Byzantium Restaurant
Food in Scotland
Byzantium Restaurant
Hawkhill
Dundee
01382 228866
According to the menu The Byzantium Restaurant specialises in "Italian and modern Mediterranean cooking" and when you step inside you can immediately see the effort that has been made to try and create a little bit of the Med in Scotland.
Although the restaurant is in a rather unattractive modern building once you are through the doors the Mediterranean feel takes over and with jugs of sangria a speciality diners can imagine they are still enjoying their summer holidays.
The restaurant is roomy and light with swathes of voile and white plaster walls complete with depictions of the ancient Greeks and Romans, their Gods and centurions, in plaster reliefs all around the simple wooden tables and chairs.
To start with I chose the falafel (�3.50) made from chickpeas served with salad and light yoghurt dressing and my partner went for the cozze alla romana (�4.95) mussels in tomato, basil and garlic.
The falafel was lovely and crisp on the outside with just enough spice to make it interesting and the salad and yoghurt dressing conspired to make the perfect accompaniment. My partner found the mussels fresh and very tasty and importantly not swimming in sauce.
The main course choice was extensive with chicken, fish, pasta and steaks to choose from as well as around six different dishes, including moussaka, for vegetarians.
Swordfish steak topped with prawns in a white wine and garlic sauce served with rice and vegetables (�10.95) was my choice while my partner opted for Byzantium chicken (�8.95), marinated chicken in ginger, tomato and garlic served with rice and salad.
Both of us were delighted with our choices our meals being full of flavour and freshness the lightly cooked baby vegetables served with the swordfish adding a crunchy edge and the plentiful marinated chicken pieces having taken on all the flavour of the ginger and tomato.
So thrilled were we with our main courses we couldn't help ourselves when the waiter offered us the dessert menu and to finish we ordered up the sfoglia di pere (�3.95), pears in a soft pastry case and tartufo bianco (�3.50), profiteroles filled with cream and coated in chocolate.
The profiteroles were gorgeous with lots of fresh cream inside and a lovely chocolate cream coating too but good as they were there just was not enough room left for the whole plateful. The sfoglia di pere was also voted a success but once more there was just too much of it.
Rounding off with an espresso, cappuccino and Amaretto liqueur the evening was complete and with the fantastic food complemented with attentive and prompt service from the waiters the Byzantium is definitely on my list of places to go back again.
~ Lorraine Wakefield
(1/11/01)
