Glasgow West End Dining and Drinking by Roy Beers
Glasgow Restaurant Reservations
Bringing you all the latest news about restaurants, cafes, bistros and pubs in Glasgow West End - and beyond. Find out what the restaurateurs are planning and what's new and wonderful on the Glasgow Eating and Drinking Scene - absolutely no-one has more lowdown than Roy Beers.
September, 2008
Happy Christmas!
Watching the rain teeming down at the fag end of the worst summer in a seemingly endless procession of rotten summers, it's nice to see somebody's in a defiantly festive mood. Curry Queen Nasreen Aksi of Ashoka(s) and Spice of Life fame is - as far as I know - first to regale us with a Christmas menu, along with the advice that "it's never too early to book".
I think she may have a point, particularly where her restaurants are concerned, because I dined there a couple of weeks ago on a dismal early Monday evening and the place was mobbed by 7pm - the sort of action many restaurants would love to see any night of the week.
On her festive menus, besides traditional turkey with all the trimmings, you can choose, for example, south Indian garlic chilli lamb, or - if you're a fan of lamb - Lamb Boti, which is a dish where the meat is cooked on the bone, "desi style"; or, for the veggies amongst us, you might go for Punjabi Sabji, the chef's vegetarian dish of the day.
In fact there is plenty of choice over two menus, with fixed price deals of £12.95 or £17.95, and by far my favourite starter from those listed is "Merry Malai Mushrooms" (sauteed, in cream sauce, served with salad). Maybe there's a sprig of holly on top - I don't know.
Credit Crunch?Far from deciding never to go out because of looming financial collapse, meltdown, and the end of civilisation as we know it, the evidence suggests people are currently going out dining and drinking at least as much as usual around the West End, although with a marked tendency to leave it until around Thursday (students) or weekend (everybody else).
This is perhaps at least partly to do with the various shopper-friendly deals on offer. I won't go into detail here, but among the outlets offering low-price customer lures around Byres Road I'd advise checking out, for example, La Vallee Blanche, which currently has some eyecatchingly cheap (for this particular venue) lunchtime offers on its blackboard.
A little farther down the hill Stravaigin 2 is still advertising its regular (highly recommended) Rijstaffel nights - not bargain basement cheap, but stonkingly good value for the standard of cuisine - while across the road Atrio is trying everything in the book to woo potentially hungry passers-by inside: I haven't eaten there, so I can't comment, but since the demise of Bonham's it seems to be doing well.
There are deals to be found in traditional pub-land, too. The Aragon Bar, which I haven't visited recently but know very well, has seen fit to put a flyer through my door advertising an "everyday meal deal" from 2.30pm to 6pm any day except Saturday, which gives you "and meal and a pint of lager or drink" for £5.99.
Though I haven't been for a while I seem to recall the pub grub in the Aragon is fairly good, for the price, and that - unusually - the coffee (served in a wee cafetiere, with complimentary shortbread) is also very good.
The Aragon uses the opportunity to flag up some other customer lures - 1st, 2nd and 3rd cash prizes in the Monday night quiz, every week; big screen televised sport, including "every live football game"; and an acoustic night every Sunday, when you're invited to "showcase your band" - although for what fee isn't clear.
Meanwhile one place which can't be doing badly is The Primary on Woodlands Road, which I passed the other day on the way home at teatime. About 300 students seemed to have invaded the capacious smoking shelter and outdoor area, all of them apparently bent on eating and drinking for Scotland - something to do with "freshers' week" I suppose.
Les feuilles mortes
One place which presumably won't have to worry about the credit crunch is Cafe Francais at the bottom of Byres Road, which during the summer frequently resembled some jolly scene from Montmartre (where it's also very usual to enjoy a drink while heavy traffic roars past) - but which has now been, these several weeks past, closed.
Exactly why this should be the case I do not know. The List described the venture thus: "Extravagantly fitted out fin de siecle style, with globe lamps and brass railings aplenty, Cafe Francais exudes an informal class that draws a steady trade", and as a Parisian tribute theme venue it was second to none.
During my only dining visit there Edith Piaf was giving it laldy on the sound system and everything seemed La Vie En Rose. Now it's "les feuilles mortes" - the dead autumn leaves of one of Edie's more depressive numbers.
The place got one or two sulky food reviews, and didn't win any sort of reputation for its cuisine, which may not have helped - but the reasons for closing could be quite different.
