AFTER a tough old day on the streets of Glasgow I needed something relaxing.

Somewhere I could escape the city’s rough edges and feel I was somewhere else, just for a few hours.

As soon as I had suggested we hit the town for food, the Moll was ready, nails painted, tootsies squeezed into the latest pair of high heels and waiting for me to open the door of the Buick.

We were heading for Jacques.

Although it’s on Argyle Street right in the heart of the trendy Finnieston area, it has the feel of a European café bar.

As I parked the Buick outside I felt it should be a Citroen 2CV or an old style Fiat 500 instead.

Jacques is billed as the “wee brother” of the long-established Brel, in Ashton Lane.

Like the Belgian singer it’s named after, Jacques is cool, classically stylish not flash but a little different to what else is on offer.

The Moll remarked: “This is the sort of place Tec, that were we in another city, you would say ‘We don’t have anything like this in Glasgow’.”

But we do, and it’s the better for it.

The food is typically Belgian with classics you would expect, along with many others.

Moules, frites, fondue and cheese aplenty with lashings of Belgian, and European beer, if you wish.

To start we went full-on continental with the Moules marinieres and the cheese fondue.

A half pot of steaming mussels, big fat juicy mussels, were brought out. They tasted as though they were straight from the sea an hour ago.

The cheese fondue was also excellent with chunks of sourdough bread for dunking into the creamy cheese.

The generous starters were almost a main course in themselves.

The prawn linguine had a healthy amount of the seafood, unlike some places where you have to play hunt the prawn. And there were good, big prawns too.

The BBQ aubergine was a success but the only complaint was there was no dressing with the accompanying leaf salad which could have made it even better.

There were only two staff on manning the bar and the tables but even though it was busy the guys did a great job and made it look easy. I bet it wasn’t though.

By the end of the evening, I was suitably relaxed and launched into a rendition of Jacques Brel’s classic, Amsterdam.

The Moll was not impressed and promptly took to her high heels, heading for the door.

So, what could I do, but switch to another Brel classic ‘Ne ma quitte pas’ (Don’t leave me).

And she didn’t, she came back. So will we.

BILL

Starters

½ pot moules £7.50

Mini fondue £8

Mains

BBQ aubergine £11.50

Prawn linguine £14.50

Drinks

Furstenberg £5

Picpoul 175ml x2 £12.40

Total £58.90

REVIEW

Food ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Atmosphere ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Service ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Jacques, 1146 Argyle Street, Glasgow, G3 8TE, Tel: 0141 339 6909