Restaurants, Budget within 5 miles of Glasgow

There are many restaurants serving Italian food for the masses, what singles Tony’s out is the service.. It’s polished and on a par with more expensive establishments. The food is not bad either and ribs dish to start is a substantially meaty choice.

The first thing you notice on entering Waxy O’Connor's is the sheer size of it. The different rooms and levels make it possible to find a cosy nook even when the pub is busy. Added to this, the wood interior gives a reassuringly traditional feel for an…

A smart, light, bright dining room with a stylish champagne bar attached, the place has an open kitchen where the chefs can be seen preparing dishes from the large menu. Deep-fried calamari are tasty and tender as are the prawns in the same…

From the owner and the staff, to the olive oil from the family vineyards, Elia’s unaffected charm lies in an unashamed celebration of family roots. Combining the unfussed approach of a traditional Greek taverna with Scottish produce to create an…

Situated in the fashionable Merchant City area, Qua likes to think of itself as a stylish place to eat quality Italian food, the way they do back home. The décor is minimalist, with red and black furniture dominating the large dining area which is…

This multi-level eating, drinking and gambling emporium is one of the G1 group’s flagship enterprises, with attention paid to creating a dazzling venue. The main dining room is astonishing; everything is on a huge scale, from the enormous glazed dome…

Named after the famous ‘Glasgow Glutton’, Robert Hall, who made a living from eating contests, this restaurant and bar (with four hotel rooms) is tucked down one of the Merchant City’s quieter streets. You enter through the cosy bar with a glowing open…

Pinto is fast food, but it’s an example of how fast doesn’t have to mean junk. You line up at a counter to choose from a short, simple list of tasty and relatively healthy fillings, decide whether you want yours wrapped in a burrito, piled into tacos…

Established in 1988, City Merchant's reputation as one of the best fish restaurants in Glasgow is as much down to owners who pride themselves on the freshness of their seafood as it is to the resulting cuisine that is undeniably impressive. A decadent…

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…

With the opening of Piccolino e Vino in Newton Mearns, the La Vita ‘family’ now includes four restaurants across the country. This expansion is indicative of the popularity of its operation in George Square, which can serve upwards of 1000 diners on a…

Windows bills itself as 'Glasgow's only rooftop restaurant', but to be honest it's more 'top floor' than 'rooftop' as the view is good but not quite knock-out impressive. Located on the seventh level of the Carlton George, it feels just like many…

Now primarily a café, though still with a deli in the basement, Peckham's layout is slightly random: a few window booths, some window stools, tables tucked at the back and some awkward ones in the middle. But once seated in this imposing dark space…

It can seem a bit lonely sitting in the plush but slightly soulless Merchant Square, but Fanelli’s has a very warm welcome. On offer here are Italian staples with a Scottish influence creeping in. This is evident in pizza combinations such as haggis and…

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…

You’d think Arisaig’s location around that climate-free covered-style courtyard would pull in weather-beaten punters all day long, but although evening crowds throng, the cobbled delights of Merchant Square are a tad more sedate around lunchtime which…

The quiet assuredness and sensible prices of Seumas MacInnes’s fish venture mean it does more than just bask in the nearby glory of its much older brother, Café Gandolfi. Scotland’s waters provide the produce but it’s the continental ‘fritto misto’ that…

With its handsome interior, chunky Tim Stead furniture and globe lights, Café Gandolfi is the granddaddy of Merchant City bohemianism. Serving a mix of clientele from shoppers to concert-goers, it’s been dishing out high-end bistro food for more than 30…

What’s on offer in this upmarket eatery is far removed from the rustic style of cooking you’ll find in any roadside café after which it is named. The chefs have previously cooked for India’s rich and famous bringing with them a majestic, refined…

Zinc tables, novelty spirits behind the bar, walls papered with banknotes and postcards from around the globe: at first glance Brutti Ma Buoni has all the trappings of a travellers’ bar rather than a traditional bistro. But it would be a shame to miss…