Friend of Mine in Stirling

I have reviewed FoM before and praised it extensively. After a two year hiatus, we returned for lunch. There are a few aspects that seem to have missed the mark. Firstly, the cardinal rule in hospitality is, if people turn up wanting to eat, feed them. Do not turn them away saying "come back in an hour" because your tables are full when at least six of them are unoccupied. It was only as we turned to walk out they suddenly decided they could accommodate us after all. In the time we were there, at least five of those tables were unused at any given time. Who did they expect to turn up? Secondly, and I know this is not just a FoM issue, but letting dogs into a place of food consumption is just the wrong thing to do. I know the law in Scotland says it's OK as long as it is not in food prep areas, but the food in FoM is prepped right beside where people eat. I do not wish to trip over a dog or its lead, watch a dog lick itself when no tongue should really go, or the staff touching them, or consider all the fleas and other inhabitants of a dog's fur that could be headed my way. FoM has an outside eating area - keep the mutts outside and leave the inside clean for humans. Thirdly, the food. I'm not a vegan but something caught my eye about the "vegan fry" so I decided to give it a go. If you're a vegan, look away now. It was truly terrible. The potato scone (which I normally like) was hard, curled up and dry. It took some cutting. The baked beans were barely warm. The "haggis" was grim and I have had veggie haggis before - this was just a slice of compressed nutty and seedy stuff. The mushrooms (well done for having different varieties) were soggy and almost cold. The scrambled egg tofu - very insipid. The sourdough toast was cold. Not sure what the spready stuff was. Probably marge. The tomatoes - tepid and tasteless. The sliced avocado (conspicuously not fried) had no place on the plate so I donated it to my wife. Likewise the limp, cold spinach. The entire dish looked and tasted like it had been prepared hours ago and kept under not very effective heat lamps and then dumped randomly on the plate. On the plus side the arancini were tasty - and hot. As were the rosemary fries. Final grumble - probably not their fault - Scottish tap water. Yuk. Smells and tastes stale. No amount of lemon in the jug could disguise it. They should consider installing a filter system. I will give FoM the benefit of the doubt for this one-time slip as every other time it has been very good. But if this is vegan food - pass me the steak.

Fantastic small plates on the menu last night. Super selection particularly for vegetarians like me

Food was top notch ! Highly recommend

Amazing food, alot of choice in food. Just great!

Really nice place, the food was delicious and so many different choices, lots of locally sourced things too including drink. Gluten free also no problem with everything easily marked, didn’t feel like a problem and had lots of choice!

We visited Stirling for 2 days and ate lunch here both days! We appreciated the creative vegetarian options and extensive drink menu with smoothies, cocktails, etc. It’s easy enough to take the 23 bus to/from Stirling, and it’s a cute town to walk around. You can even walk from here to the Wallace Monument in about 40 minutes. The tofu tacos and rosemary salt fries are both very tasty. And the chocolate brownie is amazingly sweet & delicious (save room for dessert!). The food is fresh, the service is friendly and you can sit inside or outside.

Nice creative dishes, waitress is charming

Fairly busy place. Food, unfortunately, was just 'meh' - most of the dishes we had were underwhelming. However, the service was faultless.

A return visit to the restaurant. Learning from the last visit, we booked. Nice ambiance although tables are tight, be aware that there is a dog friendly policy. Interesting menu although my favourite from last time was no longer available. The menu can also take some studying as the dishes and combinations can be unfamiliar. Service was efficient with particularly friendly serving staff. A really enjoyable experience, with well presented high quality food (photos posted). Can be pricey and leave some extra time if you need parking as spaces in the immediate vicinity can be sparse.

Excellent food, friendly and efficient service. We had a variety of small plates to share and each one was delicious and well thought out. It's a shame that I don't live here as I'd be back there all the time.

Amazing food and super friendly team looking after us. Earl Gray Peach Salad is my all time fav, thanks!

