A local’s guide to Glasgow’s Merchant City
Merchant City’s history, the streets and landmarks around Bell Street, the annual festival, and how to plan an evening: food first, then a show or gig.
Merchant City is the part of Glasgow city centre that grew from the 1750s around the homes and warehouses of wealthy merchants. Today it is known for its streets, its theatres and halls, and its annual festival. Nukkad Café sits at 51 Bell Street, in Merchant City, which makes it an easy place to start an evening.
A short history
Wikipedia says the area now known as Merchant City was developed from the 1750s onwards. Wealthy merchants, described there as “tobacco lords”, built residences and warehouses in the area, and the district west of the congested High Street became the ancient burgh’s first planned New Town.
The story did not stop with the merchants. As Glasgow expanded in the 19th century, the area became principally a centre of major warehouses, shipping companies, offices, distilleries and clothing manufacturers, with markets in fruit, vegetables, cheese and fish continuing alongside them.
Streets and landmarks near Bell Street
If you are new to the area, a few names are worth knowing.
- Trongate. Wikipedia gives Trongate as the southern boundary of Merchant City, so it is a useful way to get your bearings.
- Candleriggs. A street in Merchant City. Candleriggs Square, named on the festival page, was one of the festival hubs in 2026.
- The City Halls and Old Fruitmarket. Wikipedia lists City Halls and Old Fruitmarket among the repurposed buildings in the area.
- The Tron Theatre. Another landmark near Bell Street.
- The Tron Steeple. Wikipedia says the town’s tron, its weighing scales, was placed next to the steeple of the town house in the 1550s. The Tron Steeple, as it became known, still stands at Glasgow Cross and is one of the few remaining pre-Victorian buildings in Glasgow.
Bell Street is within this same area, and our door is at number 51. For directions, opening hours and how to reach us, see our find us page.
The Merchant City Festival
Each year the area hosts the Merchant City Festival. The official festival page calls the 2026 edition a flagship event of the Glasgow 2026 Festival, with outdoor theatre, circus, live music and family celebration. It ran from 24 July to 2 August, and the page invites people to register to be the first to know the dates for 2027.
The festival spreads across several hubs. According to the page, Candleriggs Square hosted music, sports viewing, food and drinks, while The Briggait hosted talks, workshops, DJ sessions and food, and Merchant Square hosted family activities. The programme also included markets with craft makers, street food vendors and independent traders. The page reports over 113,000 attendances and more than 450 artists and performers for 2026.
If you are planning a visit next year, check the official site for confirmed dates before you travel.
Planning an evening
Merchant City suits a simple plan: food first, then a show or a gig. Eat early enough to enjoy it, then walk to your event with a full stomach and time to spare.
- Pick your event. Check the programme for the venue you are heading to, including its doors and start times.
- Book your table first. Choose a time before your event and book a table online.
- Allow time to walk.
- Order for the clock. Tell us what time you need to leave, and order a few plates to share across the table.
A few dishes that suit a pre-show table: Nukkad ki chaat at £7.50 to start, Gobhi Manchurian at £7, and our dabeli at £8. Our guide to what Indo-Chinese food is explains how to build a table.
Nukkad Café at 51 Bell Street
We are an Indo-Chinese and Indian street food café bar at 51 Bell Street, Merchant City, Glasgow G1 1NX. Here is what you will find inside:
- The wok. Indo-Chinese dishes, cooked fresh to order.
- Street food. Chaat, dabeli and other snacks from the Indian street corner.
- A full bar. Cutting chai is £4 and filter kaapi is £4. See our bar page.
- A private area. For groups and celebrations. Our private parties page has the details.
- Match days, coming soon. Cricket and football on our screens; watch sport has the latest.
Whether you are coming for a quick bite before a show or settling in for the evening, we would love to see you.