Best of Glasgow: Partick bar and restaurant on Dumbarton Road added to the Michelin Guide

A neighbourhood bar and restaurant in Partick with Malaysian inspired dishes and innovative cocktails has been added to the Michelin Guide. It joins other local venues like Stravaigin, Brett, The Gannet and Number 16 in the recommendation section of the prestigious guide. Cail Bruich on Great Western Road and Kelvingrove’s Unalome by Graeme Cheevers currently hold One Michelin Star distinctions.

The Michelin inspectors said: “Glasgow’s Malaysian food enthusiasts should rejoice at the arrival of a new restaurant from Julie Lin – who was behind the much-missed Julie’s Kopitiam and whose culinary journey was inspired by her mother.

"Partick is the lucky neighbourhood this time around, with GaGa located in a larger, more vibrant premises than its predecessor. The locals are clearly loving the place, flocking in for the fresh-tasting, intensely flavoured dishes. The pricing, on drinks and food, points to the restaurant’s real generosity of spirit.”

GaGa, which opened on Dumbarton Road in Glasgow’s west end in 2022, is led by chef Julie Lin and the team behind The Thornwood bar.

The Michelin Guide recommendation says: “After closing Julie's Kopitiam on the south side of the city, Chef Julie Lin relocated over to these larger premises in the suburb of Partick. One side is a former butcher’s shop with the original glazed tiles on the walls, whilst the other is more rustic with colourful pot plants dotted around.

“Grab one of the booths if you can and start with a cocktail, then dive right into the menu of vibrantly flavoured, Malaysian-inspired dishes – the fried chicken with Sichuan hot sauce and orange zest is a highlight. Lively, delicious and great value, this has all the ingredients for a fun night out.”

In November, five Scottish restaurants were added to the Michelin Guide: GaGa in Glasgow, Ardfern in Leith, Mingary Castle in Kilchoan, Sotto in Edinburgh and The Dining Room at Boath House in Nairn.

The Scotsman review of GaGa says: “Gaga is a collaboration between chef Julie Lin, and Marc Ferrier and Ken Hamilton of nearby institution The Thornwood plus Ken’s son Fraser Hamilton who ran cocktail bar Sweet Liberty on Miami Beach, which was named one of the world's top 50 bars in 2018.

“The restaurant offers a Southeast Asian menu drawn up by Julie Lin, which draws on the in-depth knowledge of authentic recipes she learned from her Malaysian mother.

“It’s lovely to see GaGa continue to thrive, it’s hard to imagine it not being part of Glasgow’s West End culinary scene.”

Glasgow chef Julie Lin recently appeared on an American Netflix show which championed the food and drink scene here in the city.

The show, Somebody Feed Phil, is hosted by the creator of hit comedy show Everybody Loves Raymond, Phil Rosenthal, as he travels the world trying food and drink in some of the worlds best restaurants.

You can read about our most recent visit to GaGa here.

GaGa Kitchen and Bar, 566 Dumbarton Road, Partick, Glasgow, G11 6RH