Restaurants, Student friendly and "Glasgow"
- Maggie Mays
Outstanding contemporary Scottish restaurant, with a bustling bar and all-year entertainment - Moskito
Moskito is a laid-back bar with an extensive drinks list as well as great food - The Tea Rooms at The Butterfly and the Pig
City centre gem serving Afternoon Tea, High Tea, cakes & delights - King Tut's Wah Wah Hut
A legendary live music venue serving cosmopolitan pub food
Chinaski's
239 North Street,
Glasgow,
G3 7DL
Named after a Charles Bukowski alter ego, Chinaski’s maintains its underground roots by eschewing any signage on the exterior in an effort to deter large groups of rowdy drinkers from nearby Sauchiehall Street. During daylight hours the bar is bright…
Home
80 Albion Street,
Glasgow,
G1 1NY
The decoration at this city centre hang-out is indeed a bit like home – if you happen to live somewhere that’s the ‘before’ part of a makeover. The furniture is a random mixture of leather booths (some with ripped seats), squashy sofas and gaudy chairs…
Big Slope
36a Kelvingrove Street,
Glasgow,
G3 7SA
It would be interesting to know how many folk come into Big Slope for a drink, but end up having something to eat. That's what makes a good bar food menu: perched on the table, teasing and appetising. Here we have pub favourites with lovely twists…
Bar Ten
10 Mitchell Lane,
Glasgow,
G1 3NU
Bar Ten’s narrow space, alongside its zinc tables, marble bartop and alley-way location, has always given it a rather European feel. And it still retains a bit of an edge from its glory days as a ‘pre-club’ venue, too, with an older, but trendy, crowd…
Cottier's
93–95 Hyndland Street,
Glasgow,
G11 5PX
Stencils on the walls, fairy lights and candles add plenty of character and atmosphere to proceedings in this converted church. Service is genuinely warm and helpful while suitably informal given the relaxed surroundings. The carpaccio of Inverurie beef…
See Woo Restaurant
The Point, 29 Saracen Street,
Glasgow,
G22 5HT
With Scotland's largest Chinese supermarket sitting alongside the restaurant, See Woo clearly has a plethora of ingredients at its disposal. An extensive yet moderately priced menu, specialising in Cantonese and Pekinese cuisine, are tangible signs of…
Bar Milano
2 Mains Avenue, Eastwood Toll,
Glasgow,
G46 6QZ
From its pleasantly neutral décor and friendly service to the suburban location, Bar Milano ticks all the boxes for a comfortable neighbourhood trattoria. It’s housed in a converted bank but where such buildings often possess a cold grandeur, the…
The Rio Café
27 Hyndland Street,
Glasgow,
G11 5QF
The Rio Café’s 1950s diner-style décor and vibe has made it something of an institution in Glasgow’s West End, and it’s menu offers up tempting options whether you’re in for breakfast, lunch, or just a snack. The burgers come large and tasty, and even a…
Bacchus
80 Glassford Street,
Glasgow,
G1 1UR
Weekends are busy at this Merchant City bar, catering for the post-work and pre-club crowd. The interior is stylish, with comfy low cushioned benches, bar stools and standard tables offering seating options to suit your night. Be careful to arrive early…
The Balcony Cafe
Upstairs @ The Glasgow Climbing Centre, 534 Paisley Road West,
Glasgow,
G51 1RN
It isn't completely about the ambience inside this converted late-1800s church – the food and coffee are good as well – but it is no doubt its USP. A wrought-iron spiral staircase leads up to a cosy, laid-back space where the view is of a mesmerising…
The Bank Café Bar
443 Clarkston Road,
Glasgow,
G44 3LL
The Maclay Inns group, five of whose premises are featured in this section, tend to choose interesting buildings for their ventures that add a nice bit of character. In the case of The Bank it is, indeed, a former bank, now popular residential café/bar…
The Ben Nevis
1147 Argyle Street,
Glasgow,
G3 8TB
The Ben Nevis is well worth a visit if you’re after whisky, contemporary Scottish folk or just a chance to hang out with some real Glaswegians in an agreeable environment. With slabs of slate, ropes and wood, the interior evokes a fantastical Highland…
Maggie May's
60 Trongate,
Glasgow,
G1 5EP
If you believe the deep-fried Mars bar is an urban myth, proof of its existence can be found at Maggie May’s, an indie/folky music venue and pub with a surprisingly civilised restaurant tucked away at the back of the bar. The crisply battered…
Moskito
200 Bath Street,
Glasgow,
G2 4HG
The ambient beats and distinctive green-turquoise hue of Moskito have been with us for more than a decade now, making it the elder statesman of Bath Street. Like its neighbouring bars, the location’s great for workers from the nearby offices, as well as…
