The prestigious Michelin Guide Ceremony was held in Scotland for the first time in 2025, at the iconic Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum. The city has not looked back since and is widely considered the adventurous hub for global dining. From Michelin-starred restaurants to welcoming neighbourhood bistros, Glasgow offers a dynamic dining scene for anyone seeking innovative cuisine. Here are five standout recommendations to try on your next visit to the city.
1) UNALOME by Graeme Cheevers, Finnieston, Glasgow
Renowned Michelin-starred Glaswegian chef Graeme Cheevers has enjoyed quite the meteoric rise. He ran a Michelin-starred kitchen at the age of 23. Now at 38, he owns two fine dining restaurants with UNALOME by Graeme Cheevers, currently holding one Michelin star. The restaurant is situated in Finnieston, widely considered one of the hippest, trendiest areas in the UK. The restaurant’s decor delivers on adult elegance with refined shades of green and retro-futuristic lighting.
Preparing the exceptional produce of Scotland with French cooking techniques seems to be the winning formula for chef Graeme. Their colossal hand-dived Orkney scallops are ones you will never find outside of Scotland. Their kitchen team actually have a relative, who personally dives in Orkney for this valuable shellfish. It’s served with a vibrant yuzu kosho sauce with popping tobiko for textural variety.
Seafood plays a strong part on the menu with Loch Fyne langoustine and monkfish making an appearance, but they do offer a vegetarian tasting menu as well. Wines have a playful edge with the likes of Crémant d’Alsace from Les Katz serving up a Cuvée Meow.
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2) Elements, Bearsden, Glasgow
Michelin-recommended Elements in Bearsden stands out as a rising star, poised to be a leading contender for future Michelin acclaim. Since opening in mid-2024, it has attracted attention with awards like Three AA Rosettes. Executive chef and owner Gary Townsend previously worked with Graeme Cheevers at Martin Wishart in Loch Lomond, demonstrating the close ties among Glasgow’s culinary leaders.
They’ve recently changed their dining format. Whilst Friday and Saturday evenings remain an exclusive tasting menu format, weekdays have become a more flexible, seasonal à la carte menu experience. Provenance is also a key part of their success. The tender beef short rib comes from Tweed Valley, whilst the rich venison comes from Ardgay Estate. There are well-curated dishes such as wild halibut ceviche matched with a sharp wasabi sorbet.
Their wine pairing is not to be missed. It includes hidden gems like a 2023 Blackbook Nightjar Pinot Noir, which is from a pioneering urban winery in London. The soft pairing is arguably more impressive and includes painstaking preparation work from their head sommelier, such as the prep work for their elegant smoked bramble cordial.
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3) Eleven Fifty Five, Glasgow
It is perhaps doing Eleven Fifty Five a disservice by calling it a bistro. It is situated on the former site of the fine dining institution that is The Gannet. Their plan is clearly to offer exquisite food but in a more relaxed environment. Judging by our Friday lunchtime visit, the change to a bistro has worked wonders with a buzzing dining room on display. Acclaimed chef and owner Peter McKenna has delivered a menu that would be the envy of most Michelin-starred restaurants.
The beef tartare is from a barrel fillet, and for extra richness, it is served with caramelised bone marrow. Oysters served with a refreshing Vietnamese sauce are not to be missed. No doubt the additional fish sauce added an extra umami kick to the shellfish. Make sure you check out their specials board. If you see the juicy, sweet Barra cockles on the menu, that is a definite must-order.
The menu is all about accentuating the flavours. MòR Atlantic Sea Trout is served with a crab butter orzo, whilst the braised lamb is served with crisp sweetbreads. Make sure you check out their mushroom-growing cabinet downstairs and see the most impressive display of exotic mushrooms.
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4) Five MARCH, Glasgow
Well-known restaurateur Joanna Nethery is the owner of the much-loved hidden gem. Situated in Glasgow’s West End near Kelvingrove Park, it serves up a relaxed and unassuming atmosphere with an inventive menu. You will spot plenty of foliage in an otherwise minimalist, industrial-designed room. They use vintage and reclaimed furniture to offer a more homely feel to the restaurant.
The restaurant generally serves up Mediterranean small plates, but you will find other influences such as Asian-style oyster mushroom skewers with a sunflower seed satay. It is a wonderful, allergen-friendly alternative to traditional peanut satay, as they use a sunflower seed butter instead of peanut butter.
They have a knack for finding the right ingredients to enhance dishes, so your squid is served with sobrasada, and the orzo is served with merguez. However, one of their most popular dishes is arguably their simplest, the fried baby spuds in aioli. The price makes it seem like a side dish, but it is a generous small plate and incredibly moreish.
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5) IASG, Kimpton Blythswood Square Hotel & Spa, Glasgow
The restaurant, pronounced “ee-usk”, is a charming addition to the seafood restaurant scene in Glasgow. The restaurant in Scottish Gaelic means fish. What catches your eye immediately is the turquoise-accented Shell Bar, which gives a Scottish coastal feel to the restaurant. The uniquely patterned tile floor is a throwback to the days when the whole building used to be the Royal Scottish Automobile Club.
Patrons nowadays grace the restaurant for their well-curated seafood menu rather than for the study of fine automobiles. They are particularly keen on supporting independent farmers. They offer cumbrae oysters, which have been family-run since 1995. They are noted for offering a salty smell on the nose with nutty notes and a coppery finish. Even their steak tartare is served with an oyster emulsion, such is their love for all things shellfish-related.
The other shellfish dishes on their menu are not short of flavours. The seared scallops are served with a smoked chilli butter, whilst their steamed Shetland mussels are served with an enriching tom yum broth. Sustainability is at the heart of their business. Every one pound from your bill is donated to the Firth of Forth Lobster Hatchery. They hatch, rear and release lobsters to ensure stocks remain plentiful for future generations.
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Why not check out my article on The Top 5 must-visit fine dining restaurants in Hong Kong? Click here to read the article.
