Restaurants, Scottish, Outdoor dining, Pre-theatre menu within 5 miles of Glasgow

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…

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…

One of the more self-consciously ‘Scottish’ of the restaurants in this section (it defines itself as such on the signage and on its website) Ingram Wynd is a good bet for traditional dishes such as skirlie, stovies or cranachan – which can be…

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…

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…

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 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…

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…

Dining at the Grill Room at the Square is certainly an elegant experience. Housed in the same building as 29 Private Member’s Club, this upmarket steak specialist overlooks the twinkling lights of Royal Exchange Square and has a distinct air of…

Weekends at this popular bar and diner feature live music and even a regular magician – helping to create a lively infectious buzz that is easy to get caught up in. Couples and groups are seated in leather booths, helping to break up the restaurant…

Church conversions don’t come much classier than this chic and spacious bistro tucked beneath the St Andrews on the Square building. Moody glowing booths, dark leather seating and copper lined pillars break the large room into intimate zones while a…

It's next-door to the home of Scotland's national instrument and they serve traditional food in a – let's say typically Scottish – warm and cosy atmosphere ideal for quiet conviviality and romantic rendezvous. It's even handily located at the top of…

There is nothing quite like The Red Onion in Glasgow. It has an established clientèle that clearly likes its casual style, and prices. At the heart of the city it offers food with French and Far Eastern influences, using quality Scottish ingredients.

Having ditched its semi-fine dining menu along with it its AA rosette, the City Café has gone down the 'home favourites' route to suit its regular customers. Steak pie, beef lasagne and burgers probably suit the hungry hotel guest who doesn’t want any…

There’s always a lively buzz around this ground-level section of the popular restaurant where staff move with a studied air of relaxed professionalism amid babbling West Enders. Although it’s lighter in spirit and intentionally less formal than the room…

With an informal wine bar atmosphere, racks of wine bottles around the walls and a gallery of artworks for sale in aid of a hospice, there's a feeling of caring and community here. This caring extends into the food, wine and cheery service on offer.

Arts and concert based venues get their biggest numbers on event nights. So it seems for the Brasserie which is entered through a splendid stone vaulted arch at the side entrance to the old church that forms the spectacular Oran Mor. The room has an…

Although its star has occasionally waned over 40-odd years of serving the West End’s finest, the Chip still holds its own amid the crowded glare and shifting fashions of Ashton Lane, carving a hard-won niche for quality food and metropolitan chic.

Small proves to be beautiful in this cosy bistro at the bottom of Byres Road where a restrained number of covers allows the chef to concentrate on detail, style and flavour. Personal touches like tiny fresh flowers, homemade rolls, and soft lighting…

A neighbourhood restaurant thrives on local custom but pulling in extra punters from further afield is the best way to stay in business over the long term so it’s good to see Aisla and Rupert Staniforth making the most of Wee Lochan’s growing reputation…

Located handily beside Jordanhill train station and twinned with the Sisters Kelvingrove, dining at this Scottish restaurant is a classy experience. Don’t be put off by the uninspiring entrance which takes you through a slightly scruffy wooden…