Ka Pao is a southeast asian restaurant in West End, Glasgow.
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.
Editorially verified July 1, 2026 by Lewis Vaughan, TableJourney editor. Source.
Signature dishes: Fried chicken with green nam jim, Beef short rib curry
Must 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.
Address: 26 Vinicombe Street, Glasgow G12 8BE
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.
Eusebi Deli is an award-winning Italian deli-restaurant on Park Road in Glasgow's West End, serving fresh pasta, Roman-style bakes and Calabrian home cooking.
Signature: Fresh pasta of the day, Arancini
Order: Whatever fresh pasta is on the daily board, plus an arancini from the deli counter.
Tip: Grab focaccia and cannoli to go from the deli even if you are not staying for a full sit-down meal.
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.
Eusebi Deli is an award-winning Italian deli-restaurant on Park Road in Glasgow's West End, serving fresh pasta, Roman-style bakes and Calabrian home cooking.
Signature: Fresh pasta of the day, Arancini
Order: Whatever fresh pasta is on the daily board, plus an arancini from the deli counter.
Tip: Grab focaccia and cannoli to go from the deli even if you are not staying for a full sit-down meal.
