We love food here at The Luxury Editor and we think we know a thing or two about it! Combine our passion for cuisine with one of the most vibrant cities we know and you are in for a treat. Come with us and explore the exciting Glasgow culinary scene, from contemporary Scottish favourites to globally-inspired small plates, we know the best restaurants in the city for all tastes. Have you tried any?
iasg
Translated from Gaelic as “fish”, iasg is the home of spirited and sustainable seafood. It’s found within the beautiful Kimpton Blythswood Square hotel, an award-winning Georgian mansion house in Glasgow’s city centre. The centrepiece of the restaurant is its long, oval, marble-topped bar with brass-toned finishings and mermaid-scale design aquamarine tiles. Dishes such as hake Kyiv, blackened Shetland cod, Cumbrae oysters, crab and prawn squid ink ravioli and trout pastrami grace a menu that showcases the fruits of Scottish waters. There are light bites if you’re just in for a drink and nibbles (the cocktails are not to be missed!), brunch plates and a children’s menu too. It’s our favourite place to eat right now in the city.
Unalome by Graeme Cheevers
Its name is a reference to our path in life, according to Buddhist philosophy. And Unalome has certainly had an exciting path since it hit the Glasgow food scene, with the recent addition of a Michelin Star. Chef-Patron Graeme Cheevers chose his home city as the destination for his first solo venture, creating a relaxed, unpretentious and accessible setting for his fine food — guests can choose from a set lunch menu, through to a decadent tasting experience. An open kitchen, green velvet seating, statement lighting, gold accents and parquet flooring ensures the interior is very a la mode, as befitting its trendy Finnieston locale.
Cali Bruich
The 3 AA Rosettes of Cali Bruich are now matched with a shiny Michelin star. And this isn’t the restaurant’s only first; Chef Lorna McNee is so far the only female in Scotland to hold a star. Her tasting menus are distinctly Scottish, seasonal and light – full of indigenous produce like Isle of Skye langoustine, Sladesdown Farm duck, West Coast crab and Wye Valley asparagus. Accompanying herbs are grown in-house and used in the beautifully presented tasting menus. The restaurant is found on the Great Western Road, in the city’s trendy West End, with service available for lunch or dinner sittings.
Ubiquitous Chip
Tucked away on cobbled Ashton Lane in the heart of the West-end, it’s a delectable feast for the eyes and taste buds. This famous Glasgow icon, now 40 years old, continually strives to break down the formalities of top-end fine dining while creating stunning food in a relaxed atmosphere. Whether in for a light lunch or formal dining experience, both the main restaurant and brasserie menus will impress. Inspired by the abundance and variety of the Scottish larder, they showcase the best of the season in creative and sumptuous ways. Highly prestigious and always striving for the best culinary experience, diners will never be let down by the high standards they place on themselves. Don’t forget to spend some time looking at the art that surrounds the wall. Created by patrons and past staff alike, you’ll find it’s a who’s who of impressive and prominent Scottish artists.
Cafe Gandolfi
This restaurant is somewhat of an institution in Glasgow. Having opened in the Merchant City before the area was the buzzing hub it is today, Cafe Gandolfi was formerly a cheesemonger before becoming one of the most popular hotspots in the city, particularly at lunch thanks to the surrounding offices. The owner even claims the cafe brought the city its first espresso machine – a trendsetter indeed! The artfully rustic furniture and woodwork designed by local artist Tim Stead, the relatively un-updated decor, and the walls peppered with old fashioned pictures of the city, make Cafe Gandolfi stand out amongst many of the hipster contemporaries in the surrounding area. Serving up hearty season and locally sourced produce you can expect Scottish classics such as Cullen Skink, Haggis, Arbroath Smokies and Smoked Venison on the menu here. Cafe Gandolfi doesn’t claim to be anything it’s not and its unchanging nature makes it popular with locals and visitors alike (and gets it on this list!).
The Gannet
This multi-award winning Scottish restaurant is in the heart of Glasgow’s up and coming foodie haven on Finniestoun. The menu celebrates the best in Scottish produce and regularly changes to reflect the seasons. The stripped back, almost un-finished decor with exposed brick walls and iron and wood furnishings create a relaxed atmosphere almost reminiscent of Brooklyn and not Glasgow. Whilst the space may be laid back, the food is ambitious and the restaurant boasts and in-house butchery, smoking house and charcuterie. The menu is short but well-edited and vegetarians won’t be disappointed as the choices are more imaginative than most. What started out as an idea on a trip to the Hebrides, has been creatively delivered in a transformed tenement building in the city’s west-end. A gannet you might be called when you can’t stop eating at this great restaurant!
Stravaigin
This highly acclaimed restaurant has deep roots in the trendy West-end. From their award winning haggis to luxury fish suppers, Inverurie lamb and Perthshire pigeon, foodies will enjoy the best of Scottish cuisine. But, with a motto like ‘Think global, eat local’ it’s no surprise their menu showcases ways to use Scottish produce to create globally inspired dishes. Whether you have a fine-dining experience downstairs, grab a pint and a plate with mates in their cafe bar upstairs or sit down to a weekend brunch, you won’t want to Stravaig away from your delicious and lush plate.
Two Fat Ladies
There may be two ladies, but there are three separate restaurants in Glasgow that serve splendid seafood and Scottish cuisine. Whether you go to the institution that is the Buttery, bathed in oak and mahogany, stained glass and tartan carpet, eat in the City with its underwater theme, get cozy in the Shandon Belles snug under the Buttery or chill in the intimate and always busy Two Fat Ladies West-end, you won’t be disappointed. Relaxed fine-dining is at the heart of the Ladies empire, serving simple, honest and beautifully cooked dishes.
www.twofatladiesrestaurant.com
Ox & Finch
This restaurant received a Bib Gourmand commendation within the first year of it opening and so it shot to local fame pretty quickly. Taking on a popular tapas-style format, serving up a whole host of inventive ‘small plates’, Ox & Finch is now a stalwart of the city’s burgeoning foodie scene. Stripped-back brick, black tiled walls, leather booths and roughly painted floors add to the casual feeling of this space, but don’t let the paper menus fool you. Mediterranean meets Scotland at Ox & Finch with dishes packed full of flavour and exciting ingredients from rabbit and ham hock, to foie gras and spiced scallops. Forget starters and mains, dishes are all small in size and arrive when they are ready and don’t miss out on their deserts! This is a buzzing venue that is busy most times of the day so definitely book ahead.
Brian Maule at Chardon d’Or
This is a restaurant that works to create consistently outstanding food with a real attention to detail. Located in a converted townhouse in the centre of Glasgow, the lavishly polished floorboards, beautiful abstract art adorning the walls and fresh roses on each table make for a formal dining experience without the formality. Brian Maule creates culinary masterpieces of complexity and accomplishment. Taste the richness of foie gras, the sweetness of hand dived scallops, and the luscious flavours from the many varieties of game on the menu. More than just a nice restaurant, this is a luxurious dining experience perfect for sharing, and won’t break the bank.
