restaurant-reviews – LENNOX EATS

An exciting new bar and restaurant has arrived in Dundee’s Perth Road, offering us locals an elevated gastro style dining experience, alongside finely crafted cocktails and beers. The Maker is situated across the road from Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design, with an almost Scandinavian feeling refurbishment the art students would be proud of. Pastel colours alongside modern lighting, clashes in a unique, strangely harmonious way with the building’s original classic Victorian cornicing (which The Maker owner, Chris, explained to me they had found boarded up and hidden away while doing the renovation… what a sin it was to hide such stunning architecture).

Owned by Dundee’s independent “engineers of beers”, this is 71 Brewing’s newest venture. Just two weeks after opening, we were invited to try out their food and cocktail menus.

The Cocktails

Let’s start, like we always do, with cocktails. Considering their Spritz Menu princes range from just £4.50 – £6.50 and their cocktails are all under £10, this price point is pretty damn good.

I opted for their Tropical Martini, a gin based mix with lots of bitter tones, as my first drink. Topped with a unique dill oil, I felt rather posh sipping on this. The martini was a little strong for Dominic, who enjoyed their Pornstar Sour, a fresh and citrus cocktail made with vanilla vodka, passion fruit, fizz and egg whites.

We also tried their alcohol-free Sangria after the meal, which was fruity, sweet and delicious. And finally a Bellini from their extensive Spritz Menu; a subtle and tasty mix of the classic peach and fizz. A lovely finish to the meal when you’ve eaten so much that a dessert is completely out of the question…

The Food

Which brings us nicely onto their food. Being such a lover of recommendations, surprises and tasting menus, one of my favourite things to do on an invite is to ask them to simply bring us their favourites – what dishes are the stars of the menu, what does the chef recommend? Hell, I unapologetically want the best of the best. And boy, did they deliver!

Although void of any cooking, I have to mention their olives. They were quite literally some of the best I’ve ever had. Huge, firm and perfectly balanced in their briny bitterness, these were topped with dried herbs and chili flakes. £4 for this wee pot might seem a little steep, but genuinely it’s not.

They then brought out their pretzel sticks, which came with an unctuous, oozy cheddar and beer fondue at the side. While the fondue was one of the more delicious cheese sauces I’ve had, mainly because of the subtle aftertaste of hops from the beer; I was heartbroken that the pretzels were missing the quintessential chunks of salt that I look forward to most. Perfect for those on a low sodium diet, but devastating for those of you with a slight salt addiction like myself. Taking into consideration these are just £5 though, I can’t complain. The little pot of macaroni cheese seemed to be, rather cleverly, made from that same fondue style cheese and beer sauce that comes with the pretzels, making it rich and decedent – again only £5 for this pot of pleasure.

Our fourth, and very welcomed, small plate was their halloumi fries, the classic 2018 crowd pleaser. But The Maker’s twist on these? A delicious Irn Bru chutney on the side for dipping these crispy, salty, delightful chunks of halloumi into – perfection. £7.50 feels a little steep for “some cheese and chutney” but this is a must try for any Irn Bru fans.

📷 The mix of small plates we shared, alongside our first cocktails.

When they brought us their “Cola BBQ Pork Belly”, I must admit, I was worried. It looked fantastic, chargrilled and vibrant, but the food snob within me cried “Cola? Really?”.

Well, I’m happy to report that I was wrong; this was my dish of the day. Poor Dominic barely got to try a mouthful of this incredible plate of food. The pork is sous vide, making it fall apart tender and soft, then finished on the grill to give it a smoky, barbecue finish pairing nicely with the sweetness of the Cola. Served with a beautiful corn puree, gnarly grilled broccoli and charred corn, all for a reasonable £14.

The second main we shared was their Chicken Gyros which will set you back £15. A thick and fluffy flatbread, topped with herby, impressively soft pieces of chicken, alongside tzatziki and salad. This was a fresh tasting dish if it weren’t for the side of fries it’s served with would be incredibly light.

📷Cola BBQ pork belly with corn salsa, charred corn and broccoli.

Another huge bonus to note is the food was piping hot, something I really appreciate when dining out – there’ nothing worse than lukewarm plates of food. None of that here!

The Atmosphere

The Maker has a friendly, relaxed atmosphere, the kind of restaurant and bar you can dress casually for lunch, while having some delicious food and drinks. Although we visited during the day, I can see this being a really nice date night spot too – when you don’t want to dress to the nines but appreciate good food. The team behind The Maker are strikingly friendly, welcoming and we genuinely had a great laugh with them throughout our visit.

The Verdict

The Maker feels like one of those places you’ll default to on a weekend, to have some drinks and treating yourself to some tasty nibbles with friends. The team have successfully elevated your typical gastro pub food, with unique and delicious twists on some classic dishes, all wrapped up in a nice “chill out” setting.

We also noticed they have a great range of gluten free options on their menus, as well as catering for vegetarians and vegans.

Their diverse range of cocktails – and of course their craft beers – gives everyone something they’ll love. What a great addition to Dundee’s ever growing food scene.

Service 5/5
Cocktails 4/5
Food 4/5
Atmosphere 4/5
Value for Money 4/5

Overall Rating 21/25