Best restaurants in Glasgow

Sitting pretty on the Michelin Guide, this small Scottish restaurant has drawn crowds from across the country and beyond thanks to its stunning French-leaning fish dishes. Prices are steep, at around £25 for main courses, but the cost is justified when the kitchen only uses the very best ingredients from Scotland’s larder. Shetland cod, Isle of Gigha fish and king scallops sit alongside each other on the quietly confident menu that signals an experienced kitchen team. This Glasgow restaurant finds its home in a luxuriously appointed basement space making it one for special occasions.

Big Counter is pretty innocuous from the outside, and from the inside too - think wood benches and red laminate table tops - but there’s some serious cooking going on in the kitchen. Big, bold, vaguely Mediterranean flavours smash into each other on a handwritten menu that gives little away. Mystical, magical and magnificent.

Chequered tablecloths, portraits on the walls and a friendly, pasta-making nonno in the kitchen - Caprese don Costanzo is the very epitome of a neighbourhood trattoria. Despite counting many local celebs as fans, Caprese remains completely down to earth, serving healthy portions of Italian home cooking at very reasonable prices. 

Seasonal menus and ethically sourced ingredients are championed at FIVE MARCH, and there's also plenty of options for vegetarians and vegans, meaning that there’s something for everyone. Mediterranean small sharing plates ensure you can get a good taste of everything from the menu, making this a great place for meeting friends. The decor is gentle and pleasing - pale pink walls, banquette seating and plenty of foliage make the restaurant feel like something between a café and a gastropub, and there's a terrace area too for warmer days.

As the name might suggest, this trendy Finnieston restaurant specialises in shellfish. Here you’ll find seafood dishes for purists: oysters on ice, seared scallops served au natural, rich crab bisque and spaghetti vongole. There is a steak option in case of mixed preferences in a group but for the most part the fish here is the star of the show. Open 12-12 every day, Crabshakk makes for the perfect lunch or dinner venue, but if venturing out on the weekend make sure to book ahead as it does get busy.

Offering up fine dining in Finneston, The Gannet is a neighbourhood gem run by three friends. The tasting menus change regularly to ensure the best seasonal produce is being championed and there’s a great drinks list too. The Gannet isn't huge, but the striking brutalist interiors - think exposed brick, concrete and pipework - make it a pretty cool place to hang out.

Notorious on the Glasgow dining scene, Ubiquitous Chip has been in situ on the corner of Ashton Lane since 1971 and is a real tick list place to visit while in town. Food is geared towards getting the best from Scottish ingredients while not neglecting the global influences that can make good food great. The rich umami flavour of miso accompanies sea trout, while crab is lightly spiced and paired with a sweetcorn bhaji for an interesting rift on a classic Indian recipe. Downstairs can be pricy, but the upstairs brasserie offers a more affordable way in.

Not all burgers are equal and El Perro Negro – for us – does the best in Glasgow. While there are veggie and chicken options, we have got to give star of the show to the classic burger topped with pickles, caramelised onions and a healthy serving of sauce.

The exposed stone walls and brown leather banquettes are classic steakhouse chic, but the Butchershop Bar & Grill is so much more than your average diner. For a start, there’s the views - of Kelvingrove Art Museum and Glasgow University - but then there’s the food. Beef comes as chateaubriand, fillet, rib-eye, rump, sirloin and T-bone, all served with plenty of sides. Save room for the indulgent puddings too, and try to get a table here on a Sunday for one of the best roasts in Glasgow. 

This relaxed restaurant-cum-deli doesn't have a pretentious bone in its body - what you see is what you get at Ranjit’s Kitchen, and what you see is Ranjit cooking up an entirely vegetarian menu of curries, rotis, chutneys and more. The menu changes depending on what Ranjit buys from local fruit and veg shops, but the food is always delicious, and very reasonably priced.

Serving up small plates of globally inspired dishes, Ox and Finch has managed to establish itself as one of Glasgow’s most popular restaurants in just a few short years. The menu is packed with vibrant, globally inspired plates, all beautifully executed, and the service is equally accomplished, made up of a trendy team who know their stuff when it comes to the menu and are well versed in making recommendations should you need any.  

Spanish food meets New York generosity at this industrial-chic Glasgow steakhouse. Spanish Butcher champions the finest Galician beef, premium Iberican Jamon and fastidiously sourced seafood, combining Spanish and Mediterranean inspired flavour - pick your preferred beef cut alongside a choice of sides and sauces. 

Pairing wines from small independent makers with Mediterranean sharing food is a winning format at Gloriosa, which also houses a coffee shop, deli, off-licence and florist. Celebrated chef Rosie Healy is at the helm, and the warm atmosphere encourages laid-back lunches and dinners. 

Fresh from the huge success of Julie’s Kopitiam, Julie Lin has teamed up with Marc Ferrier and Ken Hamilton of the nearby Thornwood to open Gaga Glasgow - a riot of south-east Asian sharing plates, desserts and delicious cocktails. Not only is the food and drink absolutely ace, this is a larger space than the cosy Kopitiam so you’re more likely to get a table if you venture out west on the Dumbarton Road.

Natural wine and food cooked over open fire - Bar Brett would be a perfect fit in East London, and even among the heavyweights of wine bar cuisine it would more than hold its own. The team keeps things simple from Monday to Wednesday with yakitori nights, but later in the week there’s a wider range of smartly-curated small plates. It’s pretty cosy inside with only a handful of tables up for grabs, but if you can get one, you won’t regret it. Make the most of very knowledgeable staff for great wine pairings.

