Kirkintilloch Restaurant Guide

2023 Review: “A cheerful, inventive place” in the West End, “offering small dishes of Vietnamese street food: yummy!” – “an authentic-ish taste of ’Nam with student babble to make it more fun”.

“A great Italian-inspired spot” – this popular destination is run by Dean & Anna Parker in the ground floor of a historic Baronial-style building called Cathedral House, which incorporates a mezzanine level to the traditional bar and dining room. “Amazing pappadelle in generous portions” exemplifies the “talented cooking with great ingredients”.

2022 Review: This spin-off from Cail Bruich attracts some attention purely on account of its stellar sibling, although the culinary formula is much simpler – sharing plates of locally supplied meat, seafood, cheese and charcuterie, plus an interesting selection of wine. But while we do have some feedback saying it’s “very good”, its volume is too limited for a definitive verdict.

“Not a café, but a bar and restaurant in the Merchant City area” that’s also, to give it full dues, a “Glasgow institution”, having been founded back in 1979 and having introduced Glaswegians to cappuccino machines, as well as wowing them with its distinctive wooden furniture, custom-made by Tim Stead. Downstairs is well “worth a visit for days where you want to have a simple dish, of higher quality than normal pub grub” (burgers, Scotch eggs, neeps and tatties), while the upstairs bar, of more recent vintage, is a fine place for a brew.

2022 Review: “Never disappoints, even after four decades of being a customer” – a “Glasgow institution” (est. 1964) whose “consistent cooking” attracts “generations of families, all welcome”. The victuals touch on most of the flavours of the subcontinent, while the founder, known to all as Mr Ali, is a bit of a West End dining legend.

“Delicious” Neapolitan-style pizzas are found at this “big, busy restaurant with lots of hustle and bustle, where the staff are welcoming and the service is fast and efficient” – “the relatively short menu with amazing ingredients on top (especially San Marzano tomato sauce and really good mozzarella, all sourced from Italy) results in top-quality pizzas”. There’s a second branch in Glasgow’s West End, and new owners DRG (best-known for Cafe Andaluz) are planning a major expansion: Southside opened in May 2025, with Edinburgh expected to follow soon after – while ratings have held firm at the OG.

“In a great central location” – this well-situated, casual all-day brasserie is celebrating its 20th year and won a strong thumbs up this year in our annual diners’ poll. Run by chef-patron John Quigley and his wife Gillian, it serves a “varied menu” of well-constructed dishes at approachable prices, and there’s a wide range of menus for vegans, theatre-goers, etc.

Abu Dhabi royal Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed al-Nahyan was – as of mid 2025 – rumoured to be on the verge of buying a £1 billion stake in Richard Caring’s restaurant empire, of which this famous brasserie chain is the crown jewel. Presumably, he’s more interested in ‘rolling out’ the brand in The Gulf and beyond rather than dropping by for a Salmon Fishcake and ‘Ivy Chocolate Bombe’, but if he’d asked the opinion of our annual diners’ poll, we’re not sure that he’d sign on the dotted line. “How can a restaurant with this heritage produce such uninspired, tick-box food?” is a question merited by its poor ratings, ditto what explains the “very slow and disinterested service”? The answer may be that “you don’t come here for the food, obviously” but for the “gorgeous” interior design and “picturesque” locations that continue to underpin their appeal. Let’s hope for the Sheikh’s sake that the middle classes of the Arab World are as undiscerning as those from the UK!

2023 Review: Shuttered in September 2020 and marked as ‘Permanently Closed’ on Google, this city-centre fish and seafood institution is one of the city’s best-known restaurants thanks in large part to its Art Deco interior, created in 1935 by the same craftsmen who fitted out the Queen Mary. According to an August 2022 report in the Glasgow Evening Times, it will re-open… but no-one seems to know when.

“Superb seafood” has made this central Glasgow institution one of the city’s most treasured dining destinations of the past two decades. Chef-patron Derek Marshall has reportedly put it up for sale after 26 years at the helm, but as we went to press there was no word on a possible buyer. Top Menu Tip – “the fish soup is to die for”.

2024 Review: “Continuing its outstanding reputation in the West End, Stravaigin has been given a recent facelift, which adds greatly to the ambience” – this thirty-year-old landmark of the West End was sold to new owners the Metropolitan Pub Company in 2022 and their investment is breathing new life into this Glaswegian foodie icon. Both The Scotsman and The Times reviewed it after the change and according to Rosalind Erskine of the former, “the food and drink… is a lot like the new look, it’s a refresh but still recognisable for what it always was, which will be a comfort to regulars and new visitors alike”.

“Perfectly cooked pasta in a range of mouthwatering sauces is served up by the friendly, enthusiastic FOH team” at this “reasonably priced” outfit in the Merchant City, with a “vibrant and upbeat ambience”. New owners DRG (of Cafe Andaluz and more) have maintained standards, and plan to open new branches both north and south of the border.

Southeast Asian flavours meet Scottish ingredients at this “very relaxed” yet still “lively” venue, housed in a garage by the Botanic Gardens. The “stunning small plates” showcase some truly “creative” ideas, ranging from seafood dishes like clay pot crab curry and noodles, to perennial favourite, the vegan corn ribs – the latter part of a truly tempting spread for non-carnivores. If you find yourself in Scotland’s capital in search of a similar fix, they also have a sibling in the St. James’s Quarter.

“Modou and his team really push the boat out to present a full 10-course menu” at Modou Diagne’s West End feature – originally part of Nico Simeone’s stable of restaurants, now run by his protégé Modou, a former Senegalese refugee who worked his way up through the ranks. Feedback is limited, but continues to say that the value of the imaginative cuisine is almost as good as the backstory!

“Still a top destination in Glasgow” – this West End institution “changed owners in 2022 and now belongs to pub chain Greene King”, who replaced founder Ronnie Clydesdale and (later) his son Colin, but “luckily the ambience, good service, and excellent modern Scottish cuisine” remain even better than ever (and mercifully “far away from pub grub”). The multi-tasking and “trendy” venue (the “ambience is pretty jungle style”) combines pub, restaurant, brasserie, wee whisky bar and coveted roof terrace turning out “inventive cocktails”. “Overall it remains a super (though expensive) place for special celebrations” – if not a wholly “different world”.

Dating from 1870 – and with an evocative, traditional interior to match – this “famous Scottish restaurant” on the periphery of the city centre (from which it’s cut off by the M8) is steeped in Victorian charm. Run by Ryan James, it once traded under the banner of his ‘Two Fat Ladies’ brand, but with the demise of its siblings it generally just goes by ‘The Buttery’ nowadays. Its traditional Scottish fare is consistently well-rated in our survey, but there’s also a sense that “one goes for the ambience more than the food nowadays”. It’s also “very popular with tourists” – not that this should necessarily put you off.