10 of the best places to eat in Glasgow city centre

Already famous for its shopping and nightlife, Glasgow's city centre is upping the stakes when it comes to its food offering too.

Published 24th Apr 2017
Updated 18 th Sep 2023

Traditionally ignored in favour of the more glamorous haunts of Byres Road and the Candleriggs, Glasgow's city centre was previously been abandoned to the shopping hoardes, night time thrill seekers or commuters heading to and from work.

Thankfully, the city's foodie renaissance hasn't left the city centre behind, with outstanding new eateries popping up all over the place and older more established restaurants upping their game.

The best places to eat in Glasgow city centre

Temaki

(113 Hope St, Glasgow G2 6LL)

Picture: Temaki Facebook

We love Japanese food and this excellent new little Tokyo style eatery on Hope Street has toppled Nippon Kitchen and Nanakusa as our favourite sushi place in the city centre.

Choose from the vast array of traditional sushi styles on offer, try out a sushi burrito - not actually a Mexican-Japanese fusion dish but huge seaweed rolls packed with sushi, vegetables and rice - or sample one of the delightful K-cupbops, whatever you do, you won't be disappointed.

Gamba

(225A W George St, Glasgow G2 2ND)

Picture: Gamba Facebook

Seafood is one the city's specialties and few do it better than Derek Marshall’s Gamba.

With two AA rosettes already under their belt and plenty of other awards to boot, the restaurant has an ever evolving menu that changes with the seasons and what's on offer for the time of year.

Choose from the likes of Isle of Gigha halibut, Scottish lobster and smoked salmon from Marrbury, which all feature on the menu regularly or simply ask the knowledgeable staff for recommendations, whatever you do, you're in for one of the best seafood meals this side of Oban.

The Spanish Butcher

(80 Miller St, Glasgow G1 1DT)

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45 day dry-aged, Galician Prime Ribs. Picture: The Spanish Butcher Facebook

Continuing the wave of Spanish arrivals in Glasgow, the newest venture from the team behind the Butcher Shop and Hutcheson's is their most exciting yet.

Effortlessly cool both in terms of food offering and its design, the restaurant offers some of the exciting dishes we've seen in a while.

With Grade 9 Galician steak, 30 month salt-cured Iberico Jamon, whole Turbot and grilled octopus all gracing the menu alongside some of Scotland's best ingredients you'll be sure to find something to challenge your perceptions on what a Glasgow restaurant is capable of.

Red Onion

(257 West Campbell St, Glasgow G2 4TT)

Picture: The Red Onion

The Red Onion is an unassuming little restaurant on West Campbell Street that deserves far more attention than it gets. Run by  Chef/patron John Quigley, who has plenty of culinary experience after spending years in the UK's capital serving casual gourmet dining to rock stars and celebrities, the Red Onion is his passion project and has quietly been gaining a reputation for being one of the city's top restaurants for Scottish cuisine.

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Serving modern twists on Scotland's classic dishes, it's the perfect place to enjoy dishes like Braised Innis and Gunn beef, Finnan haddie fishcake and Monkfish korma.

Paesano

(94 Miller St, Glasgow G1 1DT)

Picture: Paesano Facebook

Uniting Glasgow's pizza fans can't be easy but judging by the response to (and demand for a second venue in the west end) Paesano's arrival, the Miller Street eatery has fast become the go-to place for a slice or two in the city.

Stunning traditional Napoletana style pizzas with hybrid yeast and sourdough bases and lashings of authentic Italian ingredients (including plenty of extra virgin olive oil), great prices and a fun atmosphere have ensured this place is guaranteed to be busy most nights of the week.

Iberica

(140 St Vincent St, Glasgow G2 5LA)

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Picture: Iberica Facebook

Spanish cuisine is most definitely the flavour of the month with Glaswegian food fans and with two great venues on this list, we are pretty sure it's a trend that's here to stay.

Iberica makes the perfect balance between a focus on style and substance with a menu that's filled to the brim with Spanish favourites like Chorizo, Paella and Patas Bravas.

For an authentic Spanish dining experience, you really can't go wrong with this place. Be warned though, once you go, you'll quickly find yourself desperate to come back again and again.

Bread Meats Bread

(104 St Vincent St, Glasgow G2 5UB)

Picture: Bread Meats Bread Facebook

You can always judge a place by how easy it is to get a seat and BMB typifies the kind of eatery that you may have to wait a while for, as it's pretty much stowed out round the clock, seven days a week.

Unofficially it holds the title for the best burger in the city with many of the city's bloggers (in our mind there are a few challengers but we absolutely agree that BMB's burger offering is up there with the best) but we just love the full menu and could easily enjoy multiple trips here without getting bored.

In our mind, it's testament to the fact that they are pretty flawless when it comes to the complete package.

Tight menu with plenty of excellent options, great service and accessible prices, there are few boxes that BMB doesn't tick (other than the fact that it could maybe be bigger).

Halloumi 

(161 Hope St, Glasgow G2 2UQ)

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bdzuyp9loW5/?taken-by=halloumiglasgow

A new addition to Glasgow's burgeoning culinary scene, Halloumi caters for those who love a slice of Mediterranean cuisine.

The Greek-Cypriot restaurant has a focus on Mezze, with sharing a big part of the fun, and the menus are filled with small appetising tapas style dishes with everything from the obvious such as the halloumi fries and lamb moussaka to the more unusual stiffado (rich beef & shallot stew) and Spanakopita (filo pastry with a spinach & goats cheese filling).

So grab a few friends or your SO and share some amazing plates in this cracking little eatery on Hope Street.

• READ MORE: Halloumi, Glasgow, restaurant review

'Babs

(49 W Nile St, G1 2PT)

https://www.instagram.com/p/BelkUXBgk0W/?taken-at=667217350114670

Proving that kebabs aren't just the remit of hungry people after a night out, 'Babs have elevated this high street classic to gourmet level and we couldn't be happier with the results.

Charcoal-fired chunks of lamb, beef, pork and chicken in shish and souvlaki style sit side by side with the freshest Mediterranean style salads while those looking for a burger fix can tuck into shakshuka and doner burgers and a multitude of fries from skinny to skin on - and topped with kebab meat.

Don't worry if you prefer meat free options as there is a healthy vegan and vegetarian section too. 'Babs offers comfort food at its finest.

• READ MORE: ‘Babs, restaurant review, Glasgow

Tuk Tuk

(426 Sauchiehall St, G2 3JD)

https://www.instagram.com/p/BcR8J2uHraw/?taken-by=tuktukstreetuk

Having already conquered the capital, Indian street food specialists Tuk Tuk landed in Glasgow last year, bringing their amazing Chicken Lollipops with them.

Choose from dishes like the Butter Chicken, Railway Station Lamb Curry and Sag Paneer, all washed down with the Tuk Tuk Chai, or settle for some smaller dishes like the aforementioned chicken lollipops - trust us they're delicious - or the Pakora Platter.

Whatever you try, you'll find out just why east coasters already flock to Tuk Tuk's Edinburgh restaurant in their droves.

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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