Alston Bar & Beef
79 Gordon Street
This modern steakhouse is unexpectedly located under Central Station, where the attractive set-up is all cavernous arches, full of stone, tiles and moody lighting. Carefully selected dry-aged Scottish beef is to the fore, while it’s also very much a bar with a great gin list and classy cocktails.

Art Lover’s Café
House For An Art Lover, 10 Dumbreck Road, Bellahouston Park
Charles Rennie Mackintosh and afternoon tea are interwoven and the classy Art Lover’s Café does a fine tiered treat, plus brunches and light lunches. Based inside House For An Art Lover, built to a Mackintosh design in the 1990s, it’s a fitting setting with smart furnishings, arty walls and leafy outlook, all wrapped up in the architect’s distinct style.

Café Gandolfi
64 Albion Street
Old enough to have its own historic trail plaque, Gandolfi serves up an abiding menu of Scottish classics and modern riffs on our national produce. It was opened in 1979 by photographer Iain Mackenzie, who commissioned Glasgow School Of Art graduate Tim Stead to create the distinctive furniture that still impresses today.

Flavour Bomb Kitchen 
Glasgow Climbing Centre, 534 Paisley Road West
Follow a workout on the climbing wall with top-level food on the mezzanine of this converted church. The small café packs lots of flavour into its revolving brunches, satisfying sandwiches, nachos and burgers. They also host tasting-menu events where the cooking hits the heights.

Sísí Rooftop
The Social Hub, 15 Candleriggs
The restaurant at this Dutch hotel group’s Glasgow site offers a rare chance to dine while looking down on the city through big windows. It’s a smart space, full of soothing terracotta shades, with a Tex-Mex menu and a focus on cocktails and tequila. There’s also an outdoor terrace to enjoy the view with the seagulls which can, unsurprisingly, get breezy.

Ubiquitous Chip
12 Ashton Lane
A recent £1.2m revamp remains true to the old character of the Chip’s unique building. Set on a cobbled back lane, changes to the décor are subtle and tasteful, retaining Alasdair Gray’s murals, of course. The menus have been modernised but Glasgow’s most storied restaurant still offers seasonal Scottish dishes in a special setting. 

Also try… Italian food served up in a tramstop at Battlefield Rest, a former public toilet for cakes and coffee at An Clachan, or Sugo Pasta and Mackintosh At The Willow for more Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s vibes.

This TipList is taken from Eat & Drink 365 Glasgow, our sister mag recommending the best in restaurants, bars, cafés and more. Want a copy? It’s available online or across all good stockists in Glasgow. Main picture: Renzo Mazzolini.