The Mad Platter

My mum and I were due to attend the Bare Facts event in Cottiers, but she got caught up in gig traffic meaning that we had to change our plans at the last minute.
We found ourselves in The Mad Platter by chance and I’m so glad we did as it’s a delightful little restaurant. There is a really lovely feel to the place and we could have easily spent all night there.
The food was really yummy. We both had the Eggs Benedict, every element of it was delicious. The pastry was light, the egg was cooked just right and the Stornoway black pudding was a nice texture.
We also opted for puddings and they certainly hit the spot too.
There were a couple of different singers in that night, not sure if this is a regular thing, if it is the place deserves to be jumping. Well worth a visit

I don’t do themed restaurants. But more than that, I have an active dislike for the many Alison In Wonderland inspired eateries I’ve been in.
The Mad Platter however, actually works, and is even a few steps over the line between crass and charmingly quirky.
Décor-​wise, everything is painted either yellow, red, or green — and it’s full of random nik naks. From recipes on the wall, wooden toy soldiers, and crazy hats, to the seventies knitting pattern on the window ledge (next time my nieces want a cardigan knitted by my mum, I know where to go!) — you’ll see something different everytime you’re here.
But that doesn’t detract from the food — I had a super mushroom soup and cheese /​pickle toastie — and it was awesome! Inexpensive, appropriately sized portions of good food on a rainy day. Awesome!
All the staff were great, but the owner impressed me particularly — she made the time to play with a wee girl so her parents could eat (it wasn’t too busy at this point), and entertained her with some of the hats etc.
I’ll definitely be back — from the places to eat along this part of the West end, The Mad Platter has soul — and I loved it.

I met some friends here for brunch. The atmosphere is really welcomeing and warm, and the staff are very pleasant, with some cute décor. The menu selection was quite varied, but not so much as to be overwhelming, and prices affordable. The eggs benedict was lovely, egg was poached to perfection and the hollandaise was flavoursome and silky. Personally i would say the portion was a little small but i didn’t leave hungry. All in all an enjoyable experience, with fresh tasty food.

I paid my first visit to The Mad Platter today on a brunch date with the lovely Briony C and Susan F.
I had never been in to the premises in its previous ownership so was pleasantly surprised at the space — was definitely bigger than I expected with tables on ground and upper level, and a very opulent lower floor for the Ladies and the Gents!
The interior is quirky, playing on the Mad Hatter theme, but welcoming and cosy. The waitress was happy and friendly,… always appreciate service with a smile!
There was a good selection to choose from for breakfast/​brunch and I felt plenty of choice for lunch and dinner also.
I chose French Toast with bacon and maple syrup. The French Toast was made with crusty French baguette, so wasn’t quite as soft and pillowy as I like my French Toast. The bacon was cooked well, tasty and crispy with just enough maple syrup.
I also ordered a hot chocolate and asked for it extra milky as I don’t like it too strong. Sadly for me it was very very strong, but I could tell made with good quality chocolate so some people may love this, just not how I like it. I also felt it could have been presented differently, it was served to me in a Coca Cola glass with a paper straw. Didn’t quite work for me!
I would definitely pay another visit to The Mad Platter, and would love to visit for an evening meal, or to soak up the atmosphere on their weekly open mic night. I think this is a great addition to this end of Great Western Road.

This place popped up last year in the place of Café Cherubini. If you think it’s eye catching from the outside, wait until you’re in there! There’s a lot going on with the décor but I’m glad to say that hasn’t taken the focus off the food, which is delicious.
I was meeting the lovely Alison M & Susan F for brunch and we were tucked in a window seat in the corner. The décor is very in-​your-​face and you could say it’s a bit over the top, but I guess they’ve at least put in a lot of effort to the theme! There’s lots of knick knacks around the place to look at so I doubt you’d get bored of the view in here.
The menu is pretty decent but I just wanted a light bite and struggled to find something which took my fancy until I heard the soup of the day was mushroom. Other menu options include jacket potatoes, sandwiches, larger mains and brunch items like Eggs Benedict.
The food didn’t take too long to arrive and my soup was a perfect starter-​size portion, served with a couple of pieces of bread. I really like mushroom soup and couldn’t fault this one, it was hearty and warming and just what you need on a baltic Glasgow day.
Service was fine, the waitress was friendly and helpful and gave us handy info like that the hot chocolate would take 6 minutes to be ready (very precise). I would say I think the prices overall seemed pretty steep for the offerings — £4.95 for a bowl of soup, £6 for a jacket potato, £7.85 for macaroni cheese. I would definitely give it a return visit though as it’s a pretty interesting place.