents of the 4^th mini sauce (a chilli one) into the curry and declared it tasted much better.
For drinks I had a margarita which was good, he had a red stripe beer and we had table water. The drinks were included in the deal I had bought, normal price for the marg was £5.95 i think, not too bad for city centre. The hubby was horrified to find that the bottle beers sold were all in the region of £4.50+. Now I’m not a beer drinker but he has assured me this is a complete rip off for a bottle and wanted me to note this in the review!!! Duly noted!!!
Overall we both agreed we wouldn’t return, food was mediocre at best.

After lots of wandering and being indecisive about where to go for food we ended up here. We were shown to our seats, the first seats we sat at were like old school chairs and I couldn’t get comfy, I asked if we could move to one of the comfy booths which once they checked they weren’t booked we were moved to.
Our waitress was friendly, fun and was wearing an amazing watermelon dress. She took our orders and explained the temperature of things in a this is really mild to a I wouldn’t even attempt this one as its so hot manner. I ordered the BBQ jerk chicken with red slaw and house fries. Our waitress brought us over some sauces, one was a rum based one, one was coconut based and one was chilli based with a scotch bonnet, chillies and some tomatoes all mixed together, all were delicious. The food was great especially the coleslaw and the cocktail I had was yummy. The only issue was once we got our bill it took ages for them to come and take our payment, although when our waitress arrived she did apologise for the delay and explained she kept getting asked to do things.
All in all, a lovely little place, the décor is bright and fun and the music makes you want to move your hips. You definitely don’t feel like your sitting in a shopping centre.

I tend not to eat in Princess Square as it has propensity towards being a bit overpriced and pretentious. But I’m glad we decided to try out here for dinner yesterday.
As you go in, there’s lots of comfy chairs and low tables — perfect to sit and try out some cocktails if you’re not in for food. Further through is the main restaurant part — complete with booths designed as beach huts, which would fit up to around 8 people. We were able to get a booth as it wasn’t booked, and it wasn’t mega busy.
All of the staff were really friendly, even the ones that had nothing to do with our table. Our waitress was fantastic, really bubbly and chatty, and gave good explanations about our food choices.
I opted for the jerk chicken and sweet potato fries. When it came I was a bit apprehensive as I really don’t like chicken on the bone — fortunately the only bit of bone was a wee bit for you to hold, the rest of it was properly de-​boned. The jerk marinade was awesome, as was the spicy red slaw. The sweet po ta to fries were great for dipping in the trio of sauces (of varying spiciness) we were given.
It took a wee while to get the payment sorted, but we were having a great wee blether so it didn’t bother me. All in, for 3 mains, a cocktail and 2 beers, it came to just under £55 — money well spent for great food in a relaxing atmosphere.

This takes the place of the Tiki Bar as my favourite purveyor of fine Caribbean food/​cocktails. My friend and I decided to visit here on the basis of a voucher for a free Reggae Rum Punch. We got a taster size glass of a remarkable tasting beverage which left us with a taste for more.
As we were going to a show afterwards, and were wearing very unforgiving dresses, we chose a few things from the starter/​sharer section. Having read a few of the previous reviews I must agree with the assertions about the sweet potato fries, which were, in fact, more like baked potato wedges. Tasty, all the same, but I was looking for crispy, soggy sweet pots. The swordfish cakes were divine and went beautifully with the spicy, smokey red dip (please don’t ask what it was called). The dumplings were odd, but enjoyable, in a sweet doughy way. The green slaw was a refreshing accompaniment to our dishes, and a lovely change from mayo drenched cabbage. And the wings! What can I say about the wings. Nothing comprehensible whilst eating them anyway. The skin was chargrilled, as any flame grilled meat should be; and the flesh fell off the bone. For some reason that was the only point during dinner the staff didn’t come near us!
The place itself is akin to the Aussie surf shacks you see in Home & Away, and extends further back than the small alley you see from the Square. Cocktails are pricey, but tasty and the staff friendly and knowledgable. I actually can’t wait to go back.

I really wanted to rave about Sugar Dumplin. I love the décor, the food is really tasty, the staff wonderful and this is a great addition to Princes Square. But this visit I got the overriding impression that there are still a few teething problems to be ironed out.
We were the only table in the place and still waited over 45 minutes for our food, whilst they had a kids menu they don’t really cater for kids; no changing facilities –despite a huge disabled bathroom, my 2 year old nephews cordial was served in a glass hi-​ball filled with ice — yeah Aunty Sarah was wet and smelled of blackcurrant for the rest of the day and the kids macaroni was served at nuclear temperature in a metal dish without a warning that he might be needed skin grafts if he went near it.
Our food was excellent but by the time it arrived we had lost interest. And I’m ashamed to admit that I was so hungry that I had eaten all of my jerk chicken before I even thought about taking a photo of it for Unilocal.To add insult to injury the massive wait for our food meant that I had to rush and get my train and didn’t have time to sample the rum soaked bread and butter pudding — sob.

