The Best of Glasgow book brings together neighbourhood profiles, food and drink recommendations, independent shops, creative businesses, musicians, artists and local personalities.
The guide and cookbook is a pen-portrait of the essence of the city, covering 386 things to do, places to go and people to meet along the way.
Order the book using the link below and it will be delivered to your door.
You’ll also find the book in local independent bookshops and Waterstones.
Other stockists right now include Ubiquitous Chip, The Gannet, Gamba, Finnieston Clothing on Byres Road, Hoos on Great Western Road and Cake Bar online. For more information on where to pick up a copy, email hello@glasgowist.com.
The pages of The Best of Glasgow are peppered with stories from local hospitality and the top food and drink places in the city.
A chapter covers the 20 best restaurants in Glasgow, based on feedback from Glasgowist readers and local chefs alongside our own research and reviews over the last five years.
Here’s the countdown – for the stories behind the best restaurants, buy the book.
20 Crabshakk
1114 Argyle Street, G3 8TD
“Glasgow has access to a dazzling supply of fresh seafood and here the flavours are showcased in a compact, cool restaurant with a laid-back vibe and cheerful service.”
Best Dish: Seared scallops with anchovies (£9.95)
19 The Butchershop Bar and Grill
1055 Sauchiehall Street, G3 7UD, 0141 339 2999
“Popular for date night, The Butchershop is a neighbourhood grill with a devoted following. Go for prime cuts of grass-fed Scotch beef, hung on the bone and dry-aged for up to 45 days.”
Best Dish: Tomahawk steak (£8 per 100 grams)
18 La Lanterna
447 Great Western Road, G12 8HH, 0141 334 0686
“Charismatic chef Luca Conreno brings big flavours straight from Italy to his Hope Street and Great Western Road restaurants. Think risotto, rigatoni and lobster ravioli.”
Best Dish: Spaghetti Arragosta (£15.95)
17 Cafe Gandolfi
84-86 Albion Street, G1 1NY, 0141 552 9475
“It’s an important place in the local food story – mentioned more than any other when we speak to folk about their restaurant memories. The dining room is a work of art. The food continues to represent the best of modern Scottish cooking.”
Best Dish: Peat smoked haddock, crushed potatoes, mustard cream, poached egg (£16.50)
16 Little Hoi An
26 Allison Street, G42 8NN, 0141 424 1114
“Creating a stir in Strathbungo, this tiny Vietnamese street food place has been a sensation since opening on Allison Street. Big flavours and a lot of fun in a cosy setting. They are having great success as a takeaway at the moment.”
Best Dish: Salt n chilli pork with sticky sauce (£9.80)
15 Mother India
28 Westminister Terrace, G3 7RU, 0141 221 1663
“Mother India has been on the frontline representing Glasgow food since they opened in 1990. A West End favourite and standard bearer for local curries.”
Best Dishes: Smoked lamb with broccoli and green chilli (£13.50)
14 Ubiquitous Chip
12 Ashton Lane, G12 8SJ, 0141 334 5007
“This Ashton Lane landmark’s enduring appeal is a combination of outstanding local ingredients, prepared with flair, and the atmosphere generated by an enthusiastic bunch of bohemian customers.”
Best Dish: The Chip’s own venison haggis, potato purée, whisky glazed neep (£9)
13 The Dhabba
44 Candleriggs, G1 1LD, 0141 553 1249
“Chef JD Tewari has cooked for ministerial and presidential banquets as well as being a personal chef to the Prime Minister of India. You’ll now find him in charge of the kitchen at The Dhabba, where they create North Indian cuisine inspired by traditional roadside diners for this entertaining restaurant on Candleriggs.”
Best Dish: Achari Tikka (£13.95)
12 Julie’s Kopitiam
1109 Pollokshaws Road, G41 3YG, 0141 237 9560
“A Shawlands favourite, Julie Lin MacLeod’s Kopitiam is one of the busiest food places in a particularly competitive part of Glasgow’s culinary map. Much of the appeal comes from colourful, simple dishes that are packed with flavour.”