With sustainability at its heart The Finnieston is found on bustling Argyle Street and serves up a menu of carefully curated Scottish seafood and proudly labels itself as Glasgow’s premier gin bar. It is a moody and masculine subterranean space, punctuated by a mixture of exposed bricks, wood-panelled walls and cosy leather studded booths separated by ornate glass screens. Expect classics like fish soup, Orkney crab cakes and seafood curry, all beautifully executed. 

Found across North India, Dhabbas are family-run roadside diners, but this restaurant has put a slightly more sophisticated spin on things. The menu makes use of the very best ingredients to produce high end Indian fare served in a luxurious and vibrant dining room. There is a whole section of the menu dedicated to biryani and homemade paneer is also afforded its very own mini line-up – perfect for vegetarians with a soft spot for this popular Indian cheese.

After a refresh a wee while back this West End restaurant came back better than ever, now majoring in solid seasonal cooking that keeps the team here busy with back to back diners most days. Unusual combinations populate the menu – like tomatoes with strawberries and dashi or young summer veggies with barley and fermented turnip – and there are a couple of tasting curations to choose from. Prices can be steep, but eat at lunchtime and you can take advantage of a slightly more affordable tasting menu from the Michelin starred team headed up by Lorna McNee. 

Owned by the people behind Stravaigin and Ubiquitous Chip, this unpretentious colourful spot, tucked away down a lane off Byres Road serves up some seriously satisfying Vietnamese fare. The menu changes semi-regularly but the old favourites remain firm in their placing – you can always expect fresh rice paper rolls, fragrant pho and that sweet and syrupy Vietnamese coffee that can play the part of dessert should you wish. Occasionally a menu that features a whole range of unfamiliar dishes can feel overwhelming, but happily the team here have thought of that. If you simply utter the words ‘feed me’ you’ll be delivered a mystery selection of dishes for £25 per person giving you a variety of things you may not have chosen yourself, and portions are robust.

From the team behind the excellent Cail Bruich, Epicures and Bar Brett, Shucks focuses on the bounty of the Scottish coastline - expect everything from delicious snacks like whitebait, oysters and gildas to barbecued octopus and Gigha halibut. 

Partick Duck Club looks like a traditional pub from the outside with its painted blue facade and large windows, but the inside has more of a bistro vibe, in line with it serving one of Glasgow's best brunches. Partick Duck Club deals in comfort food - expect British classics with influences also coming from all around the world. Starters on offer range from fried macaroni cheese with truffle oil and parmesan to crispy Asian cauliflower, with chilli, sesame, coriander and soy, and at dinner time you can expect dishes like a 12-hour crispy duck leg or steak with chimichurri.

This spot in Hyndland has been taken over by the team behind Cail Bruich and acts as a more relaxed, informal foil for the Michelin-starred sibling, serving up brunch classics, soups and sandwiches, as well as a selection of tempting goods from the in-house bakery. Menus flex with the seasons for fresh, ingredient-led dishes, and the airy dining room is cosy with a few counter spots for solo diners.

You’ll need patience to nab a spot at this popular no-bookings pizza restaurant (i.e., expect to queue at busy times). If you do manage to bag a table you’ll be rewarded with authentic Napoletana pizzas topped with high end ingredients like Tuscan fennel sausage or grilled aubergine.

This legendary Glasgow city centre restaurant knows what its audience wants, and that’s the classics. To cater to this the team here have a menu that doesn’t change – which features things like a trio of pates alongside cullen skink and haggis neeps and tatties – as well as a seasonal selection of dishes. Plates from the latter menu might feature things like ginger braised pork with smoked cauliflower or pan roasted duck breast with Scottish girolles. Having been around since 1979, this Glasgow restaurant is testament to the fact that good, solid cooking never goes out of style.

This popular vegan cafe, bar and music space on Renfield Lane always has something interesting going on, and the food is great - more than worth a visit in its own right. The cooking is simple and seasonal with global influences, but good value and nicely done, so you can come for something to eat then toddle down to the basement to catch a gig. 

Chef Dean Parker was Robin Gill’s right hand man in London for years, heading up The Dairy, The Manor, Sorella and Darby’s before heading to Glasgow with wife Anna. Anyone who has eaten at Sorella will have a fair idea of what to expect here - Italian-inspired dishes, with a focus on fermentation, preserving and curing, all done in house. Nab a table on a Sunday for a bit of live music to go with your dinner.

A combination of globally inspired dishes made with some of Scotland’s best ingredients has sealed the fate of Stravaigin as one of Glasgow’s most popular restaurants. For those who are in town just for a day or two they do a great haggis neeps and tatties, but for those who have tried all the typically Scottish dishes and are looking for a bit more there are options too. On the weekends, Stravaigin opens its doors for a popular weekend brunch, which features all of the usual brunch favourites such as buttermilk waffles and eggs benedict.

Dinner with a side of theatre makes this one of Glasgow’s best Japanese restaurants. Watch as the skilled chefs cook your meal on the grill at the centre of your counter seating. Expect audience participation.

Ka Pao comes from the team who run perennially popular Ox and Finch down the road. This cavernous basement restaurant is found in a beautiful Glasgow building, the Category A-listed Art Deco Botanic Garden Garage on Vinicombe Street, which is faced in green and white tiles and features impressive arched windows. Ka Pao has a buzzy bar atmosphere and serves twists on Asian flavours from across the continent.

Well before the trendy chains like Dishoom were established in Scotland, Mother India brought authentic Indian food to Glasgow. For special occasions there are real showstoppers on the menu, like the lamb raan, which is a leg that is slow cooked with whole spices and served with rice, raita and breads for two people to share. Glasgow is a city that knows Indian food very well, and Mother India remains one of the most popular Indian restaurants in the city - that says a lot.