The Buttery
The dining room has been serving since 1870, which makes it Glasgow's oldest restaurant, and Harden's 2026 survey scores its ambience 5 out of 5 and its food 2 out of 5.
Why go
Two Fat Ladies took the site over in 2007 and kept the Victorian room intact, which is what people actually come for: dark wood, private rooms and 70 covers of old-time Glasgow dining on a stretch of Argyle Street that lost most of its neighbors. The menu is Franco-Scottish and traditional, venison, beef and fish, with Cullen skink and West Coast scallops the plates that recur in coverage. It carries a certain diplomatic history too. During COP26 in 2021 The Scotsman reported that Barack Obama was believed to have eaten here, with Bill Gates also thought to have dined, which is the summit trade the room is built for. Average spend runs about £82 a head.
Order this / avoid
- Order: the Cullen skink and the West Coast scallops, the Scottish classics the kitchen is known for, with venison as the main-course pick. The Scotsman's COP26 piece lists the same core menu.3
- Avoid: arriving expecting a modern kitchen. Harden's respondents rate the food 2 out of 5 and say plainly that people come here
for the ambience more than the food nowadays.
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What locals & experts say
- Harden's (2026 survey): a
famous Scottish restaurant
with anevocative, traditional interior
and one ofthe city's most historic eateries,
scored food 2/5, service 3/5, ambience 5/5, average price £82.1 - The Scotsman (November 2021): named as the likely COP26 dinner for Barack Obama, with Bill Gates also reported to have eaten there.3
- Local rec: Jeff's save. He has not been, and says why below.
Good to know
- Timing: Tuesday to Sunday, noon to 9pm, closed Mondays except bank holidays, with the last sittings at 9pm.
- Booking: essential. The restaurant says it runs near fully booked week on week, and it holds private rooms for groups.
- Getting there: 652-654 Argyle Street, two minutes from Anderston station, west of the city centre and short of the Finnieston strip.
Jeff's take (his words)
- Note: "Iconic institution for classic Scottish food. Popular with presidents and dignitaries during COP26. I've actually never been with so many other modern places."
Verdict
could-visit — If it's on your way, and go for the room. A Victorian dining room trading since 1870, Glasgow's oldest restaurant, at £82 a head, is a genuine piece of the city's history and Harden's respondents score the ambience a full 5 out of 5. The same survey scores the food 2 out of 5 and says people come 'for the ambience more than the food nowadays', which caps it. Heritage without a kitchen behind it does not earn a detour.