Great restaurants in Glasgow range from fine-dining spots to casual bistros serving up traditional Scottish favourites. ‘Global meets local’ in the port city’s culinary scene. Alongside laidback spots serving local dishes like haggis, neeps and tatties, there’s an array of upscale places showcasing dishes from Scotland and beyond.

Sample what’s on offer in Glasgow's historic centre, Merchant City, where warehouses have been repurposed to house stylish cafes. Leafy West End also enjoys a thriving dining scene; on its fringes, the hip area of Finnieston is carving a name for itself as an exciting destination to eat out. From the swanky to the simple, here’s where to eat in Glasgow and what to try.

  • 1

    Crabshakk

    Western Isles fish, crab and lobster

    Crabshakk
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    Crabshakk is a restaurant in Finnieston specialising in seafood. Established in 2009, it consistently hits the spot with fresh oysters, chowder, whitebait, mussels, langoustines, and whole brown crab. If you really can’t choose, you can’t go wrong with the mixed fish platter.

    Footballing legend David Beckham famously praised the place when he visited in 2019, singling out the finely cooked scallops and rollmops that he remarked, “Reminded me of my nan”. If the Finnieston location is fully booked during your visit, the good news is that there’s now a second branch in the Botanic Gardens Garage, within a 10-minute drive north.

    Locatie: 1114 Argyle St, Finnieston, Glasgow G3 8TD, UK

    Openingstijden: Daily from noon to midnight

    Telefoonnummer: +44 (0)141 334 6127

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  • 2

    Unalome by Graeme Cheevers

    European fine dining in Glasgow

    Unalome by Graeme Cheevers
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    Unalome offers fine dining with fusion European cuisine in the Finnieston neighbourhood of Glasgow. This restaurant at a corner on Kelvingrove street and just a stone’s throw from Kelvingrove Park was awarded a Michelin star within a year of opening.

    The restaurant’s name is taken from the Buddhist symbol that represents the path to enlightenment. Follow your own culinary journey as you experience creative and exquisitely presented modern European dishes influenced by Asia. Watch the award-winning patron chef and his team prepare your orders from the tasting menu – the likes of north sea turbot and cured royal bream – in their open kitchen.

    Locatie: 36 Kelvingrove St, Finnieston, Glasgow G3 7RZ, UK

    Openingstijden: Wednesday–Sunday from noon to 2.30 pm and 6 pm to midnight (closed on Mondays and Tuesdays)

    Telefoonnummer: +44 (0)141 501 0553

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  • 3

    Cail Bruich

    Seasonal local ingredients turned into stellar dishes

    Cail Bruich
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    Cail Bruich is a modern restaurant in Glasgow whose name translates to, “to eat well”. And that’s exactly what you can expect to do at this Michelin-star restaurant. Its interior is charming and elegant, with exposed brick walls, classy leather banquettes and modish copper lighting with tungsten bulbs.

    The contemporary vibe translates to the plate too. A typical tasting menu might feature Isle of Skye langoustine, Peterhead cod or aged Goosnargh farm duck. Reserve a place at the chef’s table, where you can watch the kitchen team work their magic right in front of you.

    Locatie: 725 Great Western Rd, Glasgow G12 8QX, UK

    Openingstijden: Tuesday–Thursday from 6.30 pm to midnight, Friday and Saturday from noon to 5 pm and 7 pm to midnight

    Telefoonnummer: +44 (0)141 334 6265

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  • 4

    Bilson Eleven

    Refined Scottish cuisine in Glasgow

    Bilson Eleven
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    Bilson Eleven is a fine-dining restaurant that has played a significant role in helping to shine the spotlight on Glasgow’s East End. Foodies flock to this 19th-century townhouse to while away a few pleasurable hours and work their way through its inventive tasting menu.

    Every aspect of the food is explained at the table. Dishes such as wild venison with smoked aubergine and Aragon olives, line-caught cod accompanied by preserved morels and pickled English truffle, and chocolate tart with cherry and liquorice are as exquisitely presented.

    Locatie: 10 Annfield Place, Glasgow G31 2XQ, UK

    Openingstijden: Wednesday from 6.30 pm to 10 pm, Thursday–Saturday from 6.30 pm to 8 pm (closed Sunday–Tuesday)

    Telefoonnummer: +44 (0)141 554 6259

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  • 5

    Café Gandolfi

    An established Glasgow bistro serving haggis, neeps and tatties

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    Café Gandolfi is a stylish restaurant in Glasgow that feels old school from the moment you step through its revolving door. You’ll be ushered to a table flanked by wood panelling, and although its decor seems old-fashioned, what’s on the plate is worthy of any 21st-century dining room.

    On the wall, a sign reads Deagh Bhiadh, Deagh Bheannachd (Gaelic for “Well fed, Well blessed”). That’s how they want you to leave after ordering a classically Scottish Cullen skink cod or dishes inspired from further afield such as chicken Parmigiana or BBQ Hispi cabbage with cashew butter, kimchi and puffed rice.

