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For almost eight years, Ayrshire born Brian Maule was head chef at the world famous Michelin star London restaurant, Le Gavroche. In June 2002, with the full backing of le Gavroche's Roux dynasty, Brian fulfilled a lifelong ambition of opening his own restaurant in Glasgow, bringing with him an international reputation for preparing some of the best food in Europe. Brian Maule at Chardon d'Or is an elegant fine dining restaurant, perfect for those special occasions when nothing but the best will do.

Menus are very much French inspired, and set menus provide extra value for money A lunch menu could offer a terrine of chicken and chorizo with pesto dressing or grilled mackerel with cucumber, cous-cous and white wine butter sauce; then Coley fillets with courgette provencale and pomme cocotte or pan fried beef medallions with roast beetroot and green beans. Finally tart tatin of apple with vanilla ice cream, butterscotch sauce or creamed rice pudding with caramelized apples or lemon tart with raspberry coulis to finish.

Originally built for Lady Dowager of Torrance Castle, the Macdonald Crutherland House Hotel sits proudly amongst 37 acres of lush greenery - truly a relaxing sight for sore eyes who’ve travelled from the hustle and bustle of Glasgow, Edinburgh or even south of the border. The hotel is also home to a quietly classy and elegant 2 AA Rosette awarded restaurant, allowing guests to focus on the wonderful Scottish cooking on offer.

A lightness of touch and innovation shines through the seasonal menu, so expect to find starters of mackerel rillette with soft quail’s egg and Parmesan tuile, or twice baked Drumlock cheddar soufflé. Main courses include confit Gressingham duck leg with bubble and squeak, carrot puree and onion relish, and North Sea cod wrapped in pancetta..Meat lovers will rejoice at the sight of a well hung Scottish rib steak on the bone, and rack of Scottish lamb cutlets. Great attention is paid to the wine list that features a good number available by the glass and half bottle.

On a sunny afternoon guests can enjoy a pot of tea at the terrace of the cocktail bar and lounge, or sip on a refreshing cocktail in the evening.

The lively La Tasca chain caters for parties, children's events and family gatherings in addition to anytime dining. These restaurants capture well the warm and vibrant spirit of Spain, and are best known for their tapas and traditional paellas.

Their star player is tapas, which can be had solo or in tandem with a meal. The calamares andaluza, deep-fried squid rings, served with roasted garlic mayonnaise and lemon, is great for sharing, while the chorizo frito al vino, spicy Spanish sausage flavoured with paprika, garlic and herbs, sautéed in red wine, offers a real treat. Chicken lovers order alitas de pollo, marinated chicken wings, or have skewers of chicken breast and pepper, marinated in paprika.

Valenciana is an interesting paella that combines seafood with chicken, and if you have a taste for trivia, you may be surprised to learn that 'la paella' actually refers to the utensil in which the dish is cooked.

Other than liqueurs and beer, there are wines from Spanish vineyards and sparkling cava. All of these, especially the dry rosé wines combine well with tapas. And you would be really getting into the spirit of things if you rounded off with the crema Catalana, traditional Spanish-style vanilla custard, topped with caramelised sugar.

La Tasca Spanish Tapas Restaurants and Bars today have over sixty outlets across the UK, so it is odds on there is a branch fairly close to your home.

Quirky and quaint somehow falls short of covering it, but it's as close as you can get to describe The Butterfly and The Pig, in Glasgow. To be fair, there might not be an exact word that captures the appeal of this restaurant, which is cheerfully careless about being a proper business, as it concentrates more on being a delightful gathering place for friends looking for a good time with delicious food and drink. Colourful clutter and mismatched cutlery create a mad hatterish feel, in keeping with the atmosphere.

The menu is guaranteed to make you smile with just the description of dishes, and you can typically expect to see black pudding with salad, apples, bacon and parmesan and battered pollock with chips, mushy peas and tartar sauce. There are quite a few options for vegetarians while their burgers are renowned too and desserts of course are tempting. The wine list mostly offers choices from Europe with a few New World selections thrown in.