Ox and Finch

First-rate restaurant doing deliciously inventive small plates and great drinks with excellent service.

The 2019/20 edition of The List's Eating & Drinking Guide is out now – only £5.95 (+p&p).

Ox and Finch opened in 2014 and already feels like an influential mainstay of the Glasgow food scene. Riding a growing trend for small-plate dining, this place was something of an instant hit, and it’s often still hard to score a table in the tasteful tenement corner venue at short notice. Actually the plates here aren’t that small – slow-cooked lamb shoulder brings a generous helping of gently spiced, tender meat sitting on a bed of bulgur and apricots, all dressed with toasted almonds and mint yoghurt, while a special of green pea and harissa hummus with feta comes with a mountain of thick-cut toasted sourdough. With most dishes priced around £8 or £9 and three or four being enough for a couple, it works out at surprisingly good value. There’s an impressive attention to detail here, with everything from complex cocktails to chunky chips made, presented and served with care and style. They’ve even managed to solve the ‘too much at once’ problem of small plates by thoughtfully staggering the arrival of your order. Note the same team’s pan-Asian pop-up, Ka Pao, is slated to open a permanent outlet in Vinnicombe Street around June 2019.

Listed in the Glasgow Larder – order a print copy (free + p&p).