At any rate closure means this somewhat unlucky spot is presumably (along with its public house licence) in search of a new licensee and a new theme, whether restaurant or pub.
Before going French this site was Bar Milano, before which it was Leonardo's - a chain of outlets which folded. Who will move in next? Watch this space.
Still on Byres Road, you'll be watching this space for quite a while if you're waiting with bated breath to learn the fate of the former Whistler's Mother, a once booming and cheerful bar diner full of likeable young adults and serving pretty good food at reasonable prices.
The owner, Punch Taverns (Britain's biggest pub landlord, with thousands of leased pubs) says it has tried to find a new lessee, but that none has been approved by the owner of the building. It says this is a prerequisite for anyone new taking over.
Meanwhile the place looks increasingly dilapidated, and the posters in the window asking passers-by if they fancy pumping tens of thousands of pounds into it, in order to lease the place from Punch, appear a little optimistic at best.
A potential drawback, before any other business consideration, is the absence of an outdoor smoking area. I'm told there's a suitable bit "out the back", but as this is overlooked by innumerable local residents it would only take a few objections about noise to make it a no-go.
More news as it doesn't happen, then, on this one.
Cafe Society
A special hello to Omar and colleagues at SugarQube in Argyle St (immediately across the road from number 1103, entrance to the Hidden Lane), whose airy, contemporary but comfortable organic cafe with internet may just have the best coffee in this neck of the woods.
While he appears to be doing well (and the return of the students should help) another local enterprise, Harlem Drugstore - an American tribute bar-restaurant venture - has sadly shut up shop nearby.
However on meeting a well-known West Ender connected with drama and arts I learn yet another new cafe outlet is soon to open on this stretch in the fairly near future.
That's not the planned spin-off from a well-known cafe in Hyndland Street, Partick, nor yet the Pico branded cafe possibly planned by former Beanscene chief Gordon Richardson (who, having failed in his bid to reacquire the collapsed Beanscene business, which he originally helped to found, now aims to roll out more Picos before the end of the year). It's not the seafood venture also said to be coming to Argyle St, either.
I've been told to say nothing until it happens, but as outlined to me it sounds like the sort of real "local" enterprise that has a great chance of capturing a large and empathetic clientele.
While still on cafes, I can recommend the cafeteria at the Mitchell Library if you're in the Charing Cross area and in need of some reasonably priced and unpretentious sustenance.
It's large, the waitress zooms in on your numbered table once you have placed your order (so no awkward manoeuvres with loaded trays), and it's friendly and efficient - I like it. And it's a fantastic improvement on the former grimy little cafe on the other side of the Mitchell which used to dish up overcooked bridies and lukewarm beans ... although it had a curious charm of its own, in all its sordid glory.
There was maybe an argument for retaining the old canteen with a grant from the Scottish Arts Council to keep it going as a living museum - then visitors to the city could enjoy learning what Glaswegians used to eat in olden times. On the other hand the fare in the new place, which is much more ambitious and also very spic and span, includes what turns out to be a sort of Rolls Royce of the roll and square sausage world - with double sausage in a magnificent bap, in fact. Well, it is Glasgow after all.
Meanwhile I'm delighted to see among the staff in the new facility some of the same smiling faces that used to make lunchtime visits to the old catering den oddly nice.
Damm cheek
Allan Mawn's Pinxto tapas bar in Thornwood was the first to display a jaunty red and white Estrella Damm windcheater outside his premises. He is therefore the original and authentic ambassador to Glasgow of the famous beer of Barcelona (it's a Basque-oriented restaurant, but that doesn't mean you can't drink Catalan beer).
Now I see the Ben Nevis in Argyle Street has followed suit, perhaps having tracked down this eyecatching item through a wholesale supplier of premium beers.
Nor is that all. Back at The Aragon, again, I see the outdoor tables there are sheltered behind more red and white branded windcheaters, but this time advertising Sagres, the beer from Portugal!
I haven't checked recently but I remember Marco Dilucca at Cherubini was planning a similar exercise for his venture, now that he can offer people a glass of Italian beer or wine at their tables - and in his case the favoured brand would be, perhaps, Birra Moretti? It is clearly an idea whose time has come.
Tigers and Ladyboys
I reluctantly had to decline an invitation from exuberant and ever-enterprising bars guru and all round clever guy Colin Barr to attend a wee soiree at Republic Bierhalle, Kelvinbridge the other week.
