AREA GUIDE Glasgow West End
4 Eating 8: Drinking You’ll never be short of places to eat and drink in the West End. Here’s a selection of the area’s best restaurants, which made it into the Hitlists and Reader’s Choices in this year’s List Eating & Drinking Guide.
If you’re looking for fine Scottish dining then you have several good options. No.16 (16 Byres Road, 339 2544) is a well kept secret, rapidly becoming known for its service, value and modern British cooking with a twist. Lux (1051 Great Western Road, 576 7576) wins extra points for its attentive service, and an imaginative menu using staple Scottish ingredients. The Ubiquitous Chip (12 Ashton Lane, 334 5007) boasts near legendary status in Glasgow. Opened in 1971, it has burlt a reputation for using local ingredients with flair.
For a global take on Scottish produce try Stravaigin (28—39 Gibson Street, 334 2665), where owners Colin Clydesdale and Carol Wright use their world- wrde travels as inspiration. If you're looking in the opposite direction from traditional Cuisine then check out Chow (98 Byres Road, 334 9818), a recent addition to Glasgow's Chinese restaurant scene. lts minimalist interior gives the restaurant an airy feel,
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and the super-fresh dishes are highly inventive.
Fusion Sushi Bar (41 Byres Road, 339 3666) has become the place to go for Japanese dining. Inquisitive types can pull up a stool at the sushi bar to see the delicacies being prepared right in front of their eyes. Air Organic (36 Kelvrngrove Street, 564 5200) is another West End establishment whose chic style 15 as popular as its fusion cooking.
The cursine of India and Pakistan comes courtesy of Shish Mahal (66—68 Park Road, 339 8256), charming diners for over 30 years. Vegetarian diners have plenty to choose from at the Bay Tree Cafe (403 Great Western Road, 334 5898) specralising in Middle Eastern dishes, and Grassroots Cafe (97 St Georges Road, 333 0534) just round the corner from the popular deli, where light meals and full-blown comfort food of the healthy variety sit side by side.
The newly opened Naked Soup (106 Byres Road, 334 6200) serves up wholesome freshly made soups, Back Alley (8 Ruthven Lane, 334 7165) is under the same ownership as the Chip, and as well as full evening meals it has hearty veggie, Mexrcan and Scottish breakfasts on offer at the weekends. It’s hard to miss Tinderbox (189 Byres Road, 339 3108) With its designer diner look. Underground Gallery (2
Cresswell Lane, 339 1111) is a popular spac ious (afe wrth art on sale as well as home-made cooking and excellent coffee.
If you're after a good pint, lively atmosphere,
gurzzes and live music, the Halt Bar (160 Woodlands,
Road, 564 1527) is a long-standing favourite, while Jinty McGinty's (23 29 Ashton Lane, 339 0747) rejects frills in favour of good craic. The Attic (44 46 Ashton Lane, 334 6688) is renowned for its fresh frurt smoothies, while downstairs the pub and restaurant known as the Cul de Sac (334 4749) provrdes French-style cursine in an atmospheric, candle-lit setting. Bar Brel, specialises in Belgian beers and food, while the Grosvenor Cafe i31 35 Ashton Lane, 339 1848) is guaranteed to be bustling at all times, thanks to the reasonable pnr ing and quality nos'h.
Going Out
If you're looking for live music, the West End has plenty of pubs wrth regular performances An old favourite Is the Halt Bar ( 160 Woodlands Road, 564 1527) for d(()USII( open-stage nights, full-blonvn electric sets and DJs Students and their guests (an take advantage of the QM Union «22 University
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