4.0Elizabeth Young
We were here earlier this year and we have visited more than once as not only they have a cool rooftop bar and the weather was great but they had lovely cocktails and drinks. It's a very chill atmosphere 😊
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KO
Before you go
- Chef / owner
- Opened Dec 2021 replacing One Up; operations manager at launch was Gavin Boyle (Glasgow Times). Not Lynnet Leisure (previous operator of One Up). Current ownership / chef not named on the official site.
- Opened
- 2021
- Style
- All-day bar and late-night club on Royal Exchange Square: cocktails, roof garden, DJ nights to 3am, all-day food menu, multiple hireable rooms (The Box, The Salon, Club Kong, Main Bar).
- Setting
- 19th-century Royal Exchange Square building: main bar with floor-to-ceiling windows onto the square; cocktail lounge rooms; Club Kong with DJ booth/stage; all-season heated/covered botanical roof garden; purple lighting, yellow seating and greenery noted at opening (DesignMyNight).
- Known for
- Royal Exchange Square day-to-night bar with roof garden, Cocktails and resident DJs until 3am, Former One Up / 29 roof-garden footprint, Celebrity nightlife mentions in local press (e.g. Post Malone after Hydro)
- Signature dishes
- All-day bar food using locally sourced ingredients (official — dishes not itemised on homepage), Truffle chips praised as a bar snack at opening (DesignMyNight), Thai curry frequently praised in TripAdvisor review summaries (diner pattern, not a chef signature claim)
- Good for
- After-work and weekend cocktails, Roof-garden drinks (heated/covered all-season), Late nights / DJ sessions Fri–Sat (and themed weeknights), Private hire: birthdays, corporate, launches (spaces from ~20 to ~200), Groups larger than 6 via bookings team
- Prices
- Google PRICE_LEVEL_MODERATE. Official: £7.50 cocktails Sunday–Friday. Historical roof promo £4.95 cocktails on some days (Glasgow Times at terrace launch — may be outdated). TripAdvisor summary often flags drink prices as high relative to expectations.
- Lunch
- All-day food from midday until late (official). Roof garden bookable for food & drinks or drinks-only via SevenRooms.
- Reservations
- Walk-ins often fine
- Booking
- Book via SevenRooms (https://www.sevenrooms.com/reservations/kong) including Roof Garden inside/outside options. Groups larger than 6 or private hire: call 0141 280 2354 or contact form / info@kong-glasgow.com (bookings@kong-glasgow.com also used for events on LinkedIn). Not bookable on DesignMyNight.
- Book online
- Open booking page
- Dietary
- Not detailed on official pages reviewed — ask when booking or ordering. Full dish list belongs in menu capture.
- Groups
- Contact bookings team for >6 guests. Hire spaces: The Box (~20), The Salon (~60 + private terrace), Club Kong (~200 + private terrace), Main Bar (~200, hire Sun–Thu). Events email bookings@kong-glasgow.com cited on venue LinkedIn.
- Dress code
- Smart nightlife vibe implied; opening press aimed at a dressed-up / older late-night crowd for the club (over-21 policy stated at launch for the club area).
- Outdoor seating
- Yes — All-season heated and covered Roof Garden; additional smoking / open terraces and private terraces on Salon and Club Kong. Opening coverage also cited three open-air winter terraces.
- Drinks
- Focus of the venue: small-batch spirits, cocktails, craft beers, world wines; bottle menu PDFs on site. £7.50 cocktails Sun–Fri (official). Full bar to 3am.
- Noise / pace
- Official: bustling all-day into DJ-led late nights. TripAdvisor aggregate themes: upbeat music and lively atmosphere; some diners find noise hard for conversation. Not a quiet dining room — especially evenings and weekends.
- Closed
- No closed days listed — open seven days 12pm–3am (official). Roof garden listed daily from 12pm–late; early press had shorter midweek roof hours at launch — confirm current roof hours if that matters.
- Getting there
- Queen Street station ~3 min; Buchanan Street Subway ~3 min; Glasgow Central ~5 min; St Enoch Subway ~6 min. Central shopping / Gallery of Modern Art on the square.
- Parking
- No dedicated car park stated. City-centre / Buchanan Street multi-storeys nearby; square is pedestrian-heavy.
