Wild Cabaret

Service and food was awful, was at comedy night which saved it a little, wont be back in a hurry

Celebrating Hogmanay in Scotland and wanted to do something fun, a friend suggested to go check out a James Bond Themed burlesque show at Wild Cabaret, didn’t know what I was getting into, but was excited to go!
Our reservations were for 8:30pm, because it was for dinner and a show, for that night we had a 5 course meal, it was canapés with Champagne, French onion soup with gruyère croûton, salmon tartar, roast fillet of Aberdeen Angus Beef with slow roasted tomatoes, Portobello mushroom, onion ring stack, red wine sauce & béarnaise, Baked Alaska, and ended with a cheese board.
The meal was delish, and really for being 5 courses, the severing sizes of everything was more than I expected, I had a nice size of the Aberdeen Beef, maybe almost a solid 8 ounces. Everything was prepared perfectly and had great flavor, this was an excellent 5 course meal!
The show, oh my gosh, let’s just say I LOVED IT!!! it started around 9ish, and went all the way to Midnight, there was acrobats, sword swallowing, fire eating, can caning fun to be had! And that’s just bits of the show, it was live singing too, every performer is talented in their skill! I really couldn’t think of any other way of ending 2015 and bringing in 2016, this was such a treat!
So if you are looking for a fun night, stop by Wild Cabaret and give it a go!

I’ve always wanted to try Wild Cabaret as I’d heard good things. I like a different night out and this sounded like fun. I was lucky enough to be my friends plus one, so didn’t need to pay so even better.
We arrived and we were escorted to one of the big plush booths. As we were on the guest list we did not eat, so I can’t comment on this. The décor is decadent and very cabaret. Lots of gold, black and leopard print.
There is a stage in the middle with all the tables round it. There is table service, this adds to the glamor and makes you feel special. We ordered drinks that came quickly and the staff were all helpful and friendly.
We arrived just in time for the entertainment, every week is different so it does vary. A few of the folk I was with tonight have been before and said that the line up tonight was especially good.
The entertainment consisted of gymnasts, a guy using silks, a mind reader, sword swallower (was great but made me feel uneasy), can can dancers, burlesque, a singer (who we joined on stage for a dance at the end) a hula hoop girl, but my highlight was JC a guy who dresses up like Jesus and dances (it really needs to be seen, to fully get it) the compare was also hilarious and kept everything running smoothly.
I really enjoyed the night and will be back. Highly recommended.

Went here last night with a friend for the cabaret the show and meal deal and it was a fab night. Had been before with the Unilocal gang an loved it and missed another night with friends a few months ago so would really looking forward to last night. The food was tasty and good size portions, service last night was excellent. They couldn’t find our booking but it wasn’t an issue for them at all and we even got to pick our seats :). The cabaret acts are good, we had about 5 different performances from sword swallowing to a very talented hola hoop lady. I will definitely be back and can’t wait to take family and friends as they will love it. A complete alternative to a standard dinner or night out in Glasgow.

I have been to a couple of the big shows at wild cabaret and also some of the one off performances they have on a Sunday night. All the performers have been fantastic and have impressed a wide age range as I have frequented wild cabaret with both parents and friends.
The food is delicious and cocktails are delightful. If you are looking for something a bit different and are prepared to be entertained then this is your place!

