We had to stop into The Smoking Fox simply because we loved the name--and I'm so glad we did!…read more This was where my birthday officially began. The pub was packed with lively people, great conversation, and exactly the kind of atmosphere you hope to find in Glasgow. I ordered a Pornstar Martini made with passion fruit vodka, Passoã, passion fruit purée, pineapple juice, vanilla syrup, and a side of prosecco. It was absolutely delicious. Jon enjoyed an Old Fashioned, and of course we added two more glasses of prosecco to toast the start of another trip around the sun. One of my favorite parts of the night was listening to the delightfully crusty bartenders banter with everyone at the bar. They had the perfect dry humor that made the whole place feel authentic and welcoming. Sometimes the best travel memories come from walking into a place just because the name makes you smile. Cheers to another year!

Ambiance: Very lively in the pub area and a little quiet in…read morethe restaurant area. Service: Outstanding! The staff was friendly, knowledgeable, and made you feel at home. Food: We went for the Sunday Pot Roast and it did not disappoint. The roast was cooked perfectly and I loved that you can get extra sides as needed. Do yourself a favor and make plans to eat here; you will not regret it.

Glasgow, when will you learn? If a building like St Andrews in the Square existed anywhere else in…read moreEurope, it would feature on postcards, be highlighted on guided tours and sign-posted from across the city. Tourists would flock and photograph it from every angle, creating albums on Facebook entitled "Me at St Andrews in the Square" to a sea of thumbs ups from friends who like it. Instead, this lovingly-restored 18th century church is inconspicuously located in among modern east end flats and virtually impossible to stumble across unless you are specifically looking for it. And what a pity, because when it's lit at night, it provides one of the most spectacular photo opportunities in the city. Those who do know this building, know it's one of the greatest classical churches in Europe with a truly sumptuous interior. Now used as a performing arts centre, St Andrews in the Square can also be hired as a spectacular setting for ceilidhs, concerts, weddings and receptions. Just go. I promise you will not be disappointed.

Despite living in Glasgow my entire life, I had no idea this place existed until a few weeks ago…read more This is incredible considering it is one of the most stunning buildings in the city. It seems to live in a sort of parallel universe, stuck in the middle of blocks of flats. I visited the cafe a few Sunday ago and, despite the sophisticated art deco style interior and impressive menu, the place was dead. I think this is because most people don't realise it's there.

A very unassuming place from the outside, but inside, a stellar family-run business. From ordering…read moreright through paying the bill, I felt like I'd been invited to a friend's home. The food was excellent, too. Went for their Christmas lunch, and the portions were HUGE. And quite affordable too. Since I was visiting alone, they gave me a full three-course meal for £30. Definitely should check out this place for classic Scottish food and made-at-home feel.

excellent menu choice , beautifully served food first class…read moreScottish food. Best bistro I have been to in a very long time excellent service friendly staff ( Staff that actually looked happy at work) Great atmosphere cant wait to return

Came here for a small breakfast and free coffee refills. The free refills were nice, but the coffee…read morewas the kind you serve yourself from a machine so it tasted okay. The food tasted like it was reheated or fast food. Nothing special. Service was fine, but our server had a bit of an attitude. I give this place 3 stars because there was nothing that stood out about it and the food wasn't great. I'm sure it is great place to hang out during night time for drinks.

My wife and I were in Glasgow last week when we stumbled across The Counting House while visiting…read moreGeorge Square. Actually, it was hard to miss thanks to their huge outdoor seating area. We found ourselves here more than a few times after sightseeing. The places packs them in, so they must be popular with the locals. We were there for the drinks and weren't able to try the food because we had dinner reservations all nights. They had a huge selection of beers and wine. You can either order at the bar or use the QR code and have your items delivered to your table by using its table #. It's definitely a fun time with a cool vibe in a great location, and we will visit again and recommend it to all. Slàinte Mhath

I can see why this has been consider the top seafood restaurant in Glasgow for a long time. We were…read morelooking for something lighter and an opportunity to have Shetland Mussels again so we made a reservation here. The interior is classy and dark and has an "old money" feel in a good way. It's downstairs and you feel like you are entering somewhere secret and discrete. The only bad thing is they had the heat cranked UP when we went. It was so hot down there I didn't know how some of the staff were running around in long sleeves, I had to keep going outside to get some nice chilly air to take a break from all the heat. The food was 5 stars but the heat did make the experience not pleasant. Spring White Negroni: Gin, white vermouth, limoncello. Nice, cool, and refreshing in that hot, hot dining area, lol. New Style Sashimi: Salmon, bass, and scallops. Basically a crudo topped with furikake and slices of ginger. We thought this was overly sauced and a very unjapanese way to eat Sashimi so it was too far of a departure for us. Local Lindisframe Rock Oysters: Excellent, sweet and not too large, these you have to eat fast because of the heat. You can see the ice melting and fusing in the picture and I took that picture as soon as it was brought out! King Prawn Noodle Salad: This was SO good, our whole family loved it. If we come back we would definitely order this again. Wild Halibut with cabbage, peas, pancetta, and charred asparagus. Perfectly cooked but the sauce was too rich and creamy for us. Fish Soup: crabmeat, ginger, and prawn dumplings. Good bowl, would taste better on a cold day.

