The 5 best bars and restaurants near Blackfriars for a pre-show bite
What’s the one thing better than belly-laughter? Full-belly laughter. To survive a night of sidesplitting stand-up at Stuart Mitchel’s Comedy Club, you’ll need to be fuelled with proper pub-grub.
Head to Blackfriars of Bell Street (directly above our basement room) for crowd-pleasers like salt & chilli chicken, washed down with a pleasantly-priced pint. Or, head 2 minutes away to Mharsanta for some proper Scottish cuisine (haggis and tatties, anyone?)
If you fancy something flavourful, you’ll find Obsession of India serving up Eastern dishes like curries, Dhansac and finger food appetisers.
Hearing the faint sound of jazz? That’ll be Avant Garde, where you can enjoy dinner and some pre-show music before it’s time to settle in. For comedy you won’t forget (and food you’re sure to enjoy), check out our list of the best restaurants near Blackfriars Glasgow.
1. Blackfriars of Bell Street
It’d be a crime not to put the Blackfriars of Bell Street at the top of our list. This iconic Merchant City pub feels purpose-built for a pre-show bite.
Fuel up for one of our daytime shows, and taste towering burgers, loaded fries, mac ’n’ cheese, fish and chips and hearty sandwiches (plus lighter plates like nachos and potato skins if you just want something to graze on with your pint).
This kitchen is big on unfussy European-style comfort food. By night, the bar is just as strong: pick from a rotating line-up of cask ales and craft beers, good wines and whiskies, and quality pours from around the world.
The best bit? When it’s time for the show, you’re already in the very building that hosts some of the city’s sharpest stand-up.
Address: 36 Bell St, Glasgow G1 1LG
2. Mharsanta
A few doors along is Mharsanta, the place to go when you want Scottish pub grub served up right.
The restaurant, which is just a 1-minute walk away, champions seasonal, locally sourced produce and serves it up as hearty, home-cooked comfort food (exactly the kind that lines your stomach nicely before a night of laughing yourself silly).
When you want a whistle-stop tour of Scotland (on a board), their Scottish tasting platters (loaded with haggis croquettes, smoked salmon, mini fish and chips and finished with traditional cranachan) will not disappoint.
Dessert is worth budgeting time for: cranachan, sticky toffee pudding, warm apple pie and Scottish honey cheesecake all make an appearance. Plus, there are solid veggie, vegan and gluten-free options throughout the menu, so everyone’s sorted.
How close to our comedy club? – A 1-minute walk.
3. Obsession of India
Obsession of India was crowned Best Asian Restaurant for West Central Scotland at the Asian Curry Awards, and the Indian eatery more than lives up to its award-winning reputation.
On the menu you’ll find all the comforting classics: kormas, South Indian garlic chillies, rich lamb Rogan josh, tandoori chicken and fragrant biryanis, alongside crisp pakoras, samosas and poppadoms with chutneys for nibbling while you chat.
Looking for a safe bet for groups with mixed dining requirements? Obsession of India has an excellent selection of vegetarian and vegan options (most dishes can be made plant-based on request), plus clearly marked gluten-free choices.
Service is quick enough that you can happily fit in a couple of courses and still have time to wander the 3-minute walk towards Bell Street.
How close to our comedy club? – A 3-minute walk.
4. Avant Garde
There’s no denying that dinner feels a little classier when you’re listening to live music. So, take the 4-minute walk to Avant Garde, a family-run music bar and restaurant that has been part of Merchant City since 2012.
The kitchen leans heavily towards Mediterranean food with a strong, Greek influence: halloumi fries drizzled with lemony honey, keftedakia meatballs with tzatziki, calamari, and olives with feta to start things off.
Scour the menu for mains like steak pie and breaded haddock, alongside moussaka, chicken or pork souvlaki with pitta and tzatziki: here, everyone at the table can find something that hits the spot before the lights go down.
Enjoy a tune or two (courtesy of the restaurant’s regular ceilidhs), then stroll round the corner to see what sort of mischief Stuart Mitchell and company are getting up to beneath Blackfriars.
How close to our comedy club? – A 4-minute walk.
5. Babbity Bowster
As the restaurants near Blackfriars, Glasgow go, Babbity Bowster is one of the longest standing.
Set in a converted 18th-century tobacco merchant’s house on Blackfriars Street, Babbity Bowster has been watching over Merchant City as early as 1985. The pub-restaurant-hotel is a Merchant City Gem that has certainly earned its title.
In the bar and upstairs restaurant, you’ll find an exciting mix of traditional Scottish dishes and bistro-style favourites: Cullen skink, haggis, and hearty meat pies next to chicken Caesar salads, Thai chicken curries and fully-loaded nachos.
If you’re lucky, you’ll catch one of the restaurant’s famous live folk sessions, where fiddles and bodhráns power through jigs for hours. With a clear plate, it’s just a 3-minute walk from Babbity Bowster to Bell Street.
How close to our comedy club? – A 3-minute walk.
Head to Stuart Mitchell’s Comedy Club for your next late night in Glasgow!
Feeling peckish? Don’t forget to fill up on laughter when you’re in the area. At Stuart Mitchell Comedy Club, we host a range of comedy nights in the afternoons and evenings (plus plenty of gift vouchers you can save for date nights or time off with friends!)
For sharp, observational stand-up and carefully curated line-ups, visit Stuart Mitchell Comedy Club today.
