Restaurants, Cafés within 5 miles of Glasgow

Tinderbox’s original Byres Road coffeshop café opened in 1998 but the interior still feels contemporary and enticing. No food is prepared on the premises though, with savoury options being either pre-prepared sandwiches or salad/noodle bowls. It’s an…

Fressh is just off George Square, and a refreshing antidote to some of the big commerical outfits in the area. It serves a limited menu but does it very well. Soups are always excellent, and the sandwich fillings are fresh and colourful if a little…

Tucked away in Merchant City, Lily’s may look like your average café from the outside but the menu tells a different story. Successfully combining paninis, burgers and baked potatoes with Chinese dishes, the noodle soup sprinkled with roast sesame seeds…

Drinking tea and all the rituals that go with it may be back in fashion but that’s where Stewart’s association with what’s 'current' ends. Everything, from the classical music on loop to the cake-stands and the royal portraits on the walls harks back to…

If it wasn't for the grounding nature of the predominantly British food and décor, the view out of Cranberry's huge windows into an architecturally attractive corner could take you on all sorts of fancy flights around the globe, imagining life in Paris…

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…

For some Glaswegians, it's simply the backdrop to the Duke of Wellington statue with the cone on his heid but to most, it's the 18th-century mansion house building that dominates Royal Exchange Square. Under its most recent guise as the Gallery of…

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…

The Willow Tea Rooms have been part of Sauchiehall St for over 100 years, ever since they were run by Charles Rennie Mackintosh's most loyal patron (and queen of the Victorian tea room) Kate Cranston. At the time of going to print, the future of that…

Tucked out of sight at basement level, Cafe Wander is a quirky haven in the city bustle. As well as a takeaway counter for rushed breakfasts and lunches, there's a small café space for more relaxed ones, overlooked by works from local artists and an…

With its cute, stylish décor, including Le Creuset pots adorning the walls, a tempting range of cakes (the red velvet is so distractingly melting it banishes all thought of its beetroot origins) and champagne afternoon teas, Fifi and Ally is aimed right…

Aiming for funky elegance, with its distinctive papier-mâché stag's head decorations and logo, Cranachan is an aspirational Scottish café in Glasgow's smartest mall. Lunch options range from soups – their signature Cullen skink is light and creamy…

A welcome addition to Argyle Street's eastern end – an already interesting arty area that has for long held so much potential – recently opened Rose and Grants Trongate is the sister café to its namesake in Milngavie. Bright and spacious, with a couch…

This stylish off-shoot of the Byres Road tea room makes great play of its ethical and waste-reduction efforts, aiming to combine elegant snacking and drinking with a clearer conscience. Set in a lovely Victorian building, they've kept the décor…

Tinderbox’s original Byres Road coffeshop café opened in 1998 but the interior still feels contemporary and enticing. No food is prepared on the premises though, with savoury options being either pre-prepared sandwiches or salad/noodle bowls. It’s an…