Bistros, trattorias and the everyday rooms where Glasgow actually eats.
Bistros, trattorias, taverns and neighbourhood rooms: the mid-tier places where Glasgow actually eats.
Paesano is a wood-fired Neapolitan pizzeria on Miller Street in Glasgow's Merchant City, turning out blistered, cheap and excellent pizza to constant queues.
Order: The Paesano with n'duja, or the simple margherita to judge the char on the crust.
Tip: It does not take bookings and the queue moves fast; go early evening or off-peak to skip the wait.
Sugo is a fast, loud fresh-pasta room on Mitchell Street in Glasgow's city centre, from the Paesano team, serving handmade pasta in the Lighthouse building.
Order: Whatever ragu is on that day, twirled through fresh pappardelle.
Tip: Like its sibling Paesano, it is walk-in only and turns tables quickly, so expect a short wait at peak times.
Bread Meats Bread is a St Vincent Street burger joint in Glasgow, stacking award-winning patties, poutine and vegan options for a hungry city-centre crowd.
Order: A dirty-style cheeseburger with a side of poutine.
Tip: The vegan menu is more than an afterthought here, with dedicated plant-based burgers and poutine.
The Dhabba has served North Indian cooking in Glasgow's Merchant City since 2002, a smart Candleriggs room strong on tandoor breads and Punjabi curries.
Order: A tandoor bread basket with a slow-cooked lamb rogan josh.
Tip: This is North Indian, so ask staff to steer you away from the Glasgow-Punjabi standards toward the regional dishes.
Topolabamba is a colourful Mexican street-food spot on St Vincent Street in Glasgow, plating tacos, tostadas and margaritas in a busy city-centre room.
Order: A spread of soft tacos to share and a frozen margarita.
Tip: The bottomless brunch and taco deals are the value draw; book ahead for weekend sittings.
Baffo is a Neapolitan pizzeria at the west end of Argyle Street in Glasgow, near Kelvingrove, serving long-proved sourdough pizza and Italian craft beer.
Order: A pizza off the specials board and a bottle of Italian birra.
Tip: It sits just past the main Finnieston strip, so it is often quieter than the Argyle Street pizzerias closer to town.
The Anchor Line fills the restored 1905 shipping offices on St Vincent Place, Glasgow, an ocean-liner-themed grill of steaks, seafood and cocktails.
Order: A steak from the grill, with a plate of oysters to start.
Tip: The room mimics a transatlantic liner; ask for a booth for the full period effect.
Bibi's Cantina is a daytime Mexican cafe on Dumbarton Road in Glasgow's West End, serving huevos, tacos and hearty stews with a bright, homely welcome.
Order: The huevos rancheros at brunch, or a plate of tacos at lunch.
Tip: It is a daytime spot that closes in the late afternoon, so plan it for breakfast or lunch, not dinner.
Buck's Bar is a rock and roll fried-chicken joint on West Regent Street in Glasgow, slinging buttermilk and Nashville hot chicken with bourbon and loud music.
Order: The Nashville hot chicken with a bourbon on the side.
Tip: It doubles as a late bar with live bands, so it works for a boozy dinner as much as a quick feed.
Sarti is a long-running Italian cafe-restaurant on Wellington Street in Glasgow, an all-day city-centre room for espresso, pasta and thin Roman pizza.
Order: A plate of pasta and a proper Italian espresso from the deli counter.
Tip: It opens for breakfast, so it is a good bet for a morning pastry and coffee before the shops.
Chaakoo Bombay Cafe channels the Irani cafes of old Bombay on St Vincent Street in Glasgow, serving small-plate Indian street food and railway-station snacks.
Order: A spread of small plates: the okra fries and the keema pau are regulars' picks.
Tip: Order in rounds like tapas rather than one big curry; the small plates are where the kitchen shines.
Namak Mandi cooks Peshawari and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa food in Glasgow's Southside, a Norfolk Street room known for its salt-cooked namak mandi lamb.
Order: The namak mandi lamb, cooked on hot salt stones, is the dish that gives the place its name.
Tip: It is a halal, alcohol-free kitchen, so come for the food and the freshly baked naan rather than a drink.
Cottiers is a bar and restaurant inside a restored 1865 Daniel Cottier church in Glasgow's West End, pairing Scottish plates with a grand stained-glass room.
Order: A Scottish steak or the catch of the day under the church's painted ceilings.
Tip: The building is also a theatre and beer garden; check what is on before you book a table.
La Lanterna is Glasgow's oldest family-run Italian, a Hope Street city-centre room opened in 1970 and still serving classic pasta, veal and seafood.
Order: A classic veal dish or the fresh seafood pasta, cooked the old-school way.
Tip: There is a second, larger La Lanterna on West Regent Street; this Hope Street original is the intimate one.
Halloumi is a lively Greek meze restaurant on Hope Street in Glasgow's city centre, plating grilled halloumi, souvlaki and sharing dishes with Greek wine.
Order: Grilled halloumi to start and a mixed souvlaki platter to share.
Tip: Go for the meze route over single mains; the sharing plates are the best way to eat here.
Non Viet serves authentic Vietnamese food on Sauchiehall Street in Glasgow, a bright room where the pho and bun bowls draw a loyal city-centre crowd.
Order: A steaming bowl of beef pho, or the vermicelli bun with grilled pork.
Tip: There are further Non Viet branches in the West End; this Sauchiehall Street one is handy for Charing Cross.
Little Italy has fed Byres Road since the 1980s, a bustling Glasgow West End counter for pizza by the slice, fresh pasta and strong Italian coffee.
Order: A hot slice of pizza from the takeaway counter, or a plate of fresh pasta at a table.
Tip: The takeaway counter at the front is the quick option; the seated area behind is calmer for a full meal.
Mister Singh's India is an Elderslie Street institution in Glasgow, an Indian kitchen famous for haggis pakora and kilt-wearing staff since the 1990s.
Order: The haggis pakora, a Glasgow-Scots-Indian mash-up the restaurant helped make famous.
Tip: The Scottish-Indian theme is played for fun; it is a reliable, generous curry house near Charing Cross.
Partick Duck Club is an all-day bistro on Hyndland Street in Glasgow's West End, cooking brunch, duck and market plates from a snug Partick corner.
Order: The duck, in whatever form the kitchen is running it that week.
Tip: It keeps eight bar counter seats back for walk-ins, so try the counter if the tables are booked out.
The Wee Curry Shop is a tiny, much-loved curry room on Buccleuch Street in Glasgow, cooking a short, fresh Indian menu at a handful of tables since the 1990s.
Order: The set thali is the classic order; the menu is short and changes with what is fresh.
Tip: There are only a few tables in the Garnethill room, so booking ahead is essential most evenings.