Having sampled the food at Sugar Dumplin on three separate occasions now, I think it’s about time I shared my thoughts on their Caribbean cuisine!
My first taste of Sugar Dumplin was back before the restaurant had even opened its doors, when they were driving their kitchen round in a truck feeding office workers for free to build up some buzz. The staff were super friendly and keen to share their information with us, and the food was delicious — I especially enjoyed the sweet potato fries!
A few weeks later, with the restaurant now up and running in Princes Square, I got to sample a few of their dishes as part of an event with Unilocal Glasgow. Set on the top floor of Princes Square, the restaurant has what has to be one of my favourite interiors! At the entrance, chairs are set up like boats, and inside the whole place has a laid back, Caribbean vibe that feels authentic. There are individual rum shacks that seat around 10 people, and a number of other tables set up throughout the restaurant. The walls are painted in bright blues and yellows, but the place has an unfinished look that suits the style they are going for, with empty spirit bottles acting as lamp shades, and rum cask lids attached to the ceiling. It’ll make you feel like you’re a million miles away from rainy Glasgow!

Between us, dishes were brought out for us to sample, including their delicious Pork Ribs braised in rum and spices, which fell off the bone the second you picked them up — so tender! We also tried corn fritters, their smoked chilli spiced beef burger, Ribeye steak and a selection of their house fries, sweet potato fries and fried plantain chips — you know, the stuff that looks like banana?
My favourite was definitely the ribs, which were just so tender with a spiced, chargrilled flavour that made my mouth water! The sweet potato fries were still delicious, but I have to admit that the plantain chips did little for me. As an event and a taster session, it was a great way to get a taste of the different dishes on offer and everything we tried was tasty! My only problem with the evening was the drinks were pretty slow to get to the table, probably because it was a week night and there was only one bartender dealing with 15 cocktail orders! The cocktails are definitely worth the wait though — their Pina Colada is heavenly!

My third visit came this weekend, where Sam and I were invited along for a little set menu sampling. For starters, we shared the Bajan swordfish and salt cod fish cakes, which came with a picked cucumber and watermelon salad. I wasn’t expecting to enjoy them, not being a person who is big on fish, but they were really tasty! The batter was crisp and the filling was flavoursome but not overly fishy, and it was complimented with sweet and sharpness from the pickled watermelon. To wash it down I was sipping on a Bahama Mama, which was fruity, sweet and strong — exactly how I like my cocktails! I also love that all the long cocktails on their menu are decorated with a banana leaf.
The set main courses were Tamarind Glazed Salmon, and Curried Goat Shoulder, with sides of rice and peas, red slaw, green slaw and the house fries. I’ve never been a fan of salmon, always thinking it has too strong a flavour, and this salmon was no exception, but it was perfectly cooked and the tamarind glaze was sweet and sticky. The curried goat, which I had expected to taste very similar to lamb, was definitely the winner for me. It wasn’t particularly hot, but it had lots of spice, tender meat, and a flavour that felt authentic.
Despite being quite stuffed after all that food, we couldn’t resist the sound of the Sailor Jerry’s chocolate rum cake. The cake was lovely and moist, and the ganache was served warm which just made the whole thing seem really indulgent, but I couldn’t taste the rum very much, which would have just added an extra punch.
Sugar Dumplin definitely has a strong focus on authenticity, with the dishes really feeling like something you would eat the in a rum shack on a Caribbean island. A couple of the dishes lacked a little bit of flavour for me, but other ones like the goat or the ribs were packed with it! The décor in the restaurant is brilliant, the staff are super friendly and the overall experience is always a positive one — especially if you treat yourself to a couple of their amazing cocktails. Sugar Dumplin — come for the food, stay for the cocktails!

