Ask EADith: The historical eatery exhortation
Got a food dilemma? Need a killer rec to seal the deal? Or just want the inside track on Glasgow and Edinburgh’s eating and drinking scene? Then why not ask EADith, our Eat & Drink team’s helpful agony aunt. This month, she goes quackers for a hostelry with history behind its name
Dear EADith,
I love to soak up some local history while dining out. Any recommendations for a Glasgow brunchy/lunchy spot to tickle my historical tastebuds?
HistoryLover1314
Dear HistoryLover1314,
Glasgow has plenty of spots for reminiscing about the past, but I think your taste for bygone tales will be well fed at Partick Duck Club. While this all-day diner has only been open since 2017, and isn’t based in a particularly old or noteworthy building (though it is in a rather fetching corner tenement), its name nods to a satisfying slice of local history.
The original Duck Club of Partick was formed in 1810 by city merchants and bankers who wanted to escape the smog of Glasgow by heading to the village of Partick and feasting on roasted duck and local ale. Meeting at the now long-gone tavern, The Bun & Yill House aka The Bunhouse, on nearby Old Dumbarton Road, they particularly enjoyed the area’s ducks, which grew big and tasty from eating the grain from the nearby Kelvinside mills. Oh, they quack me up, so they do.
Fast forward to the present, and the chaps running today’s Club certainly cannot be accused of knowing duck-all about top-notch brunches, having worked at nearby Zique’s for years. Two all-day menus cover brekkie/brunch and lunch/dinner so there’s none of that annoying ‘missing the brunch menu by five minutes’ fuss. Brunch covers everything from full fry-up and sourdough toppers to pancakes and eggs many ways.
Among comfort-leaning mains such as steak, schnitzel or indeed duck, the bread buns from Freedom Bakery are excellent: filled with breakfast items or the likes of beef and black pudding burger, hoisin duck and more. It’s impossible to visit without sampling the duck-fat fries; loaded with truffle mayo and parmesan, or honey mustard mayo and bacon, they’re as decadent as a banker’s breeches. Only inside tables are bookable, so get in early if you want to nest in one of the cute duck house booths outside, especially on weekends when crowds flap about on the brunch hunt.
Partick Duck Club, 27 Hyndland Street, Glasgow; average price for two courses £25.