I really thought I'd already written a review for Gamba, but it seems not. This is absolutely the…read moretop seafood restaurant in Glasgow, if not Scotland IMO. The standard of the food is outstanding, the service is impeccable, they have a small but select wine list and a good cocktail menu. All in a relaxed and not overcrowded atmosphere. It's been too long since we'd visited, but it was just as good as we remembered. I had the tuna sashimi to start - which unexpectedly came with chopsticks - while Herself went for the tuna tartare. Both absolutely delicious, melt-in-the-mouth good. For mains, it was the halibut and scallops for her; I tried the monkfish, although with some slight trepidation over the banana, green lentil and chickpea sauce. I needn't have worried though, it wasn't a very strong curry and actually worked really well with the monkfish and the haddock. Just enough room to squeeze in a dairy-free sorbet for me - they had a lovely cucumber sorbet that was served with the tuna tartare, so I tried that. Herself can never resist a good cheese board, and this one was good (so I'm told). All in all, a fantastic meal. So good that I completely forgot to take any pictures. The sad news is that Derek, the owner is apparently planning to retire and is looking for someone to take over the business, so my advice is to get in there quickly before he's gone. Oh - and they have Derek's Gamba cook books on sale, £20 each or two for £30. If you ask nicely, you may even get them autographed!

In a packed corner of Glasgow, where there's at least 6 or 7 other choices, the Two Heided Man is…read moreoften forgotten about. While it's nothing remarkable in it's presentation, it is cheap, cheerful and quintessentially Glaswegian. It's a pokey wee pub underneath Central Station that I often gravitate to on a night out for a last quick drink before the train home. It's other selling point is karaoke. It has it, and it revels in it. There seems to be a regular crew of singers and songs, but they welcome all and sundry in to murder your own choice of tune. I should know, I do it often. As long as the regular woman that does it is in charge, everything is smooth and runs like clockwork and a good time is had by all. Worth popping in, at least once, just to say you have. It won't be for everyone, and it's certainly and acquired taste... but dammit, I like it.

After a little confusion over which restaurant in princess square we were eating Easter Sunday…read morelunch at. The Restaurant bar and grill is in fact it's actual name!! Firstly it is huge inside and the decor is very nice and relaxed but not too relaxed. It was pretty empty when we arrived but was pretty full by the time we left. As it was Easter Sunday we were opting for roast dinners all around. £25 for 2 for a full roast with all the trimmings. I had the lamb which was delicious and cooked perfect. I normally would always go beef but time for a change and my goodness it was for the best. Served up with little roast potatoes and some veg. Washed down with some lovely red wine! The service was outstanding.a group of 10 people including kids and the staff were so good every little detail was covered. Excellent and a must for a lamb roast!

I am definitely guilty of judging this restaurant on its name, and for that reason I'd never been…read morebefore. I figured that dull name = dull food, but I was definitely wrong. It's located towards the top of Princes Square and is absolutely huge when you get inside - there's a bar area and a massive restaurant, as well as a private dining space. And not forgetting the terrace which seems like the most popular space on a sunny day. We had a drink at the bar and then moved to sit in the restaurant which was empty - but it felt like being in an exclusive private dining rather than weird, which was nice. The back of the restaurant looks over the courtyard behind Princes Square. I opted for the 2 course quick lunch which is £15. While the rest of the menu sounded quite tasty, I couldn't resist the chargrilled asparagus with poached egg and hollandaise, followed by the baked goats cheese and beetroot salad with walnuts. Both these dishes were exceptional and I was really pleased with just how good they were, especially on a quick lunch menu. The asparagus was delicious (although I always love asparagus) and had just the right amount of hollandaise. While you can't see it in the photo, there was a massive portion of goats cheese - I was in total heaven. I felt a bit virtuous for ordering a salad but I'm not sure that counts when most of it is cheese. That being said, the leaves of the salad were delicious and I managed to finish off the whole plate. Service was friendly and helpful, and there was a decent choice of drinks. While it was pretty quiet when we were there (Thursday lunch + sunshine), I'd been keen to head back for Friday night drinks. They even have their own sneaky express entrance from the rear entry to Princes Square!

