And so with much pacing and pausing and a-looking up and a-looking down, we eventually find the door amidst the blur of Central Station and take stairs spinning down to the bowels of the earth.

Nowadays this sort of jinks is what passes for good fun. We are going into a steak house; a type of restaurant that has exploded all over Glasgow recently and, in a few short months, become a byword - to me anyway - for overpriced mediocre mince. And that's the better ones. Add to this the fact we are eating in a railway station and if anyone has been mad enough to eat in a Scottish mainline station since the war (the first one) they will get where I am coming from. Dread is the word.

Anyway, we are now in a cavern, painted in white, bright lights, neon blue strip lights everywhere, a hint of black bordering. If you are thinking tan salon it is much nicer than that. It is surprisingly busy. We are met efficiently - too efficiently - rather than warmly and whisked through to a table where various staff buzz up to the table and interrupt at least five times in so many minutes to ask what we want even though we are nowhere near ready. Groan. This I am tempted to put down as extremely annoying table turning until I see the electronic sign with the train times on it on the back wall. I remind myself again this is a railway station, there are trains leaving overhead, speed could be of the essence and it is me that is being extremely annoying, though nobody here looks like they have popped in for a £27 dry-aged fillet whilst awaiting the 19.45 to Cathcart.

There is a couple at the table next to us, groups of women in a long table over there, a kind of night out in the city feel to it. It is also noisy, as the chat reverberates from the walls. When the starters arrive both Leo and I look at them and burst out laughing. They are beautifully presented, but on black dishes so large they look like ridiculously small portions for £6. It is only when I have tasted Leo's croquette, cut through its crisp breadcrumb shell, felt the blast of that Roquefort cheese with nuggets of beef and actually finished every single bit of my moist, sweet, ham hock roulade including scraping up the cauliflower puree and eating those quartered pickled beetroots that I realise my first impressions were wrong. OK, Leo's take on the croquette is that it is too palmetto but we are not asking him tonight.

I ordered the mixed grill and waved its sausage on the end of my fork (classy) as I polished it off. I tell Leo it is a very good sausage, while simultaneously thinking "too good to share, mate".

A pork chop goes the same way. Steak, too. I am pondering why this has been such pleasant eating when I realise it is simply because everything was seasoned superbly, it may even have been brined. It is amazing how a bold chef with a good touch can transform a dish by using salt properly. Sometimes that is the main difference between Michelin-starred chefs, though do not tell them that.

Anyway, there is a huge roasted bone on the plate. Filled with marrow, you either like this or don't. I am ho-hum but it adds to the setting. The dry aged rib eye is seared, served red in the centre as requested, seasoned and good.

The side of mac 'n' cheese I ordered on a whim is so sensational I immediately order another one. And eat it. If your local burger joint serves their mac 'n' cheese in a block send them round here. Made with cauliflower puree and cream - and full of cheese bite - it is possibly the best I have ever tasted.

To finish there is a pear crumble thing with a nicely poached pear, badly let down by crumble that looks like it came from one of those yoghurt corner pots. But by then? It does not matter. We are won over. At last, a good steak house.

Alston Bar & Beef

Central Station, 79 Gordon Street, Glasgow (0141 221 7627)

Menu

Steaks, though who doesn't sell 'em these days? Carnivore grill house with a light touch that elevates it. Nice gins. 4/5

Atmosphere

In a prettily painted cave under Glasgow's Central Station, there is a bit of neon light action. Noisy but it definitely has a buzz. 4/5

Service

A bit hyperactive and there is a feeling you are getting jostled along, but generally settled down to be pleasant and efficient. 4/5

Price

Starters at £6 seem expensive, but they were very well put together. Mixed grill £20; steaks from £17 to £30. Average. 3/5

Food

The meat dishes were prepared with such superb seasoning that their vague sourcing was overcome. Good, bold flavours. 8/10

TOTAL 23/30