The Guide: Glasgow's Southside

Whether you're looking for the perfect beer garden, live music, a stroll through a beautiful park or picking up something unique from an independent shop; Glasgow's Southside has got you covered. The last few years have seen this part of town growing and becoming bigger and better and it's all the more great for it. Additions such as Black Dove, MalaCarne, Lebowskis and Sunshine No.1 have added a little extra sparkle alongside the old regular haunts of Pollok Park, Young's Interesting Book Shop and Waverley Tea Rooms (to name a few). It was only fitting therefore, that being the Southside girl I am, that I laid out a little guide to the area to give an insight into my favourite places in this little gem of an area in Glasgow. Enjoy!

For Live Music:

The Butterfly & Pig South
1039 Pollokshaws Road. Thebutterflyandthepig.com

Via Butterfly & Pig Southside

Grab the girls/lads and head over to this place and enjoy a night of brilliant live music and a few drinks. It doesn't get much better for live music in Glasgow than this place with a host of regular bands playing.

For Burgers:

Lebowski's Southside

69 Nithsdale Road. Lebowskis.co.uk

Regular readers will recognise this place from my Eating Out Guide: Glasgow post (check it out here). The burger game is strong here and they sell one of my favourite veggie burgers. I'm literally still dreaming about those devil's tats...

The Newcomer:

MalaCarne 

1036 Cathcart Road. Malacarne.co.uk

Having only opened in early May 2017, this cafe is becoming a firm favourite of mine. Featuring a fantastic selection of vegetarian and vegan food it's a welcome addition to the Southside. Trust me when I say, try out the halloumi club sandwich in the above pic and you will not be disappointed. They also stock the fantastic organic juice brand Lemonaid. With a relaxed vibe and great service from Claire and her team, it's a winner. Cannot recommend this gem highly enough.

For Walks Round the Park:

Pollok Country Park

2060 Pollokshaws Road.

Highland cows. Now, I could just leave that as the main reason to go here...but if you need more then how about, Pollok House (an elegant Edwardian country house), The Burrell Collection (note: currently closed for refurb), horses, playparks and a beautiful riverside to sit down and relax at. It was named best park in Europe for a reason! The nearby Bellahouston Park is also worth a trip to with it's beautiful walled gardens.

For Takeaways:

Hooked Fish & Chips

1027 Cathcart Road. Hooked.com

Think mac n cheese balls, halloumi burgers, chips with all manners of seasonings and dips to accompany and from what I hear, some damn fine cod suppers. Simply divine food served here. Another must-try in the area is Lassani Tandoori who do the BEST pizza takeaway (seriously, it's sooo good).

  

For Picnics:

Queens Park

520 Langside Road

Walk around the beautiful pond, glasshouse and surrounding park before setting up at the hill by the bandstand, it's the perfect picnic spot with it's suntrap position overlooking the city. If the sun is out, head over to the Queen's Park Cafe (530 Victoria Road) and grab an ice-cream (they really do serve the best cones here).

For Cocktails

Black Dove

67 Kilmarnock Road

Whether you're looking for the perfect food or drinks date night venue, this is the place to go. Beautiful venue, great atmosphere and mouthwatering food & drink. The drumstick cocktail is one of the best I've ever tasted - it really is that damn good. Head here and try a few cocktails on the list (they are pricey but worth it for a treat night) and sample a few of the dishes on the menu - I highly recommend the breaded halloumi and salted caramel tart!

For Brunch:

Cafe Strange Brew

Pollokshaws Road. Facebook.com/cafestrangebrew

Located in the heart of Shawlands in their new bigger premises (across the road from their old location), rock up to this place at the weekend for one of the best brunches in town.  They do one hell of an almighty fine soup and sandwich deal.  My recommendation would be the halloumi, chilli jam, spring onion and leaves on their bloomer bread: it's spectacular.

For Buying Something Unique:

Sunshine No.1

1043 Cathcart Road. SunshineNo1.co.uk

via Sunshine No.1

Located a short hop across from MalaCarne, this is a fantastic independent store stocking a wealth of unique art, gifts and cards from Scottish designers. Whether it's a gift for someone special or yourself, they've got you covered in here. Look out for their pop up events which include pottery classes and The Eyedresser's wide array of stylish glasses.

For Book Lovers:

Young's Interesting Books
18 Skirving Street. Facebook.com/youngs-interesting-books

via Young's Interesting Books

A Shawlands institution, this book lovers haven is beloved by the locals. A fantastic small bookstore worth a trip to. Keep an eye out for the book launches and events they hold.

One for the History Buffs:

Scotland Street School Museum
225 Scotland Street.

Step inside this Rennie Mackintosh designed building and you'll immediately feel like you've been transported back to the early 1900s. A fantastic insight into school life (and life in general) during this period with lots of rooms to discover, exhibitions and tours: making it a must-see.

For Interiors:

Paper Planes
12 Skirving Street. Facebook.com/Paperplanesshawlands

Fun, quirky interiors and accessories are the aim here and boy do they deliver. A beautiful and unique store to top up your home. They also have a fantastic candle selection and sell great decor for events.

For Beer Garden Fun:

Waverley Tea Rooms
18 Moss-Side Road. Waverleytearoom.co.uk
Grab a pint and head out front to their beer garden terrace. It's the perfect place in the Southside to head to for after-work Friday night drinks. The food also happens to be really good with hearty portions and I'm a big fan of their hazelnut & chocolate tart with tablet ice-cream.

For Pampering:

Relax for the Body & Soul
76 Cumming Drive. Relaxglasgow.co.uk

Best massages in the country. Period.

Special Mention For Food & Drink:

For breakfast, check out TriBeCa Giffnock (they smash it out the park with their pancakes) and Glad Cafe in Shawlands. For lunch, head over to Catch Fish & Chips in Giffnock - their rave reviews aren't for nothing, just check out the amazing mac n cheese I had in the pic above! For a slap up pub grub meal, head over to Clockwork Beer Co (they also brew their own beer onsite) and Church on the Hill.  Frosoulla's is a fantastic Greek restaurant on Sinclair Drive serving up tasty hearty dishes from the Med. Finish off your night at The Shed - an experience you just have to try.

Until next time,
Leanne x