Bar 91
91 Candleriggs,
Glasgow,
G1 1NP
Regularly filled with an eclectic mix of professionals, students and families, Bar 91’s welcoming vibe and contemporary interior see it busy all day. In addition to the usual array of mainstream lagers, there are beers from the nearby West Brewery…
Bar Soba
11 Mitchell Lane,
Glasgow,
G1 3NU
One of the first restaurants in Glasgow to serve fashionable ‘fusion’ food, Bar Soba serves up a mix of Thai, Japanese, Vietnamese and Chinese influenced dishes including the soba noodles that the restaurant’s name suggests. Bar Soba claims that its…
Driftwood
2–4 St Georges Road,
Glasgow,
G3 6UJ
Driftwood has been a fixture of Charing Cross for a few years now, offering cheap and cheerful food to hungry students and weary shoppers. The dining area is decked out in the 'traditional' Mexican terracotta and yellow, though it's actually barely…
The Grosvenor Café
The Grosvenor Theatre, Ashton Lane,
Glasgow,
G12 8SJ
Located above the well-known Ashton Lane cinema, the Grosvenor is a bar which captures the atmosphere of the film experience. A large projector screen plays out silent pictures throughout the day, while the bar’s décor harks back to the cinematic…
The Lansdowne Bar & Kitchen
7a Lansdowne Crescent,
Glasgow,
G20 6NQ
With walls covered in plasma screens and a plethora of comfy booths, it is easy to see why the Lansdowne is considered by many to be among the best sports bars in town. To the rear of the spacious bar is a conservatory area, primarily a function room…
The Left Bank
33–35 Gibson Street,
Glasgow,
G12 8NU
Within its warren of nooks and crannies, the Left Bank offers a kaleidoscopic take on casual dining. Aimed squarely at the broadsheet-reading classes of this undergraduate-heavy area, and housed within a refurbished, multi-levelled bank building, it…
Òran Mór
731-735 Great Western Road,
Glasgow,
G12 8QX
The grand looking Òran Mór, a converted sandstone church overlooking Byres Road and the Botanic Gardens, attempts to cater for the varied wants of trendy West End locals by being all things to all punters: restaurant (see Scottish), club, theatre, bar…
The Big Blue
445 Great Western Road,
Glasgow,
G12 8HH
A perennial student favourite and something of a West End institution, the Big Blue endures in its picturesque location by the Kelvin. Portions are hearty enough to satisfy diners with big appetites. The fried calamari with lemon is a tasty starter and…
Mono
12 Kings Court, King Street,
Glasgow,
G1 5RB
Mono has been serving Glasgow’s veggie and vegan clientele for ten years now and it’s easy to see the attraction. The room has an indie vibe with a raised platform for the eating area, a good-sized stage for visiting musicians and a long colourful bar…
The Observatory
140 Elderslie Street,
Glasgow,
G3 7AW
Observatory offers informal neighbourhood dining in a site pitched between the West End and city centre. Warm sandstone and scrubbed-wood finishes with plain, unlaid tables give an unpretentious and appropriately flexible feel for its diverse clientele…
The Tearoom @ The Butterfly and the Pig
153 Bath Street,
Glasgow,
G2 4SQ
The 'odd pair', it states in the blurb, and they could be talking about the mismatched cutlery and crockery. A step back in time to a more genteel age awaits on climbing the stairs to the sister venue of the Buff Club and companion piece to the…
The 13th Note Café/Bar
50–60 King Street,
Glasgow,
G1 5QT
As befits a busy live venue, 13th note has a cool and funky vibe that attracts music and arts lovers of all ages. A cavernous red room with large windows hosts the bar area with the café perched a few stairs up at the back. The mood of the room changes…
The Arches Café Bar & Restaurant
253 Argyle Street,
Glasgow,
G2 8DL
In the Arches’ subterranean dining room, regularly changing installations – often by local artists – provide the backdrop to interesting, well-executed food. An appetising menu includes adventurous options such as deep-fried baby octopus and wood…
Baby Grand
3–7 Elmbank Gardens,
Glasgow,
G2 4NQ
With its proximity to Charing Cross Station, the Premier Inn and the motorway, the long-established Baby Grand is handily placed to cater for commuters, visitors and business folk, particularly during the day. At night the area is quieter but a…
Café Hula
321 Hope Street,
Glasgow,
G2 3PT
It isn't Morocco and it ain't hot outside but somewhere just north of Sauchiehall St, time moves a bit more slowly. For a long, lingering coffee and some people-watching through the huge windows, this is ideal. But Hula does meals, too, and a loyal core…
Walkabout
128 Renfield Street,
Glasgow,
G2 3AL
