Five March
Joanna Nethery bought into her first bar at 19 while studying politics, and the restaurant she opened with Kevin Small in 2018 on a quiet Charing Cross corner now sits on Condé Nast Traveller's list of Glasgow's best places to eat.
Why go
Nethery and Small came out of the Admiral Bar and Finnieston's Distill, and it shows in the running order: sharing plates that borrow from anywhere (gochujang, sambal, satay), cocktails treated as seriously as the food, organic wine (The Scotsman). Executive chef David Cleary ran the kitchen at the Hanoi Bike Shop before this one, and the menu changes so often that regulars treat repeat visits as different restaurants. The formula travels: a Shawlands dining room with Phillies is in the works and Asu by Five March opened in Leith in July 2026 (SLTN).
Order this / avoid
- Order: the sweetheart cabbage with gochujang, a fixture Condé Nast Traveller's listers single out3; the fried chicken with satay mayo,
moist and crisp
in the Scotsman's review, and the Five March fried spuds, whichwere a triumph
1. Banana cake with sesame ice cream to close. - Avoid: planning around any one dish; the menu turns over constantly, so order the vegetable plates you see and trust the kitchen.
What locals & experts say
- The Scotsman (Rosalind Erskine):
With its imaginative dishes and creative cocktails, it's easy to see why Five March gets lauded so often.
1 - Scottish Field:
one of the best restaurants I have tried in the city.
2 - Condé Nast Traveller: a fixture of its best-restaurants-in-Glasgow list.3
Good to know
- Timing: Tuesday from 5pm (dinner only); Wednesday to Saturday noon to 11pm; closed Sunday and Monday per current listings, though some show weekend brunch, so check Maps.
- Booking: recommended, especially for groups; 0141 573 1400 or the website. The room handles groups better than most of this list.
- Where: Elderslie Street by Kelvingrove Park, a 10-minute walk from the Finnieston strip.
Jeff's take (his words)
- His review (Jeff, first-hand, 5 stars, 25 October 2018): "One of my favorite foodie places in Glasgow. The food is modern Scottish small plates with a global influence. The cocktails are inventive and full of flavor. The atmosphere is casual. We sampled most of the menu as part of a birthday dinner. The vegetarian dishes were the surprise favorites. Check it out for yourself!"
- The verdict: "One of Jeff's favourite places. Creative international small plates. Good for groups. Good value and tasty food. Worth the trek."
- Google review, October 2018 (five stars): "One of my favorite foodie places in Glasgow. The food is modern Scottish small plates with a global influence. The cocktails are inventive and full of flavor." He sampled most of the menu at a birthday dinner, and the ordering steer is his: "The vegetarian dishes were the surprise favorites."
Verdict
must-visit — Plan around it. Jeff (first-hand, 2026-07-30) says the previous ruling underrated it. A small-plates kitchen changing with the seasons, big flavor from a tiny pass, and the kind of unfussy room that is the Glasgow default send rather than an occasion.