Grilled sardines with new potatoes and a salad of tomatoes and beans on the steel counter at Big Counter.
Glasgow

Big Counter

A small neighbourhood restaurant on Victoria Road in Govanhill, open in the evenings from Thursday to Sunday, cooking simple European dishes from seasonal ingredients.

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Welcome

There's something special about a small neighbourhood restaurant where the cooking does all the talking, and Big Counter on Victoria Road in Govanhill is one of the South Side's favourites.

It opens only in the evening, from Thursday to Sunday, and the cooking is simple European food built on good seasonal ingredients. Think grilled sardines with new potatoes and a crunchy salad, mussels from the grill, a green salad under a snowfall of cheese, good chips, and bread with plenty of butter. The menu runs from smaller plates, which come first, to bigger dishes, so order a few and share them round the table. Finish with one of the old-fashioned puddings, and ask about the wine, which is a big part of an evening here. You can sit on a stool at the counter in the window or at one of the tables. Big Counter opens on Thursday from 6pm, on Friday and Saturday from 5pm, and on Sunday from 4pm, and tables are booked online.

Not farDeanston Bakery1 mileSee itDeanston Bakery
Before you go

Evenings only, from Thursday to Sunday.

Book a table online.

Where
76 Victoria Road, Govanhill, Glasgow, G42 7AA.
Open
Thursday 6pm to 9pm, Friday and Saturday 5pm to 9.30pm, Sunday 4pm to 8pm. Closed Monday to Wednesday.
Booking
Online, through ResDiary.
Access
A wheelchair-accessible entrance.
Phone
0141 258 1191

Opening hours

Monday
Closed
Tuesday
Closed
Wednesday
Closed
Thursday
6pm–9pm
Friday
5pm–9.30pm
Saturday
5pm–9.30pm
Sunday
4pm–8pm

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Where it is

On Victoria Road in Govanhill, on Glasgow's South Side, G42 7AA.

Close byGovanhill and Victoria Road.
  1. An exhibition at Tramway.TramwayThe old Coplawhill tram depot of 1893 in Pollokshields, a home for contemporary art and performance since Peter Brook's Mahabharata in 1988.Under a mile as the crow flies
  2. The Hidden GardensThe Hidden GardensA walled peace garden of 2003 behind the Tramway on the old tram works, with its brick chimney, free and open Tuesday to Sunday.Under a mile as the crow flies
  3. Maxwell Park in Pollokshields in autumn, low sun through golden trees behind reeds at the edge of the pond.PollokshieldsOne of the first garden suburbs in Britain, begun in 1851 on the south side: sandstone tenements to the east, Victorian villas on tree-lined streets to the west.Under a mile as the crow flies
  4. A margherita pizza with buffalo mozzarella and basil on a marble table at Errol's Hot Pizza.Errol's Hot PizzaA pizza restaurant on Victoria Road in Govanhill, open in the evenings from Thursday to Sunday, with big pizzas, burrata and salad, and bring your own bottle.Under a mile as the crow flies
  5. Grilled flatbread with pomegranate seeds and three dips in copper bowls, on a woven cloth at Qasba.QasbaA small North African restaurant on Allison Street in Govanhill, with a short menu that changes often, plenty for vegetarians and brunch at the weekend.Under a mile as the crow flies
  6. A thali of curries, rice, salad and pakoras on a table.Ranjit's KitchenA family-run Panjabi kitchen in Strathbungo, cooking Ranjit Kaur's home food just as it is eaten in a village in the Panjab.Under a mile as the crow flies
  7. A tray of laminated pastries close up.Short Long BlackA small coffee shop on Victoria Road in Govanhill, with good coffee and a window full of croissants, cookies and cakes.Under a mile as the crow flies
  8. Scotland Street School's red sandstone front and glazed stair tower.Scotland Street School MuseumCharles Rennie Mackintosh's school of 1903 to 1906 south of the Clyde, with its glass stair towers, a museum of education since 1990, now closed for refurbishment.Under a mile as the crow flies

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