I eat, therefore I am

I was tagged a little while ago by the Good Woman and I have to share with you my 5 favourite eateries in Glasgow. I do love my food (it shows!) and it should not be too difficult to name a few of my favourite places ...

1. Brel on Ashton Lane: I love the atmosphere of the place, sitting in the back, in the "conservatory" on a sunny day. Being a Belgian pub, they obviously serve "moules-frites" in pots or platters. They have quite a selection of recipes, the classic garlic and wine of course, but some more original variations too, so you can come back time and again to try them all! They also have my other half's personal favourite : merguez sausages. OK, not a Belgian speciality by any means but there are hard enough to find that it's acceptable to have them out of context! Mussels, chips and a nice Belgian beer, I know worst ways of spending a sunday afternoon ...

Mussels and seafood fans should also visit Mussel Inn on Hope Street!

2. For a special treat or special occasions, we like to go to Gamba, on West George Street, arguably the best fish restaurant in Glasgow, close second in my opinion being The Tw0 Fat Ladies on Dumbarton Road. Despite being quite expensive - for my budget anyway! - I find it is not too pretentious and we always have a very pleasant evening.

3. I have a fondness for Thai food and my favourite choice would be Thai Lemongrass Restaurant, on Renfrew Street. The decor is fabulous, the waitresses wear traditional dresses and always have large smiles on their faces, which is a lot more pleasant than being served by a sulking scottish teenager. And of course the food is fantastic. The evening meal is a bit expensive but they have a very reasonnably priced lunch menu. So much so that it has now become a regular fixture for my work lunches on a Friday!

4. For Italian, we like to go to Pizza Express on Queen Street. Yes I know it is a chain and a money making machine but I like their pizzas and that's good enough for me! We always go there with my other's half family and they are always brilliant with the kids as well ...

A slightly more upmarket Italian restaurant that I adore is La Parmigiana on Great Western Road, a real family run restaurant, award winner many times over and a firm favourite of Glasgow's Italian community. And they even share some of their recipes on their website ... never tastes the same at home though ...

5. And last but not least, the best place for a cheese-craving froggie like me: The Cheese Bar and Deli, on Otago Street. They serve fondues, cheese plates and a lot of mouth watering cheese dishes. Heavenly! But for non cheese enthusiasts, they also have a good selection of non cheesy dishes and the fresh fruit and chocolate fondue is a must for dessert!

That's it, I think that was more than 5 but I hope you enjoy eating there as much as I do! I feel hungry now and it's only the middle of the afternoon ....