    Locatie: 64 Albion Street, Glasgow G1 1NY, UK

    Openingstijden: Friday–Wednesday from 8 am to 4.30 pm, Thursday from 8 am to 9 pm

    Telefoonnummer: +44 (0)141 552 6813

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  • 6

    Ubiquitous Chip

    A pioneering Scottish brasserie in Glasgow

    Ubiquitous Chip
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    Ubiquitous Chip is a Scottish restaurant in Glasgow where you can enjoy fine cuisine in an artistic setting. When Ronnie Clydesdale first opened it more than 50 years ago, he wanted to showcase the best Scottish ingredients. This trailblazing philosophy has been much copied, but “The Chip” more than manages to hold its own.

    You’ll need several visits to Ubiquitous Chip to do justice to its menu. Highlights from the many must-try dishes include venison haggis served with turnip and potato purée, hand-dived Barra scallops, Loch Melfort sea trout, and Tweed Valley steaks.

    Locatie: 12 Ashton Lane, Hillhead, Glasgow G12 8SJ, UK

    Openingstijden: Sunday–Thursday from noon to midnight, Friday and Saturday from noon to 1 am

    Telefoonnummer: +44 (0)141 334 5007

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    foto door Jon Evans (CC BY 2.0) bewerkt

  • 7

    Stravaigin

    Gourmet Scottish cuisine featuring local ingredients

    Stravaigin
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    Stravaigin is a Scottish restaurant and a place to go for the experimental and the adventurous in Glasgow. Nowhere else in Glasgow could you imagine finding squirrel, rook or goose barnacles on the menu.

    If that’s a little too unorthodox for your palate, be reassured that much of what Stravaigin serves is more mainstream, though with a playful twist so that it’s never ordinary. Enjoy Shetland mackerel with garden pea velouté, salt-baked kohlrabi and potato salad, followed by pineapple tarte Tatin with coconut and lime sorbet drizzled with cardamom syrup.

    Locatie: 28 Gibson St, Glasgow G12 8NX, UK

    Openingstijden: Monday and Tuesday from 5 pm to midnight, Wednesday–Friday from noon to 1 am, Saturday and Sunday from 11 am to 1 am

    Telefoonnummer: +44 (0)141 334 2665

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  • 8

    Two Fat Ladies at The Buttery

    Old-school and upscale Scottish cuisine in Glasgow

    Two Fat Ladies at The Buttery
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    Two Fat Ladies at The Buttery is a warm Scottish restaurant in Glasgow that impresses with its old-school décor the moment you walk through the door. Dark wood panelling complements tartan carpets and upholstery. Together with wait staff wearing kilts, they create a classically Scottish ambience which evokes a bygone era without feeling dated.

    The food, too, reflects the best of Scottish produce. To start, perhaps order the line-caught mackerel with apple and pear slaw or smoked salmon with pickled fennel and beetroot salad. Mains are equally tempting: breast of wood pigeon accompanied by Savoy cabbage and bacon or grilled sole Veronique. Round off with a sweet dessert or a selection of local cheeses with Arran oatcakes and homemade chutney.  

    Locatie: 652 Argyle St, Glasgow G3 8UF, UK

    Openingstijden: Tuesday–Thursday from noon to 2.30 pm and 5 pm to 10.30 pm, Friday and Saturday from noon to 10.30 pm, Sunday from noon to 10 pm

    Telefoonnummer: +44 (0)141 221 8188

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    foto door Thomas Nugent (CC BY-SA 2.0) bewerkt

  • 9

    The Gannet

    A fine yet informal dining experience in Glasgow

    The Gannet
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    The Gannet is an award-winning fine-dining restaurant in Glasgow serving food that’s unmistakably Scottish. Oysters from the crystal clear waters of the Isle of Gigha in the Inner Hebrides, Cairngorm red deer and Fife strawberries highlight the quality and diversity of local produce.    

    The restaurant itself is as much a treat for the senses as is its food. The place has bags of charm and character.  Stone walls, textured wood sculptures, exposed ductwork and matte black steel columns create a contemporary but never pretentious vibe.

    Locatie: 1155 Argyle St, Finnieston, Glasgow G3 8TB, UK

    Openingstijden: Wednesday and Thursday from 6 pm to 9.30 pm, Friday and Saturday from noon to 2 pm and 5.30 pm to 9.30 pm, Sunday from noon to 2.30 pm and 5.30 pm to 9 pm

    Telefoonnummer: +44 (0)141 204 2081

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  • 10

    Bothy Glasgow

    Modern takes on Scottish classics

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    The Bothy is tucked away down a cobbled alley in Glasgow, a characterful place that evokes the Highlands despite its city location. Much of the food is quintessentially Scottish: Ayrshire pork belly, Cullen skink, haggis, roe deer loin, and heather honey parfait feature alongside stalwarts like chicken, steak and salmon.

    In summer, the restaurant’s garden is a suntrap by day and a magical, fairy-light-filled space by night – kilted servers will supply blankets if you’re feeling chilly. Alternatively, muster up a group and rent out The Scullery, the Bothy’s private dining room, with an open fireplace that is a real treat in winter.

    Locatie: 11 Ruthven Lane, Glasgow G12 9BG, UK

    Openingstijden: Monday–Thursday from noon to 11 pm, Friday from noon to midnight, Saturday from 11 am to midnight, Sunday from 11 am to 11 pm

    Telefoonnummer: +44 (0)141 334 4040

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Julia Hammond | Schrijver