THE CHIP TRIP
The Ubiquitous Chip is a Glasgow institution for a very good reason
For over four decades this iconic restaurant in Glasgow’s West End has been the torchbearer for Glaswegian cuisine. Despite the claims of Rogano and Le Chardon D’Or, the chances are that if any foodie comes to town, then this is the first destination on their list.
The story of the Ubiquitous Chip – a name which is a play on the city’s well-known penchant for chups wi’ everything – started in the 1970s with late owner Ronnie Clydesdale’s determination to showcase the best and freshest Scottish ingredients. Taking up the cause of the slow-food movement was not fashionable at the time, yet Clydesdale’s impact at The Chip, as his eatery soon became universally known, was not only changing dining habits in the city but was also influencing the approach to food further afield.
There are many food pioneers who have left an indelible mark on Scottish cuisine, whether it’s Hilary and David Brown at La Potiniere, or Shirley Spear at the Three Chimneys. Clydesdale’s unpretentious and low-key blend of deliciously fresh food and culinary integrity certainly places him among that first rank.
Although Clydesdale established his culinary credentials in his original premises in Ruthven Lane, the restaurant became something that modern diners would recognise when The Chip moved across the Byres Road
into Ashton Lane and building which was originally the stables for an undertakers. It then expanded into the former factory of Barr and Stroud, pioneers in the manufacture of lenses and range-finders for the military, and into the chauffeur’s lodgings for Dr Marion Gilchrist, Scotland’s first female medical graduate.
It’s an ad hoc expansion that has produced a rambling series of rooms that contain a bar and brasserie, plus the flagship a la carte restaurant which occupies an eclectic, light-infused space that feels like a cobbled, covered courtyard replete with copious greenery. Although there’s no view, you get a sense of al fresco dining; it’s wonderfully informal, and a world away from the usual formula for top-end restaurants.
That unconventional approach extends to the food: it’s undeniably fine dining, but done in a down-to-earth fashion that emphasises the core message of freshness, localism and seasonality. There are no culinary clichés here, just vibrant dishes with inventive combinations of ingredients built around locally sourced meat and fish (with the notable exception of a curiously greasy amuse bouche of red pepper gazpacho).
Our starters encapsulated the Chip’s culinary credo, starting with a stunningly simple dish of wild halibut with squid, tomato tartare and basil which hit the spot perfectly. Arguably even better, though, was a pea velouté with crispy snail, ham, truffle and al dente peas, a classic that it would be difficult to better.
Our main courses were equally impressive. The guinea fowl breast with duck liver boudin, charred leek, pancetta, truffles and fresh peas was a delight, while t he crimson slices of pigeon that came with baked beets, bramble gel, vanilla and cocoa crumb were scarcely any less impressive.
We rounded off with a remarkably flavourpacked blueberry creme fraiche parfait with white chocolate ice cream and meringue, which produced mewls of pleasure from across the table. Less orgasmic was ‘The Chip’s Famous Caledonian ice cream’ with mixed berries, which was covered in oatmeal and remarkably creamy; but at least it had the benefit of novelty.
All of that was washed down with a nice of the house Viognier, one of the few bottles of wine under £20. That said, if you’re feeling even mildly strapped for cash you’d probably be better eating in the Chip’s brasserie, although the restaurant’s lunch and pre-theatre menu (available in the evenings on Sun-Friday until 6.30pm) is fantastic value at £17 for two courses or £21 for three.
But then eating at the Ubiquitous Chip isn’t about benchmarks or simply value for money; the place is unique and a meal there a memorable experience in itself.