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hand picked restaurants

Ever since it opened in 1990 Mother India in Westminster Terrace has done Indian cuisine proud with its commitment to quality by using the best local produce, fresh herbs and carefully selected whole spices. Spread over three floors, each with its own distinctive ambience, there's the cosy bar with a street view, an elegant space with rich wood panelling and something more intimate for a romantic dinner.

Experienced chefs in the kitchen, many of whom have honed their skills in the subcontinent, create a range of specialities full of freshness and flavour showcasing their abundant creativity. This becomes evident with delicious starters of rice pancake stuffed with prawn and crab meat and garnished with ginger pickle, oven baked spiced haddock with roasted tomatoes, fish pakora with ginger and green chilli and mushrooms stuffed with fenugreek butter.

The main course could include your standard curry choice or you could consider going with king prawn and monkfish with ginger and dill, haddock with Puy lentils and lemon, baked halibut with chickpeas and fennel, poached chicken with mixed spiced vegetables or cottage cheese with mushroom, shallots and tomato. For an early evening meal sample such dishes as chicken pakora, aubergine fritters, lamb in a rich garlic and mushroom sauce and chicken cooked in a creamy sauce.

Desserts of traditional kulfi ice cream and syrupy sweet gulab jamun promise a sweet ending to the meal. A well selected takeaway menu offers patrons the convenience of eating in the comfort of their home or office.

Café Mao is one of a chain whose success depends upon what they describe as "blending the exotic tastes of the Orient with the diverse flavours of the Far East creating a highly individual and fresh style of cuisine." Their success in doing this appears to be not inconsiderable. A location in the merchant city, bright, cheerful décor and attentive staff all helps.

A typical menu might be wok-fried chilli squid, Kumera cakes with chilli jam and yoghurt, five spice chicken with crispy noodles, sweet chilli and lemongrass tiger prawns. Materials have a freshness about them that survives the cooking process and all meals are cooked to order. Mao seems to represent a new approach to the question of fusion cooking and is much to be welcomed.

Cafezique fits well into the culinary map of Glasgow, akin to delizique, the well-known delicatessen next door, run by the same owner. The décor is relatively minimalist and the small dining area makes for a communal experience, albeit of a glamorous kind, considering the well-heeled crowd who are drawn to this place.

But it's the cooking that steals the show, and the sourcing of ingredients is taken seriously here, whether it's the sea trout with buttered Jersey Royal potatoes, green beans and wilted sea kale, or the asparagus and goats' cheese tart. Everything is made from scratch, and that includes even their bread in the aforementioned deli, and mussels in white wine and garlic cream and razor clams are equally delightful. For those delectable moments there's always a fig and plum frangipane tart, and apple crumble with vanilla custard.

Breakfast time treats at Cafezique like eggs Benedict and pain au chocolat are not to be missed either.

Cul de Sac is a great favourite with students, who often drop in for a nightcap and chat after an evening at the cinema or possibly even studying.

If you are looking for a quite romantic supper and you are under 25 this is probably not for you. The restaurant is separate from the DJ and more cacophonous areas, but not overmuch.

Situated in the heart of Glasgow and a convenient venue for any occasion, Molly Malones is an Irish pub that offers a full café menu by day and a great live entertainment by night. With its roots firmly entrenched in European tradition, the pub is an ode to good food, fine dining and great entertainment. It offers a wide range of delectable fare, sourced locally and involves the use of good quality ingredients that retain their flavour and texture.

A section of the menu is designed for easy eating with breaded mushroom's, nachos and bruschetta for casual snacking while heavier options like Molly's mussels, steak and Guinness sausages and Irish cheddar macaroni are ideal for a one-course, but filling meal.

With a range of desserts, including delectable puddings, cakes and brownies and a rich wine list with some of the finest champagnes, spirits and liqueurs, this is one place that is difficult to resist.