Restaurants, Bistros & brasseries, "Glasgow"

Located bang in the middle of Glasgow’s nightlife scene, Nanakusa offers a funky, bright and open-plan space to relax away from the revelling crowds. Most diners on the bench-style seating are under forty all looking for authentic tasting food in cool…

Formally, Mise en Place, Rhubarb is situated on the edge of Pollokshields and the Strathbungo's village triangle of shops and cafés. It is a stylish café/restaurant serving breakfast, snacks and light lunches in the daytime, including soup, salads…

Barbarossa comes in two parts – a wine bar downstairs and a chic restaurant upstairs – and thanks to a very committed chef, a host of regulars have been dining here for more than 10 years. The wine bar has a reasonably priced selection of pasta, pizza…

No place captures the energy of the Finnieston renaissance better than Crabshakk, a few years old but still packed to the rafters most evenings. At the bar and on the mezzanine, diners sit beside, opposite – practically on top of each other. Brushed…

Scallops wrapped in pancetta is a good way to start in this large, airy and stylish basement dining room. The portion is generous and the scallops not overcooked. The antipasto misto is described as a signature dish, but is a little disappointing. It…

Though a little removed from the main Shawlands dining strip the value of the food along with the decidedly relaxed and jovial atmosphere at this unassuming corner pub and bistro make it worth the venture. New owner Graham Sutherland, who also has the…

Dakhin’s green and black décor oozes style. Wooden ceiling slats draped with plants create an Oriental feel in the spacious venue, while album-like menus and crisp linen napkins add a touch of class to otherwise bare black tables. Located upstairs, a…

While its name and menu might be nominally inspired by our cousins across the Channel, the brasserie at the Glasgow branch of boutique hotel chain Malmaison’s stock-in-trade is essentially upscale British gastronomy with French flourishes. Down a spiral…

Brel has been a trusted sport on Glasgow's most famous cobbled lane for as long as most West Enders can remember. Lately it’s moved with the times with a more flexible menu, away from the bistro market and towards being an upmarket bar. There is still a…

When it comes to knowing what students want, you’ve got to hand it to Ketchup. Set on the ground floor of a block of Ashton Lane venues, the American feel may not quite fit the cobbled lane, but inside, large booths and benches are crammed full of teens…

Microbrewery appreciation starts early at Mono, where vast silver vats line one wall, piping homemade lemonades directly to the bar for a refreshing alternative to the usual drinks, which are of course also available. Young parents bring their kids to…

While the origin of the name may have been lost in the mists of time, the team at Firebird are certainly taking the ‘fire’ part seriously. A wood-fired oven bakes the signature sourdough pizzas to a pleasing crunch, while a blazing stove keeps the…

Housed in the former Sheriff Court there are few building fronts as impressive anywhere in the city. Gone are any remnants of law court life. Split between a ground floor with a massive glitzy cocktail bar, and an upstairs restaurant that has a more…

The downstairs bar at Metropolitan has been on the city’s 'places to be seen' list since it opened in 2002 and still caters to a highly coiffed, middle-aged Glasgow crowd. The upstairs restaurant is a suitably swish, glam and surprisingly huge. The…

Entering Rogano – one of Glasgow’s best-known restaurants – is like stepping onto a Cunard liner circa 1930. This 80-year-old institution and its Art Deco stylings are well documented but there’s nowhere else in the city remotely like it. The experience…

One can't help being overwhelmed when entering Tusk; the vast, high-ceilinged former filmhouse carries off a contemporary Asian-inspired design with a luxurious flourish. At centre stage sits a giant golden Buddha, and the faint smell of incense drifts…

Morblas – derived from the Gaelic words for ‘great’ and ‘taste’ – is located in the Glasgow Hilton, a hotel situated beside a distinctly unglamorous stretch of motorway. However, things greatly improve once inside as you stroll through the impressive…

Mother India's original restaurant, opened in 1990, has a reputation that keeps the place filled most days. This Glasgow favourite has played a major part in pushing the boundaries of Indian cuisine in the city in those intervening years. It has…

There is an atmosphere in neighbourhood restaurants you just don’t get in town. It’s evident here the moment you walk through the door and are greeted like a friend, at once feeling perfectly at home with the staff’s Italian banter. This family owned…

Billing itself as a canteen rather than a restaurant, Lucky 7 has a distinct ‘distressed tenement chic’ aesthetic. The former townhouse has been re-imagined as a cross between a European squat and an East Village hangout with artfully peeling mismatched…

Laid-back, kitsch and a real hipster heaven, The Drake seems to appeal to a subtly upmarket yet down to earth throng of 30-something professionals. The main attraction is the bar: with its big sofas and bookshelves, it’s as relaxed as a lounge, with a…