Isleña

We had dinner here on Wednesday night and for part of the evening were the only people in the place which was sad to see. Maybe the horrific weather had put people off. I’d been here before when it was Central Market, and it’s now owned by the people who own Boudoir.
It’s a nice looking place — not all that different from Central Market and would be absolutely beautiful on a sunny day. We were seated in back corner which was a little strange but it wasn’t a big issue. I ordered the sardines with tomato & olive salsa and the Spanish crepes with spinach and Manchego. We also got the croquettes (chicken & tarragon) to share and a side salad (leftover salad).
The sardines were served as whole fish on the bone. Now, I’m not overly fussy but I would have preferred that this was mentioned on the menu or by the waitress as I probably wouldn’t have ordered it. I find that I just loose too much fish to boney-​ness. Of what I ate, the sardine was lovely, a nice crispy outer and a generous portion.
For main, the crêpe was very nice — cut into three portions and stuffed full of spinach. I thought the amount of Manchego was a little stingy and the flavour didn’t really come through. The side salad (leftover salad) was seriously overpriced at £4 (especially as it’s just kitchen leftovers!) so I wasn’t very impressed with that. The croquettes were lovely — I added these to our order after the starter as I was worried I’d be hungry still seeing as I hadn’t had much of the sardine. I’m glad I did as they were just lovely and the tarragon was an interesting twist.
Service was lovely and we were well looked after. I did think the bill was a little steep but I did enjoy myself and I’d definitely head back.
Note: pre theatre menu has two courses for £12 or £15 with a glass of wine.

We ended up here by accident, as the place we were supposed to go to had lost our booking. I had never been here, and fate seemingly stepped in to make sure I gave it a go!
In terms of décor, not a great deal has changed since the time this spot was the Central Market. The ground floor is dominated by a bar/​kitchen area, with tables along the sides, with more seating on a mezzanine floor. It’s a pretty nice place to spend some time, especially if the weather is good. The staff were also nice and friendly, and attentive without being intrusive.
As you would suspect with the name, the food has a Mediterranean influence. There is a good sized menu and a number of specials on offer. We went for the 5pm deal (strange to hear a pre theatre deal called a 5pm deal!), which limits you to 3 choices per course, but does come in at a pretty reasonable £12 for 2 courses, with a glass of wine costing you an extra £3. While there isn’t a huge amount of variety, I managed to pick some great dishes, and got a good meal out of it. Unfortunately I don’t have the menu to hand, so I can’t remember my dishes exactly!
By far the stand out was my chicken main — the portion was huge for a start, with 2 great big chunks of chicken in a lovely sauce. The starter was also pretty good, a shredded pork salad which was probably the best thing on offer on the starter list (Bri got the sardines, which were 2 big sardines with the head on and everything, which would have freaked me out had I not known!). Everything comes with a healthy amount of greenery, although my one criticism is that this was possibly covered in too much oil.
I’m glad fate stepped in and made me give it a go. If you’re happy to deal with the limited choice the pre-​theatre deal is good value, and if the weather is nice it’s definitely a good place to spend some time. It’s probably not going to top anyone’s best restaurant in Glasgow list, but it would quite comfortably sit on someone’s regular haunt rota, especially if they lived in the area.

Sorry to see Central Market go, but Islena certainly did not disappoint. Boasting beautiful leafy décor, fairy lights, private dining area, a mezzanine level and many corners for quiet drinks, the atmosphere is quietly laid back and very relaxing, perfect for a mid week dinner and drinks.
Choosing from the small plates section of the menu, everyone in our party chose three dishes each, any less I don’t think would be filling enough. On average 3 dishes per person cost around £15. I ordered the chorizo, breaded manchego and salted pulled pork bruscetta. It couldn’t be faulted. In fact, the portions were so generous I couldn’t finish them all — much to my disappointment as they were all moreish.
Slightly let down by the dessert. We chose to share the brioche donuts with chocolate which sounded delicious, but the chocolate tasted a little sour, and the portion was very small, so best not to share!
Although the bill came at quite a bit higher than expected (we had to tell the waitress exactly which items were wrongly charged), she was very apologetic and fixed the problem swiftly. Service in general was super friendly and very attentive.
Overall loved the good food and service. Perhaps slightly too expensive for a casual outing, but I will certainly be back for a special occasion.

A new Spanish restaurant has appeared where the Central Market used to be, it looks more or less the same but the food is just a little bit different. We went for the tapas option. Oysters with lemon and tabasco to start, followed by meatballs with prawn and peas, chorizo picante in cider, and tuna tartare for me.
Great, friendly service right from the get go. The oysters were fresh and just a little briony… sorry briney, but tasty and firm. The meatballs were the tastiest I can remember having, pretty much negating the need for the teeny prawns and peas to be honest, didn’t really get that. I really liked the chorizo as well, it tasted of good quality and was a great soaker-​upper of cider, even better than me. The tuna and avocado was nice and light too… oh and strangely I got a free beef carpaccio, am I complaining no. It was quite thickly cut, more than I would like, but there was lots of it and it came with some leaves.
Good value then, summery and light dishes, and just a little bit unique without being scary.

In the spot were Central Market once stood is a new modern Spanish place called Islena. It’s still the same lay out but brighter and airier with turquoise and white décor. Quite Balearic feeling, with minimal house music, could have been Ibiza… although it was pouring outside
The menu is a mix of small and big plates (photo attached) and daily specials. Our group of 4 decided to order a mix of small plates and some big ones to share, about 8 dishes in total. I’m not drinking just now but the wine list was extensive and the rest of my crew liked their wine choices.
Service was fine and the food was pretty good. Didn’t have my phone on me to take pics but the dishes were tasty and not your usual tapas. Really fresh and healthy tasting. I especially loved the squid with black pudding and a pork special on bread. topped off with mini doughnuts and sorbet.
I never had to pay this time :) so not sure what the bill was but don’t think it could have been that much. I quite liked central market so glad that another good restaurant has taken its place. Will be back, and would like to try the breakfast menu which looked good too.