Celebrating festival season in Glasgow

Festival Village in Merchant City has been coined as Glasgow’s best outdoor beer garden. Located in the heart of the city centre, it’s the perfect spot for catching a drink during the festival season. As well as a huge beer garden to relax in, Festival Village also has some impressive murals such as the COP26-inspired one. From boozy slushies to refreshing pints and Scottish handcrafted Smugglers Spirits, Festival Village is the place to relax with a drink this summer en route to festivals. You can expect street food, music and entertainment throughout the whole summer.

Las Iguanas is the home of all things Latin American and offers a wide range of tapas and a happy hour, which is available all day every day. Carry on the festival vibes by transporting yourself into Latin America and indulge in a range of starters and tapas, which are perfect for sharing with friends.

The Tapas Time is the restaurant’s most popular menu as it offers an extensive range of Latin tapas dishes that can be shared with friends or family. There is the option to share three dishes for the price of £18.75 or five dishes for the price of £29.95.

To start off your Latin tapas experience why not enjoy starters such as calamari, Brazilian fried chicken or loaded nachos before choosing from a range of mains inspired by Mexican, Brazilian, Argentinian and Cuban cuisine. From chilli con carne to a Buenos Aires burger, there are plenty of delicious dishes to choose from. When it comes to cocktails transport yourself to a Latin beach with a Pina Colada or Long Island Iced Tea.

Located below Glasgow Central Station, Platform offers a moody, quirky bar and events venue that is perfect for catching up with friends over some iconic street food and a beer. Platform has achieved a Bronze Level Green Tourism award for its dedication to sustainability thanks to the innovative vegware for all takeaway items. Vegware is made from renewable, lower carbon or recycled materials making them perfect for use at a festival. The beer garden offers street food and a wide range of drinks – the perfect location if you are catching a train at the end of the night.

Cottiers is a restored church that boasts a magical restaurant, bar and theatre in the west end of Glasgow in leafy Hyndland. The garden is a perfect spot to enjoy a drink or meal during the festival season on a summer’s evening amidst the lush greenery and buzz of Hyndland road. If the weather isn’t playing ball, the upstairs dining room beckons a cosy space to relax. Cottiers offers a wide selection of food with plates suitable for sharing with friends; crispy calamari boxed baked camembert and glazed baby beetroot salad are some of the popular sharing options on offer. If you’re particularly hungry, we recommend you sink your teeth into a succulent dry-aged 8oz beef burger with black truffle mayo, baby gem, tomato and red onion. The drinks are always flowing at Cottiers with fizz, wine, cocktails and low alcohol alternatives available.

The Winged Ox Bar and Kitchen is within the iconic Saint Luke’s and serves an eclectic range of food that will see you through the festival season. Divine sharers are priced between £5 and £18 and include boneless angel chicken wings, Glasgow’s largest nachos and deep-fried pickles served with ranch sauce. All burgers are served with fries and there are a range of different meats and a vegan burger to suit all tastebuds. The ‘boat load of fries’ is another sharing option with crispy onion, buffalo and blue cheese or cajun and sour cream proving to be very popular. If you’re looking for something more substantial, then why not try the homemade mac and cheese loaded with buffalo chicken and crispy onions? Alternatively, try the grilled Caesar salad topped with crispy bacon and parmesan.

In keeping with the Saint Luke’s theme, the ‘ten commandments’ drinks menu offers an extensive range of boozy cocktails with quirky names. Geez, a Winch in true Glasgow style includes Finlandia, St Germain elderflower liqueur, strawberry puree, lemon and Prosecco, while the Baptist’s Boulevardier is infused with Woodford reserve, Campari, Antica formula and orange bitters.