It’s not every day you get dinner and a show at the same time. Usually it’s dinner before a show, or after, but at Wild Cabaret in Merchant City, you are literally surrounded by acrobats, show girls and cabaret hosts as you tuck in to your meal.
I don’t think this is a place that’s for everyone, it’s very much a marmite situation, you’ll either love it or hate it and I LOVED it. From having a microphone stuck in my face and told I had no tune, to watching Jesus strip, every part of it was silly, fun and interactive.
Before the show started though, we had time to order drinks and peruse the menu. We were escorted to our seats, which were two sitting opposite each other at the end of a long table which sat around 10 people. Not very private, but that was part of the whole experience and didn’t really phase us. The décor inside the Wild Cabaret is truly stunning and really gave you that first initial cabaret feeling. The main colour scheme was black & gold, with large leopard murals and amazing bowler hat lights. I should point out that, although I brought my actual camera with me so I could capture the evening, the battery died almost immediately and I had to use my phone, so I can only apologise for the quality of the photos.
We had originally been told we were booking the Christmas menu and asked to place a 50% deposit of £55 which I thought was pretty steep, and on arrival, we were given the normal menu and told the Christmas one wasn’t available until after next week. This was a little disappointing, but the evening menu was very similar so we ordered some wine and debated over what to eat.
Looking at the starters available on the menu, I decided to just go right out of my comfort zone and order the scallops. I don’t usually eat seafood but I always think scallops look so tasty and elegant, plus they came with haggis AND black pudding. I’m not really sure what possessed me to make this decision; I guess none of the other starters really appealed to me!
The show began just as our starters arrived. We were introduced to our host, Des, and our first act, a woman who could do some serious hoola-​hooping. As a first taste of the show to come, I was pretty impressed and the host was great at getting the crowd excited.
My starter, the scallops, was, and I can’t quite believe I’m saying this, delicious. The scallops had a lovely caramelized top and perfect texture, without the fishy aftertaste. They went perfectly with the wedge of black pudding and the little haggis fritter. By this point I was beaming with delight — I was ready for my next course and for the show to go on!
I cheated a little bit with my main course and ordered a sirloin steak, again I think because I wasn’t overly excited by any of the house mains. When our steaks arrived, I ended up with Sam’s fillet. Before he noticed this though, he poured the peppercorn sauce all over my sirloin, something I never do. I got over it and we switched steaks, both of which were cooked perfectly to order. I had asked for mine medium-​rare, which a lot of the time isn’t done quite right, but this steak was exactly right, and already had the fat removed which I really appreciated. It was really flavoursome and the peppercorn sauce was fiery, creamy and tasty, except for a faint earthy taste I couldn’t put my finger on.
For my dessert, I chose the Pear Tart Tatin, which came with little chunks of fresh pear, a pastry tuile, fresh cream, caramel sauce, and a flavour of ice cream I don’t remember because at this point we were well into our second bottle of wine. I think it was vanilla. Although my photos don’t do it justice, it was a really great dessert — the pear was caramelized and warm, the pastry crisp and flaky — paired with fresh pear and cold ice cream, what’s not to love?
Throughout the course of the show we saw a man swallow razors and swords, a mind reader, the can-​can, aerial acrobatics, singers, a Glaswegian parody on burlesque and a stripping Jesus. It was so camp, so shocking, so silly and SO. MUCH. FUN. Sam and I spent the entire evening gasping and laughing at the acts, complementing the food and talking about all the people we knew that would love it. We both can’t wait to go back, but I think it might be better enjoyed with another couple or with a group of friends because it’s really a shared experience.
Our bill was not cheap — although the set menu cost around £32.50 for three courses, there was a supplement for our steaks, we ordered 2 bottles of wine, and treated ourselves to a glass of champers each with our desserts. It can be done on a budget, we amped up the price on the drinks, and it is entirely worth the price as you have the table (if you want it) until 3am, with the cabaret finishing around 12am.

I found a voucher to the Wicked Lounge that offered a three course lunch and a cabaret show for two for £25. Until I found the voucher, I assumed that this place was a 50+ night club, because I always see elderly people, dressed in fancy clothes, smoking outside the venue. My flatmate and I bought the voucher, but didn’t quite know what to expect apart from something different. It sure was different. The actual show was a lot of fun. I’ve never experienced anything like it. The food was absolutely amazing and of very high quality. Although the waitering was friendly, it was a bit unorganized.
I’ll definitely recommend going, as this place secures an interesting and fun time!

My friends and I attended one of the Christmas nights. A 3 course dinner and show for £45. The food was delicious and the show was hilarious and entertaining. The reason I’ve given 4 stars instead of 5 is the price of drinks. At £12.10 for a large glass of wine it’s definitely at the expensive end of the scale.
That being said, I’d give Wild Cabaret another go!

Gorgeous venue. Delightful afternoon tea. Amazing choice of wines and cocktails. Very plush interior

I purchased a voucher from itison and I’ll be honest I was expecting it to be like other places I have used a voucher for where you get the meal etc but none of the trimmings ie not free olives and bread etc so I was pleasantly surprised to receive a lovely glass of fizz on arrival and it was in a vintage style champagne glass. I brought my mum as a wee treat and she really enjoyed it.
The voucher was for afternoon tea and not long after we had been given our fizz we were given a lovely stand of cakes and sandwiches. The sandwiches were delicate wee finger sandwiches and there was 4 each, they were delicious but we bot would have liked maybe 6 sandwiches and a bit less cake. There was egg mayo, ham and pickle and cheese and smoked salmon, all of them were delicious. The highlight of the cakes for us was the scone which was still just warm from the oven, it was a bloody good scone! Light and fluffy and melt in the mouth with clotted cream and raspberry jam. There were so many cakes that we shared the rest so we could have a taste of everything. Everything appeared to have been home made on the premises and it was all delicious.
There was a singer on and he was singing American swing, my. Mum loved it and was just dying to get up and dance. He was really good, the atmosphere was lovely and the staff were just fabulous, really good! We will definitely be popping in again soon, and highly recommend the afternoon tea. I really want to go for dinner and a show next