I was walking all over Glasgow and wanted to get a late lunch, but given how I was doing so much…read moreexploring I truly had a really hard time picking a spot. I ended up at Darcys which was nice, but quite loud, and crowded (not a reason behind the 3 stars.) I had the GINGER BEER and the PENNE ARRABIATA. The pasta was a bit overcooked, but not worth bringing up to the servers since everyone was running around. Not the best i've had, but when you're hungry... you are HUNGRY. ENJOY!

Described as a cafe bar on its website, Darcy's is a stylish yet relaxed venue suitable for a catch…read moreup over coffee, a glass of wine or a tasty meal. My mum loves it here and I can tell why. A bit more sophisticated than other cafe bars, it is also slightly pricier but you can tell that the food is of a high quality. It's varied menu offers proper main meals as well as sandwiches and burgers. I chose the club sandwich which seemed expensive at £8.95 but they didn't scrimp on the portions and I couldnt even finish it all. It was very tasty. The service was attentive despite being busy although we were given an incorrect bill and struggled find someone to point this out to which was a bit embarrassing but usually not having someone hanging over you waiting for you to pay and leave would definitely be a positive so I can't fault them for that. With it's classy but cosy decor and a strong sense of identity you don't feel like you are sitting in the middle of a shopping mall at all.

Does not exist. We went to Banca Di Roma and had a fantastic meal outside and drinks upstairs. One…read moreof my friends wanted to know how much a bottle of the Japanese whiskey was, but upon hearing the price we all decided on our own individual drinks. :)

Met Herself in here for a wee pre-Christmas lunch date. I've been in a few times before, but only…read morefor lunch so I don't consider myself to be fully indulged in the seafood cornucopia that is Mussel Inn. As it was only lunch I restrained myself and opted for a starter of the fish cakes with a side order of chips, which was just as well as the fish cakes were a tad on the small side. This was mildly disappointing at the time, but actually they would have been fine as a starter if you were moving on to something more substantial. I was glad I'd ordered the chips as well though. Herself as usual went for the eponymous bivalve molluscs that are the house speciality. These were quite on the large side, and disappeared before I had a chance to get a picture of the bowl so must have been good! An Americano coffee to finish was of good strength and taste, even if it was only just over half a cup; presumably they were leaving a gap for the milk that I didn't ask for and don't want. Still, I guess if they'd topped it up with water it would be weaker and that would be almost as big a sin. The restaurant is quite large and was pretty empty on this particular lunchtime. They have a mezzanine area upstairs that you can rent for private groups, which would be great if you had enough folk who were seafood lovers.

I'm sure you hear this a lot, but the breakfast we had at this restaurant was the best breakfast…read moreI've ever had, no doubt! I had the eggs Benedict, which was the perfect portion, cooked to perfection, and left me wanting more. The sauce was light and mixed with the egg in a way that was just indescribable. The French toast with bacon offered a great mix of sweet and savory. Syrup was available if you wanted it, but honestly, you didn't need it. My wife had the fluffy scrambled eggs, creamy, cheesy, served over toast with bacon and hash browns. This is something she gets often, and she has had none better than the ones here. The service was excellent. It's not the biggest restaurant, but the tables seem to move fairly quickly, and they have outdoor seating on warmer days. The whole experience was a delightful way to start our day. So if you happen to be in Glasgow, Scotland, you have to check out the Wilton Street Pantry, you will not be disappointed!

This was a great place for Sunday Brunch. It was within walking distance of our hotel in Merchant…read moreCity and the reviews suggested that it was worth a try. The reservation that we made was worthwhile as they were booked past 1 PM when we arrived at 11:30 AM. They offered a mix of indoor and outdoor seating. We were seated inside and attended to right away. Our server was excellent the entire time we were there. The menu was condensed with some tempting choices. My wife opted for the Avocado Toast, which was loaded generously. She enjoyed it quite a lot. I tried the marinated cherry tomatoes, prosciutto, mozzarella, rocket, pesto and smoked almonds on toasted sourdough. I was likewise happy with my selection. I can also report that the coffee was very good. My wife had a Macchiato and said it was quite nice as well. Including the food, drinks and a small tip, the total bill was £36. At £18 per person, this was not cheap but I had no problem with the value. The experience including the food, the service and the vibe all added up to make this worth the cost. If we're in Glasgow again, we'd be happy to do brunch here again.