Guide to GlasgowBy Donna DaileyWhere to stay, to eat, to drink...  © Hôtel Radisson SAS Where to StayRadisson SAS Hotel It's hard to beat this sleek, stylish hotel in Glasgow's city centre. Located opposite the Central Station with public transport links to all the main attraction on its doorstep, it's also just two minutes' walk away from the city's best shopping streets. The rooms have floor to ceiling windows and three types of decor – modern, city or Nordic - with stylish bathrooms, free broadband and a tower full of useful amenities. Rooms from £99. The Radisson is a hot spot for many young professionals who work in the city centre. They gather in the Atrium Bar and award-winning Collage Bar, which has a DJ on Friday and Saturday nights. The hotel has two excellent restaurants as well. The sophisticated Collage combines fine food with fine art – an eclectic range of Mediterranean cuisine surrounded by the works of Peter Blake, David Hockney, Patrick Caulfield and others. The Spanish menu at the more casual TaPaell'Ya features tapas, paella and Spanish wines. Where to Eat and DrinkBaby Grand A piano is the centrepiece at both locations of this classy bistro, with live piano music and jazzy vocals providing a sophisticated but relaxed atmosphere Wednesday through Saturday. The City Centre menu ranges from Loch Etive mussels to roasted poussin to pastrami on rye, while the West End menu leans more towards steaks and seafood entrees. Both location are open daily for lunch and dinner. The larger, West End venue is open later, till 2am on Fridays and Saturdays. The Baby Grand Charing Cross (City Centre) 3 Elmbank Gardens Glasgow G2 4NQ Tél. : 0141 248 4942 The Baby Grand West End 2 Byres Road Glasgow G11 6NY Tél. : 0141 337 1145  © Cafe Gandolfi Cafe Gandolfi Set up in the old Cheesemarket over 25 years ago, long before the Merchant City area became trendy, this is still one of the hottest places in town. The stylish interior, with mahogany panelled walls and hand-crafted wooden furniture designed by Tim Stead, a Glasgow School of Art graduate, is a perfect backdrop for the buzzing yet relaxed atmosphere. Best of all, the excellent Scottish cuisine is served at affordable prices. Food is also served all day in the lively Bar Gandolfi, in the chic loft space above the restaurant. Earlier this year, Gandolfi Fish opened next door. Open daily for lunch and dinner. Chardon d’Or Scottish-born Brian Maule became head chef at the Roux brothers' Le Gavroche in London at the young age of 24, where he earned a Michelin star. He now has his own restaurant, set in an elegant town house in Glasgow's city centre. His cuisine is based on the best seasonal produce, and when he's not in the kitchen overseeing every dish he's likely to be greeting and chatting with his guests. Open Monday-Friday for lunch, Monday-Saturday for dinner.  © Rogano Rogano Classic fish and seafood dishes are the stars of the menu at this city centre landmark. The elegant art-deco decor recalls the days of luxury liners like the Queen Mary, which was built in the Clyde shipyards when the restaurant opened in the 1930s. Downstairs, Cafe Rogano serves lighter, less expensive meals, as does the cocktail bar. Both are open daily for lunch and dinner. Strata You don't have to choose between eating and drinking at this superlative city centre style bar, adjacent to George Square. Not only does it have one of the best cocktail lists in the city, its brasserie-style fare is consistently top-rated, with offerings from Shetland mussels to Thai curry. Two- and three-course fixed menus are good value. Choose a mezzanine seat with a view of the bar and watch the action. There are DJs Friday and Saturday nights. Food is served daily 11.30am-10pm.  © Mike Gerrard Willow Tea Room Glasgow's original Willow Tea Room was designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh in 1903-04. He created every aspect: the building's exterior and interior design, the furniture, even the teaspoons and waitress uniforms. Though the main attraction is the beautiful interior itself, you can also enjoy tea and pastries, sandwiches, salads, fish and Scottish savoury dishes. Breakfast is served all day. Another location at 97 Buchanan Street re-creates other tearooms Mackintosh designed for his patron, Kate Cranston. Open Monday-Saturday 9am-5pm, Sunday 11am-4.15pm. West Brewing Company Scotland may be known for its malt whiskies, but the UK's newest brewing company is right here in Glasgow. It's also the only British brewery to follow the Reinheitsgebot, or German Purity Law, regarding ingredients. You can sample a range of European-style beers in this huge beer-hall style venue on Glasgow Green. There's a hearty food menu too, from schnitzel to Toulouse sausages and mash, to fish and chips. Open daily 11am-11pm |
Tourism and Gastronomy
Send to a friend
Print this article