Why Glasgow's food scene made me question living in London

Independent

4 hours ago

As someone who grew up in – and still lives in – London, I've always pictured myself staying put. But lately, the mass closure of venues and pubs, the cost of living that means you can't breathe outside your house without spending 20 quid, and the audacity of landlords (posting a picture of a pile of dirty clothes instead of the room itself – seriously) has left me a bit disillusioned with the Big Smoke.
It wasn't until I found myself in Glasgow 's Cat House – surrounded by sweaty Scottish grebos, Limp Bizkit's 'My Way' annihilating my eardrums, sipping on a £4 vodka lime soda (yes, four pounds) after a fantastic day of eating and exploring – that I started to seriously wonder if I was living in the wrong city.
Speaking of eating: as much as I was tempted to try my first pizza crunch, it would have been plain silly considering what Glasgow's food scene has to offer. My first taste of this was at Margo on Miller Street. An extremely cool two-storey restaurant that oozes stylish sophistication, it's the sort of place where you'd be content if the food were merely fine – but it's not. Far from it.
Unassuming 'chipsticks with taramasalata' turn out to be golden, 1000-layer potatoes the length of my forearm, perfect for plunging into expertly whipped fishy meze. Pork belly with beetroot ketchup is wonderfully fatty, juicy and earthy. Skate wing swimming in a lemony, buttery mussel sauce is cooked to the kind of perfection that reminds me why I eat out – there's no way I'd nail fish like this at home. The dense and fudgy 'bare bones chocolate nemesis' makes it into my top two desserts of all time, and at £7 it's less than half the price of The River Cafe's signature pud.
For an aperitif, digestif or both (I won't judge), head downstairs to Sebb's basement bar – owned by the same group, Scoop. Boring cocktails these are not. A cherry sour with a lemon meringue head is obscenely good, as is the peach picker, which somehow tastes more of peach than an actual peach. As a very recent martini convert, I'm still kicking myself for missing their salty, vinegary 'chip shop' version, complete with an enormous pickled onion. They do the classics too, but I'd recommend being adventurous – Sebb's knows their way around a shaker.
Just a short subway ride away on Great Western Road – that's right, Glasgow has a subway, take that TfL – is Michelin-starred Cail Bruich, one of only two starred restaurants in the city (the other is Unalome) and the only starred kitchen in Scotland headed by a woman: Lorna McNee.
The menu packs in so much without spreading itself thin. It's supposedly seven courses but don't be fooled – it's closer to 10 once you include snacks, bread and dessert bites. Standouts include west coast brown crab atop a creamy Thai green sauce full of garden herbs, offset by crispy Granny Smith apple. It's fresh and creamy, rich and light – total balance and skill. Isle of Skye langoustine, bisque and ravioli topped with XO brings layered, umami flavours that just demand you sit back and let them unfold, grinning like an idiot. I could go on and on, but one that stuck with me was a teensy choux pastry filled with molten cheese – a reverse fondue so warm and comforting it was basically a hug in a bite.
It's not just fine dining where women lead the way. There's B Corp-certified Dear Green coffee roasters, founded by Lisa Lawson in 2011 and named Roast Magazine 's 2024 Roaster of the Year – proof they care as much about ethics and the environment as they do about making bloody great coffee.
Gaga, owned by Julie Lin, celebrates her Scottish and Malaysian heritage. As someone who recently discovered a mild allergy to prawns, gluten and peanuts, something has to be truly splendid to justify the inevitable eczema flare-up; I can confirm that a deep-fried prawn bao bun with coriander mayo absolutely qualifies. There are clever citrus twists too, like Sichuan fried chicken with orange zest and a spicy blood orange margarita. Don't skip the house pickles or nasi goreng.
Then there's glorious Gloriosa, with Rosie Healey as head chef and owner. Sometimes you try something so good it ruins that thing everywhere else. Their springy, oily, bouncy focaccia blew every other version I've had clean out of the water. I don't think I can order focaccia again unless it's from here. Again, gluten worth it – same goes for the paccheri rigati beef ragu. A mountain of butterhead lettuce, shallot, soft herbs and ewe's curd is beautifully tangy and minty, while charred tropia onions with sherry vinegar and aioli taste like spring on a plate. Highly recommended for veggies and pescitarians – they're very well looked after here.
If none of the puds tickle your pickle (which I doubt), pop a few doors down to Fat Sal's for proper Scottish ice cream. Their coconut flavour was a resounding 10/10.
A trip to Scotland wouldn't be complete without a distillery visit. Despite my fantasy of being as cool as Don Draper, I still can't say I love whisky – but what they produce at Clydeside made me grimace a lot less than usual. I particularly liked their amber-coloured sherry cask, though our lovely tour guide Marnie warned me it could be at risk if nobody drinks actual sherry anymore. So if you like sherry-cask whisky, do your bit and buy some sherry!
The last thing we ate before heading back to London with Avanti West Coast – a really nice way to travel, especially in first class, though it's maddening it costs so much more than flying – was a top-notch brunch at Henry's. Their pickle-topped bloody mary kicked aside the remnants of my £4-drink-induced hangover, as did a croissant stuffed with bacon, garlic, honey and brie – just £8. Another reminder that you can't get a breakfast of this standard in London without remortgaging your flat.
As I leave, rethinking my entire existence – and whether London is really home after all – I know I've barely scratched the surface of Glasgow's restaurants, boozers, bars and venues, the abundance of gingers that mean I no longer feel like the odd one out, and quite literally the friendliest, funniest people on the planet. A resounding success. Glasgow, you have my heart – and I'm already planning my return.