10 of the best Glasgow lunch restaurants

Glasgow is home to some of the country's best restaurants making it the perfect place to grab a spot of lunch.

Published 2nd Feb 2018
Updated 18 th Sep 2023

Choosing somewhere to go for lunch can often be a chore, particularly when there's more than one person involved.

Thankfully, Glasgow has no shortage of  great places to go, with a range of styles - and prices - to suit any mood, here are ten of our favourites from across the city.

10 of the best Glasgow lunch restaurants

Chaakoo Bombay café

(79 St Vincent St, Glasgow G2 5TF)

https://www.instagram.com/p/BO1zS13Apxy/?hl=en&taken-by=chaakoouk

Enjoy a spot of Tiffin (light lunch) at this excellent restaurant that people have been raving about since its opening in 2016 where the Chaakoo style Indian wraps and Masala fries are the perfect way to fill you up at lunchtime.

Grab you wrap and stuff it to the brim with house smoked chicken tikka, minced lamb or paneer or enjoy a dish or two from the grill and curry section.

Either way you’ll get a great value lunch that will have you joining the hordes of people raving about what is widely considered to be one of the city centre's best new openings in years.

Roasters

(192 St Vincent St, Glasgow G2 5SG)

Glasgow lunch restaurants

Picture: Roasters Facebook

Seriously, this place was made for lunch - and brunch and breakfast and elevenses too.

The extensive menu is crafted around the American concept of brunch and offers a dazzling array of comfort dishes that will kick any hangover into touch, quash pangs of hungers for the rest of the day and just generally leave you with a massive smile on your face.

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French toast, grilled cheese, hotdogs, burgers, mac and cheese, poutine… the hardest part will be deciding where to stop.

Just make sure they smother everything in their stunning beef dip and save some room for their excellent desserts which you definitely don’t want to miss.

Surfdogs

(49 Kilmarnock Rd, Glasgow G41 3YN)

https://www.instagram.com/p/BaovW0sh2fK/?taken-by=surfdogsglasgow

Heading across the river to the southside is becoming more and more attractive recently with the recent raft of great openings in Shawlands and Pollokshields (with more to come - Chompsky's anyone?) but our overall standout has to be Surfdogs.

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The Gourmet Hotdog shop is the brainchild of former sound engineer Martin Capaldi who has brought a little bit of the US to the city’s southside with a menu comprising of some of the best hotdogs you’ll find this side of the Atlantic.

Made using the finest Bavarian smoked pork Frankfurters, choose from the likes of the Nacho Dog – smashed tortilla chips, fresh salsa, Queso Sauce, the Beckenbauer – German Currywurst w/sauerkraut, or the delightfully named Bob Marley Dog – Jamaican jerk chicken, slaw, fresh jalapenos, mango mayo sauce.

Don’t worry if you’re not a meat eater, they have plenty of vegan options too.

Paesano

(94 Miller St, Glasgow G1 1DT and 8AB, 471 Great Western Rd, Glasgow G12)

https://www.instagram.com/p/BZLulmEAXBC/?taken-by=paesanopizzaglasgow

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With the recent war of the pizzerias that's replaced the burger wars on Glasgow's streets, there are so many great places to go for a slice now that any pizza fan will love Glasgow.

For us though Paesano struggles to be beaten, great value and with pizzas that are quite simply superb, the two venues (one in the city centre and one in the west end) are our top recommendations.

Cooked in wood-fired ovens Napoli style, the soft crusts and delicious toppings are perfect for those looking to refuel after a bout of shopping or hard work.

Be warned though, they are liberal with the Extra Virgin Oil, so if you prefer your pizza in the manner you are used to, ask for it on the side.

Bread Meats Bread

(104 St Vincent St, Glasgow G2 5UB and 701 Great Western Rd, Glasgow G12 8BN)

https://www.instagram.com/p/BEN_vFoLrv1/?hl=en&taken-by=breadmeatsbread

Named as one of Glasgow’s top burger joints by the highly respected blogger James Vs Burger, Bread Meats Bread has firmly cemented itself as one the places to go for the best burgers in town.

Burger blogger James said: “The Cali burger is Bread Meats Bread’s love letter to In-N-Out’s Double Double in the US and it’s every bit as beautiful.

“You can stack it with two, three or four patties and be sure to ask for it ‘mustard-fried’. One of the best burgers you’ll ever eat.”

Hug and Pint

(171 Great Western Road, Glasgow, G4 9AW)

Glasgow lunch restaurants

Picture: Hug and Pint

Glasgow is rightly cited as one of the best places for vegans and vegetarians to live and the sheer amount of of amazing eateries dedicated to them in the city is pretty mind-blowing.

There are a few that would be worth a mention here, but the Hug and Pint just managed to edge them out with its laid back aesthetic and dynamic menu.

Asian inspired cuisine is the order of the day here with the coconut soup and jack fruit curry (pictured) particular standouts – hearty, healthy and most of all delicious.

The Chippy Doon The Lane

(84 Buchanan St, Glasgow G1 3AJ)

 

Few lunchtime dishes are more synonymous with Glasgow and the west coast than a Fish supper and the Chippy Doon The Lane is the perfect place in the city to grab a great example of this classic.

Choose from traditional fish like Haddock and Cod or go for something a little bit different with Coley, Plaice or the Catch of the Day, battered and served with hand cut chips and don't forget to ask for a pickle!

Best of all they regularly do deals with cocktails and wine should you be looking for a liquid addition to your lunch.

Hoagies

(1102 Cathcart Road, G42 9EG)

https://www.instagram.com/p/BdnC-F_AYRI/?taken-by=hoagiesglasgow

Another reason to hit the southside comes in the form of Hoagies on Cathcart Road. Part of the recent American themed culinary outlets that are popping up all over the city it offers a great range of dishes squarely aimed at making your stomach happy and satisfying your cravings for big, meaty grub.

There's pizza, burgers, four different styles of mac and cheese (they'd win us over with this fact alone) and buffalo wings but the true star of the show is the Hoagies - try the Boss. Trust us, you won't regret it.

Glasgow Beer Kitchen

(44 Ashton Ln, Glasgow G12 8SJ)

https://www.instagram.com/p/BboQik-htrR/?taken-at=261442697601351

Innis & Gunn: Makers of great beer and now great bars apparently, the launch of the Beer Kitchens has saw the brewer offer great venues for a the freshest pints and thankfully, exciting pub grub.

Glasgow's own is based in the iconic Ashton Lane and offers a cracking little lunch menu with sandwiches with a range of great fillings (including fish fingers) for under  a fiver but it's the main menu with its sharers and its grill items that we really love - they'll even pair beers for each offering for those of you who like that sort of thing.

Van Winkle 

(267 Gallowgate, Glasgow, G4 0TU)

Picture: Van Winkle

We were hugely excited when this place opened at the end of last year, and we haven't been disappointed.

Bringing BBQ and Bourbon to the Gallowgate, it's a great place to go for lunch particularly with its lunch menu that offers 6 classic dishes for a fiver each but seeing as we are gluttons, it's the small plates - which are three for a tenner - that we love.

Choose from the likes of chilli cheese fries, cauliflower bites and buffalo wings and go back to your work with a huge smile on your face.

Driven by a passion for all things drinks-related, Sean writes for The Scotsman extensively on the subject. He can also sometimes be found behind the bar at the world famous Potstill bar in Glasgow where he continues to enhance his whisky knowledge built up over 10 years advising customers from all over the world on the wonders of our national drink. Recently, his first book was published. Dubbed Gin Galore, it explores Scotland's best gins and the stories behind those that make them.
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