Harden's survey result
Summary
With the demise in recent years of its sibling venues, the ‘Two Fat Ladies’ branding is increasingly absent from Ryan James’s old-school fixture on the periphery of the city centre. Its traditional Franco-Scottish menu presents a focused range of options – typically venison, beef and fish dishes – with some spoiling puds (crumbles, possets, gateaux). For some reason, it has never generated huge amounts of feedback in our annual diners’ poll and there was too little for a rating this year. But this plush Victorian building is one of the city’s most historic eateries, and for a traditional blow-out it’s worthy of consideration.
Summary
“A clear recommendation when visiting Glasgow” – Ryan James’ comfortable, old-school fixture occupies an extremely characterful Victorian building (the site is thought to be Glasgow’s oldest culinary establishment) filled with “awesome antiques”. The “very good” and “not overpriced” dishes draw on the rich Scottish larder (and there’s a “separate vegetarian menu, so worth a visit if you’ve got veggies in your group!”). RIP its West End sibling Two Fat Ladies in the City, which was still listed on the website as we went to press, but has been put up for leasehold since 2022.
Summary
This “superb” Glasgow institution from Ryan James makes brilliant use of a classic Victorian interior (one of the city’s more historic interiors). “The only criticism is that the menu is on the ‘traditional’ side” – although that might seem appropriate to the site – “but you cannot fault the execution and the attention to detail”.
Summary
“A piece of old Glasgow in a traditional setting” – the Buttery is a city institution, run since 2007 by Ryan James as part of his Two Fat Ladies group. Worth a visit for the Victoriain interior alone, its “reasonably priced menu and good cooking” ensures that a meal is no let-down.
For 34 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).
Have you eaten at The Buttery?
652 Argyle St, Glasgow, G3 8UF
Restaurant details
Prices
| Availability | 2 courses | 3 courses |  |
 |
 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lunch | £32.00 | £39.50 |  |
|
 |
Traditional European menu
| Starter | Main | Pudding |
|---|---|---|
| £12.00 | £34.00 | £10.00 |
| Drinks |
|
|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £28.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £0.00 |
| Extras |
|
|---|---|
| Bread | £0.00 |
| Service | 10.00% |
652 Argyle St, Glasgow, G3 8UF
Opening hours
| Monday | CLOSED |
| Tuesday | 12 pm‑9 pm |
| Wednesday | 12 pm‑9 pm |
| Thursday | 12 pm‑9 pm |
| Friday | 12 pm‑9 pm |
| Saturday | 12 pm‑9 pm |
| Sunday | 12 pm‑9 pm |
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