Merchant City, Scottish Restaurant Guide

“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.

This two-year-old Finnieston venture is the debut as patron from Graeme Cheevers, winning instant acclaim for his “excellent cooking” – he’s a “fantastic chef, I’ve followed him from his days at Martin Wishart’s Cameron House” (he also ran the kitchen at the Isle of Eriska Hotel). “The fish courses are particularly good” and there’s a “generous and well chosen accompanying wine flight”.

“The Gannet is towards the top end of Glasgow’s gastronomy scene” – a chilled Scotch fine dining venture, in Finnieston, whose “superb food, both vegetarian and non-vegetarian” has won it a firm reputation over the past decade – although “it comes at a price of course” (tasting menu £90 per person, and multi-course lunch nudging £40 per person).

This large, rambling West End institution was an early-days pioneer of ‘Modern Scottish’ cuisine and “still represents great Scottish food and character”, making it a “fantastic setting for a special occasion at any age”. Owned since summer 2022 by Greene King, the UK’s largest pub group, it was founded in 1971 by Ronnie Clydesdale, who taught himself to cook while on all-night sentry duty during national service. It quickly became “the first Glasgow restaurant at a standard which you would accept in London”, and after Ronnie’s death in 2010 was run for a dozen years by his son Colin.

Occupying an interesting looking Edwardian landmark (built in 1914 as a tram stop), this “classic Italian” wins praise for its “well-cooked Italian food” (pizza, pasta, plus classic Italian staple dishes). “It can be crowded, but is very friendly”. It generated national headlines in 2023 (including in the fun-filled Sun), when owner Marco Giannasi ‘secretly’ sold the business to waiter Alex Matheson and his wife Jen Doherty (although Giannasi and his wife still own the freehold). Top Tip – “good value lunchtime offers”.

2023 Review: Just along the road from Kelvingrove Museum, it’s worth remembering this small-plates restaurant: the menu is inventive and all reports rate the results well.

Recommended for seafood, this fish-focused yearling from the team behind Cail Bruich opened in the West End of the city in spring 2022 to high acclaim and it receives high ratings all-round in this year’s annual diners’ poll (if not yet with a huge volume of feedback). “Waiting staff are well informed and extremely hard working” and “the ‘Taste of the Sea’ tasting menu is excellent value: very flavoursome and extremely well cooked”; you need the whole table to order it, but there is an à la carte alternative with meat options. Top Menu Tip – “kingfish carpaccio was a highlight”.

This April 2023 opening is the brainchild of Nico Simeone (of Six by Nico fame) whose wife Valentina recovered from Hodgkin lymphoma some years ago and was supported at Beatson Cancer Charity. 100% of profits from this relocated 48-seat venture (which previously operated in Whitehill Street) go to supporting the same charity. No feedback as yet in our annual diners’ poll, but The Scotsman’s Rosalind Erskine was impressed: the “chefs in charge… have come from Unalome by Graeme Cheevers… so the expectation is high, and they do not disappoint”.