Glasgow, British, Modern Restaurant Guide

“You wouldn’t go for ‘haute cuisine’, but as a jolly place to eat comfort food in a spectacular setting, it is hard to beat” – that’s the upbeat view, anyway, on this now-“ubiquitous” brasserie chain. Eight years and 40 openings later, the spin-offs increasingly eclipse the Theatreland original (see also), whose Edwardian features provide the style-guide for its nationwide ‘roll out’. “Even if the unchallenging food reaches no heights, there’s a consistent buzz”, which makes them a “posh”, “fun” choice for a get-together, if not a particularly foodie one. This is particularly the case at the landmark London off-shoots: at ‘Chelsea Garden’ (“gorgeous greenery”); Kensington (“slick”, with a “pretty glitzy crowd”); and on the Thames (“great views over Tower Bridge”). But while it’s always been acknowledged that the mass offering is “a shadow of the mothership’s” – with “average grub at not-so-average prices” – the feeling that the brand has become just “a chain that does not excite” is gaining ever-stronger currency. Service seems more “stretched” nowadays, and a sliding ambience rating is making the whole offering seem ever-more “overrated, for all its modern art and perky décor”.

“A really wonderful dining experience” – ex-Isle of Eriska chef Graeme Cheevers’s ambitious Finnieston yearling was “well deserving of its Michelin star” within eight months of opening, for its “immaculate dishes, beautifully served”, “exceptional service” and “great and highly accessible wine list”: “Glasgow needed a lunch like this”. The name? – apparently it’s a Buddhist symbol representing the path to enlightenment.

“Gutsy flavours” from an “eclectic, ever-changing and high-quality” menu of “varied and creative” dishes “never fail to impress” at Jonathan MacDonald’s Kelvingrove gastropub, which regularly hits the heights. Its chilled and lively atmosphere is “brilliant” too.

“Good cooking and fair pricing… one of Glasgow's best!” – this casual Finnieston haunt celebrates its tenth year of operation in 2023. Chef Peter Mckenna aims to deliver a ‘modern Scottish fine dining experience’ via a multi-course tasting menu (or, if you go for lunch, there are two-course and three-course options). “Staff are pleasant too… always love stopping here”.

“If you had a category for the ‘best gastronomic value for money’, then the 10-course tasting menu available at Modou on Mondays would really be hard to beat!” – Modou Diagne worked his way up through the ranks under Nico Simeone (of Six by Nico) and handed management of this former branch to Modou for him to run it. “His set course menu is exquisite and the competitive price means a fabulous atmosphere: young and old, filling the restaurant in a suburb. Some might feel that the food, and the cocktails, sometimes lack edge in terms of flavour, but this is a great place to spend an evening”. And “he and his staff work exceptionally hard and always deliver”.

This Southside newcomer opened in late 2021 on the site of Gnom (RIP) and serves up Mediterranean small plates (as well as a dedicated vegan menu) inspired by the cuisines of Spain, Italy and France. No feedback as yet in our annual diners’ poll, but in an August 2022 review, Rob Mackenna of The Herald hailed its “delicious small plates”: “short, sharp flavour bombs exploding all over the palate”.