This place is amazing...whoever owns this place should be very very proud of their young team they have in there and run it seamlessly, in my opinion. Went in last night for dinner with my wife...we had the duck terrine, pig out fries and the Japanese burger...oh my do the kitchen team know their flavours...was amazing as usual. I am never put off by the menu wording(too many big words for me:))as been that aften that I have total faith in that, if i ordered 'blind', I would still be blown away with the flavours this young kitchen team produce in there. We then had the treacle tart and the polenta cake...normally i steer clear of polenta as its never 'managed' properly in alot of places...however this was up there with 1 of the best deserts i've ever had. Bravo Team

Disappointed with the temperature of my food. The place itself was pleasant but I like my food piping hot. Shame this ruined my weekend with friends. Not sure I'd go back.

Polenta, apricot and pistachio cake tasted every bit as delicious as it looks! Hubby had cinnamon swirl which was also amazing! Lovely tea too!

I stopped there for breakfast on my way from Perth to London, and certainly enjoyed the coffee and their Chicken Waffle. Staff were super friendly too!

Passing by on a tour of Scotland and randomly tried here. Had pork belly bao and the fancy fries. Phenomenal. One of the nicest meals of my life. Only sad thing is I'll probably never eat there again. Go there. It's amazing.

It is the first time we come to this place and although we have limitations (gluten and lactose) we have had many dishes to choose from. The 4 of us liked everything we ordered, so we have decided to repeat.

Really nice staff but tiny matcha latte for the price

The food is so close to being great - just need to serve the coffee hotter and avoid overcooking the poached eggs (or ask how you want them done if they are hard yolk as standard). Love the menu, but the kitchen needs to keep an eye on the details. I just want a runny yolk with brunch food 😅

Happy to find this restaurant still serving food after 8pm. Wide choice of interesting menu options and the food I chose was very tasty.

Great service and outstanding food and would recommend the burgers

Fantastic little place. Managed to squeeze us in last minute without a booking. Food was tasty, beautifully presented and came out quickly. Varied menu, with something for everyone's taste. Absolutely loved it.

Great experience here. We weren't booked so sat at the bar and loved their roast cod. Best dish I've had in Stirling for a looooong time 😊

The bloke with the back tattoo gave me the best dessert of my life

A delicous spot ! fresh, healthy, and original food, with Asian inspirations (peanut and miso sauces, Japanese burger). Yummy deserts (special shot to the Pistaccio and the cookie one). Also, very good fresh juices (the orange one is great). And finally, the waiters were really nice !!!

First time here definitely recommend, The Japanese inspired chicken burger was amazing,

High creativity in the preparation of dishes and courageous and pleasant combination of flavors.

Exquisite dinner. Fine food, well presented. Makes you want to come back!

I really enjoyed the Japanese inspired chicken burger. It had lovely flavours of miso and honey, whilst the chicken was cooked excellently and had a crunchy coating. The fries were tasty but could have had more of a crunch to them! Service was quick and the atmosphere was vibrant. This is just the kind of place Bridge of Allan needs! May it develop and continue to flourish.

Simply love this place. Great for first dates and relationship celebrations as well as just meeting up with friends. Love how friendly the staff are and how welcoming they are. Plus the food is delish!!

Delicious food. Very well done Asian inspired meat and vegan grub. Roast cauliflower small plate was superb as were the bao buns and the tofu fries. It's a busy place , quite rightly, so is noisy and was a little slow on the evening we went due to numbers but worth the trip for sure. Great vibe.

Fabulous little restaurant in Bridge of Allan Friendly attentive staff Fantastic and different from the usual menu Food was freshly cooked beautifully served and tasted amazing . Rosemary chips were yummy Definitely worth a visit can’t wait to return

Great food. Great service. Ordered from every section of the menu to try as much as we could. Cullen Skink Bon bons were to die for. I had the steak burger which is the first time I’ve had to use a knife and fork on a burger as it was so stuffed with flavour. Drinks were great and the staff were lovely.