I visited this cool wee sandy beach type restaurant on a rainy Sunday afternoon. The weather was terrible and I knew some sunshine drinks and tasty food would cheer us up.
I had heard mainly positive things about Sugar Dumplin’ and was really excited to finally get the chance to visit.
To start with, I ordered a mojito and tucked into some tasty ribs. The mojito was a work of art with passion fruit and lime being the stars of the show. I did have an issue with the straws however– the straws were so thin that small pieces of ice kept getting trapped. The ribs were decent with a thick barbecue and spring onion glaze. The portion size was very generous. I then had the chicken burger with sweet potato fries which was very disappointing! The fries were soggy and the burger was dry and bland. I did add some sauce from the bottles on the table but it took forever to actually get any sauce out! The one thing I really liked about the dish was the red slaw which accompanied it. We decided to not to have dessert and paid the bill. I wouldn’t rush back to Sugar Dumplin but I do like the fact that’s it’s different and the cocktails are delicious!

I love my caribbean food so deliberately headed into town just to try this new place. Was I disappointed? We walked in, and it didn’t have a very authentic feel. It’s a bit contrived, a bit kitsch, I was determined to give it a try though, roll on those scotch bonnets!
The menu looked not bad, I went for the Fried Dumplin’s with Lawd a massi sauce to start — yep, Lawd a massi translates as Lord have mercy! — followed by Curried Goat Shoulder with ginger, scotch bonnets and allspice and a side of rice and peas. The dumplings were really good, but they were just bread dumplings, and the sauce didn’t come with them, it came as a set of condiments with all the other sauces. This dish should have just been labelled as a side, it wasn’t a starter! My dining companion thought her calamari was cooked just right (no rubber) and spiced to her taste.
The curried goat curry was good, not fiery though as advertised. The taste worked well together to create a rich, interesting sauce. I wouldn’t have minded a little more, but my partner who had the same thought it was a good plateful.
The rum cocktails, Bahama Mama and Rum Runner, well, they were just lovely!

I really really wanted to love here. Turtle Bay in Southampton was one of my favourite places for cocktails and some food. So when I heard sugar dumplin was open with a similar menu and cocktail I thought we were on to a winner winner chicken dinner.
It was a Tuesday and fairly empty. As in one other table. The staff were just lurking or being trained as the place is newly open. When ordering the waiter seemed unsure of the menu and how to pronounce things. Slightly annoying but equally especially for new starts they should be taught the menu.
The food was ok. My chicken wrap was a bit bland and I would say the sweet potato chips were more of the baked potato wedge variety rather than a deep fried fry. The individual sauces of differing spices were good, but I found the really spicy one to be quite bland and flavourless. Also the tiny glass bottles made it impossible to get sauce out. No amount of tipping and shaking the bottle would get the sauce out. A knife didn’t solve the problem either!
The cocktails were good and full of rum in fairness.
Now for deserts. We were sharing the rum chocolate cake and the bread and butter pudding. When asking the waiter what ice cream was available he didn’t seem sure. We then ordered vanilla ice cream for both. 2 minutes later the waiter returned to say they had run out of vanilla. So we ordered coconut. He then came back to say they only had one scoop of coconut left. So we had one coconut and one raspberry ripple. The deserts were fine but it’s quite bad to have run out of 2 types of ice cream.
Later we overheard the staff saying to anther table they were out of sweet potato. (Just seems bad to be out of stock of main ingredients). My friends and I were happily chatting away when the staff asked if we wanted the bill. Seemed like they were kicking us out in a sense as it was only 8pm.
On asking to split the bill by card, three ways they also seemed confused.
Hopefully it’s just teething problems. The cocktails were fine, and the food was ok but not overly spiced in my opinion. I will come back in a few months and hope for the best!

I had never heard of this until tonight. I used to go back in the day when it was ‘Mings’ (I feel old)
It was an exciting colourful place to walk into. BOAT shaped seats outside & Carribean beach hut booths on the inside. Staff are dressed in colourful Hawain style hula shirts. All the staff are very young too, all look teen or early 20s. So not a place to go if you don’t want to feel old!
The cocktails are around £7-£10 there are a lot to choose from. I got the Rum Runner, it took 10 minutes to come & was filled with more ice than alcohol, but was fairly tasty.
The food we received was pretty tasty. The ribs fell off of the bone & the steak was lovely & pink in the middle. There was also savoury plantain to nibble on.
I feel the service was slow & the drinks were too ice filled, but apart from that I had a great night

Visited Sugar Dumplin for the first time tonight at a Unilocal event. A great venue with a laid back vibe. We had the pleasure of trying a few taster dishes off the menu including burgers, steaks & ribs all of which were lovely. The sweet potato fries were also really tasty! Unfortunately I couldn’t indulge in a cocktail tonight but my mocktail looked & tasted just as good. Staff were all friendly & helpful. Can’t wait to come back to sample more of the menu including the Sailor Jerry chocolate cake!