This is a tricky review for me to write because I’ve been to two Unilocal events at Wild Cabaret. Unilocal events will always be fantastic; it’s the people that truly make the night. But, sadly, I haven’t been impressed with Wild Cabaret as a venue on either occasion.
The food offerings are just not calling me back. Unilocal events are, for businesses, a chance to show Glasgow foodies what they are all about. I remember Papercup and how we all drooled over their french toast, planning our next visit; boy, did we want to come back soon. Or Three Sister’s Bake and their heaven-​sent platter which we devoured in record speed. Tasty, tasty stuff.
So in relation to other Glasgow businesses I do feel that Wild Cabaret pales a little in comparison. Don’t get me wrong, it is beautiful; stunning and with décor entirely devoted to the Cabaret theme. — But, to me, it has struck me as a little style over substance.
We’d wanted to play as a band for some time and, whilst it was fun to play, we did encounter some difficulties. We couldn’t hear ourselves too well over the dancing happy folks. We had asked for a little more of bass and vocals, etc. in some of the monitors but it wasn’t long till we realised that it wasn’t going to happen; the person on the sound desk didn’t know how to use them. The sound person even left the desk for a song or two at some point. We’re a small band so we did manage but I imagine for a larger band, it would cause problems as they’d need to hear a mix of the full band.
I’ve walked by a few times to hear a guitarist play pop covers. There’s nothing wrong with pop songs but I’d really love to see Wild Cabaret have more interesting swing, jazz and big band acts. When I hear ’ Wild Cabaret’ I think of a retro underground speakeasy vibe with matching tunes. I’ve seen that WC host open mic nights appealing to musicians with an interest in playing there, which is a really great way to showcase local talent and give musicians the chance of a paid gig. — Living outside of Glasgow, we had contacted them a few times as we felt our music would be well suited to the venue but there seemed to be some miss-​communication each time despite the fact they genuinely seemed interested in having us play.
I’m really sorry, Wild Cabaret. I hope I come back and that you can prove me wrong.

I’ve been here once before — for dinner — and the food was amazing. This time I decided to head in here during the Merchant City Festical and wanted to sample the «Wicked Lounge» for a few beverages.
It’s a really stylised place and gives the impression of a the prohibition era but the grey shiny swathes of material all over the place and black tables make it look a little too dark and moody for my tastes.
The service — for me, anyway — felt really attentive but I know my friends were overlooked at the bar by a couple of members of staff which they weren’t too keen about.
This isn’t the cheapest place to have a couple of drinks — three of us there, and £17 a round meant we didn’t hang about very long but we got a seat during the bustling Merchany City Festival which made up for spending that wee bit more cash.
There wasn’t any entertainment on when we were there, so I’ll definitely be back to sample some of that — and maybe that’ll bump it up a star or two.

So, for anyone that reads my reviews regularly you may notice a trend… in that I LOVE an Itison deal. Or any bargain really. And our afternoon tea at Wild Cabaret, a fairly recent addition to Merchant City, showed that lower prices don’t have to mean lower quality.
At £14 for 2 people, our Sparkling afternoon tea was a delight. Being a quiet afternoon we had our choice of seats in the luxuriantly decorated bar area, a wonderfully comfortable venue for afternoon tea. We were offered water on arrival (charged separately), and was told our bubbly would be with us promptly. As 2 delicate, brimming champagne glasses were placed on our table we were given the tea menu (as in the drink) to peruse while we waited on our platter.
Tea (the meal) was three tiers of sandwiches and cakes, which were fresh, tasty, and abundant in size and quantity. My first of only 2 negatives was that the egg and cress sandwich seemed to be more like mayonnaise sandwich, with the egg making a brief guest appearance. The ham and tomato was bursting with flavour, and the cakes were expectantly, sugarifically sickening. To wash them down I chose a refreshing lavender and fruit tea, which, although not in the voucher deal, was included with the afternoon tea.
The final, and second of only two negatives, was that were not allowed to take out leftover cakes, which we physically could not fit in our already swollen tummys, reason being, we were told, was it was in case we get sick. I take that point if you’re taking a doggy bag of previously cooked food, which you plan to reheat, but how much danger could a scone or Empire a biscuit pose?
Regardless, the food was epic, the setting delightful, and the staff (the single waitress) was outstanding. My friend and I are already planning our next visit!

