Valaria - review by Cate Devine

Byres Road

When it first opened in 2023, patisserie Valaria in Glasgow’s foodie-forward Byres Road made its mark with its sweeter-than-sweet pistachio-green frontage, pastel pink hanging baskets and range of instagrammable cakes, bakes and pastries. It has since become the go-to cafe for the predominantly female cake-and-coffee Wendy (West Endy) set.

Now co-owned by Sabrina Simeone - sister of the previous owner Nico of the Six by Nico chain of restaurants - and her partner Scott Crossland, Valaria has launched its first-ever evening menu of small savoury dishes and loaded flatbreads plus sides and salads, all curated by Sabrina herself with her small brigade of three chefs in the cafe’s tiny kitchen.

Sabrina Simeone - sister of Nico

I was surprised to find her new menu truly striking in its range of global influences and flavours, with a lightness of touch and a pleasing hint of feminine creativity. The warm lamb kofta flat bread with mint yoghurt and pickled red chillies was a delight, the soft tasty lamb spiced with fresh red chillies and cooled by the yoghurt; a dish of barbecued courgettes with whipped salty Feta was drizzled with a delicious dressing of preserved lemon; and a plate of Tandoori roast carrots simply had to be tried out of sheer

curiosity. Served with labneh and coriander seed Dukkah it felt light and wholesome, the flavour of the carrots never overwhelmed. For me, though, the cool Crispy Duck Salad was the standout of the dishes we tried: on a base of crunchy Asian slaw was a generous helping of savoury pulled duck pieces topped with crispy noodles: a bowlful of texture and flavour that wasn’t too heavy. The meal was finished with a Signature Mousse of passionfruit and mango, layered with buttery crumble.

Small Plates

Other enticing plates, sadly not tried on my first visit, were salt-baked beetroots with goat's curd and candied walnut granola, Burrata smoked tomato fondue and N’duja arancini. I’ll go back for sure.

The wine licence is pending, yet Sabrina expects this to be soon, as she has already chosen some whose labels bear the names of her young children. Which just goes to show that, even with the addition of restaurant-style dishes, Valaria remains as sweet as ever.

* Valaria, 333 Byres Road, Glasgow G12 8UQ.

Open daily for all-day brunch from 9 am-4 pm, and the new evening menu is served from 5 pm - 10 pm daily. Walk-ins are welcome at all times and bookings are available online via https://valaria.co/