As per star ratings this place was well worth the visit. Great burgers, friendly service. Will be back.

My wife and I enjoyed a weekday lunch here in June. We booked online which was efficient. Staff warm and friendly, attentive throughout. Great drinks menu and lovely smoothies. Food delicious and such a diverse menu - need to come back to enjoy all the different dishes. Enjoyed the prawns, bon bons and pig out fries on this occasion. Food arrived promptly, piping hot and hit the spot. Great value for money. Enjoy!

Excellent fry with brunch served until 2pm

There is a reason why this beautiful Cafe is always so busy. The food and drink are exceptional. I loved the pork belly baos...lots of good veggie and vegan options too. The staff were extremely accommodating, hospitable and kind. We visited for brunch today and had a large table which kept growing. In the end there were about 12 of us eating. The lady manager and staff were so patient in dealing with our last minute requests. Our family and friends had a wonderful time today. Thank you for taking good care of us. We left with happy memories and full bellies of delicious food!

There is a reason why this beautiful Cafe is always so busy. The food and drink are exceptional. I loved the pork belly baos...lots of good veggie and vegan options too. The staff were extremely accommodating, hospitable and kind. We visited for brunch today and had a large table which kept growing. In the end there were about 12 of us eating. The lady manager and staff were so patient in dealing with our last minute requests. Our family and friends had a wonderful time today. Thank you for taking good care of us. We left with happy memories and full bellies of delicious food!

Food was delicious! The bao buns are to die for

Eggs royale served with tinned salmon, never seen that before, disappointed to say the least

Great find in Bridge of Allan. Food was excellent and first class service.Poached eggs were cooked perfectly and coffee was great. Good value for money. Will definitely be back.

Excellent food and service today for brunch with my daughter. Recommend the Miso mushroom sourdough. Better than any five star restaurant I've been in. I will be back soon. Thanks 👍

Fabulous lunch. Excellent menu and a tad different from virtually any other eatery in the area. Food served was fresh and delicious. Service friendly. Loved this place and will certainly return. Nice to sit outside if weather permits.

Different take on delicious dishes. Great atmosphere. Family friendly. Friendly staff. Will definitely visit again when we're in the area.

Had breakfast this morning. Great wee place . Good food , staff were lovely and Archie enjoyed looking out the window 🐶

First time visit on Saturday afternoon. Sat outside in the sunshine. Had Sole and Mrs P had Bo Buns for our mains . Superb. Starters were Cullen Skink Bon Bons and Fried Squid bothe were brilliant. Had several cocktails which were unique including a Bloody Mary with Saracha!. Great staff who were up for a laugh . Definitely will be back !

Had some brunch with friends. The food was great and service was also excellent! The place is quite busy.

Different menu from your usual but very interesting and plenty of choice, including vegan. Friendly staff, nice food but too many tables too close for my liking

Popped into this cafe for an afternoon coffee after a walk around the woods Excellent service ,very warm welcome . Cafe has a lovely atmosphere. The waitress was so lovely and the banana bread was out of this world. Would certainly recommend and will be back next visit .

Loved everything! Modern decor, food and dog friendly. Highly recommended.

It’s hard not to love this place. We’ve only eaten twice here and both times we had brunch but I couldn’t recommend the Avo Sourdough more if I tried! The lovely, fresh sourdough, with the beautiful addition of harissa relish, the all important half avocado and poached egg (cooked perfectly both times), sprinkled with some dukkah - divine! Must visit again and try some other options. The rest of the menu looks great. The staff are a huge asset - friendly, smiley, kind and very helpful - they really leave such a nice impression. Great interior, clean bathrooms and a lovely patio out the front to enjoy the nicer weather.

We walked here from a caravan park where we were staying in our motorhome after a trip to The Highlands. Great little town with an eclectic village vibe. We were a bit early for eating at the pub so we sat at the outside tables here which was already very busy at 11.30!! Staff were super friendly and knowledgeable about the food offerings. They do brunch but we ordered off the main menu. Great and different choices for vegetarians. We had a lovely hour here and would certainly return when in the area.