Event: Spontaneous Friday night drinks
Pros:
–Big venue
–Licensed until late
Cons:
–Absolutely appalled by a Hitler-​inspired cabaret act. Certainly not funny enough to be a parody and «Frank Si-​nazi» took himself very seriously, despite calls to stop from German audience members.
Disgusting. Won’t be back.
Sum: Trust the Nazis to ruin everything

Come to the Wild Cabaret. Chef James H manages to combine fine scottish fare with beautiful presentation and there’s live music as well; what a find.

We decided to visit here on Friday night on a total whim and booked online the night before — we were able to nab a table for 6.15 and spotted an offer for their sharing plates menu, three dishes for just £12. Good deal!
We were shown to our table by the stage — it was pretty quiet at this time of the night but the bookings are staggered (obviously to make it easier on the kitchen) and by the time we left I think it was totally full or very close. This place is super glam — lovely soft velvet chairs, lots of shiny, sparkly lights and super dolled up/​slick staff. This is definitely somewhere to dress up for.
We looked at both menus (there is also a set 2 course option with a glass of wine for £24.50) but decided to go with the sharing plates as there was a couple of things I fancied. I ordered the wild mushroom and truffle sausage roll with piccalilli, fish supper (haddock with rosemary chips) and the smoked salmon. Graeme and I ended up sharing our dishes though so I also got to try the charcuterie and the cheese on toast.
For me, the real highlights were the sausage roll (I know, I wasn’t expecting that) and the blue cheese on toast. Oh, and the chips with the fish supper. And the fish. And the salmon. To be honest, everything was a very, very high standard and I was delighted at how good it all was. I tried not to eat too much of the cheese on toast but it was pretty much my dream dish — cashel blue & Seggie Porter rarebit — it was so rich, so blue and so heavenly. The sausage roll was delicious and went so well with the piccalilli (surely one of the best foods on earth). Super crispy chips and lovely moist fish.
Service was very attentive and friendly and couldn’t be faulted. My one small gripe on the night was that despite the place being nearly empty at the time, a table was seated directly in front of our view of the stage. This wasn’t really a problem though as I could see by them, it just seemed strange in such a quiet place.
Entertainment was fabulous — we couldn’t stay on for the main act but were entertained by a swing trio with a wonderful singer who had good banter and provided some wonderful music. To be able to go for a night out in Glasgow that cost around £40 and be entertained in a gorgeous place like this was pretty special and we spent most of the weekend raving about it. I can’t wait to try the set menu knowing the standards of the food on the sharing platter. A very impressive place indeed.

At last, something different in Glasgow! A new opening that isn’t a burger bar! Woo Hoo!
If you’re looking for something different of an evening, or if there is a bunch of you then this is a really good experience. My initial fear was that this would be like Jongleurs: everyone stuck in big long tables, fed pretty poor food and forced to watch entertainment of variable quality.
Luckily, this really isn’t the case. There are tables for all sizes, and some good sized booths, and the main cabaret hall looks lovely. Everything has that nice shiny look to it, and the staff were all really friendly. Also, the food was great. We had stuff off the sharing platters menu and it was all good: nice charcuterie, a pretty solid fish and chips, good smoked salmon, and a really good sausage roll. We had 3 things each and that was a good amount of food, and gave us enough space for a cheesecake between the two of us.
We didn’t stay for the main cabaret act, but what we saw was great; good enough to keep your attention but not so obtrusive that you couldn’t have a conversation.
It’s also great value. We were about £40 for both of us, which included our food, a couple of alcoholic drinks and a couple of softies.
I really enjoyed this. I think every now and then it would be good to go along and see what was on and have a really enjoyable night. I can’t think of anywhere in Glasgow like it, and that’s a good thing. I will have to check out the bar as well at some point.

