The countdown is well and truly on - a little under four weeks to go until we get to experience what must now, sadly, be viewed as a real treat - the prospect of sitting in a restaurant and ordering a meal or soaking up the sun in a beer garden with a freshly poured pint.
We're almost there, the wait has been too long. However, in the meantime, Glasgow's food and drink spots have been keeping us going with takeaways, at home dining boxes, coffees, cakes and more.
Thankfully, since the beginning of 2021, we've been able to report on a number of upcoming first-time openings to get excited about, new family food businesses springing up across the city and of course restaurants, pubs and bars taking bookings for their return.
To tide us over until that special date, April 26, we wanted to share with you what we've enjoyed eating and drinking in the last few weeks and what we recommend you put in an order for this month.
And like last month's round-up, there's quite a range to choose from. In the last few weeks we've munched on the likes of caramelised white chocolate doughnuts, pork buns, brilliant bagels and Middle Eastern sweets.
Any recommendations to add? Feel free to drop Gillian or Gary a message on Facebook - and you can subscribe to our food and drink newsletter for more weekly recommendations from the Glasgow Live food guys.
Gillian:
Kaf: Caramelised white chocolate doughnut
Coffee, sandwich and a cake - it’s the lunch of choice right now for the average work-from-homer, especially if they live within walking distance of a place like Kaf. Glasgow’s coffee shop scene is thriving at the moment, much of it on the south side - but if you’re on the north of the Clyde then look no further than this little spot in Partick.
Kaf has lots to boast about, from the hot drinks to the fancy sandos, but this wee beaut takes the cake for me this month. Better than any custard doughnut you’ve ever had, it’s a sugar-packed hit of pure indulgence, delightfully creamy on the inside and crunchy on the outside.
Grab one on your next walk, order ahead even so it’s ready to collect, and you won’t be disappointed.
Celino’s: Grande antipasto experience
I know, it sounds a lot like a ride at Willy Wonka’s factory. Will you make it out of the tunnel with flying salami whacking you on the face? Actually, if it’s Celino’s flying salami then feel free to slap me sideways, repeatedly…
This Italian feast was my lockdown birthday meal, and it covered dinner and lunch the following day until every tasty morsel was hoovered up from the (sizeable) platter. Continental cold cuts galore, a hefty ball of buffalo mozzarella, the creamiest marsala pâté you’ve ever eaten, marinated olives and aubergine and peppers, balsamic onions - oh, and sides of whatever pizza, pasta or arancini you fancy, because it’s 2021 and there’s no such thing as a diet any more.
You can order wine, cheese, desserts and all sorts on the side - and you will be tempted - from either the west end or east end branches of the deli and, needless to say, this will keep you going through the last of those lockdown blues.
Morning Glory: Hot pork roll
I’ll admit it, I was gutted that the fried chicken sandwich wasn’t available on the miserable, rainy day I queued up for Five March’s new bakery.
I needn’t have worried.
Great Western Road has a new hotspot and if you get there late, you’ll miss out on all the glorious cakes in that delightful little window - trust me. Still, the sandwiches are well worth visiting for, at any time of day - and the hot pork roll, a regular on the board, is exquisite. Fancy word for a fancy piece.
There appear to be a few varieties day to day, but mine was a Korean BBQ-laced effort with aioli and Asian slaw and it was the kind of piece to write home about. The kind to write songs about, even. Especially with a side of those crunchy roast potatoes Five March is famous for, on my visit dolloped with moreish gochujang mayo.
I need more of these sandwiches in my life - and if Morning Glory launch deliveries I won’t be held responsible for my gluttonous actions five lunchtimes a week…
Hidden Lane Brewery: Raspberry Saison
I’m not a fruit beer kind of gal, I’ll admit, but having sampled the range from Hidden Lane recently - all of it good, all organic too - I found myself gravitating towards this pink number.
Malty but with a sour zing, it’s a gorgeous, easy drinker that seems to be crying out for some summer sun - but at this point, I’ll take a non-rainy day and a beer garden to drink it in, thanks.
Until that can happen, Finnieston’s finest have a beer hatch on, you guessed it, the Hidden Lane, so you can stock up for the weekend and make those last few weeks of lockdown go down smoothly.
Beirm: Garlic bread
Cottonrake’s first pizza pop up caused a bit of a stir among foodies, many of them rushing down to an archway by SWG3 in Yorkhill at the weekend to collect a pile of boxed goodness.
I had three (don’t judge now) in the interests of trying as many flavours as possible - and the margherita and butternut squash and gorgonzola versions were brilliant, with a special shout-out to a thoroughly decent dough that only a top bakery could truly master.
