Mid-Range in Glasgow

The Pot Still ★ 4.6

city-centre · 154 Hope Street, Glasgow G2 2TH

The Pot Still is a fourth-generation whisky bar on Hope Street in Glasgow, pouring from more than 1,000 bottles under the eye of the Murphy family.

Tip: Ask the staff for a recommendation by flavour rather than name; they will find you a dram to suit and a pie to match.

Paesano Pizza ★ 4.5

merchant-city · 94 Miller Street, Glasgow G1 1DT

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.

Tip: It does not take bookings and the queue moves fast; go early evening or off-peak to skip the wait.

Dear Green Coffee Roasters ★ 4.5

dennistoun · 13-27 East Campbell Street, Glasgow G1 5DT

Dear Green is a pioneering speciality coffee roaster in Glasgow's East End, running an SCA training school and supplying cafes across the city since 2011.

Tip: It is a roastery and coffee school rather than a walk-in cafe; its beans turn up in the best independents citywide.

El Perro Negro ★ 4.5

finnieston · 964 Argyle Street, Glasgow G3 8LU

El Perro Negro is a multi-award-winning burger joint on Argyle Street in Glasgow's Finnieston, fusing American and Korean flavours into dirty, messy patties.

Tip: The Top Dog is the signature; it started as a market stall before landing this permanent Argyle Street site.

Mother India ★ 4.4

west-end · 28 Westminster Terrace, Glasgow G3 8AD

Mother India has served home-style Indian cooking in Glasgow's West End since 1990, a warren of small rooms famous for its sharing plates and slow-cooked dal.

Tip: The tapas-style spin-off, Mother India's Cafe on Argyle Street, is the cheaper way to eat the same kitchen's cooking.

Julie's Kopitiam ★ 4.4

southside · 1109 Pollokshaws Road, Glasgow G41 3YG

Julie's Kopitiam brings Malaysian hawker cooking to Glasgow's Southside, a tiny Shawlands room where the laksa and beef rendang sell out most nights.

Tip: Seats are few and it does not take large groups, so aim for an off-peak sitting or expect to wait.

Cottonrake ★ 4.4

west-end · 497 Great Western Road, Glasgow G12 8HL

Cottonrake is an artisan bakery on Great Western Road in Glasgow's West End, baking sourdough, laminated pastries and cakes for a loyal Kelvinbridge crowd.

Tip: Get there early for the laminated pastries; the almond croissants and cruffins tend to sell out by lunchtime.

Freedom Bakery ★ 4.4

dennistoun · 143 Charles Street, Glasgow G21 2QA

Freedom Bakery is a Glasgow social-enterprise bakery that trains prisoners in the craft, slow-fermenting sourdough sold through cafes and shops citywide.

Tip: There is no shopfront at the bakery itself; look for Freedom loaves at Glasgow delis, cafes and farmers markets.

Riverhill Coffee Bar ★ 4.4

city-centre · 24 Gordon Street, Glasgow G1 3PU

Riverhill Coffee Bar is a tiny, ethical cafe on Gordon Street in Glasgow's city centre, pouring proper coffee and stacking generous sandwiches and cakes.

Tip: It is small and busy at lunch, so grab a sandwich to take away if the handful of tables are full.

Laboratorio Espresso ★ 4.4

city-centre · 93 West Nile Street, Glasgow G1 2SH

Laboratorio Espresso is an Italian-style coffee bar on West Nile Street in Glasgow, pulling some of the city centre's best espresso in a snug room.

Tip: Order at the counter and take a stool; it is a coffee-first room, not a laptop-all-day cafe.

Papercup Coffee Company ★ 4.4

west-end · 603 Great Western Road, Glasgow G12 8HX

Papercup Coffee Company is a Glasgow roaster and cafe on Great Western Road, roasting beans on-site that supply its own room and cafes across Scotland.

Tip: The Great Western Road site pairs a busy brunch cafe with the roasting; the separate Eastvale Place arch is the roastery.

The Ben Nevis ★ 4.4

finnieston · 1147 Argyle Street, Glasgow G3 8ND

The Ben Nevis is a snug whisky and folk-music bar on Argyle Street in Glasgow's Finnieston, with over 100 malts and traditional sessions most weeks.

Tip: Turn up for a midweek folk session; the bar works first-come-first-served rather than taking bookings.

Julie's Kopitiam ★ 4.4

southside · 1109 Pollokshaws Road, Glasgow G41 3YG

Tip: Go early or off-peak; the rendang and roti canai go fast and the room is small.