It was to celebrate the fact that he now has Tiger beer from Singapore - it's a gigantic brand in the Far East - on draught.
To underline the south-east Asian cultural dimension of the occasion his invitation also mentioned that "Ladyboys" would be present, no doubt to officiate in some capacity, or lead the karaoke: helpfully, a picture of a (very fetching, it has to be said) ladyboy was included on the invite.
I understand that the revelry, which also included a martial arts fight display, was set to continue later on at The Arches nightclub venue in town.
Since its arrival at Kelvinbridge Republic Bierhalle has definitely entrenched itself within that tight group of local pub venues that can truly be called "a bit special" - although I always feel a bit sorry for that hippopotamus whose skull now graces the bar (a wee folksie West End touch, this).
It's recognisably similar to the other four Republic venues (most recent to open, Republic Bierhof in basement venue beside Kama Sutra on Sauchiehall Street), most noticeably in the drinks range, food offer, etc, but decoratively and in many other ways the place has a distinctly West End vibe about it.
Rossano's Bar Bistro
A new and presumably Italian-themed bar bistro venture has newly opened at 846 Crow Road, run by Rossano, an entrepreneur who previously worked at Cafe Trevi at Kelvinbridge.
This is all I know at the moment, although I'm looking forward to checking it out as soon as possible, but to this limited information I can add that's open seven days (presumably pub hours) and also open for lunch.
La Bavarde for sale
Meanwhile in the kingdom of Far Far Away (Bearsden), local diners will be waiting to find who is going to take over from La Bavarde in that distant land's New Kirk Road, whose proprietor has retired after more than 30 years. The leasehold for the business is seen as a red hot property, given the lack of licensed premises serving the affluent catchment of Bearsden, Milngavie and surrounding areas.
Despite the supposedly lean times there are still potential diners a-plenty in this sort of locale for a new venture able to catch the imagination. Keith McBain of property firm Jones Lang LaSalle, handling the sale, said: "The premises would be ideally suited for a chef proprietor operating a good quality restaurant, benefiting from the existing fit out, commercial kitchen and facilities already in place. "The strength of the location is underlined by the presence of the Marks & Spencer food store, the recently-opened Las Ramblas, Dining In by Mother India and Massimo restaurants, which all enjoy a healthy level of trade."
Incidentally Dining In by Mother India is a deli where you can purchase exactly the same sort of high quality cuisine you expect to find in the parent venture in the West End - and if success matches expectations I'd imagine owner Monir Mohammed may decide to open another branch closer to home.
Hooray for Bollywood
Bollywood isn't just film - it's an entire style, a complete cultural experience. I think that's what Tommy, owner of the recently-opened Bollywood Club venue, on the site of the former Observatory bar-restaurant, was trying to tell me the other day.
In the very short time since he's been open in this posh corner of office-land his venture has won plenty of press coverage, and he can probably expect to do very well from the looming party season - when anything offering something a bit fun and different has a chance of getting noticed.
But Bollywood Club isn't about over the top, we're assured. It's "about creating an environment where people can unwind, entertain, conduct business and relax with family or friends."
There is a fairly elaborate Indian restaurant menu, with a wide choice of "mild cuisine" options for people who don't like strong flavours, tandoori dishes, a wide choice of vegetarian options, and much more besides - for example about a dozen or so assorted nan bread varieties. It all looks to be worth further investigation.
Chillies West End - and more
A lady colleague went to this smart newish restaurant in Woodlands Road for lunch with a friend, and pronounced it good. I've only had a quick look around myself, and haven't eaten there yet, but it looks very promising.
The entire interior decor scheme is an appealing blend of the traditional and the contemporary, with an open kitchen lending an air of confidence and authority to proceedings. It's stylish but not pretentious - inviting, even.
The day menu includes "tapas" options such as, for example, Machli Nariyal Masalah, or mixed seafood with tamarind and coconut sauce; or, say, Kofta (lamb meatballs) and egg curry - you can order three such dishes for £8.95, which includes, rice, nan or tandoori roti).
Together with the numerous "light bites" listed there is plenty of opportunity to mix and match in order to enjoy a broad taste experience - some of the veggie options look particularly interesting.
There's an interesting take on some traditional Western dishes, meanwhile. Chillies does its own spicy lamb (or chicken) cheese burger, a homemade dish served with chips and salad.
