Glasgow Restaurants

The dining scene in Glasgow continues to improve with each passing year and while the city may not be able to boast about Michelin star restaurants like neighbouring Edinburgh; there is still plenty of excellent cuisine to choose from. Eating out involves a nice mix of ethnic eateries, reasonably-priced cafs and very stylish fine dining. A lot of restaurants close on Sunday or Monday (or both) and many shut down after lunch before reopening for dinner at 18:00. A 10 per cent tip is standard for decent service and dont hesitate to leave more if things were exceptionally good.

Local cuisine

Theres no one cuisine which is unique to Glasgow, instead, you will find a tapestry of ethnic restaurants and cafs that line the streets of the city. Sure, you can find haggis and other traditional Scottish delights here, but it would be better to search out the foreign food of your liking and enjoy the international selection. The immigrant groups who have influenced Glasgow the most are the Italians and Indians from the Punjab region. Youll find pakora here as good as anything on the subcontinent. There is also a strong Chinese and Greek community producing some fine food.

Fortunately for all of the citys restaurants, some of the best meat and produce in the country is grown in the region. The seafood and shellfish from the nearby West Coast sea lochs is fresh and plentiful. Ayrshire meats such as lamb and pork and the famous Aberdeen Angus steaks all find their way into many of the local restaurants.

Where to eat

Not surprisingly, the city centre has the largest selection of restaurants in Glasgow. All of the popular ethnic eateries can be found here, from Chinese to Indian and Italian to French. If you like pasta and pizza, youll be impressed with the quality and selection of places in the city centre. Merchant City is more of a bar district, although it too has a healthy selection of quality cafs and bistros. This is the district for the citys beautiful people, so there are plenty of hip bars and restaurants to check out. If you need a late night snack, then you should look around Charing Cross, on either side of the motorway that separates the city. The West End has a vibrant and trendy food scene and there are even a few gems on the south side of the river.