10 listed buildings to dine in across Glasgow
Glasgow’s historic dining institutions, from Scottish classics and fresh seafood to vegan favourites, all housed in characterful buildings steeped in the city’s past
The Buttery
652–654 Argyle Street
The Buttery oozes charm from its B-listed tenement with classy décor and a menu of Scottish favourites. Top-quality ingredients are treated with care and delivered with consummate skill from the kitchen. It’s a local institution, said to be Glasgow’s oldest restaurant, established in 1870 when the building was brand new.
Café Gandolfi
64 Albion Street
Café Gandolfi set up shop in the old cheesemarket offices in 1979, when this part of town was in need of some TLC. It is the spot in Glasgow for an arty (handcrafted furniture and stained-glass panels) all-day take on timeless Scottish classics and modern riffs on national produce.
Crabshakk Botanics
Botanic Gardens Garage, 18 Vinicombe Street
Crabshakk’s venue in an A-listed former car garage (also home to Ka Pao) is sister to the tiny original in Finnieston that changed how Glaswegians ate their seafood. The casual food-and-cocktail vibe is bolstered by contemporary bar-bistro décor, where the freshest of seafood includes classic squid tempura, crab cakes and scallops.
Stereo
22–28 Renfield Lane
After five years in the West End, vegan-trailblazing Stereo moved in 2007 into the former offices of the Daily Record, designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh in the early 1900s. Nearing its 20th anniversary here, Stereo continues to be a vibrant café-bar serving animal-free food and a full programme of gigs and club nights.
Ubiquitous Chip
12 Ashton Lane
An elder statesman of Glasgow’s dining scene, established in 1971, the Chip is housed in a B-listed former undertakers’ stables down a cobbled lane. It has grown offshoots of separate bars and spaces over the years, centred around the leafy indoors/outdoors courtyard restaurant, and features murals from the 1970s by patron Alasdair Gray.
West On The Green
15 Binnie Place
The city’s long-standing brewery serves up Germanic-inspired food and drink in the impressive Templeton building. Originally built in 1892 as a carpet factory, its designer William Leiper was inspired by the Doge’s Palace in Venice. Go al fresco if the weather suits; it’s as close to having a drink in a city park as you can legally get.
Also try… C-listed former public toilet An Clachan Café, Sugo Pasta and The Mackintosh Tearooms in the city centre for more Charles Rennie Mackintosh, or Saints Of Ingram for brunch and steaks in an imposing A-listed former hospital; main picture: The Buttery.
This TipList is taken from the 2026 edition of 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.