Restaurants seem to be a pretty normal, somewhat not noticeable part of most people's life. As if they just exist in our surroundings, but they just make a city look like one. Most of us don’t even step our leg in half of them. We have one or two that we love and continuously return to, making us regulars and creating a relationship with the staff and owners there, creating us a position to be able to call ourselves regulars. It’s the everyday small things that make us feel special. Special treatment, a sense of acknowledgement that we exist and we are noticed. The staff know us by name, our order and exactly how many sugars we like in our coffee.

One day when waiting in the car in front of a pub where I went on a first date with the love of my life, I realised that there are three locations that play a significant role in our relationship. There is some sort of intimacy and fondness towards them, as if them being the proof that those important moments in life have happened. And without them existing, they wouldn’t have.

BRETT Restaurant, 321 Great Western Rd, Glasgow G4 9HR, United Kingdom

I used to live just a stone's throw away from Brett, back then being the coolest natural wine bar in Glasgow. My friends used to live just above the bar and we often went there for a glass or two. I probably also had my best bottle of Syrah from there once upon a time, which name I forgot and have never been found after that. Throughout the years, the place changed a lot and especially within the last year, but for the time being when I was able to go in just for a glass of natty wine or a glass of beautifully rich negroni, I found myself thinking that their restaurant manager was cute. Sometimes my visit was just accompanied with a glass of Gut Oggau, other times with a XO Mushroom Linguini, beautifully umami with freshly made spaghetti.
Six months later Brett became a restaurant that seemingly secured a date for me with the man who I am now sharing a home with.

THE BELLE, 617 Great Western Rd, Glasgow G12 8HX, United Kingdom

Just down the road from Brett Restaurant (or up, depending on the direction you are walking), is a beautiful and old pub/bar called The Belle, which I often add to my recommendation list for those who want to wander around Glasgow West End through food and drink. As I am writing it now, I realise that we didn’t move much around the town when choosing our nights out.

The Belle is a cosy pub by the Great Western Rd, which is to my knowledge one of few pubs that still light up a real fireplace in the winter months, which make 9-months a year in Scotland. Pouring a beautiful glass of Guinness, with a short but sweet wine list and all classic cocktails made well, our first date was set to take place in The Belle on the first day of December, a few years back now. Belle being typically busy on the evenings from Thursday to Sunday, it was even more packed on the day because of the warm firewood and cosy, dimmed lights in there.

Lucky we were able to grab a seat in a busy bar, was seen as a sign where we quickly moved from the original plan to share just a glass of wine together, to a bottle of Malbec, to a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon and after 6-hours of talking, it was time to leave the Belle, just to be able to return back every time after the first with a changed way of seeing the pub.

CRABSHAKK BOTANICS, 18 Vinicombe St, Glasgow G12 8BE, United Kingdom

Crabshakk is easily one of the best restaurants in Glasgow and I would have given the same answer even before having our first real date there, as we like to call it. You know - the first real date, where you already know that you have had your last first-date in your life.

Located again around the corner from The Belle, Crabshakk is a beautiful seafood restaurant with a well thought out layout, where long mirrors located on the left-side walls makes the space visually look half-times as big as it actually is.
Therefore - as if in any restaurant, my favourite seat is the bar seat and if you recognise that as well as the preferred location, let me tell you - you are down to a treat in Crabshakk as their semi-open kitchen is easily followable, allowing you to see their well-functioning kitchen.

The way to do Crabshakk right, is to order their large portion of Scallops with Anchovy Butter & Sage with a skinny fries on side. And when they arrive at your table, you start adding a handful of fries at the same time to the butter, letting them soak in the butter as you are diving into your scallops. And before you finish, you are unsure which was better - the scallops or the fries. Take note to keep your arms somewhat safe around hot cast iron skillet they are arriving at your table to, unless you are on a first date with the man you love and you would like to get a burning scar from scallops to your arms, because if you do, I promise it will become one of your dearest scars on your body.