Cafe Gandolfi is a scottish restaurant in Merchant City, Glasgow.
Cafe Gandolfi has anchored Glasgow's Merchant City since 1979, a warm room of hand-carved oak serving Scottish classics like Cullen skink and smoked venison.
Editorially verified July 1, 2026 by Lewis Vaughan, TableJourney editor. Source.
Signature dishes: Cullen skink, Smoked venison
Must order: A bowl of Cullen skink followed by the smoked venison with gooseberry.
Tip: The upstairs Bar Gandolfi is a quieter spot for a cocktail before or after your table downstairs.
Address: 64 Albion Street, Glasgow G1 1NY
Ka Pao serves Southeast Asian sharing plates in a buzzy former garage off Byres Road in Glasgow's West End, all fish-sauce heat and charcoal smoke.
Signature: Fried chicken with green nam jim, Beef short rib curry
Order: The fried chicken with green nam jim and a coconut-heavy curry to share.
Tip: Sit at the bar for walk-in space and order the shorter lunch menu if you want a lighter, cheaper visit.
The Finnieston is a snug former drovers' tavern on Argyle Street, Glasgow, pairing sustainable Scottish seafood with more than 60 gins in a candlelit room.
Signature: Grilled langoustine, Beer-battered fish
Order: A gin and tonic from the long list, then whatever shellfish is freshest that day.
Tip: It is as much a gin bar as a restaurant, so come early for a drink before the kitchen gets busy.
Nanakusa is a City Centre Japanese grill on Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, turning out ramen, sushi and robata skewers to a steady after-work crowd.
Signature: Tonkotsu ramen, Robata skewers
Order: A bowl of tonkotsu ramen and a few charcoal robata skewers to share.
Tip: It is one of the few kitchens on this stretch open through the afternoon, handy for a late lunch.
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.
Signature: Chicken tikka masala, Lamb karahi
Order: The chicken tikka masala, the dish this kitchen is said to have created.
Tip: The claim is contested but the cooking is genuinely good; book ahead at weekends when it fills with regulars.
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.
Signature: Laksa, Beef rendang
Order: A bowl of laksa; the rendang and roti canai go fast, so order early.
Tip: Seats are few and it does not take large groups, so aim for an off-peak sitting or expect to wait.
Ranjit's Kitchen is a family-run Punjabi vegetarian counter in Glasgow's Southside, serving fresh, meat-free thalis and samosas for under a tenner.
Signature: Punjabi thali, Samosa chaat
Order: The thali of the day, whatever the family has cooked fresh that morning.
Tip: It is cash-only with a handful of tables; takeaway is the reliable option when the room is full.
