Crabshakk, the pioneer of high-quality fish and seafood at everyday prices in Glasgow, is launching a second, much bigger branch in a listed former garage in the city’s West End. Crabshakk Botanics in Vinicombe Street opens next Friday, 22 April.

The original Finnieston venue has won high ratings since it opened in 2009, and is hailed in the latest Harden’s guide as a “fish and seafood heaven” with “amazing” prices – £8.95 for a “wee fish supper” rising to £105 for a platter of fruits de mer for two.

The new venue is the recently restored Botanic Gardens Garage, dating from 1912 with Venetian-style window arches and a facade of green and white tiles. Crabshakk’s founder, architect John Macleod, had planned to move the business into bigger premises following its year-long pandemic closure. But according to Lily Brown, manager of the new branch, closing the original venue would not have gone down well.

“Over time it became clear that the Finnieston site is so, so loved, and people have such an attachment to it. I think that people would be really upset if we got rid of it,” she said.

“It’s going to be much bigger, over 100 covers, so it’s quite a big step for us. We’re going to very much take the same core values and menu from Crabshakk as we want people to come in and feel like it’s familiar.

“The menu will have all kinds of Crabshakk classics but we will be scaling up, so there will be a few changes in the menu. We’ll also focus more on the drinks side of things and offer an extensive wine list and cocktails.”