The selected restaurants have been divided into five categories: Gourmet, Business, Trendy, Budget and Personal Recommendations. The restaurants are listed alphabetically within these different categories, which serve as guidelines rather than absolute definitions of the establishments.
Restaurant prices are subject to VAT (value added tax) at 17.5%, but this is always included within the prices given. It is customary for patrons to round up the bill and leave a tip (maximum 10%) as well, if the meal and service have been good.
The price categories quoted below are for an average
three-course meal for one person. Prices include VAT but not tip nor drinks. Categories are:
$$$$ (over £30)
$$$ (£20 to £30)
$$ (£10 to £20)
$ (up to £10)
GourmetBrian Maule at Chardon d’Or Brian Maule was head chef at Le Gavroche for many years and has now brought his French-influenced fine food to Glasgow. This city center restaurant has a strong reputation and is very popular with business people enjoying the set price lunch menus ($$). Main courses are focused around classic dishes reinterpreted with flare. The food and service are exquisite.
176 West Regent Street
Tel: (0141) 248 3801.
Website:
www.brianmaule.com Price: $$$-$$$$
étain This sophisticated fine dining space is Terence Conran’s only UK restaurant outside London. It’s in the heart of the city’s shopping district and decorated in cool shades, with crisp white linen. Dishes have a French influence and may feature sea bream, monkfish or Scottish beef. There is always a vegetarian choice. The set lunches make it an affordable daytime option, while the six course epicurean menu offers a gourmet experience.
2nd floor, Princes Square
Tel: (0141) 225 5630.
Price: $$$$
Gamba For some of the best seafood, many people make for Gamba in the city center, where fresh fish is cooked with flair and imagination. The restaurant is down in a basement but décor is cool and light giving a relaxed atmosphere. Fish such as swordfish and sole are often infused with Asian flavors like ginger and chilli, while puddings are rich and satisfying.
225A West George Street
Tel: (0141) 572 0899.
Website:
www.gamba.co.uk Price: $$$$
BusinessStravaigin The name means ’roaming’ and this Glasgow stalwart in the West End takes good Scottish ingredients, then serves them in surprising and imaginative ways, taking inspiration from around the world. Venison, for example, might be served with wild mushrooms and a raspberry gravy. There is an extensive wine list, with many pudding wines on offer, and a cafe-bar upstairs for those who want to eat in more casual surroundings.
28 Gibson Street, Kelvinside
Tel: (0141) 334 2665.
Website:
www.stravaigin.com Price: $$$
TrendyChow
Chow is a Byres Road institution, a Chinese restaurant with refreshingly modern décor (teak benches and clean lines) and fresh-tasting, lively dishes from a menu that comprises old favorites and a few surprises. Booking is advised as the petite dining area gets full extremely quickly.
98 Byres Road
Tel: (0141) 334 9818.
Price: $$$
The Living Room This fashionable bar/restaurant opened in 2004 and its central location makes it very popular with local business people. There’s a sophisticated atmosphere with secluded brown leather booths and soft lights. The menu is varied and includes quick lunch options like club sandwiches, wraps and salads. Main courses vary from pasta dishes to Asian inspired dishes such as crispy duck. There are plenty of vegetarian options.
150 St Vincent Street
Tel: 0870 220 3028.
Website:
www.thelivingroom.co.uk Price: $$
Two Fat LadiesTwo Fat Ladies continues to offer superb, fresh fish dishes prepared with care and expertise. Scallops, mussels and other shellfish are the mainstays here, but non fish-eaters can enjoy meat and vegetarian options.
118A Blythswood Street
Tel: (0141) 847 0088.
Price: $$$
Other location:
88 Dumbarton Road
Tel: (0141) 339 1944
Price: $$$
BudgetThe Arches There is a cosy, clubby feel to this restaurant which is part of the Arches club/live music venue. The walls are lined with theatrical pictures and the crowd is generally lively. The food is good value, with snacks such as paninis and soups as well as pasta dishes during the day, and filling fajitas, fish and chips and meaty main courses at night. There’s also a popular all day breakfast.
253 Argyle Street
Tel: (0141) 565 1035.
Website:
www.thearches.co.uk Price: $-$$
Heart Buchanan For fine fresh food, this little deli on trendy Byres Road just can’t be beaten. Meals comprise the best local ingredients available, organic meat for instance, and all dishes are freshly cooked in the basement kitchen. Seating is limited and food only available at lunchtime, but it is worth seeking out for home-made soup, imaginative sandwiches and delicious cakes and tarts. A takeaway service is also available.
380 Byres Road
Tel: (0141) 334 7626.
Website:
www.heartbuchanan.co.uk Price: $
Mother India’s CafeGlasgow’s famous for its Indian restaurants, but this tapas-style place, opposite Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, offers a fresh take on Asian cuisine. Diners order a wide selection of small dishes to share ensuring a variety of tastes, textures and heat. The restaurant doesn’t accept bookings but its worth it even if you have to queue.
1355 Argyle Street
Tel: (0141) 339 9145.
Price: $$
Personal RecommendationsCafé Gandolfi Located in the upmarket Merchant City, close to the Italian Center, this was the first of Glasgow’s ’style’ bistros and is now a local institution. Wooden furniture designed by Tim Stead gives a rustic feel, while dishes are a successful blend of Scottish and Mediterranean classics. Arbroath smokies, sourdough sandwiches and steak on ciabatta all find a place here, and desserts might include tangy lemon tart.
