The Butterfly & The Pig @ The Corona - Reviewed by Dinertec, Jul 16, 2015

Rating: 4/5

  • 1039 Pollokshaws Road
  • Glasgow

The Corona was one of the South Side’s busiest gin joints until it closed late last year. Toots had heard that the venue had a new lease of life now that The Butterfly and The Pig had taken over so we decided to check it out.

Owner Michele Pagliocca had established himself in Shawlands by buying up the nightclub next door. But no one expected him to shut The Butterfly and the Pig in the city’s West End to reopen in the South Side.

Locals welcomed the move and are packing the place out most nights. The restaurant’s ever-changing menu is billed as “quirky” on the website and it took Toots a few minutes to interpret. Dishes on offer that night included ‘steak sannerwedge’ and ‘Frittttttttttattta’.

At the top is a challenge: “If you read the menu all the way through and still find you are alive, and if there is nothing you like then let the kitchen know and we’ll call you a taxi or we’ll phone in a pizza for you or make you something you want.”

The statement sums up the style – relaxed, friendly and happy to be ever more creative when the customer calls for it.

The waiting staff are also very attentive, without being overbearing. After a long day having her hair and nails done Toots was tired – a cocktail as a starter before the starters, then. “I need something to perk me up,” she said.

The Buick was outside – so soft drinks for Tec. I looked on enviously as    the waiter carefully placed a brimming Butterfly Martini with Bacardi, Limoncello, pineapple juice and fresh lemon juice in front of Toots.

I went back to the menu which I was determined wouldn’t beat me. To start I ordered the breaded brie wedges and Toots the beer battered king prawns.When they arrived we thought we’d been served the starters as a main. Skip lunch before dining here!

After, it was time to tuck in to three giant lamb koftas, a mountain of potato salad, several salty flatbreads, and a generous portion of hummus.

Toots had ordered a vat of macaroni cheese and her eyes were like saucers. “I haven’t had this much food since I was in New York City,” she laughed.

We got to work on our delicious main courses and after 20 minutes, with some regret, decided that we couldn’t finish. It was another fifteen minutes after the cheery waiting staff took away our plates before we could consider the dessert menu.

We had been told about the giant doughnut and Nutella dip and it was one of the reasons that Toots insisted on The Butterfly and The Pig. We couldn’t see it on the menu and the waiter explained that it was a special which had ended some weeks ago.

But nothing is too much trouble for The Butterfly and The Pig and the chef insisted on making it for us from scratch.

The live band started expertly playing Johnny Cash covers as we settled down to enjoy the indulgent desert, which I dare say may even have cheered up the man in black.Â