Metropolitan

The 2013 edition of The List's Eating & Drinking Guide is out now – only £5.95 (+p&p).

This review is taken from the current (2013) edition.

The downstairs bar at Metropolitan has been on the city’s 'places to be seen' list since it opened in 2002 and still caters to a highly coiffed, middle-aged Glasgow crowd. The upstairs restaurant is a suitably swish, glam and surprisingly huge. The contemporary furnishings are set against a sandstone backdrop, with some tables on a balcony looking out at the twinkly lights and cobbled paving of Merchant Square, and others in the glammed-up white champagne bar or in the luxurious booths of the main bar area. By day, the chicken pie may sound humble but comes with an airship-shaped piece of light, flaky puff pastry and a dish of lush, buttery potatoes and green beans. The menu goes up-market and inventive for evenings, with dishes such as roast guineau fowl breast with confit leg and a potato and bacon terrine, or a starter of earthy mushroom cassoulet balanced by a creamy mustard sauce. A suitably alluring selection of cocktails complement the people-watching from the restaurant balcony, especially during weekends when the square can be bustling. But be warned: on quiet nights the atmosphere can be inert.

• High point: Merchant Square atmosphere
• Low point: Designer-label crowd can be unfriendly