Latest opening: Margo
What: A relaxed modern European restaurant using the best of Scotland’s larder.
Who: Margo is the latest launch from Scottish restaurant group Scoop, which is behind Glasgow restaurant Ox and Finch and southeast Asian brand Ka Pao, which has sites in Edinburgh and Glasgow. Scoop is led by managing director Jonathan MacDonald and Margo’s kitchen will be headed up by Robin Aitken. Aitken first joined Scoop as a chef at Ox and Finch back in 2014 before leaving to go travelling and work abroad. He returned to Scoop as part of the senior team leading Ka Pao Glasgow. Heading up front of house is Paige Wilson, who has led Scoop through milestones including the opening of Ka Pao Glasgow in 2019 and the restaurant’s receipt of its first Michelin Bib Gourmand, as well as the launch of Ka Pao’s second location in Edinburgh.
The food: Margo’s menu comprises snacks, small plates and sharing dishes using the now de rigueur seasonal produce with a focus on Scottish seafood, meat butchered in-house, and bread and freshly-made pasta. Diners can begin their meal with snacks such as smoked haddock churros with manchego and saffron; and focaccia with prawn head butter, before moving onto starters that include beef tartare with a grilled onion salad, crispy potato and crème fraîche; beetroot, Yellison goat’s curd and cocoa tortelloni; and west coast crab tart with bitter leaf salad. With its larger dishes Aitken has stretched his culinary muscles with an inventive array of dishes that ranges from skate wing with kumquat kosho, trout roe and green peppercorns; and lamb faggot with seared liver, bonnet polenta and salsa verde; and red prawn and fennel agnolotti (pictured below); and there’s a number of feasting-style plates also on offer, including a dry-aged sirloin on the bone with café de Paris butter; and half Creedy Carver duck with liver parfait, marmalade and toast.
To drink: Margo’s drinks offer includes cocktails designed to complement Aitken’s food, including its signature frozen martinis, yoghurt punch and classic serves given a Margo twist through techniques such as fat-washing and carbonation. The restaurant offers Scoop’s most comprehensive wine list to date, with classic fine wines and natural and biodynamic bottles from small, independent producers from countries including Portugal, Romania, Chile, Spain, Georgia, Greece, Germany and Italy. A large by-the-glass selection is also available.
The vibe: Margo seats 138 diners across a large main dining room and upper mezzanine level. The space has a large open kitchen with counter seating gives guests the opportunity to watch the chefs at work as well as banquettes and booths. The group has gone for an industrial chic vibe with architectural metalwork and traditional clay render mixed with ceramic and terracotta tiles and salvaged light fittings.
And another thing: Located below Margot will be yet another restaurant and bar from Scoop. Called Sebb’s, it will be led by head chef Danny Carruthers and will serve a grill-led drink-friendly food menu that will include dishes of grilled Carlingford oysters with spiced lamb fat; pakora with Lord of the Hundreds cheese and piccalilli; chicken wings with fermented hot sauce and ranch; jerk-spiced pork neck with celeriac and apple.
68 Miller Street, Glasgow, G1 1DT
margo.restaurant
