confit duck salad

Glasgow is such a fun, vibrant city for a weekend break and with such a thriving food scene, you’re guaranteed to eat well. There are plenty of exciting spots in the city centre, but you don’t want to miss the West End for cute neighbourhood cafes and top restaurants around Finnieston, Hyndland and Byres Road near the University.

Here are some recent discoveries to add to your list…

Ox and Finch

Ox and Finch is one of Finnieston’s hottest restaurants, retaining a Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand for over ten years. Chef patron Jonathan MacDonald (previously head chef at Formula One) returned to his home city to open Ox and Finch in 2014 and has built on his success with popular Southeast Asian restaurant Ka Pao in Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Just around the corner from Kelvingrove Park, this Sauchiehall Street bistro has a casual, urban-rustic feel with cosy leather booths and an open kitchen to watch the chefs at work. The menu is equally relaxed with well-priced, creative small plates designed for sharing. Seasonal Scottish ingredients are expertly enhanced by Mediterranean and Asian flavours.

I dined solo and enjoyed a few dishes for a light(ish) lunch. Confit duck salad, tahini dressing and pistachio dukkah was an aromatic twist on a bistro classic with tender morsels of meat, bitter leaves, fresh herbs and a crunchy pangrattato.

I also loved the rich, melt-in-the-mouth pan-fried pork belly with charred, wilted radicchio and sharp rhubarb. Somehow, I chose two dishes with bitter elements, but a rather majestic, chocolatey dessert proved to be balm for the tastebuds.

Bare Bones chocolate blancmange with malt cream and salted honeycomb was absolute bliss with contrasting gelatinous, airy and crunchy textures. It rounded off a joyful, interesting meal with friendly service – I’ll definitely be back for more!

SHUCKS

SHUCKS is a fabulous Scottish seafood bar and restaurant from the team behind Brett and Michelin-starred Cail Bruich. The two-floor eatery on leafy Hyndland Road feels glossy and new with a bold nautical palette of blue, mustard and burnt orange (reminding me of Wes Anderson’s The Life Aquatic). It’s unpretentious yet there’s an air of decadence with the promise of fresh lobster, oysters and Champagne from the trolley.

Head chef Shaun Haggarty’s menu showcases the finest produce from across Scotland (sourced from the Glasgow Fish Market) and flirts with Japanese, Indian and Mexican influences. I tried the lunch menu, which is excellent value with two courses for £25 or three courses for £30.

Shellfish chowder was rich and pungent and came with grilled bread and velvety brown crab butter for next level dipping. It’s rare to find a lobster roll on a set menu and this one was actually one of the best I’ve ever tasted (even if it technically included prawns). The generously-packed prawn and lobster roll was so luxurious and had a sweet, smoky flavour from the grilled corn and lango mayo. Crispy, golden tater tots finished it off perfectly!

I headed to Byres Road for dessert, but there’s a rather tempting giant pistachio profiterole, crème brûlée or affogato.

Chaakoo

Chaakoo first brought the ever popular Bombay cafe concept to central St Vincent Street in 2016 and it now has another restaurant in the West End and one in Edinburgh. It echoes the OG Dishoom in both menu and style (think sepia family portraits, smoked mirrors and cosy booths), however it’s significantly lighter on the wallet.

We managed to get a balcony table at the split-level city centre restaurant (it’s constantly busy, so booked ahead) and enjoyed an indulgent Indian feast. It’s all about family style sharing dishes with a tantalising offering of fried pakora and samosa, curries, biryani and Irani kebabs cooked in the open kitchen’s tandoor, robata and traditional khule grill.

Everything was high quality and generously-sized but the stand out dishes were the crispy fried vegetable pakora, velvety butter chicken with lots of tender, slow-cooked meat and the incredible chicken tikka smoked on whisky chips with a cooling homemade mint chutney.

Chaakoo also offers great value lunch deals with a choice of Thali trays or a grill and curry set meal – perfect for a quick bite.

Paesano Pizza

Great Italian food is easy to find in Glasgow, thanks to the enterprising spirit of the city’s large Italian community. Many arrived from mostly from Tuscany in the 1920s and set up successful businesses including ice cream parlours, cafes and pizza restaurants. The new Neapolitan pizza wave hit Glasgow, like most major cities, and is said to have been spearheaded by Paesano Pizza, whose first pizzeria opened in 2015 in Merchant City (there’s now another in the West End).

