Ask EADith: Who’s the top chef in Glasgow?
Got a food dilemma? Need a killer rec to seal the deal? Or just want the inside track on Glasgow and Edinburgh’s eating and drinking scene? Then why not ask EADith, our Eat & Drink team’s helpful agony aunt. This month, EADith finds a brass neck that’s worth polishing up
Dear EADith,
I’m always a bit wary of restaurants where the chef-owner has their name in letters over the door. Is there any chef in Glasgow who is gallus enough to do this and, more importantly, who you’d still recommend?
NigelNoName
Dear NigelNoName,
I know what you mean. I admire the cheffy chutzpah, I do, but I fear they’re setting themselves up for a fall. Saying that, Glasgow has some notable restaurants whose chef-patrons justify the brass neck to display their names. There’s Unalome By Graeme Cheevers, holder of a Michelin star and a place of culinary brilliance, or the more budget-friendly Kinara By Shabu Natarajan, whose chef has picked up deserved awards.
Both are well worth a visit but my recommendation is Angeethi By Sagar Massey, recent winner of a Michelin Bib Gourmand. Massey probably trumps Cheevers and Natarajan on the fame front, thanks to making the final of MasterChef: The Professionals in 2022. More recently, he had his name up at Strathblane’s Kirkhouse Inn, before heading into the city (well, Cardonald) to open this contemporary first-floor corner spot named after the traditional Indian stove.
No wonder the Michelin folk took notice: the dining experience is exceptional, helped by staff who are informative and clearly enthusiastic. I recommend starting with an Indian-inspired cocktail like a spicy Fire & Root Old Fashioned made with Indian whisky, ginger and chilli bitters. Food-wise, much is familiar to Glasgow’s curry fans, yet it’s all wonderfully elevated. The usual complimentary poppadums, for example, are replaced by a tapioca version and a traditional wheat cracker called a khakhra. The bondi raita, topped with crispy gram flour balls, is the best I’ve ever had.
Starters include chaat: try the crushed samosa version, hidden under yoghurt, tamarind and green chutney. Tandoor treats include addictively spicy lamb chops, beautifully tender with blackened edges, or the folded flaky lachha naan, doused in masala butter. Murgh makhani, aka butter chicken, is a bona fide classic yet rarely better than Massey’s flavour-layered version, with tender tandoori chicken pieces in a rich, creamy tomato sauce with notes of fenugreek. Even though it’s above the door, this is a name worth knowing.
Angeethi By Sagar Massey, 1835 Paisley Road West, Glasgow;; £28 for two courses.