But strangely enough, I’m not here to talk about the pizza - because there was something that trounced them all; an unassuming little slice of garlic bread on the side. How good can garlic bread be, I hear you ask? I had no idea until Beirm came along. But picture a slice of sourdough, pan-fried until crispy in cultured garlic butter...and then topped with a Comté cheese custard. Now imagine taking a blowtorch to that custard …
I’ll let you have a minute.
And then I’ll tell you to keep your eyes peeled for the next Beirm pop-up. Seriously, if this isn’t back on the menu, we riot.
Gary:
Holy Moly: Everything Bagel
Holy Moly, Belter Bagels indeed. A cracking name, but also an excellent reflection of just how good these are.
It didn't take me long to climb aboard the hype train when seemingly out of nowhere, my Instagram timeline was dominated by people talking about these little things of beauty over in the south side.
Thankfully, I found out that nearby the brilliant Toro Coffee (check them out if you haven't) were stocking them. By the time I'd arrived mid-morning, they'd almost sold out, leaving just the 'everything' bagels (what I'd been hoping for), topped with sesame seeds, sea salt, a bit of caramelised onion, and yes ... the hype is justified.
Let's just say it didn't take me too long afterwards to put in an order for a fresh batch of six of them, each a different flavour, with a tub of homemade cream cheese to go with it too.
Glasgow's needed some kind of dedicated bagel bakery and with Holy Moly, we've finally got a very good one.
Toom: Kanafeh
Another new place impossible to ignore thanks to Toom's excellent social media efforts, but more specifically because of the mouthwatering pictures of various Middle Eastern treats they've been teasing us with.
Venturing up to St George's Road at Charing Cross, most of this food was completely new to me - part of the joy of it - so after asking for recommendations I ended up trying the beautifully sweet basbousa cupcakes, the surprisingly good hot and sour swiss chard and lemon soup with crispy, oily fried bread and what can already be considered the Toom masterpiece - freshly baked Kanafeh.
If you haven't tried it before, it's described as a traditional Lebanese pastry with orange blossom water syrup and a sprinkling of pistachio. Sharing some similarities with baklava, it's sweet, crispy and full of different textures. And yes, again, if you haven't tried it before, well ... quite frankly, you need to.
However, I did depart my first visit with a tinge of regret after failing to order one of their many excellent wraps (my friend did and I was very jealous). I'm looking forward to using that personal mishap as an excuse for a quick return.
Amarone: Tortelloni Zucca e Salvia
We have Glasgow's restaurants to thank for keeping us well fed with their at home dining boxes over lockdown. Dozens have attempted them at some point over the last few months, giving us a welcome alternative to the standard Saturday night takeaways or our own - often tiresome - home cooking attempts.
Of course it's not possible to fully replicate that now coveted restaurant experience in your home. But city centre spot Amarone, with their Italian sharing plates box packed full of quality ingredients, they certainly came close.
In truth, off the menu I could have picked it out arancini with aioli or the king prawns with white wine, garlic and chilli to talk about. Even the focaccia bread with olive oil was pretty special on its own.
But the star of the show for me was the Tortelloni Zucca e Salvia pasta - fresh egg tortelloni stuffed with pumpkin and sage in a sage-butter sauce, topped with crushed pistachios. Velvety, creamy, smooth - there was just something a bit luxurious about it, providing a much-needed reminder of that eating-in-a-fancy-restaurant experience.
Kokoro: Deluxe Sushi Nigiri and Roll Set
As somewhat of a sushi snob, I can often find myself quite disappointed, especially if the fish doesn't seem that fresh. So I was skeptical about ordering my first ever sushi delivery, wondering how well it would travel. But, following a recommendation from a friend, and having never visited Kokoro's Sauchiehall Street shop, I opted to give it a go.
It's safe to say I was very pleasantly surprised. My fears for the freshness were immediately allayed. And unlike some sushi places (and another wee gripe of mine), the fish and the rice held together, a true test of good sushi quality. Importantly, the tuna and salmon rolls were pretty filling - and they tasted damn good too.
There's other sushi places I want to try in Glasgow next - your recommendations are welcome - but another delivery of Kokoro may be on the cards again in the near future.
Gordon Street Coffee: Glasgow Roast
A city centre coffee shop you feel the majority of Glaswegians will know about, given its prominent position within Glasgow Central Station, I think it's safe to say I'm not the only one to have missed nipping into this place on the commute to work for a quick caffeine hit (and perhaps one of their meaty rolls and square sausage).
But although GSC has largely remained closed during the last year, thankfully, they're still roasting coffee, including the ever-reliable and delicious Glasgow Roast, on of their most popular in-shop blends.
Chocolatey, with a slight hint of fresh fruit, you can certainly still get the same buzz off these beans at home as you would in a bustling Central station.
It must be added Gordon Street Coffee also do an excellent Edinburgh Roast. But we'd never recommend anything Edinburgh over Glasgow. Not on this site.
