Price points.

Supermarkets know all about them, seeing as how they are expert in the black art of emptying our wallets, all the while sending us away convinced we got a bargain. Restaurateurs are relative rookies by comparison.

These days, it's tough trying to woo budget-conscious people out to eat, when big chains offer meal deals for two (of admittedly rubbish, factory-made, airline-style meals, cloying puddings and a bottle of lousy plonk) for less than the cost of an entrée in many a decent restaurant.

Less scrupulous restaurateurs who want to fill tables, but keep the price down, compromise on ingredients and ethics. Buy in broiler house chickens that have never seen a blade of grass or a glint of sunlight. Order muck-off-a-truck (trans-fatty desserts, ready poached eggs, everlasting 'fresh' baguette, reheatable burgers et al). Bump up the cost of coffee: only the most vigilant diner will pick up on that before it's too late. (The coffee and cake market appears to be recession-proof, if the boom in £3 cup cakes and £2.95 cappuccinos is anything to go by.) Oh, and keep the ever-changing procession of chefs on minimum wages and employ a kitchen porter who can't seem to lay his hands on his work permit.

And then you get one-off indie outfits, such as the newly-opened Sideways in Glasgow, that greet you with personable service, buy their raw materials well, try to keep up with ethical considerations and yet still manage to serve you food you're very happy to eat, all at an eminently approachable price.

What do I mean by that? Well, a pastrami and Swiss cheese sandwich, served with coleslaw and gherkins, leafy salad, and a bowl of soup for £5.50, feels like a pretty keen deal to me. Ditto smoked haddock kedgeree or eggs Benedict for the same price tag, or, for that matter, a main course with a beer or wine for a tenner.

Too good to be true? Happily not. I greeted a properly-made Caesar salad (crunchy romaine, free-range chicken, fresh olive oil-fried croutons, emollient egg/parmesan/anchovy dressing) like a long-lost friend – it's so rare to get it made as it ought to be. Crab cakes, cleanly fried, with a sensible 50/50 mix of white and brown meat, chilli salsa and perky leaves managed to slip in well under that sensitive price point of a fiver, at £4.50.

As for the braised lamb shank, now that was a winner. What with its rich tomato gravy stippled with diced vegetables and roast garlic Puy lentils, it was keenly priced. Lamb isn't cheap these days. I've had shanks cooked not half as well, for £15.

The 'stew of the day' (starter £4.50, main £8) is an attractive proposition. On our visit, it was a brimming bowl of meaty chilli and fennel-spiked Italian sausage, braised in red wine. Hearty but not crude. I'm not sure I wanted sliced bread with it, seeing as how there were already spuds in the winey juices, but it wasn't a dish to leave you hungry.

The home bakes are just that – made on the premises – something you can't take for granted when those two words are mentioned. A fluffy, warm upside-down sponge brought out the lusciousness of those hard black plums that is so elusive when you eat them fresh, chocolate tiffin sent my sugar overload warning light flashing, while a tall, buttery Victoria sponge would have got the thumbs up from Mary Berry.

I'd love it if Sideways was down my way. If so, breakfast out would be attractive, with dishes such as chilli fried eggs, omelette Arnold Bennett, frittata, and a fry up with a Mediterranean twist. And if I wanted to meet friends for a quick lunch, Sideways could do the honours, and still only clock up a bill of £10 a head. including coffee.

The restaurant itself, though it still looks and smells new, and a little bit empty, is just what you want in a neighbourhood eatery. Great to hang-out in, and they even play music you might want to listen to.

Sideways

141 Elderslie Street, Glasgow

0141 237 7141

Lunch/dinner £5.50-£20

Food rating 8/10