Damasqino Restaurant & Cafe

The name is Damascus in Arabic, the turmeric, saffron and peppers come in from Lebanon, and the whole operation runs out of a 35-seat room on the Saltmarket with a takeaway counter attached.

Why go

Mohammad Bashar Al Haj Ali opened it around 2019 as Glasgow's first Syrian-Lebanese restaurant, cooking both traditions rather than blurring them (Glasgow World). Rosalind Erskine gave it 8 out of 10 and the dishes she singled out are the ones that prove a Levantine kitchen: a moutabal she called "deeply smoky," meaning the aubergine went over flame rather than into an oven, and a hummus Beirutty that "really stood out" for its "kick with spicy green chilis" (The Scotsman). The house serves no alcohol, which keeps the room fast and the bill low.

Order this / avoid

• Order: the mixed mezze to share, then the chicken shawarma, which Erskine found "succulent" and noted "wasn't dry," the failure mode of every vertical spit in the country. Add the hummus Beirutty alongside the plain one so you can taste the difference ref. Finish with the pistachio cake.
• Avoid: loading the table with grills. The mixed grill was £13.50 at review and it is the least interesting thing the kitchen does. Also plan your drinks elsewhere, since there is no bar.

What locals & experts say

• The Scotsman (Rosalind Erskine, 2023), 8/10: the hummus was "smooth and creamy," the fattoush "refreshing," and the moutabal "deeply smoky." ref
• Glasgow World: profiles it as Glasgow's first Syrian-Lebanese restaurant, with spices imported from Lebanon and food made fresh daily. ref
• Accolade, unpinned: the venue's own site states it was "Recognised as the best Lebanese restaurant in scotland 3 times in a row." No awarding body, category or years are given, so treat it as the house claim until one turns up. ref
• Local rec: Jeff's save, his note below. REAL.

Good to know

• Timing: open through the day into the evening, cafe and restaurant in one room. Check the Maps pin for exact hours.
• Booking: tables can be reserved online and the room is small, so book for a group. The takeaway counter is the fast option.
• Getting there: 94 Saltmarket, at the Glasgow Cross end of the city centre, a few minutes from Merchant City and Argyle Street station.

Jeff's take (his words)

• Note: "One of the best Lebanese"

Verdict (Chef Jeff ladder)

could-visit — Solid and specific, and it does one thing well. The Scotsman scored it 8/10 and picked out exactly the dishes that separate a real Levantine kitchen from a kebab counter: a hummus Beirutty with green chilies that 'really stood out', a moutabal that was 'deeply smoky', shawarma that stayed succulent off the spit. Spices come in from Lebanon and the food is made fresh daily in a 35-seat room. It stays at could-visit rather than higher because the only critical review on record is from 2023, the accolade it advertises has no traceable awarding body, and there is no alcohol, which limits what the evening can be.