The Buttery

With its baronial Brigadoon vibe, swathes of mahogany, stained glass and tartan carpets, The Buttery is a Glasgow institution that has been feeding the city for decades.

Seafood queens The Two Fat Ladies pitched up here in 2007 and have made the place their own since then, overlaying the venue’s luxurious demeanour with their trademark fish cookery. Expect an eclectic menu that roams around the globe, and makes a bad choice nearly impossible with the likes of pan-fried fillet of Shetland halibut with Cajun spice, sweetcorn and coriander salsa, avocado mousse and tempura king prawn, flash-fried West Coast scallops, crispy gnocchi, wild mushrooms and kale, with light Barwheys cheddar cream, or grilled whole lemon sole with smoked cheddar, herb panko crumb and saffron and tomato tartar sauce. Meat eaters might fancy pan-fried fillets of Scottish beef layered with horseradish and thyme potato crush, roasted onions and glazed bearnaise sauce or Roasted supreme of Gressingham duck, fondant potato, smoked maple syrup pears and a rose harissa jus. Elsewhere puds run from Buttery creme brûlée with apricot, prosecco and a almond granola pot to a dark chocolate and spiced dark rum gateau with baked white chocolate ice cream.

Meals here aren’t cheap, but the exceptional cooking and high-end ingredients make it feel like good value. Mains clock in somewhere around £25 but set lunches and theatre deals offer excellent value where two courses cost £18, and tree courses are offered for £21.

As with many popular restaurants in the are you will be expected to surrender your table back to the team after two hours, but we’ve found that staff are often accommodating if you overrun and they don’t have a pressing need for it.

We’d recommend booking ahead where possible, as the dining room isn’t the largest space and gets busy quickly on choice evenings.

Long-standing Scottish restaurant The Buttery is something of an institution in Glasgow, popular with sightseeing tourists and long-term residents alike. Thought to be Glasgow's oldest eatery, dating back to 1870, The Two Fat Ladies acquired it in 2007. Since then, it's gone from strength to strength.

The smart dining room at Two Fat Ladies at The Buttery evokes a bygone era. Tables here are dressed in white tablecloths, with wooden chairs upholstered in tartan fabric, while other traditional interior elements such as stained glass windows, oak-panelled walls and a tartan carpet let diners know that this is a restaurant which celebrates formal Scottish luxury. The resolutely traditional aesthetic may give the room a sense of formality and pomp, but don’t be put off if you prefer unstuffy dining rooms; the atmosphere at Two Fat Ladies manages to stay relaxed thanks to the efforts of the sweet-natured staff and warm ambience.

The a la carte menu at The Buttery champions the top-quality cooking the restaurant has become so well known for over the years, with a focus on well-sourced Scottish produce, from Highland venison to prime Scottish beef. Highlights from the starters include soya-glazed scallops with chargrilled king oyster mushroom, sweetcorn fritters,  spiced cashews and satay sauce; smoked Tobermory trout with asparagus and a crispy poached egg; and Cullen skink, a traditional soup of smoked haddock, leek, potato and cream. 

Main courses meanwhile see the likes of wild Highland venison with potato rosti, spring onion spelt grain risotto, celeriac and vanilla puree and a juniper jus, or Scottish beef fillet with a wild mushroom and spinach vol-au-vent, herb and Parma ham terrine and a Bourguignon sauce. Seafood is just as tempting, thanks to options like Cajun-spiced halibut with tempura scallop, and rolled sole stuffed with spinach and smoked salmon and finished with a lobster bisque