Restaurants

Like Edinburgh, the dining scene in Glasgow is diverse and includes some outstanding places to dine out. There has been real growth in the number of restaurants since the mid-1990s, and the choice is good, from the Merchant City district right across to the West End. Although the city cannot boast about the Michelin stars that a few Edinburgh restaurants have earned, Glasgow has some seriously stylish dining rooms, budget-minded bistros, and a mix of ethnic eateries.

Today some of the best fresh Scottish produce is served up here, whether it is shellfish and seafood from the nearby West Coast sea lochs, Ayrshire meat such as pork and lamb, or Aberdeen Angus steaks. There are an ever-increasing number of ethnic restaurants. The immigrant groups who have most influenced cuisine in the city are Italians and families from the Asian subcontinent, mainly the Punjab region. There is a surfeit of Italian and Indian restaurants, as well as a good choice of Far East, Chinese, and Spanish-influenced restaurants, too.

A lot of dining rooms are closed on Sunday or on Monday (sometimes both), and many lock up after lunch, reopening again for dinner at around 6pm. The hours listed here are when food is served. Bars on the premises may stay open longer.

For more ideas on dining options, buy The List magazine's annual Eating & Drinking Guide, a comprehensive review of hundreds of eateries in Glasgow (and Edinburgh).

Prices -- Dining out is Scotland is rarely cheap. Still, there is a range of choices for most budgets. The prices include the 17.5% VAT, so there are no hidden surprises when the bill comes. If you're looking for bargains, enquire about fixed-price lunches or pretheater special menus, which can be half the cost of the regular dinner menu. Log onto www.5pm.co.uk for a selection of restaurants offering early dining deals.

Tipping -- A gratuity of 10% is the norm, although diners can leave nothing if badly treated. On the other hand, if you were truly impressed, a 15% or 20% tip should be considered. In a few restaurants, service is included in the bill automatically. This can be, however, amended or deleted, if service was dreadful.

Smoking -- Smoking is prohibited by law from all enclosed public spaces in Scotland, which includes restaurants and bars. Some, however, may provide outdoor seating where smoking is allowed.

Tea for Two

For tea and a snack, why not join the rest of the tourists in Glasgow and try to secure a table at the landmark Willow Tea Rooms, 217 Sauchiehall St. (tel. 0141/332-0521; Underground: Buchanan St.). When the famed Mrs. Cranston opened the Willow Tea Rooms in 1904, it was something of a sensation due to its unique Charles Rennie Mackintosh design. The building's white facade still stands out from the crowd more than 100 years later. The dining room, one floor above street level, is open Monday to Saturday 9am to 5pm and Sunday noon to 5pm. A second branch on Buchanan Street is similarly appointed if less authentic.

For a more contemporary experience, in the West End overlooking the River Kelvin, Tchai-Ovna, 42 Otago St. (tel. 0141/357-4524; Underground: Kelvinbridge), has a selection of some 80 teas, served in fairly eccentric and bohemian surroundings. In the evenings, there may be live music, poetry, or comedy. Tchai-Ovna is open daily from 11am to 11pm.

Family-Friendly Fare

China Buffet King -- Just like in Edinburgh, the buffet-only Chinese restaurant has taken Glasgow by storm. This one is centrally located, at 349 Sauchiehall St. (tel. 0141/333-1788), with a good variety of Chinese food and some European dishes at all-you-can-eat discount prices that lower even more for children. Open daily noon to 11pm.

University Café -- I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream. "Knickerbocker Glory" is the king of the ice-cream sundae in Scotland, and few places do it better than this Art Deco landmark at 87 Byres Rd., in the West of Glasgow (tel. 0141/339-5217), with all original features from booths to counters. Open Wednesday to Monday 9am to 10pm (or so).

Picnic Fare

The "dear green place" has no shortage of spots for a picnic, whether along the Clyde near the city center in sprawling Glasgow Green; Kelvingrove Park or the Botanic Gardens in the West End; or Pollok Country Park and Queens Park, both of which are on the Southside.

If you're in the city center, gravitate toward Pekhams in the Merchant City near George Square, 61 Glassford St. (tel. 0141/553-0666), which has a full delicatessen, fresh bread, and a wine shop. Another possibility in this district is Berits & Brown, a cafe and small deli at 6 Wilson St. (tel. 0141/552-6980).

In the West End, the options include the exceptional Heart Buchanan Fine Food and Wine, near the Botanic Gardens at 380 Byres Rd. (tel. 0141/334-7626), which also has a small cafe. Delizique, 70 Hyndland St. (tel. 0141/339-2000), is another superior food shop, while there's another branch of Pekhams at 124 Byres Rd. (tel. 0141/357-1454). Nearby is the cafe and deli, Kember & Jones Fine Food Emporium, 134 Byres Rd. (tel. 0141/337-3851).

For some of the best cheese in the U.K., visit the I J Mellis Cheesemonger branch in Glasgow on Great Western Road (tel. 0141/339-8998), and just farther toward the city center is the Glasgow branch of Lupe Pintos, 313 Great Western Rd. (tel. 0141/334-5444), for Mexican and American foodstuffs. On the Southside in the Shawlands district near Queens Park, the 1901 Deli, 11 Skirving St. (tel. 0141/632-1630), has a good supply of goodies for any outdoor feast.