Julia Forrest (1984)

I go to The Lighthouse all the time, to pay homage to one of the best views of Glasgow and to browse the amazing gift shop. Located just off the heart of Glasgow’s shopping street – Buchanan Street – The Lighthouse is Scotland’s Centre for Architecture and Design. The former Glasgow Herald Building is impressive and inside is even better.

If you are in the city centre and in need of an escape, then the hidden Lighthouse is definitely worth a stroll around. It’s completely free admission and very peaceful and well arranged. Each of the different levels is brimming with art, projects, workshops and exhibits all year-round. It is also home to the Mackintosh Centre, and if you are a Charles Rennie Mackintosh nut like myself, then it’s a must see, as it plots Mackintosh’s contribution to the history of architecture and design in a timeline wall.

The best way to burn off all those weekend calories and to get one of the best views of Glasgow city centre is to head up the 134 steps to the top of Mackintosh tower. You might be exhausted afterwards, but at least you’ll get to treat yourself to a spectacular view of the city.

This once vegetarian cafe has been a long established part of the West End (since 1960), but I only recently discovered how great it is! With a large dining space in which wide windows overlook the Great Western Road, the Bay Tree is a airy cafe by day and a romantic spot at night.

The food is excellent, Mediterranean-inspired fare, with quality, locally sourced ingredients and simple recipes the order of the day. There’s a wide range including some excellent mezze plates which are perfect for sharing. You can generally count on being served up some of tasty hummus out there, as well as stuffed vine leaves, couscous and kebabs.

The coffee is good too, and there is free WIFI so it’s a perfect place to sit and relax. At night, the resturant is softly lit and the Bay Tree is also BYOB with no corkage charge so it’s a great place to come for a date or a catch up with friends. There are often lunchtime specials, with starters and main courses from just £7.95.

Taking its name from an area in SoHo, New York, Tribeca promises to deliver “a little slice of the big apple in the heart of the Westend”.

Situated on Dumbarton Road, just look for the NYC taxi and NYPD cop car to find this great cafe. The cafe itself is very little and very lovely, all distressed wooden floors, chalk boards and chirpy chat from the staff. With only a handful of tables, get here early at the weekend as it’s get very busy.

If the sun is out, there are a handful of tables at the front of the restaurant, where you can try and replicate the chilled out NY sidewalk cafe atmosphere with your Americano. But if it’s a hangover cure you are after, then the big portions of American style breakfasts hit the spot.

When it comes to food, Tribeca’s speciality is New York style brunch – think eggs, pancakes, bagels and waffles. However, the star of the show is the Manhattan – carbtastic full American breakfast. It’s not the cheapest brunch in town, at around £8.50 for a signature omelette, but the atmosphere and friendly, local feeling welcome me back time and time again.

The Stand Comedy Club is a bit of an institution in Scotland. It was first established in in Edinburgh’s Grassmarket, before setting up its sister venue in the basement of an old Victorian School in the west end of Glasgow.

Tables in a good spot are quite hard to come by if you arrive late, so it’s worth coming early and getting a drink first. It’s all quite dark and dingy inside, but the atmosphere is always great.

Many top comedians including Frankie Boyle and Stewart Lee have performed at the Stand. You could be lucky enough to see “The Next Big Thing” or maybe just cringe your way through someone’s 5 minutes of fame, but the one thing you can be guaranteed of, is that there’s something new every night! It’s a great place to go out on a date or with friends, just don’t sit too near the front if you are not too comfortable with being part of the act.

Comedy lovers can get their fix of laughs every night of the week, and with tickets starting from as low as £2 it’s a great alternative to pubs or clubs. It’s presence as Glasgow’s only full-time comedy club has helped The Stand be one of the key venues at the Magners Comedy Festival (held in March every year).

Tuesday nights host “Red Raw” show with around 10 beginner acts getting the chance to showcase their talents (or lack thereof), and a seasoned headliner act to finish off the evening.

One of the best kept shopping secrets in Glasgow, Saratoga Trunk is an excellent vintage clothing and costume hire store located near the city centre, at Anderson. They have by far the widest range of vintage clothes in Scotland, possibly even the UK! There is everything here from classy to funky to flashy in all forms (clothing, accessories, and shoes) to suit all everyone!They have an amazing collection of vintage clothes from every era for hire or purchase. 

The selection of dresses is mind boggling; I have honestly never seen so many in the one place. 1950′s polka dot dresses with flirty little ruffles, 1930′s flapper dresses, trouser suits from the 70′s and full bloomers! Most pieces are from the 40′s to the 60′s and there are some very special fragile items from the 1920′s too. Due to the vast collection, Saratoga Trunk is my go to place for an evening gown or a dress for a special event. It is not organised by size, but you will definitely see something you like. Make no mistake, everything here is very special and although not fragile, this is certainly not your average vintage store

It’s appointment only, so make sure to phone first to book. The owner is on hand to advise what pieces are from which period, and if you phone first with your sizes and decade/style preferences Mr McLay will be able to pick out some items that you might be interested in.