Discover Local Glasgow: What to Do Around Mercure Glasgow

At Mercure, we believe you shouldn't need a guidebook to feel like you belong somewhere. That's the idea behind Discover Local: since 1973, every Mercure hotel has been built around its neighbourhood, not just dropped into it — from the décor on the walls to the flavours on the menu. Step into any Mercure and our teams are on hand with the kind of tips you won't find in a guidebook: the market stall locals queue for, the bar where nobody speaks English, the walk that skips the crowds. They live here. They know. Discover Local isn't a generic city guide — it's a short, honest list of the restaurants, markets and neighbourhoods our own hotel teams actually recommend to guests, updated as the city changes around us. Below, you'll find our picks for Glasgow, an interactive map to help you find your way, and answers to the questions travellers ask us most. So — where will Discover Local take you?

Glasgow in 5 picks

Finnieston

A former industrial dockland turned into Glasgow's premier dining district, where restaurants source seafood daily from ports as far as Oban or Shetland. Crabshakk is the standout for fresh seafood, its tight bar-and-mezzanine seating spilling onto the pavement in summer.

Ox and Finch

A Michelin Bib Gourmand winner in Finnieston serving creative sharing plates, the kind of place locals bring visitors when they want to show off the city's food scene without going full fine-dining formal.

Buchanan Street

Glasgow's main shopping thoroughfare, pedestrianised and lined with everything from high street chains to independent boutiques. It's a five-minute walk from the hotel and a natural link between Merchant City and the wider centre.

Willow Tea Rooms

Designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh, this is one of Glasgow's most distinctive historic interiors, worth a stop for afternoon tea as much as the architecture. It sits close to the hotel, an easy five-minute walk.

West End

A more bohemian counterpoint to Finnieston's polish, with independent cafés and a slower pace where chatting with the owner over coffee tells you more about Glasgow than any museum plaque. Many spots here close early on Sundays, unlike Finnieston's later hours.

Where to eat
Finnieston has done the most to change how Glasgow eats, its restaurants leaning into fresh seafood and modern European cooking with fish sourced from as far as Shetland. Book ahead for weekends, since both Finnieston and Merchant City fill up fast, and don't be shy about asking staff for their own recommendations, they usually know the better-kept secrets.
From dockland to dinner destination
Finnieston's transformation from working port to the city's top dining district happened fast, and it shows in the range on offer, oysters shucked tableside, scallops in brown butter, salmon prepared simply rather than drowned in sauce. The West End offers a quieter, more bohemian alternative just a short distance away, worth an afternoon if you want a change of pace.
Right outside your hotel
Mercure Glasgow City sits on Ingram Street in Merchant City, just metres from George Square and about a 5-minute walk from Glasgow Central railway station. Buchanan Street and the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall are both within a mile, and Queen Street station is a similarly short walk, making the hotel a genuinely central base for exploring on foot.
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FAQ

It's a short taxi ride or about a 20-minute walk from Merchant City, easily combined with a stroll through the city centre on the way there.

For weekends, yes, book ahead or call directly, since the district fills up quickly with both locals and visitors.

Yes, it's about a 5-minute walk from Glasgow Central and similarly close to Queen Street station, making onward travel straightforward.

Where to sleep

See Mercure hotels in Glasgow, all within reach of these picks.

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Where to sleep

See Mercure hotels in Glasgow, all within reach of these picks

View hotels