The 17 Best Places To Eat And Drink In Glasgow On Your Next Visit

We can't say enough good things about this gorgeously Instagrammable restaurant with its neon lighting and hundreds of colorful hanging paper lanterns: Panang is truly magical. Designed to evoke a feeling of being in lively, vibrant Bangkok — something this place nails — the menu is a mix of Eastern small plates and hearty mains like the moreish pad thai with chicken and prawns, served with a side of fresh lime, chili flakes, and crushed peanuts for sprinkling.

Fancy a curry? All the usual Thai favorites are on offer here, like creamy Massaman Beef Curry with coconut milk and lemongrass or Lamb Panang, the eaterie's signature curry, a spicy, creamy, rich concoction with red chilies and kaffir lime. The main reason to come here, though, is those small plates. Much like tapas — or mezze — they're great for sharing with friends, and you can all order your favorites. Highlights include Sunshine Beef, crispy Thai wok-fried beef in a sweet, spicy sauce, deep-fried Thai donuts with shrimp and pork, served with sweet chili sauce, and Pin Pin King Prawn, house rice pancakes topped with spicy, sweet minced king prawn and chicken, rich with the aroma of lemongrass.

The cozy, casual vibe and gorgeous interior make this an excellent spot to impress a date, and there's an eclectic cocktail menu to sample. We recommend the frozen Sangsom Slings: Thai rum punch in mango, strawberry, banana, and coconut flavors.

Any foodie visit to the city simply must include a meal at The Gannet in the hip and happening Finnieston. Named for the seafaring bird spotted by the owners on a trip to the Outer Hebrides, the restaurant opened in September 2013 and bagged a Bib Gourmand award in its first year, as well as featuring in the Michelin Guide. 

This is modern Scottish fine dining at its best, with a set, multi-course menu that changes with the seasons, and intriguing wine pairings from small, artisanal growers. The Gannet's sample dinner menu includes tempting dishes such as Red Deer with beetroot, black garlic, and bitter leaves, Cured Gigha Halibut with smoked eel and apple, and North Sea Cod with parsley root, smoked mussels, and samphire. 

The sample lunch menu is every bit as mouthwatering, with highlights including Braised Hogget Ravioli with celeriac and greenheart leaves or Borders Lamb Rump with white bean, courgette, and capers. All this is served in a cozy, informal, relaxed dining room with dark wood, exposed brick, and dark brown leather accents.

There's a reason Lebowskis earned a place in our roundup of the 15 best cocktail bars in Scotland: those White Russians, currently renamed White Ukrainians on the bar's website. The dude certainly abides here, with thirty White Russians on the menu. The only remaining Lebowskis in Scotland since the Edinburgh branch closed its doors in 2021, we'd recommend booking a table at this cool Finnieston establishment, especially if you want to try the food menu alongside your cocktails. The bar is particularly lively on weekends.

Dive into the White Russian Menu and try The Bunny, with Mozart White Chocolate, Giffard Creme de Fraise, and 50/50, topped with skooshy cream and sprinkles. Or keep it classic like the Dude himself and get The Dude with Ketel One Vodka, Kahlua, and milk, dusted with cocoa powder.

Alongside your drinks, you'll want some delicious grub, and the usual pub favorites are on offer here, from loaded fries to fish and chips. The burgers come highly recommended. Try the Jamaican Me Crazy burger with jerk-infused chicken, chargrilled pineapple salsa, crispy Ayrshire bacon, and chipotle mayo, or the Glasvegas with a Dingwall haggis and Stornoway black pudding fritter, smoked applewood cheese, and Johnnie Walker whisky and three peppercorn sauce. You'll need a taxi back to the city center afterward!

Glasgow's best gin bar is also one of the city's finest Scottish seafood restaurants serving up ethically-sourced seafood. Its cozy setting in an old Drovers tavern dating back to around 1800 ensures this Finnieston spot is the perfect place to soak up some of Glasgow's history — who knows, you may even spot a ghost or two.

The seasonally changing menu includes delights such as oysters, fruits de mer, Isle of Mull scallops, lobster, mussels, and langoustines. For those who don't enjoy seafood, there are a couple of menu options, such as steak and gnocchi, but make no mistake: Seafood is the main attraction here. In the summer months, locals bring friends to bag a coveted outside table and order up imaginative cocktails. The cocktail menu showcases the bar's extensive gin selection — there are over 60 to choose from – with almost every drink featuring a homemade element. 

The rather unusual-sounding Monster Munch Martini is inspired by the popular snack, the Breakfast at Finnie with Reyka, Pastry, Abricot de Roussilon, and lemon verbena honey and breakfast tea is a must. Then, of course, there's the classic Finnieston Signature Martini.

Located on Elderslie Street between Woodlands, Finnieston, and Charing Cross, Five March lies close to the entrance to Kelvingrove Park, and it's this quiet location that gives the restaurant its laidback vibe. Come here for a Mediterranean-style brunch or enjoy the small plates for dinner alongside a selection of cocktails and organic wines – there's even a beer garden to enjoy in the summer.

