SubCrawl: 15 great spots to eat and drink along Glasgow's Subway
A tasty tour of Glasgow’s Subway, stopping off at the best places to eat and drink along the way
Let’s call it an underground secret. Jump off at any of the 15 stops on Glasgow’s Subway and you’ll find somewhere nearby worth checking out on the city’s diverse eating and drinking scene. At some stations you can almost step straight into a venue; for others, it’s a few blocks to find our suggestion. Clockwise or widdershins, enjoy this journey of discovery.
From the hurlyburly at Buchanan Street, quickly escape into the sanctuary of St George’s Tron Church and non-profit, social enterprise café The Wild Olive Tree with their excellent soups and scones. Next, the area around St Enoch has lots of shawarma spots with canteeny Lazord Syrian Street Food up there with the best for great-value wraps plus rotisserie chicken.
The ‘clockwork orange’ heads under the river and onto Bridge Street, where you’ll find legendary pub The Laurieston: enjoy a pie from Thompson Bros Butchers and a pint of Guinness from the (equally legendary) middle tap. If you’re early enough (ie before 2pm), disembark at West Street and walk two short blocks to Egg Daddy for glossy buns and runny, egg-filled fillings.
Pickings get slimmer in the next stretch but Watan Grill is a few minutes walk from Shields Road station where you can sample Afghan and Peshwari cuisine for not much money, while Kinning Park isn’t far from To mati, a delightful spot for Greek wraps and spanakopita. Options broaden in the zone between Cessnock and Ibrox stations. Cherry & Heather have been doing beautiful sandwiches for years and The Kensington is a lovely old-boys’ boozer with a crazy narrow lounge section. The last Southside station is Govan and nearby you’ll find Brown Sugar Records, one of the new breed of cafés where vinyl is played while the coffee brews.
Close to Partick station is newcomer La Mesa, sister to the Paisley original, serving Tex-Mex treats including tacos, burritos, nachos and tostadas. For Italian-American food right next to the Kelvinhall stop, West Side Tavern does snacks, pasta and pizza in their NY-influenced bar, with a large, covered beer garden at the rear.
From Hillhead, totter down cobbled Ruthven Lane for The Bothy, done out like an upmarket cosy Highland hideaway, with seasonal menus showcasing Scotland’s produce. Up on Great Western Road above Kelvinbridge station is long-standing The Bay Tree, delivering an extensive Persian and Mediterranean menu encompassing breakfasts, mezze, burgers and kebabs.
From St Georges Cross, Don Ya Sushi is easy to miss in a tenement basement, but seek it out for some of the best sushi, sashimi and tempura in town. Then finally, it’s a short trip through the underpass from Cowcaddens station to The Wee Curry Shop for quality north Indian dishes cooked up in an open kitchen.
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; main picture: The Bothy.