64 Albion Street, Merchant City
Tel: (0141) 552 6813.
Website:
www.cafegandolfi.com Price: $$
Fratelli Sarti Tuscany comes to Glasgow in this established cafe/restaurant that’s run by the Italian Sarti brothers. The décor is warm and cluttered with bright check tablecloths and the atmosphere is relaxed. The menu features plenty of pizzas and pasta dishes, as well as some traditional family and regional specials such as hearty Tuscan stews. Desserts include creamy tiramisu and the coffee is excellent.
121 Bath Street
Tel: (0141) 204 0440.
Website:
www.sarti.co.uk Price: $$
Rogano Established in 1935, Rogano has a stunningly well preserved art deco interior, with intimate booths, crisp white cloths and sparkling silver cutlery. Their specialty is seafood and fish soup. Lemon sole and lobster feature on the menu, together with Scottish classics such as Aberdeen Angus beef. There is a special vegetarian menu, and a popular oyster and champagne bar. Café Rogano downstairs offers a more affordable dining option.
11 Exchange Place
Tel: (0141) 248 4055.
Website:
www.roganoglasgow.comPrice: $$$-$$$$
Nightlife:Pubs in Glasgow are usually open to around 2400 - bars often have longer licenses, while clubs often stay open until 0300 or 0400, although last entry is usually at 0100. There are over 700 pubs and bars in the city (evidence that Glaswegians like a tipple now and again) as well as numerous nightclubs catering for all musical tastes. A number of the venues listed below blur the boundaries, morphing from bar to club and often serving very decent meals as well.
Glasgow’s nightspots cluster around the West End and Ashton Lane (a charming cobbled street lined with bars and restaurants), the city center and the suave Merchant City. The minimum drinking age is 18 and there are generally no dress codes, although smarter clubs may not permit jeans or trainers.
Tickets for most events can be purchased at
Zavvi, Buchanan Street (tel: (0141) 353 2993) or through the
Ticket Center (tel: 0870 040 4000; website:
www.secctickets.com). The main guide to going out is
The List (website:
www.list.co.uk).
Smoking in enclosed public spaces is now banned throughout Scotland.
Bars: The Horseshoe, 17 Drury Street, has the longest continuous bar in the city, although it is still difficult to get a place there at the weekend.
Bar 10, 10 Mitchell Lane, just off Buchanan Street in the heart of the city, is a popular and stylish bar, serving food.
Uisge Beatha, 232-246 Woodlands Road, is a warm, candlelit pub with a bewildering array of whiskies and
The Doublet, 74 Park Road, is a cosy pub with a relaxed crowd of students and locals. The
Center for Contemporary Arts, 350 Sauchiehall Street, attracts an arty crowd - and has club nights too.
Clubs: As in many cities, the club scene in Glasgow is ever evolving and the music and atmosphere of a venue can change from night to night. Check out
The List to get the most up-to-date information.
The Sub Club, 22 Jamaica Street (website:
www.subclub.co.uk), is an underground club with DJs spinning techno and electro.
China White, 158 Bath Street, plays R&B sounds to the smart set, while
The Garage, 490 Sauchiehall Street (website:
www.garageglasgow.co.uk), serves up pop and party anthems to a boozy crowd.
The Arches (website:
www.thearches.co.uk), located in a cavernous brick-vaulted space, under Central Station, at 253 Argyle Street, has club nights in addition to live bands and theater.
The Polo Lounge, 84 Wilson Street, is a popular gay club with a luxurious upstairs bar and several dancefloors downstairs.
Live Music: Large-scale pop and rock concerts take place at the
Clyde Auditorium in the SECC, off junction 19 of the M8, with its own dedicated railway station (trains depart from Glasgow Central station), as well as at the much-vaunted
Barrowland, 244 Gallowgate (website:
www.glasgow-barrowland.com), near the Barras market, and
Carling Academy (website:
www.glasgow-academy.co.uk) on Bridge Street. The ABC, 300 Sauchiehall Street (website:
www.abcglasgow.com), is also a good mid-sized venue. Up-and-coming bands play at the venerable
King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut, 272A St Vincent Street (website:
www.kingtuts.co.uk), where the Mancunian band Oasis were discovered. The
Bar Fly Club, 260 Clyde Street (website:
www.barflyclub.com), is another good spot, with a range of styles. Jazz acts perform occasionally at
Brel, 39-43 Ashton Lane, while
Nice ’n’ Sleazy, 421 Sauchiehall Street (website:
www.nicensleazy.com), attracts energetic live bands to its sweaty basement.
The 13th Note, 50-60 King Street (website:
www.13thnote.co.uk), is a bohemian hangout with an emphasis on quality live music.
The best bet for folk music is the annual
Celtic Connections festival (see
Special Events). Throughout the year,
The Riverside Club, 33 Fox Street, hosts ceilidh dances at the weekend, drawing an energetic crowd.
Molly Malone’s, 224 Hope Street, has live Irish music nightly, ranging from traditional folk to Celtic rock, while
Park Bar, 1202 Argyle Street, is a good spot for Highland sounds at the weekend.
Scotia Bar and
Clutha Vaults, both on Stockwell Street, are great pubs with authentic folk music thrown in for good measure.
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