Welcome back to somewhere a little closer to home for us - Glasgow! This vibrant Scottish city was somewhere we'd both wanted to visit for a long time... so when we were visiting family in Scotland, we made sure that we had time to check out the city of whiskey, music, bridges... and so much more! The people of Glasgow are famous not only for their strong regional accents, but for being some of the friendliest in the UK, so we couldn't wait to get a real feel for the place.
Eating Vegan in Glasgow
“I'd live in Glasgow if I could. I can't praise it enough; it's the nicest place I have ever worked, and I have worked in a lot of nice places." – Roxanne McKee
Glasgow is well known for its stunning architecture, as a UNESCO City of Music, and also as the location of the first official international football match. But did you know it is a hub for excellent food too? From street food to the fanciest cuisine, Glasgow has it all, and does it well. And this extends to plant-based food too, with the city frequently named as one of the most vegan-friendly places in the UK! So the first thing to say about eating vegan in Glasgow is that it isn't difficult at all - even many of the chip shops have vegan options! So if you're looking for some really tasty plant-based grub you won't have to look far: and here are our suggestions. Read on, then watch the video at the end of this blog to find out exactly what we ate and where!
1st: Mono
12, Kings Court, King St, Glasgow G1 5RB
As a famous city of music, you may be unsurprised to know that many of Glasgow's best eating spaces also double up as live music venues! Top of our list, Mono, is no exception to this. Operating out of a disused railway station building, Mono has a really cool, welcoming, and inclusive vibe. And its menu is fully plant-based too!
Mono serve a hearty menu of vegan cuisine with Scottish influences - haggis, or whisky oats anyone? These dishes are really thoughtfully put together and super delicious too. You may recognise Mono as the place where we ate vegan haggis for the first time! Here it came in many forms, but we selected a haggis pizza and a haggis and potato hash, too. And wow - the photos really don't do the food here justice.
We started with the haggis and potato hash (£7 - approx. €8.19 or $8.84). Neither of us had a clue what to expect when we tried this dish... but wow, we were so surprised! It was absolutely delicious: the potatoes were crispy, the haggis itself was so flavoursome and added more texture, and the rocket, pears, and peppercorn sauce really tied all the flavours together. Honestly, I would never have thought about mixing all these elements together in one dish, but their chef is a genius and it works impeccably. Big recommend here!
Next came the pizza: here we ordered a margherita pizza topped with Mono's vegan haggis, which together cost £12.25 (approx. €14.33 or $15.46). Again, we couldn't believe how delicious this was. The pizza itself was really yummy with a nicely flavoursome marinara sauce and really impressive vegan cheese. But the haggis, wow - it really gave the pizza that extra something! An extra Scottish touch, maybe! The flavour of the haggis was nicely meaty, and added complexity to the texture without making it greasy like meat does. Let's just say we are massive haggis pizza converts now!
Overall, Mono gets the top spot on this list because of its stellar vegan menu, excellent flavour and presentation, and its inclusive, friendly and very cool atmosphere. Whether you plan to order a haggis dish or something else entirely, it's worth booking at table as this place is very popular - and rightly so!
2nd: The Glasvegan
50 St Enoch Sq, Glasgow G1 4DH
First of all, The Glasvegan could not be more centrally located! Right in the middle of the city, this small vegan eatery has a cool and cosy vibe and a truly exciting and indulgent menu. We stopped by on our first day in the city and immediately felt at home with some of our firm favourites to choose between.
Another place that is really popular, we were lucky to get the last free table here - and we were so glad we did! Honestly, it took us a little while to choose between their range of bakes and lunch dishes. It all looked so delicious! But the lovely staff here were really patient and understanding about why it took us so long to settle on what we wanted to order!
Ultimately, Mike settled on their Doner Vebab (£9.50: approx. €11.11 or $11.99). This imitation kebab box was a really tasty lunch dish that came in a big portion! Though it was a little bit on the dry side, and could have done with more garlic mayo, this dish felt really healthy: it was packed with veg and had a nicely dressed salad on the side too. The tortilla chips were nice and salty but lacked a dipping sauce of some variety as they were also quite dry. All in all though this was a solid meal, good value for money too. It will definitely leave you feeling full for the rest of the day!
Where this place really shone for us was in the Mac & Cheez that I ordered (£8.50: approx. €9.94 or $10.73). Oh my goodness, this mac and cheese was really creamy and delicious... genuinely this is the best vegan mac and cheese I've had on our travels so far. The flavours were subtle and not overpowering (which I sometimes find to be a problem and actually made me hesitate before ordering) - this one was just smooth like I love. The crispy bacon bits on top added some extra crunch and flavour which was welcome, but I would have loved it even without them! The little slices of garlic bread were a nice touch without making it too overwhelming, as the portion was really big for a lunch dish! This mac and cheese was very yummy, making me very, very happy!