The Miller Street restaurant is big and boisterous with pizza pies flying out of the open kitchen at speed and Negronis knocked back with gusto. The pizza-making, however, is much more serious, as the all-Italian team of Pizzaioli follow the traditional Napoletana process and everything is sourced from Italy. The dough is proved for over 24 hours and heated at 500 degrees in the artisan wood-fire pizza oven built specially in Naples.

The pizza we tried was quite a beast with a huge amount of toppings, almost verging on too much. The dough was light and chewy with a nicely blistered crust and finished with plenty of juicy tomato sugo, creamy fior di latte and fresh basil. With excellent pizza starting at just £7.90 (the most expensive being under £13), it’s the perfect spot for a fun night out in Glasgow.

Kember and Jones

Kember and Jones is a popular neighbourhood cafe, deli and bakery on Byres Road in the West End. It’s known for its all-day brunch dishes, gourmet sourdough sandwiches and tempting home-made cakes. They also produce their own coffee beans and operate an off-site coffee roastery.

I stopped by for a warming hot chocolate made with dark chocolate flakes and a slice of the most decadent vanilla chai cake.

Tantrum Doughnuts

Stepping out of Glasgow Central Station, what could be a more welcome sight than an artisan doughnut and coffee shop? Tantrum Doughnuts is home to the city’s best hand-crafted doughnuts and it’s become a real local success story.

Owners Iain and Erika started their doughnut business at food markets and festivals, drawing on their pastry and hospitality industry skills. Their first shop opened in 2015 in the West End and there are now three locations across Glasgow.

What makes Tantrum stand out from the rest? They work with local producers to offer creative, seasonal doughnuts finished with home-made fruit jams, custards and toppings. The flavours are all tantalising and range from a simple birthday cake ‘old fashioned’ ring to the bestselling crème brûlée with Madagascan vanilla bean custard and a crunchy torched sugar top.

Having tried a few different flavours, my favourites were the glazed pistachio and hibiscus topped with candied nuts and milk and cookies dusted with chocolate crumble. It would be crazy not to grab a box to take home on the train.

Have you tried any of these Glasgow eateries? Where are your favourite places to eat out in Glasgow?

All photos by Chérie City

@cheriecity
Glasgow is such a great destination for a foodie weekend. Here are some amazing places to add to your list: ?? Shucks – a stylish Scottish seafood spot. Go for the shellfish chowder and lobster roll with tater tots. ?? Ox and Finch – one of Finnieston’s hottest restaurants with a Michelin Bib Gourmand. Reasonably priced sharing plates with seasonal ingredients. ?? Tantrum Doughnuts – tasty, hand-crafted doughnuts with creative fillings. ?? Kember & Jones – neighbourhood cafe in the West End with the best hot chocolate and vanilla chai cake. ?? Chaakoo – a Bombay Cafe with delicious sharing dishes. Go for the chicken tikka smoked on whisky chips. ?? Paesano Pizza – Cheap and cheerful Neapolitan pizza with lots of toppings. #glasgow #glasgowfood #foodtiktok #pizza #lobsterroll #Scotland #glasgowrestaurants
? Back On 74 – Jungle

The Victoria public house, dining room and hotel is a real hidden gem, tucked away in West Temple Sheen, a leafy residential area of Richmond.

Owned and managed by restauranteur Greg Bellamy and chef Paul Merrett, The Victoria has the cosy atmosphere of a country pub, but being in well-heeled Richmond, it’s finished with a touch of gloss.

The hotel has seven spacious rooms in an adjoining building, accessed through a bright and airy Scandinavian style staircase with an attractive striped carpet and illustrated tree on the wall.

The Room

The rooms are simple and contemporary, tastefully designed in soft mauve and cream tones with a striking feature wall.

There aren’t any fussy extras, just everything you need for a comfortable stay – a well-placed flat screen TV, iPod docking station, ample wardrobe hanging space and a full-length mirror.

Complimentary home comforts include high speed wifi, tea and coffee making facilities, two bottles of mineral water and a selection of glossy magazines.

The queen size double bed was comfy, with luxurious Egyptian cotton sheets and plump pillows. Outside was so quiet and tranquil that we had a great night’s sleep.

