The wonderfully named Gloriosa in Kelvinhaugh, Glasgow, is a restaurant led by award-winning chef Rosie Healey, serving pan-Mediterranean dishes in a bright and welcoming space.
The venue used to be home to pizza restaurant Firebird, but its owner Derek Sutherland decided to rebrand in 2019, entering into a new partnership with Lily Brown and Rosie Healy, the latter of which was formerly at acclaimed Nottingham restaurant Alchemilla. These days, the dining room at Gloriosa is an expansive space, which follows a contemporary colour palette of light greys and beech wood. The room also boasts floor-to-ceiling windows that flood the space with natural light, a standalone bar flanked with stools which lend themselves to solo dining and a huge wood-fired oven which takes up a large chunk of the partially open kitchen.
The menu at Gloriosa is focused on dishes which have been influenced by the Meditteranean and can be paired with a selection of wines from small independent European producers. The offering is made up of a short selection of small and large plates, designed to share (we’d recommend ordering five or six dishes between two). Dishes we like the look of include the oast carrots with walnuts, chilli butter and mint or the lamb chop served alongside burnt aubergine and za’atar.
Puddings meanwhile include chocolate, olive oil and walnut cake drizzled with a warm chocolate sauce and a slice of pistachio cake accompanied by plums and crème fraiche.
On your way out, pick up a bottle of your favourite wine from the menu, or a bunch of flowers for your date, sourced from Dear Green Flower Farm.