The Red Herring review: Bridge of Allan's newest restaurant food tested

The latest addition to Bridge of Allan’s high street opened last month.

Taking the spot of TV chef Nick Nairn’s former restaurant, The Red Herring is serving up everything from brunch to evening meals.

It’s already proving popular among locals after opening at the beginning of December, but will it thrive in 2025?

We paid a visit to The Red Herring in its first few weeks to test out its menu.

What is The Red Herring like?

Before opening, owner Andrew Mitchell, who also runs The Bawbee and the Westerton Arms, said he wanted to open a relaxed eatery with something for everyone.

First impressions suggest he has achieved his aim.

The Red Herring’s decoration is on the classic side of trendy, and it’s a really inviting space, especially with its cosy, wood-burning stoves.

Each painting and photograph on the wall is interesting, and a projector shows various videos.

There’s a cosy atmosphere at The Red Herring. Image: Kenny Smith/DC Thomson

We’re greeted by a friendly face at the door and shown to a table tucked in the corner.

But Alex says our seat makes it’s a little difficult for her to appreciate the full effect of the interior design.

It’s early evening and midweek, so it’s not massively busy in the restaurant and diners are spread out, meaning the atmosphere is a little quiet.

We focus on the menu. There’s a variety of dishes on offer, from pizza and pasta to classic mains and risotto.

Alex and I decide to embrace Italy, selecting the rigatoni bolognese (£14.50) and the four seasons pizza (£14) as our main courses.

Outdoor seating means al fresco dining in the warmer months. Image: Kenny Smith/DC Thomson

The large, centrepiece bar at the back of the restaurant is tiled and eye-catching – clearly, they take their drinks seriously here.

Frankly, it would be rude not to sample the cocktails.

On theme with our Italian mains, Alex chooses a negroni sbagliato (£8.50).

The drink, which was invented by a bartender in Milan in the 1970, features prosecco in place of gin for a variation on a classic negroni, with the usual Campari, sweet vermouth and an orange garnish.

Less bitter than the original, she says The Red Herring’s version is well balanced and refreshing.

Intrigued by the Herring Hiball (£8.50), I opt for an Italian twist on the Hugo Spritz.

It’s a mixture of elderflower liqueur, dry vermouth and San Pellegrino Limonata – all of which make for a fruity and delightful start to our meal.

The Negroni Sbagliato. Image: Kenny Smith/DC Thomson

How were the main courses at The Red Herring?

Our mains arrive more quickly than we expect and with excellent presentation; we’re looking forward to digging in.

The four seasons pizza is split into four sections with ham, chicken, roasted peppers and mushrooms as toppings – one on each quadrant.

The sugo is delicious, made with San Marzano tomatoes, giving a sweet yet acidic base.

It pairs excellently with the dough, which is soft towards the crust but firm enough to hold the weight of the toppings.

Each slice has a great cheese-to-topping ratio – nothing is falling off, and the cheese pull is perfect.

The four seasons pizza has four different toppings, giving diners a taste of everything. Image: Kenny Smith/DC Thomson

Alex tucks into her rigatoni bolognese.

It’s a generous portion – large tubes of pasta topped with a beef, pork, tomato and red wine sauce, as well as big shavings of salty parmesan cheese.

It smells delicious and tastes just as good.

The bolognese is rich without being overpowering, suggesting real care and skill went into making it.

The pasta itself is cooked well: not too hard and not too soft.

Was dessert a sweet treat?

For dessert during the colder months, Alex feels it’s difficult to look past the mighty sticky toffee pudding.

The Red Herring’s take on a classic comes drenched in toffee sauce and topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and wafer rolls. It certainly looks tempting.

The warm slab of sponge is sweet and spiced, but perhaps a little dry, even with the help of the sauce and melting ice cream.

Sticky toffee pudding is a fantastic winter pudding. Image: Kenny Smith/DC Thomson

A cheesecake is also on offer and that’s what I choose to round off our meal.

It comes beautifully presented, with wafers at the side and piped-on soft meringue.

The dessert is also perfectly set, bursting with zesty flavours, and has a creamy texture.

The cheesecake packed a citrus punch. Image: Kenny Smith/DC Thomson

Alex also orders a black coffee alongside our final course, which she says is smooth, not bitter, and goes down easy.

The verdict

The Red Herring already serves up familiar comfort food well, just a few weeks after opening its doors.

There’s a great choice of dishes, drinks, and all of the staff members who served us were super-friendly and accommodating.

It may not be the most adventurous menu, but it’s simple food that tastes good. The same can’t always be said for restaurants that claim to be ‘out there’.

However, our time at The Red Herring highlighted some service teething issues that it was difficult to look past.

The bar at The Red Herring is eye-catching. Image: Isla Glen/DC Thomson

Our main courses arrived very quickly, but there were some long gaps between anyone checking in with us throughout the meal.

The desserts were swept away speedily, too, and the bill promised – but it didn’t arrive.

Eventually, we made our way up to the bar to pay.

It’s clear the staff are getting to grips with the new restaurant, so it’s likely another visit further down the line could result in a different and improved experience.

Overall, it’s great to see the vacant unit filled quickly with a restaurant that certainly has great potential to be an asset to Bridge of Allan.