The Bathroom

Our bathroom was petite and functional with a powerful shower and bathroom amenities by Pecksniff’s. I particularly liked the monogrammed Victoria towels.

Dinner in the Restaurant

A privilege of staying at the hotel is that guests have priority restaurant reservation at the very popular restaurant. Dinner is served in the large, bright conservatory and on a brighter day, outside on the large garden terrace. The dining room staff are so welcoming and friendly and service was efficient, even when it became busy later in the evening.

Amuse-Bouches

We were offered a basket of thick, crusty bread and a home-made vegetable samosa as an amuse-bouche. This suited me perfectly, as I’m not a fan of fussy amuse-bouches and this samosa was exceptionally good – crispy, punchy and not at all greasy.

Starters

I started with the Seared Cornish diver caught scallops on cauliflower purée with caramelised chorizo and argan oil (£10.50). The plump scallops were nicely grilled on one side and were perfectly complimented by the spicy chorizo and the rich cauliflower purée. Argan oil was a new culinary discovery (more often found in skincare) and the deep purple colour of the leaves made it an attractive dish.

Steven tried the Warm salad of confit duck, Morris Gold black pudding, fried potato and a soft boiled hens egg (£7). The duck was slow-cooked to perfection and the leaves had a light, tasty dressing.

Mains

The test of a good gastropub is their burger, so I ordered the Victoria handmade Angus burger with trimmings 10oz (£10.50). There is also the option of a 5oz burger, but learning from experience, it’s better to be defeated by a burger than be left wanting.

Saying that, the Victoria burger was a real monster, especially when there was a big bowl of thrice cooked chips to work through too. The patties were cooked medium on a charcoal grill and made from excellent quality beef. They were nicely charred and smoky on the outside and oozing with juiciness.

The salad trimmings were fresh and the burger came with two fat slices of mature cheddar cheese. It was decadent, satisfying and a real treat.

Another good testing dish is steak, so Steven tried the 28 day aged 7oz South Devon rib eye steak with thrice cooked chips and bearnaise sauce (£18). The meat was tender and charred with just enough fat to give it flavour. I couldn’t help pinching some of the delicious bearnaise sauce to dip my chips into, as it was so tasty and fresh, with small pieces of shallot and tarragon.

Dessert

I somehow found room to indulge in the Warm chocolate pudding with peanut butter ice cream (£5.50). The chocolate fondant dessert was perfect, with a delicate cake texture on the outside and filled with thick molten liquid chocolate.

The peanut butter ice cream was creamy and home-made, but the blobs of peanut butter could have been a little bit finer and less salty. Still, they went extremely well together.

I accompanied this with a lovely red dessert wine from California, which was sticky and sweet with dark berry flavours.

Steven’s trio of Yorkshire rhubarb (£6.50) came with petite portions of oat and apple crumble, ginger and vanilla yoghurt, jelly and ice cream. It was refreshing, sweet and sharp – a real visual treat.

We finished with a pot of fresh mint tea and a walk around the neighbourhood, where we spotted a fox!

Breakfast

In the morning we came downstairs to a spectacular breakfast. The Continental Breakfast table is laden with fresh bread, mini pasties, cereal and juices, all of which is included in the room price for hotel guests.

There is also a cooked breakfast menu and we tempted by The Victoria (very) full English breakfast (£10). They weren’t kidding when they said it was big – it includes two eggs, bacon, sausage, black pudding, flat grilled mushrooms, baked beans and fried bread. The quality was exceptional and the sweetcure bacon and thick, meaty sausages were the best I’ve tasted in a breakfast dish.

Throughout the morning, the pub becomes a hub of mothers and babies, ladies who breakfast and ex-City freelancers tapping away on their Macs. It has a friendly, buzzing atmosphere and would definitely be my morning breakfast haunt if I lived anywhere near Richmond!

The Victoria is perfect for a short break away from city life for Londoners, or a clever choice for travellers looking for a high standard bed & breakfast without paying over-inflated city prices. It’s clearly run with pride and soul and it’s easy to see why locals have adopted it as their own.

Rooms at The Victoria are priced from £120 per night, including continental breakfast.

For more info and booking, visit: www.thevictoria.net

Chérie City was a guest of The Victoria

Photos by Chérie City

Great Places to Eat Out in Glasgow