Amber Regent
West Regent Street
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The Amber Regent is an authenic Cantonese restaurant, and is one of the
best restaurants I have ever been fortunate enough to eat in. This is
definitely one of my all-time favourites and is worth a visit.
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Yes
West Nile Street
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Yes is a smart looking restaurant that serves
slightly nouvelle food. The menu consists of around ten dishes, which will
suit most tastes. The food and wine are both excellent, the only fault I
have is that I somehow can't help looking for barcodes on the furniture -
it's rather like sitting in Ikea! Set price for either two or three courses
(some dishes have a suplimental charge).
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Cafe Gandolfi
Albion Street
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Cafe Gandolfi offers a similar menu to Yes, but
with a slightly Scottish twist. Excellent food and wine, but a little bit of
a walk from the center of the city.
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Cafe Rouge
Italian Center
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Another excellent member of the Cafe Rouge chain
of French restaurants. The Italian Center is worth a visit and Cafe Rouge
looks out into the middle of it. A very pleasant meal, served by a pleasant
owner for a pleasantly surprising price.
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Cha
Miller Street
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A fairly new restauant is Cha, which opened in
August 1998, and offers a similar menu to Yes and Cafe Gandolfi, but is a
little pricier. If you go early, there is a pre-theatre menu which offers
great value. The food and service were excellent. Around 18 GBP for two
courses and a glass of wine.
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Glasgow Thistle
Cambridge Street
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The Glasgow Thistle is like Thistle Hotels
everywhere and offers a welcoming stay towards the center of town. Rooms
come with satellite TV and all mod cons. If you manage a "Double" room you
might like to ask for a map to find your way around it - they are pretty
spacious. Breakfast offers quite a choice, though well stocked, the cooked
breakfast is sadly a pre-cooked afair. Pleasant staff and reliable Taxi
ordering service makes it a nice place to stay.
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Glasgow Marriott
Argyll Street
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If you've stayed in a Marriott anywhere in the world,
then you'll know what to expect and the Glasgow Marriott is no exception.
Rooms are well featured, though feel a little smaller than they are owing to the
King Size bed. The Marriott has a pool, sauna and gym which are free to hotel
guests. Slightly let down by location, poor service and luke-warm pre-cooked
breakfast, which could be better for the price! Hopefully this will improve when
the refurbishments to the breakfast bar are finished later this year - it promises
a Mediteranean feel - lets hope the Glasgow weather doesn't spoil the effect!
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Waterstones
Sauchiehall Street
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This is one of the largest Waterstones I have
ever visited and offers a lot more than books. On the top floor you will find
an Inernet Cafe for 2.50 GBP per half hour and a coffee shop in the basment. A
useful touch is their computerised book search facility which you can operate
yourself. A nice place on a cold wet evening, as it stays open till about 10pm.
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Borders
Buchanan Street
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Borders is an international chain of bookstores and
offers a similarly large choice of books to Waterstones. Also on offer are CDs,
stationary and a comprehensive selection of magazines, including a good many US
imports which are not easy to get hold of. The first floor coffee shop overlooks
the ground floor and offers a nice place to eat, drink and read.
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The Old Printworks
Off George Square
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Pubs are not often my scene when travelling alone, but
The Old Printworks off George Square offers proper Hoegaarden in proper
Hoegaarden glasses. A good selection of other beers and food is also on offer.
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ComCal
11 Bath Street
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There seems to be a lack of decent computer shops in the
city center (PC World is out a bit), so I was very pleased when ComCal
saved my life with a cable I needed.
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Getting about...
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The main means of
transportation is by Taxi, which are the usually London style black cab and can
be hailed easily in the street or picked up from one of the numerous taxi
ranks.
Glasgow has an International
Airport, which is well provided for by special airport taxis, though if it's
raining, you'll get a bit damp hopping from the covered walkway to the them.
There is also a pretty good train
system, but I haven't had the chance to ride it.
The city center area is pretty
walkable, though there are a few areas to steer clear of late a night.
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