The Potting Shed at Si!
The Potting Shed at Si! Is a restaurant in Irvine which is open 7 days a week from 9am-11pm. I went for a bite of lunch before a luxurious spa day at the Si! Spa at the Gailes Hotel up the road and here’s what I thought.
The venue is absolutely stunning. Very open and full of light but not lacking in character whatsoever. Whoever was in charge of their interior absolutely nailed the brief as it feels like the perfect hangout spot which can transform seamlessly from day to night. With tables, booths and little nooks (and even a dog-friendly section), there’s something for everyone.
With that being said, I should have mentioned already that they serve every meal you could quite possibly imagine. Their day menu (9am-3pm) boasts a range of classic breakfast dishes, sandwiches, bagels, pancakes, salads and even more brunch favourites. And then when it reaches dinner time the menu changes completely. I didn’t dine at this time but you can expect your usual pizza, pasta, burger options as well as some extra standard evening dishes to choose from.
The drinks menu was impressive and had plenty of options, especially for those looking for alcohol. I was in the mood for something fruity so I tried their ‘Berry-go-round’ smoothie which was made with strawberries, raspberries and blackberries. The other smoothie pictured is the ‘Pash ‘n’ shoot’ which was more tropical as it was packed with passion fruit, pineapple and mango (both £4.75).
I was in the mood for something light so I was drawn in by their buttermilk buffalo chicken salad. This was priced at £14.25 and came with a base salad of house-dressed mixed leaves, cherry tomatoes and sliced bell peppers which was then topped with a decent portion of hot buttermilk fried chicken which had been tossed in a buffalo hot sauce glaze. To finish the dish, there was a sprinkling of sesame seeds and a healthy drizzle of garlic mayonnaise.
The salad was a little underwhelming. The leaves and peppers were what I had expected but the chicken did not taste fresh and was too tough for my liking…not how chicken should be served! With that being said, the sauces were tasty so I can’t fault them for that.
I am always sceptical when food arrives at the table right after ordering — it came out in less than 5 minutes despite the restaurant being reasonably busy! Granted I had ordered a salad (and a side of loaded fries) but I did expect a slight wait for the chicken to be fried from fresh and then dressed in the sauce.
The loaded fries also weren’t anything special to me. There were four different options but between two we shared the ‘Sloppy joes’ which were regular chips topped with pulled pork, bacon, BBQ sauce and cheddar cheese. Served diner style in a red basket, they certainly looked the part but the taste was lacking. I’m not sure how they decided to cook the pulled pork but it certainly lived up to the name “sloppy” because the texture was so mushy it made it hard to enjoy. Not something I’d order again if I went back!
A lovely venue to visit for a drink but to me the food is missing the mark. I’d love to go and try some of their other options at a later date and see if their evening menu is any different. However, I don’t think I’ll be rushing back…
- The Potting Shed at Si!
- 18 Kilwinning Rd, Ayrshire, Irvine KA12 8RU
- 01294 272498
- www.siayrshire.com
- Reservation recommended
- £10-£20pp+
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