Another option - and the one I think I'll try first - is Punjabi haddock, which is grilled fish in spices. I've had haddock baked in tin foil once or twice in good restaurants, including a Spanish restaurant, and if this is anything similar it has to be tried.
Quite apart from this venture a new Indian restaurant, Cyrus, is set to open on the site of the former Oscar's on Woodlands Road some time before Christmas. This appears to be an offshoot of a business of the same name on the south side, and will cater for functions as well as normal business.
Not far away on Sauchiehall Street, near Charing Cross, another branch of Balbir's (Church Street) is under construction on the site of the former Karisma restaurant - just a few minutes walk from established acts which include Mr Singh's India and Mother India.
Which sort of begs the question - how many Indian restaurants can the West End sustain? It is wonderful having easily the country's best selection of top restaurants in one city area, but everybody seems to want to have a go - even in the teeth of ferocious competition from some of the very best.
Reports from friends, meanwhile, confirm that one of my own all-time favourites, Mr India's Balti and Dosa House in Hyndland Street, is as unassumingly brilliant as ever. It doesn't attract droves of professional food pundits, like Balbir's along the road, and thank heavens for that - just quietly goes about the business of serving wonderful cuisine at average prices: a real hidden star of Glasgow's ever-lively Indian restaurant scene.
Cail Bruich
This is another new arrival on the very active dining scene at the top of Byres Road, already covered by Pat Byrne - and already treated to a more or less favourable review by Joan McAlpine. I was amused to see one of the Forum contributors rebuking her, Ford Kiernan style, for, as she put it, "failing to distinguish the samphire from the parsley", or some such - but apart from this sort of detail it got the thumbs up.
The venture is an offshoot of an established restaurant of the same name (meaning "eat well" in Gaelic) in Quarriers, near Bridge of Weir, and appears nicely calculated to appeal to people flocking in and out of Oran Mor and the Grosvenor, with (unsurprisingly) a strong emphasis on Scottish produce.
On Sunday it offers a traditional roast - Scottish topside of beef, roast lef of lamb or loin of pork - with "fantastic" yorkies, duck fat roast potatoes and veg. To underline it's a good spot for a family outing, children under 12 eat from the kids' menu for free on Sundays.
However the a la carte menu reveals the venue's true hand even more clearly: the whole aim appears to be to deliver robust traditional dishes based on excellent produce - for example as in pan roasted organic salmon with crushed jersey royals, samphire, peas, broad beans and morels.
On meat we're advised: "Stewart the butcher sources the finest Scotch beef and hangs it personally for us for a minimum of 28 days. We then char grill it to your liking and serve it with triple cooked chips, onion rings and confit plum tomato."
Meanwhile the lunch menu offers popular shopper-friendly options, such as char grilled steak with horseradish, lettuce, tomato and red onion served on a sourdough baguette, at £6.75.
I think the combination of quality but accessible food offer and first class location augurs very well for this enterprise.
Upate, July, 2008
A very special birthday - Italian style
Sandro Giovanazzi, owner of regularly-lauded Italian restaurant La Parmigiana at Kelvinbridge, was in fine form when I met him - all too briefly - the other week.
As it happens he was in his Byres Road venture Paperino's at the time, keeping an eagle eye on a restaurant which seemed implausibly busy for a Tuesday lunchtime, but found time to show me a remarkable "scrap book" of cuttings from the last three decades of his family's involvement in city dining life.
In fact he and his staff have just celebrated the 30th birthday of La Parmigiana, reckoned to be the oldest Italian restaurant in Glasgow still in the hands of its original owners. This is no mean claim to fame in a city which boasts many near-legendary
Italian ventures, and marks out the Giovanazzis as a veritable dynasty of the dining world, not least in the West End where they've won exactly the same sort of cult following as, say, Ronnie Clydesdale's Ubiquitous Chip or Mr Ali's Shish Mahal.
La Parmigiana was founded on Great Western Road in June 1978 by Sandro's father, Angelo Domenico Giovanazzi, who was widely acknowledged as one of Glasgow's finest Italian restaurateurs.
Angelo was born in Cowcaddens in 1935. His father Giovanni had emigrated to Scotland before the First World War from Borgotaro, a small town in the western Apennines in the province of Parma - hence, of course, the restaurant's name.
