9 Unique & Delicious Foods to Discover on your Next Trip to Glasgow, Scotland!

The UK, in general, has a bad reputation for their food. It’s sometimes thought to be bland and boring, but I have found nothing of the sort to be true. Especially with so many young chefs coming in with modern ideas coming up in the foodie scene. These chefs are transforming classic, traditional dishes into meals bursting with exciting, new flavours. Scotland might be a small country, but its abundance of lakes, rivers, and fertile soils makes it the perfect place for incredible seafood, delicious meat and hearty vegetables. And Glasgow is one of the best places to come to sample everything the country has to offer!

When the Scandinavians came to Scotland, they brought with them their love of salting and smoking food. When the French came, they brought with them a refined culture of cooking and a love of pastry. All this, along with the native people’s local fruits and veg, created a unique set of culinary combinations! Here are some of the meals you MUST try if travelling to Glasgow and where to find them!

#1. A Scottish Breakfast

A traditional Scottish Breakfast consists of eggs, bacon, tattie scones (made of potatoes), fried mushrooms, grilled tomatoes, baked beans and buttered toast. But the piece de resistance is BLACK PUDDING. Black pudding is a blood sausage made from pork blood and oatmea. But many modern chefs are adding in spices and other extras to give this dish some kick. The Butterfly and the Pig, as well as Stravaign, have incredible Scottish Breakfast options. In addition to this, they have one of the most entrancing atmospheres to enjoy a cuppa along with your breakfast. Be warned, this meal is incredibly filling. But it’s the perfect thing to eat to kick off a day full of exploring!

#2. Macaroni Pie and Chips

There aren’t too many accounts of how this strange creation came to be. But the Scottish have long loved a meat pie. And nothing is better to cure or prevent a hangover than a big bowl of mac and cheese. So it wasn’t a far reach for chefs to start combining these two comfort foods together to create a truly epic meal. Old Salty‘s isn’t your average chip shop. Its modern dining area with exposed stonework is a stylish place to enjoy a freshly made, carb-filled macaroni pie brimming with tangy cheddar cheese.

#3. Cullen Skink

Cullen Skink is a thick Scottish soup made of smoked haddock, potatoes and onions. An authentic Cullen skink will use finnan haddie (a special fish local to Glasgow), but it may be prepared with any other undyed smoked haddock. Bar Gandolfi is a pleasant little cafe in the northern part of the city. Their chairs, tables and overall interior are inspired by the influential Scottish architecture and designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh. It’s the perfect place to curl up with a book (or let us face it, your Instagram feed) and warm up with a bowl of soup.

#4. Black Pudding

Black pudding is a mixture of suet, oats, blood, barley and a special blend of spices. The mixture is then stuffed into a casing and served up like any other sausage. You’ll often find it as a part of a Scottish breakfast, served in B&Bs up and down the countryside. But recently, after being termed a ‘superfood’ by the British National Health Service, it has found its way onto the menus of top-class restaurants. It pairs well with pork, chicken, game and seafood as well as fruits such as pears, apples and rhubarb.

For a traditional approach, check out Cafezique. They serve up black pudding for breakfast. You can get two poached eggs, two sausages, potato scone, toast, beans, two rashers of bacon, tomato, mushroom… and of course black pudding! For a more modern approach, visit Number 16, in the West End. Here Black Pudding is served in a croquette with white onion marmalade and a spiced apple sauce compote.

#5. Cranachan

Cranachan is a simple Scottish dessert comprised of fresh raspberries, whipped cream, honey and toasted oats. For an added punch, put a dram of whisky on top. The Cranachan Cafe is one of the best places to try the dish. Seeing as its named after the dessert, they pride themselves on having the best one in town.

#6. Indian Curries

Scotland the Curry seem to go hand in hand. Ever since British colonies were set up in India, due to the booming spice trade, people have been incorporating curry into their food since the 1700s. Take-away or eat-in, these hot and spicy meals are one of the most popular choices in Glasgow. Mother India is a Glasgow institution. They are no stranger to winning some of the city’s top culinary awards and the original mix of flavours, and fresh ingredients constantly surprise even the most seasoned visitor.

#7. Scotch Pies

A Scotch Pie was perhaps Scotland’s first incarnation of “fast food”. These portable pies have been around for so long their origin story has been lost in the mists of time. There are reports of a variation of the scotch pie being made in Scotland more than 500 years ago. Traditional Scotch pies were made from spiced mutton, and the inexpensive meat could be disguised more aptly in a wrapping of lard pastry. Traditionally, scotch pies were eaten by working-class men on their lunch break, but today you can get delicious pies in bakeries all over Glasgow and even in available in classy restaurants. The Pot Still is one of the best Whiskey bars in Glasgow, serving up hundreds of varieties of the Scottish spirit. Their Scotch pie will only cost you 2 euros and are some of the most flavourful pies in the city.

#8. Scottish Salmon

Everywhere in the world, if you’re looking, you’ll see many fresh-caught salmon will originate from Scotland. Scotland is prime breeding ground for salmons since the water is so fresh. But buying it right from the country itself is the way to try the salmon at its very best. People in Glasgow have been using Salmon in dishes since the dawn of time and had hundreds of years to perfect it. The Fish People Cafe is a new seafood restaurant serving up affordably priced locally sourced seafood. Try the Campsie glen smoked salmon, dill crème Fraiche, pickled cauliflower, sweet apple as an appetizer of their Blackened Cajun salmon fillet, spiced ginger mayo, hand-cut chips for a different take on the traditional dish.

#9. Haggis

Right at the top of our list, is Haggis, perhaps the most famous of any food to come out of Scotland. While it might have a reputation for being repulsive, when cooked properly, this dish can be fantastic. Haggis is Scotland’s national dish and is made of the minced offal of a sheep, pig or cow mixed with suet, onions, oatmeal, spices and seasoning and then boiled in the stomach of the slaughtered. Yeah, it doesn’t sound very appealing. Modern restaurants have begun tinkering with the original recipe, and Ubiquitous Chip has been serving up the same recipes since 1971. Their venison haggis with champit tatties, carrot crisp and neep cream are all traditional Scottish sides and the perfect dish to celebrate everything this country has to offer.