Best Dish: Nasi Goreng (£9)
11 Bilson Eleven
10 Annfield Place, G31 2XQ, 0141 554 6259
“Nick Rietz and his wife Liz set out to open a small but ambitious restaurant in a townhouse on Annfield Place. Three years later, they have firmly established fine dining in Dennistoun.”
Best Dish: Cured Loch Etive trout as part of the tasting menu (£79 per person)
10 One Devonshire Gardens
1 Devonshire Gardens, G12 0UX, 0141 378 0385
“The restaurant within the boutique Hotel du Vin that occupies a handsome row of townhouses just off Great Western Road. It has a rich tradition of fine dining and discreet hospitality, retaining its own identity.”
Best Dish: Wood pigeon, celeriac, chicory, nuts and seeds as part of the tasting menu (£69 per person)
9 Brian Maule at Chardon d’Or
176 W Regent Street, G2 4RL, 0141 248 3801
“Brian Maule’s restaurant is an important culinary marker for Glasgow, somewhere you can expect the highest standard of fine dining and service.”
Best Dish: Fillet of Scotch lamb, crushed peas, rosemary jus (£34.50)
8 Six by Nico
1132 Argyle Street, G3 8TD, 0141 334 5661
“Chef Nico Simeone has taken his dining concept across the country, opening in Edinburgh, Belfast, Manchester, Liverpool and, most recently, in London. They tell a different story through food every six weeks.”
Best Dish: Six course tasting menu (£29)
7 Cail Bruich
725 Great Western Road, G12 8QX, 0141
“It was the signing of the season: chef Lorna McNee, protégé of the late two Michelin starred chef, Andrew Fairlie and last year’s Great British Menu Champion of Champions took up her first head chef role at Cail Bruich in August.”
Best Dish: Scrabster halibut, grape, verjus sauce as part of the four course tasting menu (£65)
6 Lychee Oriental
59 Mitchell Street, G1 3LN, 0141 248 2240
“In chef and owner Jimmy Lee’s kitchen, Scottish ingredients are transformed by Cantonese spices and cooking techniques.”
Best Dish: Twice cooked pork belly with spicy black bean sauce (£14.90)
5 Ox and Finch
920 Sauchiehall Street, G3 7TF, 0141 339 8627
“The team takes pride in their work and a collegial sense of competitiveness keeps things moving in the right direction. The fact that the kitchen can maintain impeccably high standards across a menu that covers a vast swathe of culinary ground is testament to the talent here.”
Best Dish: Cod cheeks, chorizo, tomato and morcilla on toasted sourdough (£7.50)
4 Glaschu
32 Royal Exchange Square, Gl1 3AB, 0141 248 2214
“An exciting new addition to the local food scene – modern Scottish fine dining within The Western Club building on Royal Exchange Square.”
Best Dish: Fillet of hake, confit potatoes, buttered kale, Bourguignon garnish from the market menu (£25 for three courses)
3 Ka Pao
26 Vinicombe St, G12 8BE, 0141 483 6990
“Housed in the basement of the Botanic Gardens Garage on Vinicombe Street, Ka Pao is a modern, bright, stylish space for 120 covers across an open dining room, with a custom-designed kitchen and a bar area featuring comfortable booths and high tables. A spin-off from Ox and Finch, it’s been a smash hit since opening at the start of the year.”
Best Dish: Corn ribs, salted coconut, shrimp and lime (£4.50)
2 Gamba
225A West George Street, G2 2ND, 0141 572 0899
“A commitment to preparing the best seafood available has seen Gamba through two decades of 2 AA Rosette ratings, establishing a modern Glasgow classic.”
Best Dish: Isle of Gigha halibut, sweetcorn, peat smoked haddock, torched tomatoes, garden peas (£25)
1 The Gannet
1155 Argyle Street, G3 8TB, 0141 204 2081
“The menu remains dominated by exceptional Scottish produce, served with precision. If anything, the kitchen seems to have stepped things up a notch this year despite the challenges that has faced the industry as a whole. The Gannet has consistently led from the front during the five years Glasgowist has charted local food and drink.”
Best Dish: Saddle of red deer as part of the seasonal set menu (£50).