Turtle Bay: Why this Caribbean restaurant and bar is the best new spot for cocktails in Glasgow City Centre

Last night, February 22, we got the opportunity to head down to Turtle Bay, one of the newest restaurants and bars in Glasgow City Centre, to sample some of their menu and cocktails.

Opening in December last year, if you're a fan of rum or rum cocktails, you need to get yourself down here as soon as possible. It's one of the few places in the city that offer authentic Caribbean food. We got the chance to speak with Executive Chef Collin Brown, a proud Jamaican who is doing all he can to bring the cuisine and culture of the Caribbean to places like Glasgow.

Collin Brown said: "My whole mission with Turtle Bay is to take the taste of the Caribbean as far as I can - in that journey I've cooked for the likes of Katy Perry, the cast of the Fast and Furious films, and even Beyonce.

"I'm so glad we get to bring Turtle Bay to new places like Glasgow and across the UK, just like the Caribbean, minus the sunshine of course."

There's very few places where you can get Caribbean and West Indian food in Glasgow, to our knowledge Turtle Bay is the only spot in the city centre where you can get authentic BBQ Jerk pit like you'd find on islands like Jamaica, Barbados, and The Bahamas.

Other spots around the city where you can find Caribbean food in Glasgow include: Chapter IV and Rum Shack in the Southside, Uprising Glasgow in the north, Bantaba, Smiling Coast Afro Caribbean Restaurant, and Afro-Fusion Cuisine in the East end, and Rum Bungo on Byres Road in the West End.

The soulful food at Turtle Bay is something you don't want to miss though - featuring half jerk chicken, rum BBQ ribs, curry goat and Kingston fried chicken are all served up alongside fruity rum cocktails to jamming reggae beats.

What will appeal most to Glaswegians is the ‘Bay Brunch’, Turtle Bay’s tropical twist on the classic Boozy Brunch, offering guests a 90-minute seating session with five drinks for just £27.50, including any cocktails or mocktails, fizz, and Red Stripe on draught. Special pricing on all drinks Sunday-Thursday includes £6 cocktails and £4 pints of Red Stripe every week. 

To see more of Turtle Bay, check out the picture gallery we published when they first opened - showing off the bright and fun interiors of the St Vincent Street restaurant.