The Calabash African Restaurant

The Calabash is Glasgow's most established African restaurant, occupying a unit on Union Street a short walk from Glasgow Central. The menu draws from across the continent — South, East, West and Central Africa all represented — with dishes like nyama choma (sizzling grilled lamb), egusi soup, pounded yam and various peri peri preparations. All food is halal. The bar is stocked for a long evening, and live music gives the venue a social energy that distinguishes it from a conventional restaurant experience. The kitchen runs very late, making it an option well into the night. A generous, informal room that functions as both restaurant and entertainment venue, and one of the more distinctive dining propositions in a city-centre stretch otherwise dominated by familiar chains.