We dressed up for this one. It’s not required of course – the dining room is peppered with shoppers and business folk gossiping over glasses of white wine, your standard Glasgow mid-week lunch tableau. Yet Rogano retains an element of stardust from a bygone era that merits making an effort.
Attribute it to the time-capsule effect of stepping away from the busy streets around Buchanan Street and being enveloped by the Art Deco style that was set when Rogano opened in 1935.
The Cunard liner Queen Mary was being built on the Clyde at the time and that became the defining influence.
It’s an immersive experience, placing yourself in a room that stands at a particular point of time while still embracing modern Glasgow hospitality.
Rogano is not a classic curiosity, it’s very much alive in the here and now. When we arrive, the bar is buzzy as we make our way to the dining room with jazz notes floating in the background.
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Henry Kissinger, Elizabeth Taylor, Bob Dylan and Rod Stewart are among the luminaries who have dined here. Not all at the same time. Had they arrived en masse, there would have been a serious discussion about who would sit at the prized table 16.
This is considered the best table at Rogano as you have a sweeping view of the restaurant, and with the aid of mirrors you can see what’s going on behind you at the door. Should you, a visiting celebrity or a tired shopper, wish to avoid anyone at the entrance, there’s convenient access to the back door nearby.
Gin brings us into Rogano today.
Rogano have collaborated with the Old Curiosity Distillery to create their own gin, inspired by the menu and foraged botanicals.
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It’s well balanced, crisp, with hints of the sea. Ask for it when you visit. You will spot the stylish bottle behind the bar.
Another relatively new addition to the place is Martin Conner, now the Head Chef leading the kitchen and putting his own imprint on the familiar seafood signature dishes. He previously worked for Six by Nico and for Hutchesons.
As we begin lunch, there’s an elevated sense of presentation, a spirit of innovation rather than a definitive pivot in a particular direction. More to come, we sense. For the moment we are suitably impressed.
It’s about finding that point where classic cuisine and modern tastes meet, whether it be a terrine, a parfait, or fresh fish cerviche.
Let’s talk lobster. Pop in any afternoon and you can enjoy a half lobster Thermidor with frites for £27. It’s the type of beautiful, traditional dish that brings visiting food writers here and earned plaudits from visiting broadcasters, including Anthony Bourdain.
More intriguing is the lobster hot dog with nduja ketchup, fennel pollen mustard and prawn cocktail spiced fries for £16. This is on the bar menu that’s served until 10pm. A dish bursting with flavour, it’s a satisfying combination that will delight seafood enthusiasts.
We are coaxed into trying the aged lamb on the menu. It turned out to be some of the finest produce we’ve tasted in the city, delicately cooked for rich, glorious results.
A reminder that there’s more than the fruits of the sea on the menu. It was the standout dish of the day.
Time for dessert? Well, Rogano know how to bring things to a culinary crescendo, it seems. Grand Dessert for two: Crème brûlée with the right mix of crunch and sweet, a piece of chocolate and peanut butter mousse cake, cheesecake and chocolate cake.
Rogano is the type of restaurant that’s difficult to build, it grows over time. One of the culinary markers for the city, it continues to point in the right direction. Lunch here is a real treat.
Rogano
11 Exchange Place
Glasgow, G1 3AN
Call 0141 248 4055 or book online here