Menu prices in Glasgow look like Singapore's, but they are in pounds.
At about S$1.70 to the pound, a £15 main costs more than S$25. Most of us cooked on weekdays and ate out at weekends, with meal deals and Too Good To Go bags for busy days. Groceries and meal deals are on the Shopping tab.
We visited every restaurant in the first lists. The Asian restaurants, student discounts and rules further down come from our own research in October 2026. Restaurants open and close quickly, so check before you go.
Where we ate, and what it cost
We particularly enjoyed Glasgow's Middle Eastern and Indian restaurants. We ate at every place on these lists ourselves.
Glasgow
| Type | Place | Our note |
|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | Joanna Goodbite | 92 George St. A full Scottish breakfast. The cafés along George St near campus all do cheap breakfast deals. |
| Chinese | Friends Chinese Café | 273 High St. Home-style Chinese food. Cash only, and 10% off the main menu if you say you're a student. |
| Curry | Curry House (opens in a new tab) | 80 West Nile St. A filling curry for £5–6, one of the best-value meals we found. |
| Shawarma | Rosto Shawarma | 186 London Rd, by the Barras. Very good shawarma at fair prices. |
| Student-run fine dining | Scholars (opens in a new tab) | 190 Cathedral St. Cooked and served by culinary students, like the training restaurant at Temasek Poly. |
| Raclette | Cheese Box (opens in a new tab) | 64a Wilson St, Merchant City. Raclette sandwiches and zapiekanka, a Polish open baguette. |
| Falafel | Falafel To Go | 116 Sauchiehall St, at the top of Hope St. A good falafel wrap for about £5, and vegetarian friendly. |
| Pizza | Revolution (opens in a new tab) | Mitchell St. Pizzas for about £7. |
| Pizza | Paesano (opens in a new tab) | 94 Miller St. One of our favourite pizzas in Glasgow. |
| Scottish | Café Gandolfi (opens in a new tab) | 64 Albion St. Scottish dishes made with very good ingredients. |
| Chinese | Ho Lee Fook (opens in a new tab) | 1 MacFarlane St, by the Barrowland. Good Chinese food. |
| Burgers | Bread Meats Bread (opens in a new tab) | 65 St Vincent St. Very large burgers. |
| Buffet | COSMO (opens in a new tab) | St Enoch Centre. Weekday lunch is the best value. There is a wide choice of dishes, though we found the cooking average. |
| Sunday roast | The Merchant Steakhouse (opens in a new tab) | 56 Ingram St. Our one pricier pick: a very good Sunday roast close to campus. |
More we liked
| Type | Place | Our note |
|---|---|---|
| Pub chain | Wetherspoons | The Counting House, George Square. A British institution: average food, low prices and a different deal every day. |
| Chicken | Nando's | The same menu as in Singapore. We preferred the food here. |
| Indian | Dishoom (opens in a new tab) | Nelson Mandela Place. |
| Brunch | The Singl-end (opens in a new tab) | Renfrew St. Glasgow has plenty of brunch places in the centre and the West End. |
| Lebanese | The Left Bank (opens in a new tab) | Gibson St. Try Lebanese food here; it is harder to find in Singapore. |
| Pancakes | Stack & Still (opens in a new tab) | Sweet and savoury pancakes. |
| Chinese | The West End | For Chinese food without cooking, head to the West End. |
Outside Glasgow
| Type | Place | Our note |
|---|---|---|
| Edinburgh | Makars Mash Bar | North Bank St. Mash with a range of toppings; expect a queue. |
| Edinburgh | Bertie's | Victoria St. Some of the best fish and chips we had in Scotland. |
| St Andrews | Cheesy Toast Shack | East Sands. Worth a stop for a toastie. |
| St Andrews | Jannettas Gelateria | South St. Save room for gelato. |
When you miss home
Friends Chinese Café and Ho Lee Fook are above. These are the other Asian restaurants near campus with good reviews when we checked. For ingredients to cook yourself, go to Chung Ying on Dobbie's Loan (see the Shopping tab).
| Type | Place | Our note |
|---|---|---|
| Dim sum | Loon Fung (opens in a new tab) | 417 Sauchiehall St. A Cantonese restaurant that has been open for over 50 years. Dim sum and roast duck. |
| Ramen | Maki & Ramen (opens in a new tab) | Bath St and Renfield St. Ramen and sushi, a short walk from campus. |
| Korean | Bibimbap (opens in a new tab) | City centre. Stone-pot bibimbap and Korean fried chicken. |
Scottish food to try once
Haggis, neeps and tatties
Sheep's offal, oats and spices, with mashed turnip and potato. Try it at least once; some of us loved it.
Fish supper
At a chippy, "supper" means it comes with chips. Sauces and sides cost extra, so a full meal can pass £20.
Sticky toffee pudding
Date sponge soaked in toffee sauce. Our favourite British dessert.
Sunday roast
Roast meat, potatoes, vegetables, gravy and a Yorkshire pudding. Have it at a carvery or a good steakhouse.
Markets and student deals
Markets
| Type | Place | Our note |
|---|---|---|
| Weekend market | The Barras (opens in a new tab) | Gallowgate. Every Saturday and Sunday, 10am to 4pm. Bargains, second-hand stalls and food, with Rosto Shawarma round the corner. |
| Street food | Platform (opens in a new tab) | Under Central Station, in the Argyle Street Arches. Street-food stalls from Friday to Sunday. |
Student discounts
| Type | Place | Our note |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese-style | Wagamama (opens in a new tab) | 20% off food and drink from Sunday to Thursday with Student Beans. |
| Bakery | Greggs (opens in a new tab) | A free sausage roll with a cold Sandwich Deal with Student Beans. |
| Chinese | Friends Chinese Café | 10% off the main menu if you say you're a student. |
Student Beans (opens in a new tab) is free. You verify once with your Strathclyde email, then show the code or the app at the till.
Tips, water and drinks
- Tipping
- Not expected at counters, cafés or pubs. For table service, about 10% is usual if the bill has no service charge. Some restaurants add a discretionary service charge of 10–12.5%; you can ask for it to be removed.
- Tap water
- Free. Ask for "tap water" or you may be sold a bottle.
- Buying alcohol
- Shops in Scotland can only sell alcohol between 10am and 10pm, and there is a minimum price of 65p per unit (opens in a new tab). Shops and bars ask anyone who looks under 25 for ID, so carry your passport.