Not sure where to eat in Glasgow? We catch up with Jo Nethery from Five March to get her top recommendations in the city, and find out where else she loves to eat around Scotland.
Your favourite restaurant in Glasgow:
I’m a big fan of Sylvan in Glasgow, it’s so easy to lose hours in there. The food is always delicious, the wines are incredible, it’s a beautiful room,and everyone is super friendly. They really tick all the boxes I’m looking for when I go out – easy and great.
Sylvan, Glasgow.
The restaurant you always go back to:
The Kinneuchar Inn, I’ll plan a trip to the East Neuk just so I can go there. We always order far too much that we have food for days, and it really feels like the kind of place that just gets how to nail a concept. They hit the line between refined and gluttonous; it’s a room you can laugh in and enjoy whilst delivering such a high level of cooking. I want to be able to relax when I go out, working as much as we do in this industry, I don’t want to feel like I have to sit with a straight back and have a cerebral conversation across the table, just relaxed and delicious, please.
The Kinneuchar Inn, Fife
The best place to get a cocktail:
If I’m in the city centre of Glasgow it’s the Absent Ear every time – you’re hidden away in a basement and you have no idea what time it is – which works very well for catch-ups. The drinks are incredible. You can always find something you haven’t tried before and you can trust them to nail it. In the west end, my friends and I always start or end the night in Kelvingrove Cafe. It’s a Glasgow stalwart, you’ll always bump into a great mix of old friends and industry folk.
Kelvingrove Cafe, Glasgow.
The place you are desperate to try:
DogStar in Leith. Before it even opened I was excited to go and everyone I know has said it’s absolutely worth the trip east so, one day – when I get a day away from work and being Mama – I’ll venture over and I can’t wait.
The best bakery
Maple Leaf in Glasgow. Rebecca used to bake for our cafe, Morning Glory, which we sadly closed a few years ago after an outrageous hike in electricity costs. I can firmly say that one of the things I miss most about the cafe is not having these pastries dropped off fresh each morning. I’m also probably not responsible enough to be left with a Maple Leaf delivery, very conscious that our display would always be a few short, but that Chris (our chef) and I were much happier than we had been before she arrived.
Maple Leaf Bakery, Glasgow.
The best opening in the last year
Qasba in Govanhill. Louisa is a goddess, and it’s the most welcoming space you’ll ever walk into, serving incredible North Algerian and Middle Eastern food. There are only a few seats which makes it even more magical, it’s exactly what the city needs more of – a truly independent operator that pours every ounce of herself into her business.
The best Sunday roast
Oh, it’s a controversial one but for me, it’s making one at home with my partner. Pre baby times we often had friends round on Sundays and we’d cook all day and then sit with plentiful wine and endless roast potatoes. I’d be on gravy (all important!) and sometimes meat and Colin would do almost everything else. I can’t believe I’m admitting that… It’s a ceremony as much as it’s a meal in our house, a day to forget outside, hunker in the kitchen and enjoy some really good company and wine. Saying that, my dear friend took me to Fonab Castle a few years ago when I was pregnant and grumpy and it really blew me away. The Sunday roast was delicious, perfectly cooked and enjoyed looking out over beautiful scenes in Pitlochry.
Favourite dish on your menu
Okay, it’s between two. Firstly, the asparagus and flat bean cacio e pepe. It’s a really fun, lighter take on the pasta classic and celebrates great produce and seasonality.
Asparagus and flat bean cacio e pepe
The second would be the squid with sobrasada, guindillas and cider. Super fresh, big flavours, it’s almost like holiday food and if we can bring a little holiday into Glasgow we’re here for it. Oh, and there’s a new banana bavarois and, as someone who doesn’t like banana desserts, I can happily say it’s incredible. So it turns out it’s between three.
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