To quote Peter Kay - it’s a taste sensation. Whereas he was referring to garlic bread, the meal I had with my friend was colourful, varied and the best meal I have had for a long time. Certainly not something you’d knock up at home. This was a real treat and a surprise. Friendly staff too.

Great place for a Friday evening. Loved the cocktails and burgers.

Wonderful place to have with family excellent food service,

Delicious fresh food, wonderful flavours! Friendly and attentive staff. Nothing not to love!

Great menu and very tasty food.

So glad we stumbled on this place. The food is absolutely outstanding!!! This was our first visit and it certainly won’t be the last.

Delicious food, interesting menu, friendly attentive service, great atmosphere and reasonable prices. Hope we can return next time we're through this way.

Excellent. We were there for brunch at 1000 on a Sunday and were glad we booked as by 1030 it was very busy. Foods great

Excellent food, great service. I had the flat bread followed by the bavette. Mary had the soup followed by the buttermilk chicken. Great flavours. Recommend!

Amazing food, friendly staff, good service and cozy atmosphere. Great to have a good selection of vegan items to choose from. Lovely variety of food and great flavours.

I'm lucky enough to eat here quite frequently and was delighted to see the new salads on the menu. Edamame hummus, grapefruit, all sorts of new combinations. Would recommend!

Friendly and great service. The staff were really attentive and helpful and the food great

Very nice and friendly good coffee never had food

Have been several times now, and will return. Their Eastern fusion food and interesting combinations will make me return, soon, I hope. Fantastic!

I've eaten here 3 times. It has the most amazing food I have ever eaten. The pig out fries are wonderful. They are the only thing I've ordered, I just can't get enough of them! The servers are also lovely and friendly. 100% recommend.❤️

The flavours in the meals where bursting in our mouths. Well presented.brilliant.

Great, tasty food, reasonably priced. Superb service too! The Bao buns are awesome and the coffee beats the rest in Bridge of Allan!

Friend of Mine is a very professionally run smart neighbourhood cafe offering a dynamic selection of small plates which includes great vegetarian and gluten free options. Delightfully delicious and well constructed dishes which deliver a very satisfying eating experience in terms of flavours, textures and satiety. Bravo and long may you continue to tickle people’s tastebuds!

Went for lunch as a group of 6. Good Asian-inflected food, with a bunch of vegetarian options. They also have a kids menu. We especially liked the Bao, tamarind chicken wings and corns ribs.

We tried several dishes and they were all delicious! Excellent, friendly service. Warm atmosphere. Would definitely go back again.

This is a great spot to visit for breakfast and lunch. I like the fact that their menu changes from time to time, so you can try new dishes. Their staff is very friendly, atmosphere is good and food is very tasty. What else do you need??

Really nice boutiquey cafe, surrounded by independent shops, worth the detour to visit

Visited on Saturday night with my partner. We shared various small plates and every one was excellent! The Pig Cheeks and Monkfish plates were stand outs for me. Highly recommend! 👌🏻

came in today looking for a place open on a bank holiday! very friendly staff, nice atmosphere, and good food. we ordered the beef burger, chicken burger, togarashi fries, and a latte. the chicken burger was hot and very good, the beef burger was quite intense, and the togarashi fries were very spicy. there are a variety of options including breakfasty foods, burgers, bao, fries, and veggie options. would come again (:

I just wanted to share how good this restaurant is. It’s now my go to in B of A. The food is fabulous, the staff are so helpful and always smiling. I’ve been several times and it always delights. You must go.

Great festive lunch at Friend of Mine. Was a last minute late lunch and we were lucky to get a table - but it was one of the last days before Xmas. Menu was really inventive, far from the usual cafe/pub fare. Prob 1/3 of the menu is vegan, was tempted by the tofu Kim chi bao but went for three small plates. The Laska soup was good, and the fried cauliflower with hummus was decent but star of the show was the corn ribs. Staff were on it and prices were decent for the location and standard. Will def be back soon

It's brilliant place with high quality food and friendly staff. I go there very often and never been disappointed. Highly recommended.