Part of a chain, Australian-themed sports bar Walkabout offers a budget-friendly dining experience for a young, noisy, studenty crowd. The Boomerang card entitles patrons to 25% off all food and drink once purchased for just a few quid. A jumble of…
Bar Gandolfi
64 Albion Street,
Glasgow,
G1 1NY
It may no longer be a hidden secret, but the bar in the loft above Café Gandolfi still offers an intimate seclusion difficult to find in Merchant City. Inside, stunning handcrafted furniture contrasts with exposed metal beams overhead that somehow…
Barça Tapas and Cava Bar
Princes Square, 48 Buchanan Street,
Glasgow,
G1 3JN
Situated in upmarket Princes Square, Barça’s top floor terrace is a prime spot overlooking the courtyard and soak up the buzz. Inside this spacious urban style brasserie is a lively cava bar at one end with regular cocktail masterclasses and salsa…
Bunker
193–199 Bath Street,
Glasgow,
G2 4HU
For such grand subterranean dimensions, Bunker does an impressive job of always feeling busy. Even during quiet afternoons a healthy young crowd fills the bright, airy space. When lights go down and the indie/chart music gets louder, it’s busier still…
Firebird
1321 Argyle Street,
Glasgow,
G3 8TL
A West End institution over the past decade or so, Firebird has always been known primarily for its pizzas (which can be bought to takeaway). Hand-made and cooked in a wood-fired oven, giving them a faint smokey flavour, they are thin and crispy with an…
Ivy
1102–1106 Argyle Street,
Glasgow,
G3 8TD
From the street there’s little to see, but the heavy doors of the Ivy open into a small bar manned by some of the most enthusiastic staff you’ll meet in Glasgow. It plays host to six draft beers including the citrusy Joker IPA and more unusually 100…
King Tut's Wah Wah Hut
272a St Vincent Street,
Glasgow,
G2 5RL
There was a time when every young buck in town knew Tut’s as the venue where Oasis famously got signed. It’s still going strong in the music stakes, with an impressive list of of artists that have graced the stage listed on the staircase leading up to…
Bar Budda
8 Cresswell Lane,
Glasgow,
G12 8AA
Although Thai-influenced food has been a characteristic of this high-concept chain for several years, more recently the West End branch has also been focusing on Scottish ingredients while still retaining a flavour of the Far East. Embedded in Cresswell…
Brel
39–43 Ashton Lane,
Glasgow,
G12 8SG
Brel's become a West End fixture not just for its European-influenced food and drink but for a certain relaxed continental vibe giving it a rare sophistication so close to the university. The back beer-garden fills up on sunny days and also offers a…
The Granary
10–16 Kilmarnock Road,
Glasgow,
G41 3NH
The Granary has been bestriding the two main Shawlands arteries of Pollokshaws Road and Kilmarnock Road for 25 years. At lunchtime the main part of the pub is closed and you have to slip in via a side door. Failing to make a grand entrance, too, are the…
The Local
427 Sauchiehall Street,
Glasgow,
G2 3LG
The quirky mix of ceiling lamps and a spherical white TV add a bit of character to the otherwise rectilinear furnishings of The Local: tables, chesterfields, empty picture frames and a free-standing bar on which the youthful clientele can rest their…
Nice'n'Sleazy
421 Sauchiehall Street,
Glasgow,
G2 3LG
Sleazy’s is a legend in this town, a must-visit for indie kids and elder statesmen of the music/arts scene, and its shabby interior can be forgiven, such is the atmosphere. Be it organic cider, white Russians or Buckfast, your tastes are catered for. In…
The 78
10–14 Kelvinhaugh Street,
Glasgow,
G3 8NU
This charming laid-back café/bar has the feel of a country house – set incongruously just off Argyle Street. A long bar dominates the rustically informal room with a line of aged wooden tables, an open fireplace and comfy armchairs hogging its large…
TGI Friday's
113 Buchanan Street,
Glasgow,
G1 3HF
Now in its 15th year of serving up hearty American favourites to families, office parties and numerous other punters, TGI Friday's is as busy as ever (and by some accounts it's the most popular restaurant in the city). The chain operation's formula of…
Tusk
18 Moss Side Road,
Glasgow,
G41 3TN
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…
Waxy O'Connor's
44 West George Street,
Glasgow,
G2 1DH
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…
WEST Brewery
Building 4 Templeton Building, Glasgow Green,
Glasgow,
G40 1AW
With many bars in Glasgow and beyond stocking their excellent beers – brewed in accordance with German Purity Laws (meaning they include water, malt, hops and yeast, and nothing else touches them other than a skilled brewer's hand) – WEST's impact on…
