Once Upon A Table

I went here for an early valentine's dinner with my fiancé and it couldn't of been better the appetizers were amazing and free, the starter was some of the best prawns we've ever had and we had 2 fish dishes for main (hake and monkfish) that we're simply divine we would of stayed for dessert but the portions were so good we couldn't. We would definitely recommend this place for birthdays or romantic dinners with a partner. Our only negative was it was a little difficult to get service occasionally because there was only one waitress and front of house staff.

- Alistair Mcgrehan -

Delightful little restaurant... comfortable and intimate. Great choice from the menu. I had seafood for both courses which was hot fresh and delicious, the mussels were from the main menu and the hake and scallops were from the specials board (recommended by the waiter..good choice!) for dessert I had the quirky edible book...it wasnt a good read but it tasted great! The restaurant was full which is always a good sign! Nice lighting and music complemented the polite and attentive service from the two servers at the front for whom nothing was too much trouble. Nice chat with the owner too who had time despite it being the end of the night! I would recommend this place to any one for all the reasons above and will seek it out again when I come back to East Kilbride! Thanks to all at Once upon a Table!

- Al freeman -

Outstanding food, service, & just a lovely relaxed atmosphere. The food was amazing & everyone loved all the different dishes. Portion sizes were perfect. The staff were lovely & accommodating for my partner's 50th birthday celebrations & we will definitely be back soon!

- Laura Collins -

Wonderful, 5 star restaurant - What more could you say? The staff were welcoming, friendly and efficient. The atmosphere was warm and inviting, music not too loud and busy for a mid-week night. The food was fabulous, stylishly presented and full of flavour. ‘Amuse Bouche’ canapé nibbles were a delightful surprise to tickle the tastebuds! We all chose from the set menu at £23 for 2 courses, only a bit extra for the third desert course - a really good price point. The Chicken Tempura starter was warmly spiced with a fresh crunchy chopped side salad and the Loch Fyne Mussels were perfectly cooked, with sourdough garlic bread to dip in the wine sauce. For mains our party of three chose the Beef Duo, Lamb Rump & Fish & Chips - all were fantastic! Deserts were also delicious. A really great experience at very good value from their set menu - we’ll definitely return, again and again! Whether you’re looking for an intimate dinner for two, or a friends and family event , I can only recommend that this restaurant - just wonderful.

- Bev erley -

Mark and the team have mastered great food, incredible value and friendly service. Bottle this restaurant and get them everywhere! Perfect find! Completely by chance and very happy I did.

- Stephen -

My friend and I booked a table at this quaint little establishment, just going on the positive reviews and recommendations from the internet. We were NOT disappointed. The friendly staff were very attentive and after we were seated, our drinks order was served within a few minutes. One of us is a vegetarian, so our waiter went through the extra options that were available. I opted for a starter, but we both had a main and dessert. Food was exceptional on all courses. Someone definitely knows their way around a cooker to present such mouth watering dishes. We both now are looking forward to our next visit as we were made so welcome. I will definitely be letting people I know about this little gem hidden away in East Kilbride. Thank You for such a delicious lunch ... mmm

- Annie -

Fantastic wee restaurant! We’ve been quite a few times now and just love it. It’s our go to restaurant after a hard day at work. The guys who work here are brilliant and we love how they don’t add on a service charge to your bill. Food is of excellent quality and we highly recommend

- Rachel -

We stopped in for dinner on the last leg of our vacation in May '25 after scoping out restaurants close to our stay on Google Maps. It was definitely a good decision - and this very easily could've been a 5-star rating, but I'll tell you why I felt 4-stars was proper. Firstly, I highly recommend making a reservation as this is a very small space. We were there on a weeknight and there were only 2 small tables available, so larger parties might have had a good wait. Also, I suggest seeing my notes on parking due to limited availability in the front of the restaurant. Now, on to the meal. Ultimately it was the start of the meal that is why I rated this 4 stars. There were two menus to choose from, which had a few inconsistencies between them. Nothing major that couldn't be resolved by asking the staff to clarify which fish was in a dish (where the dish name and description didn't line up). But, when I ordered a cider, seeing a brand I enjoyed - and receiving something entirely different - I wasn't super thrilled. My lady also ordered a specific white wine, and received a red instead. Funny enough, we liked each others drinks enough to just swap with each other since we both felt they'd compliment our chosen mains well (and they did), so we didn't say anything. We did try to order the bread basket started with drinks, but the server told us 'drinks first,' and walked away. Was a little weird, but didn't bother us as she came back pretty shortly after to get the starter order. While waiting on the bread, we did receive a complimentary amuse bouche that was tasty. Hopes were high for the food. And then the bread basket came out. This was the most weak-sauce lame bread I've had at a restaurant in a while. I'm assuming it was baked at the restaurant, but it was just bland, white bread that wasn't toasted. The dipping 'sauces' were just oil and vinegar. No herbs in the bread, and the dough itself needed more salt honestly. Entirely underwhelming for 5.50 pounds. This, after the drink mix-up was why it was only 4 stars. Thankfully though, it's all great news from here. I ordered the beef shin wellington, and my lady ordered the chicken dish - both which were just superb. I will say, just as a nitpick, that I wouldn't call the wellington a wellington honestly. If you've ever had or seen a wellington, you probably have certain expectations that wouldn't be met. There was no duxelles and or solid cut of meat. Again, just a nitpick, because reading the description of the dish and seeing the 8 hour slow cook time on the beef shin, I knew this would be tender and succulent meat. It was an absolute flavor bomb. And the carrot and carrot puree were so good. The rich jus was exactly what you wanted it to be and the perfect compliment to the beef. The potatoes were delicious too of course. My lady ordered the chicken dish, which was a chicken breast and a confit chicken leg with leeks, served with puff pastry. Holy crap was this amazing. The flavor from the leg and leeks was incredible, and it was like eating food that gives you a hug. Just so comforting. And the chicken breast was cooked perfectly, perfectly golden and juicy. We were very happy at this point and could not wait for dessert. We almost got the chocolate sphere, but the toffee 'book' quickly caught our eye. I won't lie, we saw pictures of this dessert online before eating here and worried it might be a touch gimmicky - please have no concerns about that as it was absurdly good. The toffee flavor was so deep and rich, it was the perfect end to the meal. And seeing it in person, the presentation of the dish was well done. All in all it was a great experience and we were so happy we stopped in.

- David Hamilton -