Try the cured mackerel with pineapple, espelette, and tapioca crisp, the crispy cauliflower with lemon pepper and satay mayo, or the pork belly with radicchio, orange, jus, and mustard frills. Dessert is pretty tempting, too, with a rhubarb and custard donut with sherbet, lemon posset with honeycomb and bee pollen, or chocolate mousse with mango, coconut tuile, and mint on offer.

Add in reasonable pricing for a few sharing plates and a bottle of wine or a couple of cocktails each, and it's easy to see why Five March has such a loyal neighborhood following. Yes, it's a little out of the way unless you're visiting Kelvingrove Park, but on a sunny day, it's most definitely worth the trek.

Set on bustling St Vincent Place in the old offices and printing rooms of the Glasgow Evening Citizen newspaper, The Citizen is a popular lunch, dinner, and cocktail spot with locals and visitors to the city alike. The food menu focuses on Scottish produce and includes dishes like the 28-day dry-aged Chateaubriand for two with roasted garlic mushrooms and cherry tomatoes — a surefire way to impress your date. Dining solo? The Chateaubriand fillet for one comes with a side of goose fat roast potatoes, truffle mash, or rustic fries.

Other choices include burgers, steaks, curry, fish, and that Scottish classic, Chicken Balmoral (chicken stuffed with haggis). There are lighter options, too, such as the Grilled Halloumi Bowl with wild rice, quinoa, baby spinach, green beans, avocado, charred broccoli, grilled halloumi, sweet lemon dressing, and pomegranate and pumpkin seeds, the perfect meal to enjoy in the sun alongside a cocktail.

Soak up the city vibes from an outside table or cozy up in the casual yet sophisticated interior and order from the expansive drinks menu. Here you'll find everything from whiskey-based cocktails to gin perfect serves and signature cocktails like the Chocolate Orange Negroni — a twist on the classic Negroni, with Beefeater gin, Campari, Grand Marnier, cacao liqueur, and chocolate bitters.

Unalome is a Buddhist and Hindu symbol representing the path to enlightenment, and this sophisticated Finnieston restaurant holds one Michelin star. With a modern European menu focused on Scottish produce, Unalmone is housed in an elegant period building with a buzzy vibe.

Chef Graeme Cheevers draws inspiration heavily from Japanese cuisine, pairing this with traditional French cooking techniques. You can order from the A La Carte menu, or try the tasting menu with paired wines. The Sample A La Carte Menu includes dishes such as Veal Sweetbread and Black Truffle Mousse with black trompette mushrooms and vin jaune sauce, Saddle of Highland Red Deer with beetroot, maitake mushroom, baked celeriac, and redcurrant, and Guyot Pear Parfait with praline and yuzu pear. 

From the Sample Tasting Menu, expect delights like Roasted Orkney Scallop with N25 caviar, leek, and Charlotte potato, Tuna Tartare with bergamot "tiger milk" and oyster cream. For dessert, you'll find sweet treats like the Coconut Rice Pudding and Yorkshire Rhubarb with rhubarb sorbet and cardamom poached meringue. There's also a Lunch Menu and a Sample Tasting of Vegetables Menu. For special occasions, the Kitchen Table is the place to dine: here, you can view the chefs in action with a special eight-course exclusive chefs menu — and optional wine pairing. Note, though, that if you're dining with less than four guests in your party, there's an exclusive use charge added to the per-guest price.

For a little taste of Tokyo in Glasgow, come to Izakaya. This informal Japanese restaurant serves up vibrant, colorful small plates and cocktails with an Asian twist. Chow down on street bites like Chicken Karaage and Gyoza, dive into a range of katsu curries and ramen bowls, or sample some tebasaki wings.

Menu aside, the interior of this restaurant is seriously Instagrammable, designed like a street food alley in Tokyo with buzzing neon signs, floors made to look like cobbled streets and communal tables. Is it kitsch? Most definitely. But it's also a vibe you won't find anywhere else.

Cocktails carry on the theme, with tipples like the Wasabi Margarita with lime, agave syrup, clement creole orange, and wasabi, or the Matcha Mocchi with your choice of Biggar Asian-inspired rum or Bathtub Gin Miso Cardamom, matcha, rice horchata, gentian, and Ceylon cinnamon. Unusually, Izakaya gives you a choice of two spirits for many cocktails on the menu.

Drygate Brewing Co. is the U.K.'s first experiential brewery, showcasing a laidback, industrial vibe that turns up the volume on weekends with live gigs and live sports. Enjoy drinks in the Peaks Bar, dine in the brasserie, or sit outdoors at ground level in The Yard or upstairs on the Terrace.

With 23 rotating taps plus a vast selection of cans and bottles, there's a beer here for everyone, whether you're into IPAs, lagers, or stouts. Peaks Bar won Best Pub & Bar in Glasgow in the National Pub & Bar Awards 2021, and it's easy to see why — the beer selection here is unmatched, and you can enjoy your beverage with panoramic views over the brewery.

Come mid-week for a game of ping pong, bring your furry best friend for the dog menu with sausage, chicken, beef burger, and doggy ice cream, or pair your beer with small plates for sharing, a burger, or pub favorites. We highly recommend giving the Poutine with bacon crumb, beer onions, cheese curds, and spring onion a go alongside your beer of choice.