As a young man Angelo followed in his father's footsteps, helping out in the family fish and chip shop. Then following Giovanni's death Angelo took over the running of the family business at the age of just 19.
Angelo's sons Sandro and Stefano have followed in their father's footsteps, bringing the joys of Italian cuisine to a new generation of appreciative diners.
Sandro said,
"When it came to food, my father's philosophy had always been to use the best quality produce, based on the firm belief that it is only by using quality ingredients that good dishes can be prepared and served. His motto was 'if you wouldn't eat a dish yourself, then don't serve it up to customers.'
"Throughout all his catering ventures, my father stuck consistently with what he did best - traditional Italian food. Everything on his menus - from pizza to fillet of beef - was freshly prepared. Many of these dishes are traditional Italian recipes which have been passed down through succeeding generations of the Giovanazzi family and can still be found on La Parmigiana's menu to this day."
Angelo Giovanazzi died of heart failure at the age of 71 in June 2006,
but his philosophy of food lives on.
Throughout the years La Parmigiana has progressed to become the only Italian restaurant in Scotland to be included in the AA Restaurant Guide, The Michelin Restaurant Guide and the Good Food Guide and has built a reputation as being elegant, yet affordable.
Most recently, La Parmigiana won The Best Italian Restaurant Award at the inaugural Scottish Restaurant Awards 2008, and was named as one of only seven Italian restaurants and three pizza restaurants across the UK to have won Gold Awards by the Pizza Pasta & Italian Food Association (PAPA) in recognition of their exceptional standards.
La Parmigiana is regularly lauded by Italian newspapers and often cited as one of the best Italian restaurants outside Italy. So much so that, whenever an Italian club or national football team plays in Glasgow, La Parmigiana is invariably the first port-of-call for Italian journalists to indulge themselves in a protracted post-match analysis over a fine wine and a delicious meal.
Don't say Tapas - say Pranzetto
Which brings me neatly to the reason I was dining at Paperino's on that particular day. As if to prove that Espana doesn't have a monopoly on the concept of lighter meals options, with plenty of variety - ie, tapas - the restaurant recently launched its "pranzetto" meal deal, which runs from Monday to Friday, noon to 5pm.
What you get is a first class representation in scaled-down format of all the classic entrees you'd expect to find in a classic Italian a la carte menu, all for the princely sum of three dishes for £10 (or you can choose individual dishes at individual prices - they're typically around £4 apiece).
The presentation is very smart, and the accompaniamentos well worth a look in their own right - foccacia bread with fresh rosemary has to be tried (and is recommended as an accessory to anything involving a sauce); and I've also developed a taste for the classic Insalata Siciliana (which Sandro helpfully told me how to replicate, after a fashion, at home). It's a salad of rocket, pine nuts and fresh oranges, and goes well with just about anything.
Without running through the whole menu in detail suffice to say there's something here for everybody. Headline acts include the (to my palate, anyway) unmissable Gamberi alla diavolette, or king prawns pan fried in garlic and chilli; and, still on Fish, Cozze gratinate, or mussels grilled with breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese.
There's a substantial vegetarian selection, from Pomodori ripieni, tomatoes stuffed with goat's cheese, to Funghi arrostiti con pinoli formaggi, or roasted mushrooms with pinenuts and dolcelatte.
Meanwhile the meat choices range form the delectable Spezzatino di carne, "a rich and flavoursome beef stew" to Costolette di maiale, pork spare ribs in a barbecue sauce - or, in a dish somewhat redolent of Napoleon's signature "chicken chasseur" dish, Chicken Marengo, there's Bocconcini di pollo alla cacciatore, which combines olives, mushrooms, peppers and chicken in a rich tomato sauce.
My honest verdict: if you like tapas, you'll love Pranzetto. It's billed as a lighter alternative to the traditional business lunch, but in fact it doesn't really have to be light at all - combine one of the meat dishes with a salad, foccacia, a veggie option and perhaps fish too, and you're looking at a fairly substantial repast.
Or of course you could doggedly stick to those waist-friendly options - try pepperoni farciti, peppers stuffed with Arborio rice and tomato sauce; or (another instant favourite for me) Zuppetta di pesce, "a beautiful fish soup".
