The narrative surrounding Glasgow city centre is often relentlessly bleak. Antisocial behaviour. Closures. Vacant units. Reduced footfall as more of us work from home and feel the financial pinch. 

But in the world of food and drink at least, there are reasons to be optimistic.

The Ivy is the latest big-name brand to cast a vote of confidence in the city centre, with plans to relocate to larger premises while also introducing its Asia offshoot this Autumn. 

The Ivy Glasgow Brasserie will move to a new home this Autumn (Image: Supplied)

Before that, Sticks'n'Sushi, born in Copenhagen but a hit in London, decided George Square was the perfect home for its first Scottish restaurant. 

“When we build restaurants, we pay a lot of attention to each location and space,” chief executive Andreas Karlsson told me ahead of the opening last year. 

“To us, it seems that people in Glasgow like their food and are more likely to go out to eat than in........

© Herald Scotland