Quiet, well lit with an inventive menu combinations which all tasted good. The chef is going to introduce more Christmassy stuff soon - something to look forward to.

We got a table for 6, all the food was superb, I never took a photo of the steak burger but it was the best I'd ever have , highly recommended....BRAVO👏

Food was great and a really great choice of different and unique options. The only problem I had was that the service was just a little slow and made 1 little mistake with our drink order. Will still be back as absolutely loved the food and there were other items I can’t wait to try.

came here for dinner with my maw, food was so nice especially the vegan options <3 also shoutout to whoever decided to make the fanciest rice pudding ever give yourself a pat on the back

My 4th visit, Great Service as usual from lovely bunch of people, very welcoming snd good recommendations on the favourites, especially for my vegan wife. Special shout out to Eleanor who performed a miracle and made our daughter smile when she had missed her nap.

The place was empty, service was incredibly slow. Have been sitting with dirty dishes for 20 minutes waiting for our dessert. The dessert wasn’t nice at all, it was a waffle with a very strong oily taste. We told a waitress about it. She said that will pass it to the kitchen and that’s it.

So delicious!!! One of the best meals I've had in ages, can't recommend it enough. We are a vegan and a gluten intolerant and there was plenty for us both to eat. We ate every morsel and I want to go back to try everything I didn't get to try. Service was excellent too 👌

Ordered a selection of small plates, some bao buns and loaded fries. All very tasty and spicy.

Have been here for both breakfast and dinner. Really nice place. Great atmosphere inside and outside, and it’s dog friendly. It has a modern healthy menu with plenty of options for both vegan and meat eaters. Lots of small plates for dinner and burgers which somehow manage to taste both nice and healthy! Have some really interesting and different things on their menu which you don’t see very often elsewhere. Cool inventive drinks too that are always beautifully presented. Love the avocado toast, it’s my favourite thing to order. Staff are lovely every time I go!!

Love this place, the food choices are delicious! Superb for vegans. The rosemary chips are a classic.

Wish I could give more stars! Stopped for a lunch here and honestly one of the nicest meals I’ve had. So many gluten free and veggie options!! I loved the monkfish especially and the celeriac steak -would really recommend. Lovely staff and atmosphere as well :)

Very enjoyable experience. We went for brunch, lots of exciting things to choose from. Food was amazing, drinks were good. Note: If you just want normal food I would not recommend coming here.

Happened upon this place when looking for a brunch spot in the area, and it was a total delight. We had brunch, and were spoilt for choice as everything on the menu sounded delicious. Particular highlights were the miso mushrooms and the maple beans, but it was all great. We’d love to come back another time for lunch/dinner as that all sounded brilliant too!

Such lovely fresh food with so many wonderful flavours. Every dish was a winner. Definitely coming back...

Food was amazing. Staff were super friendly and helpful. Would defo come back as the menu is great and I wanted to try all the things!

The service was excellent and the food matched it. It isn't cheap, but really good food, served as it was never is. Ok, it wasn't 'fine dining' but the quality and flavour combinations were sublime. We would definitely go again and recommend them to others.

Very special breakfast dishes. I had the taco’s. Definitely recommended. Open early, also on Sunday. A+ would come again if I’m ever back in Bridge of Allen (which unfortunately will not happen very soon most probably)

Absolutely outstanding food and service. Everyone should eat here! Delicious - will definitely be back. Caters for all dietary needs.

Lovely food, interesting menu and friendly staff. We'd definitely come back if we were near Stirling again...

Lovely food, excellent wines and very friendly staff. Particularly the manager from Inverness! Looking forward to returning soon.

Fabulous food served and really interesting menu. We were able to sit outside which was lovely, given that it was a sunny day.