If you do visit, of course, it's also well worth checking out the voluminous a la carte menu for another occasion - you'll find everything from a Rolls Royce (or is it Mazarati) version of the beef burger, to deluxe fish options such as Tagliatelle Nere alla Scoglio, which translates as "black tagliatelle with a spectacular medley of mussels, king prawns, clams, squid and langoustine. This particular entree is advertised in the menu, just a wee bit disconcertingly, as "seafood so fresh it might walk off your plate" - but we think we know what they mean.
Pizza Lamora?
Still in Italy, if only emotionally, my wife and I dropped in at adventurous Italian and Mediterranean restaurant Lamora (1166 - 1170 Argyle Street) at Friday teatime to see what the pre-theatre option was all about, and was suitably impressed with the vim and vitality of the offer, which spans everything from classic Bolognese to - a surprise and a delight - Chicken Piri Piri.
I'd only heard of this dish very recently, although anyone who has visited Portugal or Madeira will be familiar with it: in fact it's a southern European version of a somewhat exotic African dish, part of Portugal's colonial heritage, and if I describe it as a Latino version of a tandoori dish I hope I'm not doing it a disservice.
For around a tenner for three courses (my starter was a bowl of steamed mussels dusted lavishly, on co-owner Silvano's near-insistence, with plenty of parmesano) it's fantastic value, and a great introduction to the full menu.
With it's smart but relaxing cafe-bar vibe and a blackboard urging diners to choose from specials which include thoroughly wicked and super-calorific desserts, this is no "typical" Italian restaurant and is well worth seeking out for anyone who likes a bit of panache to their cuisine - supplied in plenty by main man in the kitchen Luciano Mora.
Most recently the restaurant has added a pizza takeaway adjunct, which apart from a seemingly vast range of traditionally-prepared pizzas also includes a wide range of pasta and other dishes - all prepared from exactly the same kitchen as the main restaurant offer. I haven't tried it yet, but based on the stunning quality of that one pre-theatre meal (and the winning ways of affable mine host Silvano and his charming staff) this place is shaping up to be one of my select band of West End favourites. If you haven't tried it I'd recommend an early visit.
The sort of a la carte options you may encounter could include, for example, Ravioli D'Aragosta, home made lobster ravioli in a delicate tomato, basil and cream sauce; and Ribollita, a hearty vegetarian stew of chick peas and beans with squash served with garlic foccacia.
The new Byres Road?
Former Beanscene founder Gordon Richardson recently launched his new late-opening coffee shop with drinks option, Pico, on the site of the former Zest cafe beside the Marks and Sparks food shop on Great George Street, and is planning perhaps half a dozen more by the end of the year.
One of these seems likely to be in west Argyle Street, which he says quite categorically is "the new Byres Road", for its terrific array of quality cafes, bars and restaurants - not to mention shops of many different kinds - and having recently toured the area in detail (check out the garlic onions at The Big Apple fruit and veg shop), I can see what he means.
As it happens Beanscene is now in receivership, and Gordon is currently meditating whether to reacquire the company he originally turned into such a success - he considers it's still a first class brand - so one way or another he's going to remain an active player on the local scene anyway.
But in case you haven't ventured towards Finnieston recently here are just a few of the venues, new and established, you may have been missing -
The Harlem Drugstore: smartly-appointed Americana-festooned Harlem tribute bar-restaurant with a thing about authentic Yankee beer and food.
Acanthus cafe: Now run by Mark and Jennifer Adams - a cool blue haven offering wide range of Mediterranean-inspired meals choices as well as its superb range of coffees and other drinks.
West End Wine Cellar: shortly to open a Byres Road branch, in the present Haddows offsales, this is a business head and shoulders above the standard wine shop and one well worth checking out if you want superlative quality and knowledgeable advice without having to pay a fancy premium.
Fanny Trollope's: Highly rated by foodie critics, and well worth a visit for any sort of special occasion meal, or just because it's a nice place to be - owner Mo's extravagant assortment of objets d'arts gives the restaurant a uniquely Bohemian ambience which sets the place apart from the average (just like the cuisine).
SugaQube: Smartly-appointed late-opening cafe with a huge expanse of blond wood flooring and giant picture windows, with a wide range of organic and fair trade drinks, and keenly-priced snacks options.
The Ben Nevis: Easily one of the West End's most stunning pub interiors, the work of Ranald McCall (who also designed The Lismore and, in Edinburgh, Albanach on the Royal Mile).
