I’ve been living in Glasgow for a bit over a year now and starting to really feel settled here. My list of places to check out is still huge but I’ve also started to collect some favourite spots from my adventures so I thought I’d start compiling a list here, but it’s definitely a work in progress.

First up, restaurants!

My Southside favourite for dinner is the lovely Lobo, they do Mediterranean small plates, the menu changes fairly regularly and everything is bloody delicious. I went here for my birthday this year with a big group and multiple dietary requirements and they were so accommodating.
In town, I love going to Sylvan which is completely vegetarian/vegan, the menu changes daily and the combos in their dishes are sometimes surprising but always so good. I’ll always get the spicy aubergine if it’s on the menu and they have a great selection of wine.
My fave Italian is Celentano’s which I’ve actually only been to once but it was such a banging meal. We had the Sunday lunch set menu (3 courses for £27) and everything was fantastic. It’s a wee bit out of the way for my usual plans, but worth taking a trip for.

As a Southsider you’re spoiled for choice with bakeries and my faves are Big Bear and Honeytrap.

I’m very lucky to live around the corner from Big Bear and like a little weekend treat every now and then from their case. Beautiful pastries and cakes plus tasty pies (especially the Korean Beef) and focaccia.
Honeytrap is a completely vegan bakery, but you wouldn’t be able to tell with how deliciously buttery their pastries seem. They regularly have different specials on, and last Autumn I was hooked on their wee pumpkin pies.

I’m still on a mission with bookshops but my favourite local is also in the Southside.

Category Is is an independent queer bookshop which is always good vibes. The staff are so kind and helpful, the selection of books is really broad and they have cute stationery, accessories and cards you can buy too. Although I haven’t been yet they also run events in the shop like yoga classes and a queer horror book club. If you want to know more about some of the books I’ve bought here, read this post from last year.

And now on to weekend activities…

I really rate having a walk around Kelvingrove it’s a really nice space, there’s tons to look at and the museum covers a load of different topics to learn about.

Also in the West End is the Botanic Gardens – I particularly love the Kibble Palace glass house which feels so calm. In the summer, they also have Bard in the Botanics where a few different Shakespeare plays are performed on rotation. It’s a lot of fun and a novelty to watch outdoor theatre in Scotland but of course there’s always a risk of rain!

A more recent exploration for me has been Pollok Park and the Burrell Collection. The gallery is a really lovely space and it feels so nice to be in an art gallery while surrounded by natural light and so many trees. The ground of Pollok House are also gorgeous and include several highland cows! Definitely want to return in the summer to spend a day lolling around.

And finally, my favourite of all is basically my back garden: Queen‘s Park. I walk through this every day on the way to work, go for runs, watch the leaves change with the seasons and when the Scottish sun makes a re-appearance, spend hours sitting and reading my book. Glad to live so close to so much green space, especially when it’s that beautiful.

So that’s it for now! What are your favourite places in Glasgow? Where should I check out?

*

Read more about my faves in other cities…