3rd: The Dhabba
4 Candleriggs, Glasgow G1 1LD
Another thing that Glasgow is known for is its curry! Did you know that this city is the birthplace of the Chicken Tikka Masala? Of course we knew we would have to get our hands on a curry while we were in Glasgow, so we headed to The Dhabba. This North Indian curry house has choices for vegetarian, vegan, and non-vegan customers - so there really is something here for everyone.
We were hugely enticed by the options on their vegan menu, which includes their own homemade vegan paneer - and by their loyalty card, which offers discounts between 5-25%! So if you're going to be visiting a few times, you'll definitely want to check that out! Though it was a little pricier than some of the other places we visited in Glasgow, we thought that as somewhere for a slightly more upmarket Indian meal out, the prices were pretty reasonable (we paid around £20 per person).
We ordered two curries, alongside a basmati rice (£3.50 - approx. €4.09 or $4.42) and a vegan naan (£4.50 - approx. €5.26 or $5.68) to share. The rice and naan were tasty, but fairly standard; it was the curries that made this place really stand out! The Methi Khumb Mutter (£12.95 - approx. €15.15 or $16.35) was a thick, creamy, and herby mushroom curry, that also included peas and fenugreek. We both absolutely loved this curry, it was nicely savoury and not too spicy, but packed with flavour. Of course, we had to try their homemade vegan paneer, so we picked the Palak Paneer, which was a bit more expensive at £15.50 (approx. €18.13 or $19.56). We chose this dish for a reason, as it included two of our favourite things in a curry: Mike loved a spinach curry, and before I was vegan I adored paneer curries. The Palak Paneer was the best of both worlds for us, packed full of spinach and plant-based paneer goodness! And wow, this gently spiced curry offered us exactly what we had been looking for: we would totally go back to The Dhabba for both of these curries!
4th: The Hug & Pint
171 Great Western Rd, Glasgow G4 9AW
Another one of Glasgow's many music venues crossed with vegan eateries, we actually headed to The Hug & Pint for a punk gig, and enjoyed some of their incredible vegan food while we were there. We visited with a big group, so ordered the entirety of their Asian fusion menu, which is served tapas style. Three dishes are the norm between two people, and regardless of what you choose, you will not be disappointed!
The chickpea and mushroom curry was a firm favourite among the whole group, with loads of flavour packed into this vegetable-based dish. I am a big fan of spicy sambal, and fell in love with their sambal tempeh. Mike meanwhile really loved the pickled chilli potatoes, which had plenty of spice and the tanginess of pickle to set off the subtle potato flavour too. We were both a little confused by the shiitake mushroom rice pudding, a combination of flavours and textures that we weren't huge fans of - but given that we loved five out of the six dishes we tried here, these aren't bad odds!
Eating here was a really fun and flavoursome experience: the presentation of these dishes is fantastic, and the ingredients are innovative, fresh and tasty. If you want to try something different, in a really cool fully vegan setting, you must check this place out. They have gigs most nights too, so buy a ticket in advance or on the door to make a night of it with live music downstairs when you're full of vegan Asian fusion goodness!
Where is your favourite place to get plant-based food in Glasgow? Are there any new places or old favourites that we've missed? Leave us a comment to let us know (and others who might be visiting too!)
Recommendations
This section contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase via one of our links, we may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Where should I stay?
As one of the most popular cities in Scotland, accommodation in Glasgow can be a little expensive if you don't know where to look. But if you're looking for a clean and comfortable guesthouse for a reasonable price, look no further than Hampton Court Guesthouse. Here the rooms offer either private or shared bathroom facilities, and you can add breakfast onto your stay at their 24-hour reception desk too. Or if you're looking for a more social experience, Glasgow Youth Hostel is really highly reviewed, with a cool and convenient location and a choice between private en suite and dorm rooms.
Tours & Experiences
Once you've checked out all the bridges, food, music venues, and incredible architecture in Glasgow there's still loads more to do. Many people use the city as a convenient hub for exploring Scotland more widely: this Scottish Highlands day tour also includes a trip to the Glenfinnan Viaduct, which you might recognise from the Harry Potter films! Or if that's not for you, why not check out Viator's most popular Glasgow trips and tours on the left!
Please note that the tours displayed on the left are automatically selected for their popularity by Viator, not chosen or recommended by us. Please check whether any food or drink based tours are suitable for your dietary requirements, and any animal-based experiences are ethical, before booking!