Julie's Kopitiam ★ 4.4

southside · 1109 Pollokshaws Road, Glasgow G41 3YG

Julie's Kopitiam ladles cheap, brilliant Malaysian hawker food in Glasgow's Southside, where a bowl of laksa or beef rendang costs little and satisfies a lot.

Tip: Seats are few and it does not take big groups, so aim for an off-peak sitting.

Dakhin ★ 4.3

merchant-city · 89 Candleriggs, Glasgow G1 1NP

Dakhin was Scotland's first dedicated South Indian restaurant, a Merchant City room in Glasgow serving dosas, appams and Chettinad curries, all gluten-free.

Tip: The whole menu is gluten-free, which makes it a rare safe bet for coeliac diners in the city centre.

Sugo ★ 4.3

city-centre · 70 Mitchell Street, Glasgow G1 3LX

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.

Tip: Like its sibling Paesano, it is walk-in only and turns tables quickly, so expect a short wait at peak times.

Outlier ★ 4.3

dennistoun · 38 London Road, Glasgow G1 5NB

Outlier is a coffee shop, bakery and gallery on London Road in Glasgow's East End near the Barras, known for cinnamon buns and almond croissants.

Tip: It sits by the Barras, so pair a morning pastry here with a wander round the weekend market next door.

Tantrum Doughnuts ★ 4.3

city-centre · 28 Gordon Street, Glasgow G1 3PU

Tantrum Doughnuts hand-makes small-batch doughnuts on Gordon Street in Glasgow's city centre, from brown-butter glaze to seasonal filled rings.

Tip: The flavours rotate weekly and the best sell out fast, so go in the morning rather than late afternoon.

Deanston Bakery ★ 4.3

southside · 167 Deanston Drive, Glasgow G41 3LP

Deanston Bakery is a neighbourhood micro-bakery in Shawlands, Glasgow, baking sourdough, viennoiserie and cakes fresh each morning on the Southside.

Tip: It is a small Southside counter that bakes daily; go before lunch while the pastry shelves are still full.

Kember and Jones ★ 4.3

west-end · 134 Byres Road, Glasgow G12 8TD

Kember and Jones is a deli-cafe and bakery on Byres Road in Glasgow's West End, roasting its own coffee beside tarts, sourdough and cheese counters.

Tip: The window seats overlooking Byres Road are the prize spots; the cake counter is the reason to queue.

Milk Cafe ★ 4.3

southside · 452 Victoria Road, Glasgow G42 8YU

Milk Cafe is a social-enterprise cafe on Victoria Road in Glasgow's Southside, run by refugee and migrant women serving brunch, bakes and Levantine plates.

Tip: Profits support the women who cook here, so the daily specials, often home-country dishes, are worth asking about.

Thomson's Coffee ★ 4.3

southside · 5 Burnfield Avenue, Glasgow G46 7TL

Thomson's Coffee is Scotland's oldest coffee roaster, tracing back to 1841 in Glasgow and still roasting on the Southside for cafes across the country.

Tip: The Giffnock site is a production roastery; look for Thomson's beans and blends in cafes across Glasgow.

The Kelbourne Saint ★ 4.3

west-end · 182 Queen Margaret Drive, Glasgow G20 8NX

The Kelbourne Saint is a neighbourhood bar on Queen Margaret Drive in Glasgow's West End, mixing craft beer, cocktails and a well-regarded pizza kitchen.

Tip: The pizza kitchen is a genuine draw, not an afterthought, so come hungry as well as thirsty.

Drygate Brewing Co ★ 4.3

dennistoun · 85 Drygate, Glasgow G4 0UT

Drygate is a craft brewery, bar and kitchen beside Tennent's on Glasgow's east side, with 23 taps, a view into the brewhouse and an upstairs beer hall.

Tip: The upstairs beer hall and terrace are more relaxed than the ground-floor brasserie; both look into the brewery.

Kimchi Cult ★ 4.3

west-end · 14 Chancellor Street, Glasgow G11 5RQ

Kimchi Cult is Scotland's original Korean street-food counter, a tiny room off Byres Road in Glasgow serving bibimbap, bao and Korean fried chicken.

Tip: It opened in 2015 as Scotland's first Korean fast-food spot; the kimchi burger is the cult order.

Kimchi Cult ★ 4.3

west-end · 14 Chancellor Street, Glasgow G11 5RQ

Tip: It was Scotland's first Korean fast-food spot; regulars keep coming back for the cult kimchi burger.

