From Edinburgh our tour of Scotland headed west (but hardly even 50 miles) to that other classically Caledonian city – Glasgow.
It’d been years since either Kemey or I had been to Glasgow and our two-night (and really only one full day) pit stop proved far too short. Nonetheless we had an amazing time and loved discovering how much more delicious the city had become since we’d last been there.
Have a look at what we loved best about the visit.
Singl-end
Our first morning in Glasgow started with a filling and homey brekkie at community café and bakehouse, Singl-end. The eatery featured local art for sale. Service was sweet and swift. Coffee was good. Food was yummy. I loved my “Meaty” cooked breakfast (two eggs, bacon, homemade pork and fennel sausages, black pudding, grilled Portobello mushroom, roast cherry tomatoes and home-baked beans with delicious baked-on-site sourdough toast, £10.50).
Find out more at thesingl-end.co.uk.
Mackintosh at the GSA
A couple minutes’ stroll up Renfrew Street from Singl-end is The Glasgow School of Art where we enjoyed a guided tour focused on the life and career of local designer and architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh, particularly his masterwork the main building of the actual School of Art itself. Pieces on view by Mackintosh, his wife Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh and few contemporaries were gorgeous. The tour (led by a recent GSA graduate) was insightful about the history of the school and the future of the Mackinstosh building that was damaged in fires a few years back but is scheduled to reopen early in 2019.
Details at gsa.ac.uk.
Glasgow Walking Lunch with Andrea Pearson
The highlight of our time in Glasgow was our Walking Lunch tour led by Glaswegian journalist Andrea Pearson. With an aim to tell the story of her city “in four courses,” Andrea led us through central Glasgow revealing its rich history and culture around us – some of which we would never have guessed or been clued into otherwise (especially given the brevity of our stay).
From a nourishing cup seasonal vegetable soup at the McCune Smith café (and the uplifting inspiration behind its name) to an indulgently moreish batter-fried black pudding at Gandolfi Fish complete paired with a chat led by the restaurant’s immediately affable owner Seamus McInnes with cheeseboard and drinks at opulent Anchor Line bistro and luscious baked treats and artisan roasted coffees at The Riverhill Café Bar included to ensure we were well sated.
Andrea’s walks take place first Saturday of the month or by arrangement for groups. Price is £35 per person. Any dietary preferences catered for.
Info at glasgowwalkinglunch.com.
Dinner at Six by Nico
For affordably priced fine dining in a buzzing atmosphere in the hip and happening district of Finnieston, make for Six by Nico. The concept as this newly launched restaurant from Chef Patron Nico Simeone and team is service of a six-course tasting menu based on a theme and changed every six week. The theme when we dined was ‘The Forest.” I savoured every bite. Favourite courses were the rainbow trout with wild sorrel, toasted hazelnut and Swiss chard and haunch of venison with beetroot sauerkraut, burnt onion jus and blackberries. Priced at £25 for all six courses (wine pairing an additional £25) I found it to be exceptionally good value. Theme the last six weeks of 2017 is “Cooking Disney.”
Find out more at sixbynico.co.uk.
Point A Hotel Glasgow
Our base was the conveniently located Point A Hotel on Bath Street. Perfunctory but perfectly comfy (not to mention super safe, budget friendly, and gleamingly clean), it was an ideal accommodation option for getting out and exploring the town.
By the way, hotel manager Jamie is a standup kind of guy who excels at customer service and from what we saw during our two nights at Point A goes out of his way to ensure the needs of his guests are met promptly and politely. Cheers!
More at pointahotels.com.
Keep an eye out for more Falling for Scotland posts coming soon. For more information about things to do in Glasgow go to peoplemakeglasgow.com.