The Hidden Lane Cafe and Gallery: already well written up by Pat Byrne, this place would rate high on any top five list of West End cafes, and also has the added lure of regular music, drama and comedy nights (enter through 1103 Argyle St).
Kokuryo: Smart and unfailingly busy Korean restaurant, reputedly among the best in the country.
Thai Siam: Long-established and reputedly excellent Thai restaurant.
Villa Toscana : Friendly and beautifully-decorated family Italian restaurant evoking a classic Tuscan-style trattoria.
All this is before you consider the elite clutch of venues at "the top of the road", ie the Kelvingrove Gallery end - Spice of Life, (original) Ashoka, The Goat, Firebird.
It's a minor mystery why this area doesn't receive more attention, particularly as it's just "around the corner" from west Sauchiehall Street, where you'll find, for example, The Big Slope bar-restaurant,, Mother India (Mother India's Cafe is also nearby, on Dumbarton Road almost opposite Kelvingrove museum), Konaki Taverna and The Drawing Room - every one of which is well above average in its own particular way.
New openings
As usual hardly a month goes by without something "new" happening in restaurant land, and over the last few weeks we've seen the launch on Byres Road of Atrio on the site of what had been Bonham's, with a menu centred on Mediterranean-style cuisine; and Otto, which had been the Rubaiyat - now a cool green cafe-bar with large picture windows affording an excellent view of the street life outside.
I've had a very quick look at Serge, above Brel, which strikes me as the sort of place couples might visit for a classy drink-and-a-bite before, say, going to a show; and then on Great Western Road beside Oran Mor the former Greek restaurant The Parthenon is soon to reopen as another in a recent series of Scottish fine dining venues: much more on this one when it's up and running, I hope soon.
Art at Roastit's
Meanwhile back in Partick, Roastit Bubbly Jocks owner Chris Bryers - who insists his cuisine is "brilliant but affordable" (he's not chasing the gastro-gourmet foodie types, although they'd be well advised to visit) - is developing the theme of restaurant-as-gallery with a new show of work by artist Christine Parker-Morgan, whose work, in my humble and unqualified opinion, is utterly stunning.
I met Christine as she was hanging some of her work in the restaurant and alighted upon one or two instant favourites, for example a street scene from Pisa, and she chatted away about her work, which is led, I think, by some of the finest landscape art you could wish for (but her opus extends considerably beyond that).
She sells high quality prints as well as original works, and I defy anyone who's remotely interested in drawing and painting not to enjoy the fruits of her talent: it's one more good reason for paying a visit to the restaurant at 450 Dumbarton Road.
Vienna reopens!
Vienna Cafe on Hyndland Street is, as I've said more than once, utterly superb. But on recent form it has been notoriously difficult to find open - for example it's closed Mondays and Tuesdays anyway and, recently, has been shut altogether for the owner's hols. Now, I'm pleased to report, it's due to be back in business on August 1.
Which means I'm back off down to Hyndland Street for another Parisian deluxe breakfast at the first available opportunity.
Stephen moves to Oran Mor
One of Partick's best-known and most-liked (and certainly most-awarded) licensees, Stephen McBride of The Lismore, has finally decided to call it a day at the bar he has run with such conspicuous flair and success since its launch around 12 years ago by erstwhile owner Colin Beattie - who's best known these days, of course, for Oran Mor.
However Stephen is not retiring - nothing of the sort. In fact it's just the opposite, as he has now become Oran Mor's new bars manager, a massive and demanding job which could only be carried through by somebody of his experience.
It's a great move for Stephen, who's obviously sad to leave his colleagues and regulars at The Lismore, and a great catch for Oran Mor, which boasts easily the busiest bar in the West End (even before you consider its restaurants and its ever-expanding entertainment offer).
Among his plans are themed whisky dinners, following on from his enthusiasm for the intelligent promotion of the national drink at The Lismore - and I predict these, and other ideas along the same lines - will be as popular with West Enders as with tourists.
Lansdowne go-ahead
Exclusive, and you read it here first, but the plan to open a licensed cafe-bar adjunct to the A-listed Lansdowne Parish Church will not be opposed - as per the Botanic Gardens nightclub scheme - by the man who led the biggest public protest against a proposed licensed venture we've seen for years.
Having written this up over the past year, I won't recap all the detail now, but in essence the plan is to allow the Four Acres Charitable Trust (FACT) to operate a cafe-bar facility to help pay for urgent restoration work needed on the church's huge and justly-famous stained glass window.
