'Gallus Gastronomy' on display at Glasgow's newest pub Anderson's

The first question I have on being invited to sample the menu at Anderson’s, Glasgow’s newest pub, before it opens next month is: is it a gastropub?

After all, the head chef Inesa Dirginciute was previously head chef at London’s Michelin-starred Angler seafood restaurant (she also worked at Le Pain Quotidien), and being invited to try her menu might suggest she’s given it a lot of thought - a departure, I suspect - from the usual pie, chips, beans and a pint.

Turns out the answer to my question is a sort of “nyess”. “I wouldn’t say we’re a gastropub as that suggests fine-dining in a pub setting and we’re not trying to be fine-dining,” John Molloy, director of food at the Superlative Collection, tells me. John’s empire at Superlative includes the Glasgow city centre Noble Public House, Göst, the Duke’s Umbrella, Delphine, Maison, Glaschu and Blue Dog; Anderson’s, with Inesa at the helm, is his latest venture.

And would eating at a gastropub make you laugh out loud? I don’t think so.

Together Inesa and John have put together a range of dishes that instantly provoke delighted sniggers because their names trigger nostalgia for what Glaswegians might have eaten as youngsters in the 1970s and 1980s. Think Crispy pancake, based on the frozen Findus version of yesteryear; Chicken Nuggets; Scotch Pie, Chips and Beans, Macaroni Pie, Special Fish Supper, Ham, Egg and Chips; or Sticky Toffee Trifle.

 Head Chef Inesa Dirginciute

This is where the chefs’ unique type of what I’m going to dub “gallus gastronomy” becomes evident. By this I mean the food here (served in smaller portions for our tasting menu than it will be in the pub) is elevated, smart, affordable - and fun.

My Crispy Pancake is filled with a deeply satisfying beef massaman coated with a Ruskoline crumb. And it’s baked, rather than deep-fried - as light as a feather and made all the more aromatic by a tamarind dipping ketchup.

The Special Fish Supper (which my late father would always insist on because it was a “step above” the usual batter-heavy haddock) is an unusual grey sole fillet in an aged Comté, brown butter and Ruskoline crust - again, light and crispy and a good foil for the soft and delicate fish.

The Scotch Pie is cold crust filled with venison, beef and pancetta, with house chunky chips and house baked cannellini beans. The Macaroni Pie is a firm pastry filled with creamy Comte, Parmesan and Mozzarella coated pasta. And the Smokie Fishcake is, of course, your proper Arbroath Smokie in a deliciously robust Mossgiel cream English mustard sauce.

And the Ham, Egg and Chips dish (at £26 among the more expensive dishes on the menu) reveals some real haute gastronomy: it’s a chop of treacle cured chestnut-fed Iberian pork served with a duck egg and chunky chips. Lamb fat potato hash browns are made with confit neck.

The visual appeal is strong throughout - another departure from the run-of-the-mill pub fare.

Morning rolls are set to be a big thing here. Their crispy crumb and soft salty interior, served with Mossgiel/Wee Knob of Butter, are a brilliant replacement for the ubiquitous sourdough and the idea is to bake them according to the time of day and the food they will complement - for example, the ultra-Glasgow Iced Bun, an alternative to super-cool Freedom Bakery croissants on the morning menu, will be served with high-end flavoured icings like bergamot and orange. Well-fired Glasgow rolls, currently having a moment, are also on the Anderson's radar.

The cocktails by drinks manager Ewan Angus are just as much fun as the food, and with an equally creative input. We start with a Porridge Whisky Sour, a Highland Park 12 with oat milk and oat flakes, followed by a Vimto Bramble - an intensely sweet deep purple Crème de Mûre and Beefeater serve, topped with a fresh blackberry. I love the rather more astringent Chip Shop Curry Margarita with triple sec, curried salt and honey; the Lang Clyde (a play on Long Island) Iced Tea which contains Buckfast; Absolut vodka, Beefeater gin and Cola; and to finish, a Tunnock's Teacake Old Fashioned, with twelve-year-old Macallan and marshmallow syrup, is literally topped with a teacake and a wee Coke Bottle jelly sweet. I’m giggling again.

As a wine lover rather than a cocktail drinker, I find Ewan’s generous list has more to offer than many a pub. Among the reds, there’s a Puglian Primitivo and a Peth Wetz Spätburgunder, Rheinhessen and in the whites I spot an Alsatian organic Moshi Moshi. There’s a French Orange wine and a Crémant de Loire and much more. As chef Molloy says with a grin: “We’re doing this because we think it’s the best we can do,” and I can only agree.

Related content: Glasgow reviews

Anderson’s, 50-60 King Street, Glasgow G1 5QT, opens on July 10, 2026.

It will be open from 10am to 1am Monday to Sunday.