Stravaigin is a modern scottish restaurant in West End, Glasgow.
Stravaigin has cooked 'think global, eat local' in Glasgow's West End since 1994, a Gibson Street basement pairing homemade haggis with pan-Asian plates.
Editorially verified July 1, 2026 by Lewis Vaughan, TableJourney editor. Source.
Signature dishes: Homemade haggis, neeps and tatties, Buttermilk fried chicken
Must order: The homemade haggis, neeps and tatties, on the menu since the restaurant opened.
Tip: The ground-floor cafe-bar takes walk-ins and shares the kitchen; the basement restaurant is the sit-down booking.
Address: 28 Gibson Street, Glasgow G12 8NX
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.
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.
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.
Signature: Cullen skink, Smoked venison
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.
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.
