The Western Club Restaurant

Elegant restaurant with smart service and clever cooking, focused on excellent local and seasonal produce.

The 2017 edition of The List's Eating & Drinking Guide is out now – only £5.95 (+p&p).

Local food legend and busy restaurateur Jim Kerr brings his precision and experience to this venture in Royal Exchange Square, overseeing a tight front of house team whose service matches the food in style, panache and skill. A swanky deep grey room replicates the grandeur and drama of the private club that hosts the operation but the restaurant has been open to the public for the last few years. Head chef Kevin O’Neill specialises in combining solid, seasonal fare with lashings of contemporary twists and popping flavours. Starter of smoked rabbit rillettes is rustic and intense, offset with sharp chunks of prune, pickled carrots and silky woodland mushrooms. Main of perfectly cooked fillet of hake comes in a thyme-tinged buttery sauce dotted with fresh mussels, peas and leeks on a bed of seared lettuce, while a pistachio-crumbed loin of pork has a nutty outer and rich juicy inner, perfectly matched with the bouncy flavours of cooked apple and cider jus. A fine wine list, attention to detail and a very reasonably priced market menu help make this a fabulous destination for special occasions, dates or meeting friends for catch-ups.

• High point: Excellent cooking, service and ambience
• Low point: Dual purpose building can be a bit confusing
• Notable dish: Curried skink

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