- Also by them
- Hide & Seek — linked in Dec 2021 press as part of the same city-centre redevelopment wave (Chippy Doon the Lane site); also appears alongside Kong on SevenRooms venue parameters; Wunderbar — appears with Kong on SevenRooms reservation URLs (shared booking stack); confirm relationship if critical
- Also
- This file is only for Kong at 23 Royal Exchange Square, Glasgow — do not confuse with unrelated ‘Kong’ restaurants elsewhere.; Google rating ~3.1 (hundreds of reviews) — mixed service/value patterns on review platforms; food comments often more positive than overall score.; Opening week club policy was over-21 (Glasgow Times) — verify current door policy before a late visit.; Instagram kong_glasgow is on the Google claim; Instagram capture is a separate pipeline.; No formal culinary awards found; celebrity nightlife coverage is press colour, not a food award.; Deposit/cancellation terms not published on the pages reviewed — check SevenRooms flow or ask the bookings team.
Glasgow restaurant
Kong
3.1(771 reviews)
££Opens in 16 hours
Opening hours
- Monday: 12:00 PM – 3:00 AM
- Tuesday: 12:00 PM – 3:00 AM
- Wednesday: 12:00 PM – 3:00 AM
- Thursday: 12:00 PM – 3:00 AM
- Friday: 12:00 PM – 3:00 AM
- Saturday: 12:00 PM – 3:00 AM
- Sunday: 12:00 PM – 3:00 AM
Overview
Kong at 23 Royal Exchange Square is a city-centre day-to-night bar, roof garden and late club — more nightlife destination than quiet restaurant. It opened in December 2021 in the former One Up (previously Lynnet Leisure), with a main bar overlooking the square, cocktail lounge spaces, Club Kong at the back, smoking/open terraces and (later) an all-season heated roof garden. Open daily noon–3am with resident DJs; food is an all-day menu from midday until late. Come for cocktails (classics such as espresso martini and old fashioned were highlighted at launch; £7.50 cocktails Sun–Fri on the current site), craft beer and wine, botanical ‘jungle’ roof-garden vibes, and Friday/Saturday sessions running into the early hours. Private-hire options include The Box (up to ~20), The Salon (up to ~60 with private terrace), Club Kong (up to ~200) and the Main Bar (up to ~200, Sun–Thu hire). Groups larger than six go through the bookings team. Google rates it around 3.1 from hundreds of reviews — treat it as a party venue with mixed service/value feedback rather than a destination restaurant. Aggregated TripAdvisor themes: lively music and décor; noise that can hinder conversation; food often liked (Thai curry frequently mentioned); service and drink prices more polarising. Book roof garden / tables via SevenRooms; phone 0141 280 2354 or info@kong-glasgow.com. Buchanan Street Subway and Queen Street are roughly a 3-minute walk.
Reviews
2.0Kristine Kiddell
Nice venue, not great food and some awful staff. We popped in for some dinner on a monday night - the food was not very good but not super expensive so not the end of the world, i would go for drinks and the venue though, not something to eat. The staff were mostly just OK, obviously not really trained and really didnt look like they wanted to be there, but the barman was just plain rude and angry at pretty much everyone from what we could tell. Its probably fine for some drinks with your friends on a busy night, but there are much better places around it.
Read on Google Maps1.0Les-4T Nails
Great vibe, if a bit noisy! Outside area atmospheric. Waitresses helpful. Food a complete rip off...£16 for a few tiny dried up pieces of steak in amongst a bowl of chips. Shocking. My partner had chicken which was reasonable. Wouldn't go again ....
Read on Google Maps5.0Charmaine Jones
Had a reservation for the indoor roof area, beautiful surroundings & a great vibe. We were there for drinks, great choice and the offer on cocktails was on, so sampled a few 😜 aswell as the red wine. We sat in the outdoor area on the rooftop latterly, what a really nice vibe. Staff friendly and attentive. Definitely worth a visit.
Read on Google Maps1.0John Stephen
Well, I have to say that going here was a mistake... expensive for poor quality food, bought 4 meals including burgers and pizzas... juice was super flat, chicken is low quality and the kebab meat was really overcooked. The chips were crispy and kebab sauce and garlic mayo sauces are nice but sadly won't be a returning customer.
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