CRABSHAKK 1114 Argyle Street, Glasgow Tel: 0141 334 6127, www.crabshakk.com Style: Laid-back, welcoming and cosy. Food: Mainly fishy fayre. Price: Around £50 for two with bottle of wine. Wheelchair access: Yes, but it is a bit cramped. It might be the Glasgow PR machine in overdrive, but Crabshakk is getting some hyped-up word of mouth lately. So much so, when I phoned to book a table for two for a Friday night (more than three days in advance, mind) I failed - and had to settle for an early evening Saturday option. As with the best-laid plans, at the last minute our table for two became a meal for four at the slightly cramped bar - but again phoning in advance the restaurant promised they would squeeze us in.

CRABSHAKK
1114 Argyle Street, Glasgow
Tel: 0141 334 6127,
www.crabshakk.com

Style: Laid-back, welcoming and cosy.
Food: Mainly fishy fayre.
Price: Around £50 for two with bottle of wine.
Wheelchair access: Yes, but it is a bit cramped.

It might be the Glasgow PR machine in overdrive, but Crabshakk is getting some hyped-up word of mouth lately. So much so, when I phoned to book a table for two for a Friday night (more than three days in advance, mind) I failed - and had to settle for an early evening Saturday option. As with the best-laid plans, at the last minute our table for two became a meal for four at the slightly cramped bar - but again phoning in advance the restaurant promised they would squeeze us in.

Arriving at the tiny and unassuming outpost at the west end of Argyle Street, I wondered where we were going to perch: the gloss-white bar area was already heaving, and I think we banished one of the Crabshakk's many waiting staff to a dimly-lit backroom to finish her break. But it was this laid-back attitude and collective cool-headedness that was to be one of the dining experience's many high points.

Perhaps a little too long was spent leaving us to our own devices before a drinks order was taken (it can hardly have been a case of out of sight, out of mind as we were practically sitting in the bar, not just at it) but an exquisitely welcome Tanqueray mellowed me, followed quickly by an ice-cold bottle of French Sauvignon Blanc when we were furnished with the Crabshakk menu, an exercise in rustic underplaying itself with its wholesome brown-paper finish.

As the vast majority of the menu is seafood-led, and leaning towards the crustacean family, we decided that sharing a selection of dishes would be the ideal way to try as many as our appetites would allow.

It's practically encouraged on the menu as they have small and large sizes on dishes such as mussels, scallops and more. You can choose from a number of crab options too: from crabcakes to claws, to the namesake whole brown crab itself.

Opting against mussels and langoustine (a tad more difficult to share) we settled for large scallops at £12.95 (without added anchovies), large crabcakes at £8.95 and two portions of squid tempura at £4.95 each (as they were all out of the roasted variety). Some bread and French fries from the sides menu and we thought that we were set.

The biggest wow factor certainly came when the, quite simply, huge scallops arrived; although sharing five scallops between four people proved to be the most troublesome moment of the meal. Served on a roasting hot cast-iron skillet, with a little bit of mischievous sparking oil, they vanished almost as soon as they were put down. Distinctive herbs added to the meaty flavour of the hand-dived gems.

The crabcakes were almost as tasty and a much rounder six were by far easier to share out. The crisp tempura had a sweetness that was offset by the tangy soy sauce and spring onions, while the rustic bread was wolfed down so they brought us another basket. The crispy French style fries were just OK however, and also got cold quite quickly.

Upon finishing our shared dishes, still propping up the bar, we all agreed that we could perhaps order another few dishes: it's testament to their tastiness that we ordered more scallops and crabcakes, and second time round they were just as tasty. More importantly, instead of being irked at having the same four bods at the bar, the staff started to jovially join in with our conversation - and as we were on the second bottle by that time, all credit to them, as we were probably verging into volume control territory.

Perhaps Crabshakk's not the best option for a romantic meal for two (although one of our group had been there earlier in the week for her anniversary dinner) and some tables took rustic to a new level (the table we were initially supposed to have was basically a piece of bark at which the two of us would've perched next to each other) but the very friendly atmosphere lends itself to reading the papers with a piping bowl of cullen skink as much as a girlie catch-up on a Saturday night.

Other dishes on the menu that will have to be attempted in the future include the whopping fruits de mer for two at £48 and the more credit-crunching fish club sandwich at £8.95. The battered fish with chunky chips at £9.95 also looked a mean meal and the oysters alone were probably worth a fishy return to Finnieston ... Just remember to book ahead.