Eating out in Glasgow
Dining out in Glasgow offers diversity not only in the type of food on offer but also how much you pay. There are plenty of international dining establishments boasting well-known names amongst the local Scottish cheap eateries and brasseries.
Glasgow is now often compared to London not only in its choice of hotels, attractions and shopping opportunities but also in its restaurants, cafes and bistros. Whatever your choice of cuisine you are guaranteed to find it on offer in Glasgow. Gone are the days when foreigners would complain about the standard of food on offer in the UK and Scotland itself has plenty of local delicacies and dishes to tempt your palate.
Aberdeen Angus beef, Ayrshire potatoes, spring lamb from the Scottish Borders, Perthshire venison, and fresh shellfish from the Western Highlands or wild salmon and hand-dived scallops are some of the finest locally produced dishes that demonstrate Scottish cuisine. Of course you can still find the traditional dishes of Haggis, neeps and tatties, but now the haggis is probably meat-free and the neeps served with a variety of flavourings.
As with many UK cities you can find cuisines from practically every country in the world. Glasgow's vibrant Italian and South Asian communities are reflected in the abundance of Italian and Indian restaurants across the city. But now you can explore other cuisines just as easily, Chinese, Thai or Japanese, Greek, Spanish, French or Mexican and Mongolian. Vegetarians are catered for with meat-free cafes and restaurants and more mainstream places offer vegetarian options on their menus now.
Bars are great places to find good food at reasonable rates and you will find plenty of them serving more than the expected traditional pub meals. For every eatery serving pie and chips there is another one offering freshly cooked courses with locally-produced fresh ingredients.
Here is just a small selection of some of the more popular and fashionable restaurants and dining venues in Glasgow today.
Gamba is in the city centre and has some of the best seafood on offer, although located in a basement the interior is warm and light and the ambiance relaxed. Fish such as swordfish and sole are often infused with Asian flavours like ginger and chilli.
Etain is an award winning modern French restaurant owned by Terence Conran and located in the centre of the city's shopping district. Its décor comprises of cool shades and crisp white linen. Dishes have a French influence and may feature sea bream, monkfish or Scottish beef using the very best Scottish regional produce.
Situated in the smart Merchant City is The City Merchant restaurant, busy but relaxed it is striking for its stained glass windows and wooden bar. The menu includes plenty of steaks, Scottish meats and seafood, with choices ranging from fishcakes to mussels. The Arches is a cosy restaurant with a clubby feel and part of the Arches club and live music venue. The walls are lined with theatrical pictures and the crowd is generally lively. The food is good value, with snacks such as paninis and soups, fajitas and fish and chips.
The Living Room is a fashionable bar and restaurant with a central location making it popular with local business people. There's a sophisticated atmosphere with secluded brown leather booths. The menu is diverse and includes lunch options such as club sandwiches, wraps and salads and main courses from pasta to Asian dishes, crispy duck being a favourite. Stravaigin is based in the West End and well-known for taking quality Scottish ingredients and serving them up in unexpected and inspired ways, try the Venison served with wild mushrooms and raspberry gravy.
Two Fat Ladies serve up excellent, fresh fish dishes of Scallops, mussels and other shellfish, if you don't eat fish there are plenty of meat and vegetarian options available. For fine fresh food Heart Buchanan is a little deli on the fashionable Byres Road using the best local ingredients available as well as organic meat. All dishes are freshly cooked in the basement kitchen; try the home-made soup, ingenious sandwiches and mouth-watering cakes and tarts.
Rogano has been operating since 1935 and has a well preserved art deco interior, with intimate booths. Their speciality is seafood and fish soup, Lemon sole and lobster, and the Scottish classic Aberdeen Angus beef. They feature a unique vegetarian menu, and a trendy oyster and champagne bar. Mother India's Café is famous in Glasgow and has a unique slant on the traditional Indian restaurant with meals served tapas-style.
