In a couple of decades, Glasgow has gone from city of hard knocks to high-flying capital of culture (and more besides), and it’s now the third most-popular tourist destination in the UK for
overseas visitors. As a measure of its new-found clout, it’s also hosting this year’s Commonwealth Games.
Although it may lack Edinburgh’s Michelin-starred cachet, the city is stuffed full of cracking restaurants, cafés, bistros, bars and pubs of every description. Doubtless they will be running at
full tilt while the so-called ‘friendly games’ are taking place. The show begins on 23 July and runs through to 3 August.
Here’s our pick of Glasgow’s gastronomic crop, plus the best of the rest – from street food, pizzas and afternoon tea to whisky, cocktails and craft beer.
GLASGOW'S TOP 10 RESTAURANTS
Brian Maule at Chardon d’Or (pictured right)
Fine French flavours and elegantly rendered haute cuisine are the hallmarks of Brian Maule’s big-hitting Glasgow destination. Located in a classy Georgian townhouse, Chardon d’Or (literally ‘golden
thistle’) proves that the Auld Alliance is alive and well as the kitchen transforms top Scottish produce into dishes such as spiced fillet of lamb with roast parsnips and saffron jus.
Cail Bruich West
The name means ‘eat well’ and this ambitious brasserie delivers on its promise in the trendy boho surrounds of Glasgow’s West End. Chef Chris Charalambous cooks with the seasons and his food is
full of serious intentions – think Glenapp partridge breast with organic spelt, ceps and truffles. Expect smart surrounds, happily personable service and reasonably priced wines too.
City Merchant
One of the first new restaurants to colonise Glasgow’s regenerated Merchant quarter back in 1988, this extended and upgraded eatery still retains its air of old-town style. Fish and game get
starring roles on the menu, but you should also expect modern riffs such as beetroot tarte Tatin with goats’ cheese parfait, steaks and sweet Scottish classics including steamed marmalade pudding
with Drambuie custard.
Gamba
Derek Marshall’s long-serving basement rendezvous serves up some of the best seafood in the city, with ideas gleaned from across the globe. The interior comes with smart, thoughtful touches, and
the kitchen delivers top-notch, eclectic dishes with an eye on sustainable sourcing. Prices are steep, but fantastically helpful service more than justifies the outlay.
Guy’s Restaurant & Bar
Currently one of Glasgow’s hottest tickets, this flashy new gaff oozes glamour with its polished wood surfaces, dim lights, glittering bar and cool cocktails. As befits a globetrotting chef who has
cooked for the likes of Mick Jagger and Ewan McGregor, Guy Cowan’s menus embrace everything for haggis to hand-rolled sushi. Regular live music is in tune with the theme.
Mother India (pictured right)
The mother ship of a Scottish mini chain with branches in Edinburgh as well as Glasgow, this deceptively accommodating Indian spreads itself over three floors. The kitchen delivers robustly spiced
top-notch food with a sure hand and touches of real finesse. Menus cover all bases, weekend lunch is especially good value and fixed-price deals can be tailored to your own needs.
Rogano
Launched in 1935, stately Rogano still holds the title of Glasgow’s oldest surviving restaurant. It’s a true city icon, famed for its ocean-going, art-deco design, spanking-fresh seafood and
reworked Scottish flavours. There are cheaper deals in the downstairs café, while the oyster bar is good for Champagne cocktails and snacks. Afternoon tea is a real treat, likewise the wine list.
Stravaigin
‘Think global, buy local’ says the slogan, and this jam-packed free-ranging venue has always prided itself on having a well-travelled foodie passport. After a few nods to the home country, the
kitchen backpacks across the globe in search of thrilling exotic flavours – from Korean braised ox cheek to Iranian barberry and pine nut frittata. One of Glasgow’s true foodie originals.
Ubiquitous Chip
This legendary Glasgow institution turned 40 back in 2011 and remains synonymous with Scottish seasonal produce – although the kitchen manages to sidestep most of the tartan clichés along the way.
Sunday lunches and theatre menus pull the crowds, and the wine list is one of the UK's finest. You can also eat more affordably in the upstairs brasserie.
The Willow Tea Rooms
Glasgow’s celebrated artist, architect and designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh created the fabulous interiors for these must-visit tea rooms back in 1904, and they remain one of the city’s great
marvels. Afternoon tea is a magnificent three-tiered feast, but the patriotic all-day offer runs all the way from Arbroath smokes and clootie dumplings to legendary meringues. There’s an offshoot
on Buchanan Street.
BEST OF THE REST
Indie neighbourhood gem: No. 16 Restaurant
A clean-cut, tightly packed, hospitable venue that punches above its weight for quality and eclectic innovation.
Much-loved Glasgow veteran: Café Gandolfi
Dating back to 1979 and still delivering plates of big-hearted international food right through the day. Bar Gandolfi is upstairs and Gandolfi Fish is just down the road.
Italian jobs: Paperino’s (pictured right)
An Italian fixture of the Byres Road scene, famed for its sociable vibes and affordable trattoria food. In similar vein, also try city stalwarts La Parmigiana, La Lanterna and Amarone.
Chinese crackers: Dragon-i
This sophisticated contemporary restaurant deals in eye-catching, imaginative dishes with pan-Asian overtones.
Fish suppers: Chippy Doon The Lane
Go-getting chippy on the first floor of the iconic McCormick’s Printers building. Expect the proper traditional stuff, plus some wacky appetisers, cocktails and fizz.
Afternoon delights: Butterfly & Pig Tea Room
A whimsical, nostalgic take on the traditional tearoom, right down to its vintage dressers and doilies. Afternoon tea is the star, but don’t miss breakfast or savoury options either.
Shop and snack: Kember & Jones
Part deli, part kitchenware shop, part café, this personally run fine-food emporium is just the ticket for breakfast, coffee and cake or a generous artisan lunch.
Edgy urban hangout: Kelvingrove Cafe
Victorian drinking den reborn as a cool-dude rendezvous specialising in hip, on-trend street food, bespoke cocktails and world beers
Boozy Glasgow all-rounder: Babbity Bowster
A pioneering gastropub in the 1980s, now a boutique hotel noted for its continental accents, real ales, live music, barbecues and bistro-style food.
Whiskies galore: The Pot Still (pictured right)
A Glaswegian legend and Scotland’s most famous whisky pub, with more than 300 different brands on display. Excellent Caledonian real ales too.
Home brews and crafty beers: West
‘Glaswegian heart, German head’ is the motto of this microbrewery and ‘bierehalle’ within the Templeton building. Also check out Aberdeenshire’s crafty punk brewmeisters at BrewDog.
Cool cocktails and cool jazz: Blue Dog
A bona fide cocktail bar and one of the coolest customers in town, with a lengthy, complex list of bespoke tipples – plus regular live jazz, chanteuses and even a resident magician.
Spirited newcomer: Gin 71
Glasgow’s first gin bar is a classy addition to the city’s increasingly sophisticated drinks scene. Seventy one brands from near and far are backed by home-brewed tonics, mixes and clever
garnishes.
Click here for more restaurants, bar and pubs in Glasgow
Written by David Mabey
Published 21 July 2014