Ka Pao.

Ka Pao

Ka Pao cooks Southeast Asian sharing plates in the basement of the Botanic Gardens Garage, a Category A-listed 1912 motor garage saved from demolition by a local campaign, and has held a Michelin Bib Gourmand every guide year since 2022.

Why go

This is the Scoop group's second act after Ox and Finch: same laid-back economics, different flavor register. Chef director Sandy Browning has run the kitchen since it was a residency in SWG3's Acid Bar, before the January 2020 opening (VisitGlasgow), and his plates put Thai and wider Southeast Asian seasoning to work on local produce. The Good Food Guide's verdict carries the essentials: unapologetically bold, in-your-face food that certainly hits that addictive sweet spot (GFG). All three Scoop rooms in Glasgow (Ox and Finch, Ka Pao, Margo) hold Bibs in the 2026 guide.

Order this / avoid

• Order: the corn ribs with salted coconut, dried shrimp and lime, a top shout per the Good Food Guide, whose reviewer calls the sticky fried chicken with spicy caramel my death row meal; the roasted cauliflower curry with crispy potato and ajat pickle for the vegetable-first crowd; hispi cabbage with cashew nut butter and house sriracha.
• Avoid: lingering starts on a full night; tables turn on a clock. If you have the choice of branch, take Glasgow; Jay Rayner praised the food in Edinburgh and spent the rest of the review mourning the setting.

What locals & experts say

• Michelin Guide UK (2026), Bib Gourmand: fun, buzzy basement restaurant situated in a former garage dating back to the 1900s, with colourful sharing plates ranging from corn ribs to penang curry.1
• The Good Food Guide: unapologetically bold, in-your-face food that certainly hits that addictive sweet spot.2
• The Scotsman (Gaby Soutar, 4 March 2020), the only bylined review of this address, written two months after it opened. On the hispi cabbage with cashew nut butter and sriracha: They're not shy here. This dish was just on the right side of revolting. She called the corn ribs a clever idea and the bone marrow and shiitake fried rice macho and salty, musky and feral. The Scotsman's scored template gave the room 8.5/10 for ambience.5
• Harden's survey, filed to the Vinicombe Street postcode across four editions: The cooking is always reliably interesting, with stunning small plates and creative ideas, and the through-line that Southeast Asian flavours meet Scottish ingredients.6
• The Observer (Jay Rayner, 2022), reviewing the Edinburgh branch, not this one. He called that food amazingly appetising and then used this room as the comparison: the Glasgow original occupies a dreamy art deco building, which is so gorgeous it was saved from demolition by a feverish local campaign. Only the second line is about Vinicombe Street.3

Good to know

• Timing: lunch and dinner daily; exact hours on Maps, and the express lunch is the cheap route in when running.
• Booking: recommended for dinner and groups; the basement holds walk-in space.
• Where: Vinicombe Street off Byres Road, two minutes from Hillhead subway; pairs with a Botanic Gardens walk.

Jeff's take (his words)

• His review (Jeff, first-hand, 4 stars, 11 September 2026): "ka pao was 5* in 2020; but the decay function there is real; it's now 4* and lost its edge."
• His review (Jeff, first-hand, 5 stars, 28 January 2020): "A modern small plates restaurant inspired by Southeast Asian cuisine with a Scottish twist. The tasty fried chicken with spicy caramel is a tasty and irresistible example. The food is solidly delicious with the sea trout and chicken curries both being delicious with balanced heat levels. The atmosphere is upscale casual in the vein of Ox and Finch. It is a large space great for groups, for lunch or dinner. It has something for everyone with great vegan and gluten free options. A few minor details of seasoning could be tightened up a bit as the kitchen settles in. I will also note that the prices are a wee bit higher than the pop-up, which I lament because it used to be incredible value (skate wing went from 8.50 to 11). Overall, it has delicious food, I recommend it. I look forward to returning, if I can get a table."
• Note: "Michelin bib"
• Google review, January 2020 (five stars): written in the room's opening month: "The tasty fried chicken with spicy caramel is a tasty and irresistible example... It is a large space great for groups, for lunch or dinner. It has something for everyone with great vegan and gluten free options."
• Same review, his gripe: the jump from the pop-up pricing. "the prices are a wee bit higher than the pop-up, which I lament because it used to be incredible value (skate wing went from 8.50 to 11)." The seasoning note he added, "a few minor details of seasoning could be tightened up a bit as the kitchen settles in," was written in the opening month and nothing since has been said about it.

Verdict

must-visit — Plan around it. Jeff (first-hand, 2026-07-30) rates it above 111 by Modou: bold Southeast Asian flavor at volume, sharing-plate format, wok and grill heat you can taste, and priced for a normal night out.