OYO The Ivory Hotel

As a sister restaurant to Ox and Finch and Ka Pao, you can probably guess what you’re getting with Margo: a bustling, efficiently run restaurant that’s deservedly popular thanks to its great buzz and flavour-packed, generously priced dishes. It’s a cavernous place spread over two floors, with a semi-industrial feel and its lively atmosphere enhanced by the open kitchen. The sharing plates are a satisfying synthesis of Mediterranean cooking and Scottish produce, borne out in dishes like red prawn agnolotti and ham hough croquettes. Below, you’ll find Sebb’s – a cocktail bar with wood-fired gril

When a Glasgow restaurant belongs to the same stable as Ox and Finch, Ka Pao and Margo, you know you’re in for a treat. Sebb’s sits underneath the latter, in a vaulted red-brick basement that’s perfect for a party. The menu happily ignores international borders, offering up everything from Turkish lahmacun to Brazilian-style picanha steak, via tandoori trout and jerk-spiced pork belly. Each one bursts with flavour and generosity thanks to the skill of the chefs. Cocktails are a feature too, with an intriguing and enticing list including the likes of a miso and malt Old Fashioned.

Now in its second decade, this hugely likeable bistro is becoming something of a Glasgow institution – the first in a small group of restaurants offering brilliant value and a buzzing atmosphere. After a refurbishment in early 2025, it's got a fresh new look and menu, but the ethos remains: Mediterranean dishes that are ideal for sharing, showcasing skilful use of simple ingredients so that their flavours really shine through – such as cod cheeks with chorizo, tomato and morcilla. The attentive service team run the place like a well-oiled machine.

An angeethi is a type of grill traditionally used in rural Indian households, and now it lends its name to this charmingly run restaurant in a Glasgow suburb. It’s a simple-looking place where the focus is on the joyously flavoursome food and the warm, caring service. Massey’s menu sticks to traditional, regional Indian dishes which are both well-spiced and generous, such as the ‘Old Delhi Murgh Makhani’, a fabulous version of the classic butter chicken. Ensure you leave some room for dessert, as the ‘Rabdi Faluda’ provides a beautiful balance of flavours.

Tucked underneath a small railway arch near the Kelvingrove neighbourhood, this genially run restaurant is a showcase for Chef Craig Grozier. The rumble of trains overhead only adds to the atmosphere as Craig engages with his small group of guests, all sat around one communal table in front of the open kitchen. The menu changes regularly, such is Craig’s commitment to showcasing the best seasonal Scottish produce, be it Barra scallop or Borders partridge. The punchily flavoured dishes can be paired with a thoughtfully curated wine flight.

Their motto here is ‘think global, eat local’ and this clear to see from the menu, where their homemade haggis sits alongside an array of ingredients from multiple Asian cuisines – be it furikake from Japan, tom yum from Thailand or lentil dahl from India. A pleasingly unfussy quality runs throughout these dishes, which are tasty and carefully prepared. The ground floor has a shabby-chic café-bar style, while The Cellar is a more intimate affair.

It's always such a joy to find a neighbourhood restaurant as warmly and passionately run as this. The relaxed and friendly style of the service is a perfect match for cooking that feels like the epitome of a modern British bistro. Straightforward, well-executed dishes based on quality ingredients, with a few international flavours running through the menu. The kitchen does a great job of enhancing the seasonal Scottish produce, such as pan-fried coley served with salty samphire and pea purée.