Have you spotted the giraffe in Glasgow city centre yet?

We are, of course referring to the new giraffe restaurant (yup, the lower case is deliberate) which has just opened on the corner of West Regent and West Nile streets.

There is already a branch in Silverburn but, as of Monday, giraffe has joined the throng of national chain restaurants which have set up shop in Glasgow city centre. Incidentally, keep an eye open for Cote which is pencilled in to open on West Nile Street next week.

Globe-trotting menu

The 5pm Dining blog was recently talking to a Glasgow restaurateur who was concerned that local, independent operators might wake up one day soon to find that the big boy chains with their deep, discounting pockets had, as it were, eaten the independents’ lunch.

He may have a point but local businesses such as Bread Meats Bread seem to be thriving despite being surrounded by national burger chains.

Anyway, giraffe’s selling point is that they offer a globe-trotting selection of dishes. From salt and pepper squid with sriracha and lime aioli to a Marrakech market salad, their dishes come from all four corners of the world.

Even their burgers are well travelled with six different varieties featuring everything from chorizo to tzatziki and hummus. Although, as we noted above, the competition for the burger market is particularly fierce around that part of town.

Kid-friendly

A strong string to the giraffe bow is their family-friendly policy. I’m not going to pretend to know anything about child nutrition but their kids’ menu seems to have plenty of healthy choices.

Older customers may be more taken with the cocktails. The Rose Collins – made with rose syrup, Bombay Sapphire gin and lemon juice topped with soda – looks just the ticket to brighten up a lunchtime out of the office.