Milk Cafe ★ 4.3

southside · 452 Victoria Road, Glasgow G42 8YU

Tip: Ask about the daily home-country specials; profits support the women who cook and run the room.

Cafe Strange Brew ★ 4.3

southside · 1082 Pollokshaws Road, Glasgow G41 3XA

Cafe Strange Brew is a much-loved Shawlands brunch spot in Glasgow's Southside, pairing inventive plates with serious speciality coffee near Queen's Park.

Shish Mahal ★ 4.2

west-end · 66-68 Park Road, Glasgow G4 9JF

Shish Mahal is the West End curry house that claims to have invented chicken tikka masala in Glasgow in the 1970s, still packed for its Punjabi cooking.

Tip: The claim is contested but the cooking is genuinely good; book ahead at weekends when it fills with regulars.

Bread Meats Bread ★ 4.2

city-centre · 65 St Vincent Street, Glasgow G2 5TF

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.

Tip: The vegan menu is more than an afterthought here, with dedicated plant-based burgers and poutine.

Chaakoo Bombay Cafe ★ 4.2

city-centre · 79 St Vincent Street, Glasgow G2 5TF

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.

Tip: Order in rounds like tapas rather than one big curry; the small plates are where the kitchen shines.

Namak Mandi ★ 4.2

southside · 100 Norfolk Street, Glasgow G5 9EJ

Namak Mandi cooks Peshawari and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa food in Glasgow's Southside, a Norfolk Street room known for its salt-cooked namak mandi lamb.

Tip: It is a halal, alcohol-free kitchen, so come for the food and the freshly baked naan rather than a drink.

The Wee Curry Shop ★ 4.2

city-centre · 7 Buccleuch Street, Glasgow G3 6SJ

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.

Tip: There are only a few tables in the Garnethill room, so booking ahead is essential most evenings.

Sweet Jane Bakehouse ★ 4.2

dennistoun · 434 Duke Street, Glasgow G31 1QL

Sweet Jane Bakehouse is a weekend-only bakery on Duke Street in Glasgow's Dennistoun, selling out its cakes, breads and pastries most days it opens.

Tip: It only opens Thursday to Sunday and bakes to sell out, so arrive early in the day for the best choice.

The Bakery Hinba ★ 4.2

west-end · 79 Lauderdale Gardens, Glasgow G12 9QU

The Bakery Hinba, formerly Zique, is a Hyndland bakery in Glasgow's West End, baking bread, pastries and cakes now under Hinba Coffee's ownership.

Tip: It carried on as a bakery after Zique sold up, so old Zique fans will recognise the counter under the new name.

The Singl-end ★ 4.2

city-centre · 265 Renfrew Street, Glasgow G3 6TT

The Singl-end is a basement cafe and bakehouse in Garnethill, Glasgow, a big all-day brunch room with strong gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan options.

Tip: It is a wide, accessible basement good for groups; the bakehouse counter is worth a look on the way out.

Spitfire Espresso ★ 4.2

merchant-city · 127 Candleriggs, Glasgow G1 1NP

Spitfire Espresso is a Merchant City coffee bar on Candleriggs in Glasgow, roasting its own beans and serving a full brunch in a bright, tiled room.

Tip: The brunch menu runs all day, so it works as much for a late breakfast as a mid-morning flat white.

The Steamie ★ 4.2

finnieston · 1024 Argyle Street, Glasgow G3 8LX

The Steamie is a coffee roaster and neighbourhood cafe on Argyle Street in Glasgow's Finnieston, a laid-back spot for filter coffee and cake.

Tip: It roasts its own beans, so ask what is on filter that day and buy a bag on the way out.

Ovenbird Coffee Roasters ★ 4.2

southside · 30 Glenwood Place, Glasgow G45 9UH

Ovenbird is a small-batch speciality coffee roaster on Glasgow's Southside, roasting single-origin beans for cafes across the city and for online order.

Tip: There is no walk-in cafe at the roastery; order beans online or find Ovenbird pouring in independent Glasgow cafes.

Brel ★ 4.2

west-end · 39 Ashton Lane, Glasgow G12 8SJ

Brel is a Belgian beer bar in a converted Ashton Lane mews in Glasgow's West End, pouring Trappist ales and mussels with one of the city's best beer gardens.

Tip: The covered, heated beer garden means it works year-round; it is one of the few Ashton Lane spots with real outdoor space.