I’m always glad to see something new open up in Glasgow and so when my partner suggested we try this place out I quickly Unilocal’d it and found it’s only been open a month and to go good reviews!
Cabaret can be hit or miss but it was a Thursday evening so why the hell not!
There are two parts to the venue, the main cabaret stage and dining area — laid out like you’d imagine a Las Vegas show to be (on a slightly smaller scale admittedly) it must seat almost 250 people — and a lounge bar which had a band playing some old dancehall classics.
We were greeted fairly promptly on arrival, although there wasn’t anyone front of house which was a bit disconcerting as it looks a little like a hotel reception (more on that later), and taken into the large dining hall to our table for two, right near the stage!
Two guitarists were on stage, and seeing us arrive they asked for a request for the next song. They were good, with a good line in banter to keep things moving along.
Our orders were taken promptly, although there was a little wait to get our drinks (more on that later too) and we settled back to listen to the music. It wasn’t overly loud either.
The menu looks great, and we opted for some sharing plates. The Charcuterie, smoked salmon, cheese on toast (with rich blue cheese), some pomme frites, amongst others, all arrived quickly and what a feast!
It’s obvious they use good ingredients as each plate, no matter how different, was delicious. We shared each and were soon stuffed to the gills, just in time for the first of four comedians to come on stage to entertain us!
Each act was great, including one very droll skeleton (I won’t spoil it in case he’s there again) and had the small audience (and the staff) laughing along.
So, good friendly service, great food (I spotted the fillet steak being served, that’ll be my choice next time!) and some great entertainment! Not much to complain about!
And in truth, there wasn’t. The only downside was that, in a massive space, there were only four customers, my partner and I and, thankfully as they arrived after us, another couple. It made for a slightly surreal evening so kudos to the performers for going with it, it certainly didn’t spoil the night.
We were told that Friday and Saturdays it’s much much busier, and I’ve already mentioned it to some people I work with as a potential venue for a company night out. I really hope it picks up a little more for them or I fear they’ll end up only opening at the weekend, which is a shame.
It’s a great venue to have in Glasgow, something different is always good, but unless they drum up more business I fear for the future. I’d urge you go along (maybe at the weekend for now) and check it out!

We used to live in the Merchant City, you wouldn’t know it though when we walked right past Candleriggs. Who moved that building? Well anyway we quickly backtracked and found ourselves in the Wild Lounge. It would have felt a bit like a hangar, except for a strategically placed, giant voile curtain. Bright and shiny with ginormous sofas and all the staff in their period waiting gear, it all makes you feel a wee bit out of place as you sit in your jeans, tee and slightly grubby parka, waiting for your table in the adjoining — probably even nicer — cabaret room.
Wild Lounge hosts it’s events too and is a great venue in its own right. Before dinner we were entertained by an excellent songstress with surprising guitar and even more surprising kazoo talents! Apparently Wild Cabaret auditioned for days to ensure the quality of the acts.
Post kazoo we got led to our table, right at the front next to the stage. The cabaret room is a very decent size, I’d guess a hundred covers or so, and has a small raised stage for the performers. Our waitress was certainly really eager to be of help. We ordered Hand-​dived Scallops (what else!) with Haggis, Cauliflower and Apple to start, Loch Duart Salmon with Langoustine Risotto, Spinach and Celtic Mustard (eh?) and Applewood Smoked Mackerel with Seaweed Salsa Verde, Beetroot, and Oyster Mayo for mains, and finally a Buttermilk Sponge with Golden Vanilla Jelly, and Honey Ripple Ice Cream. Yep, if that sounds expensive then you’re right. But was it good?
Yep, it was damn good, all of it, it really was a high standard of cooking, and presentation I think — it was dark. I can’t fault it. The scallops and haggis were beautifully cooked and had all the right smears of sauces for them and the veg. The salmon was again perfect, with a tremendous langoustine risotto and even more smears and a quenelle of spinach. Ooft! Apparently she enjoyed her courses too! So what about the entertainment which came free after our meal?
We had a London compere (Desmond O’Connor) with a ukulele, he was very good and introduced the acts, composed of three dancing girls, three dancing highlanders, a juggler, for want of a better description — he did dancing and tricks with props more — one being a crystal ball, a famous comedian, a mentalist, and the Soul Nation gospel choir. Well we thoroughly enjoyed it all, the only slight downer was the comedian’s slot because of the way they handled a group of over-​enthusiastic Dutchmen, it made everyone feel uneasy a bit, including themself. Ignore them and carry on would have been my recommendation. The Soul Nation choir were utterly impressive with amazing soloists by the way, the staff were all swinging (dancing!) on the floor.
Afterwards we moved through to the Wicked Lounge again, and again more quality entertainment from the Fortunate Sons, then a DJ until well into the morning while we chatted to the compere and a performer. Wow, excellent first visit, everyone MUST go… and you don’t have to have the expensive meal first.

Wild Cabaret — This is something Glasgow has been lacking, a proper all in night out experience, a good meal and a stimulating cabaret show and a place to drink afterwards.
This was the opening night. It is a smallish (less than 100) cabaret venue, with top notch meal. The show was varied and not to risqué, you could take your fun aunt or more related parents-​in-​law, but fun and very well performed, kudos to the performance manager /​Booker Miss Gypsy Charms, there was some hiccups with the meals but it was opening night and we were more than compensated by the very efficient staff, so no issue there. Actually the level of service when there was a problem does bode well for this place, so many places would have brushed it off, but here they took it very seriously and couldn’t have done more to make up for it… not many places offer this level of service, and I must admit I really appreciated it. Food it top notch and the house wine was well above average.