Uniquely, the church hall will still be used for services at the usual times. Outwith those it will be an arts and community resource with a wide and varied programme of entertainment.
Reports suggest local Councillor Malik is against the scheme, on the basis there are already too many licences in the area, but David Howat, who headed up hugely successful protest group Save Our Botanics (SOB) tells me he's minded to lend his support.
His reasons? On the evidence shown by Cottiers, also run by FACT, the venue won't cause any hassle at all and will in fact be a community asset. It will help to save an irreplaceable building and its architectural (and glass) treasures.
Of course the devil is in the detail, but the typical "storm of protest" which seems to accompany anything involving new licensed venues these days, simply isn't materialising on this one. On the contrary it seems highly likely we may see an interesting and downright useful facility to add to an area whose drinking and dining options currently include, for example, Cherubini, Liquid Ship, Republic and Lansdowne Cafe Bar (to name just a few).
Much more, inevitably, on this significant new project in future reports.
June Update - West End Festival
The Best is Yet to Come
By this I mean, of course, the innumerable concerts, plays, exhibitions and other diversions taking place in no less than 45 venues between now and the end of the month - and that's just the official West End Festival programme.
As usual the parade on Festival Sunday is unsurprisingly the one event which captures the newspaper headlines, because it makes for great pictures and has quite accurately been described as Glasgow's biggest day out.
But it's amazing how many people, even locals, still think it represents the entire Festival, in the same way as any one of scores of summer gala days around Scotland.
It's nothing of the kind, of course, and in fact the Festival proper only kicks off in earnest from around now - just check the dramatic and artistic menu in key venues like Oran Mor, Brel and, er, the Botanic Gardens. As I write this I'm watching the pelting rain, which didn't afflict the big parade, now battering down in earnest, and wondering whether the al fresco production of The Merchant of Venice will be a bit too Venetian, in the water sense, for comfort - I hope not.
The Drawing Room in west end Sauchiehall Street also appears to be flirting with a dooking by staging a barbecue and music event on June 22 - but, sensible Scots that the owners are, there's plenty of awning cover outside the venue to keep the rain at bay, and in any case the beautifully-appointed interior is a great place to be in any weather. This venue will also be the stage for two plays by Chekov (the Russian playwright, not the chap in Star Trek) on Wednesday June 25 at 7.30pm. The ticket price is £25, but that includes a three course meal and wine - which is a nice way of enjoying a bit of culture.
Brief Encounter
Hats off to the Lansdowne Cafe Bar for doing its bit for romance - and charity - with an engaging little festival fringe event which could just see some lucky participants meeting their life partner .... getting married, getting a mortgage, going to B&Q every Sunday .... But on the plus a fun night with a bewildering galaxy of theoretically potential soulmates is guaranteed.
But first of all Lansdowne favourites Joni Keen and Euan Stevenson will be returning to this unpretentious but stylish venue's stage on June 22 from 7.30pm to 9.30pm, "to provide a soothing jazz backdrop that will help customers unwind after the Gibson Street party."
The siren call of the splendidly-decked out Lansdowne (I particularly like the curtains they've got as a divider in the back area) also advises us of such delights as "comfy leather sofas" to loaf about in while listening to Joni.
Then there's the speed dating on Wednesday June 25 from 7pm till 9pm, which may or may not lead to everlasting bliss for some happy couple - but definitely raise cash for ChildLine Scotland, which is to receive all the proceeds from the tickets, priced £10. The price includes a buffet, too, so even if Miss or Mr Right proves elusive you needn't leave hungry.
The venue has also launched a completely new menu, in nice time for the main local festival highlights - I'd give it a try, because the Lansdowne's kitchen is reputedly a bit of a local star.
Gibson Street extravaganza
It would be nice if we could have a sunny day for Sunday's Gibson Street gala, in my opinion one of the real highlights of the festival, when leading restaurants including Stravaigin pull out all the stops to lay on barbecue food of an unusually high quality. Actually I've got a soft spot, talking about barbecues, for the Koh-i-Noor carry out just before the bridge. The genial owner tells me he's expecting a busy day: I can recommend the chicken tikka kebab; quality marinade job, and a giant helping of crisp fresh salad. Another place you may consider dining in or from on Sunday is Louis' Bistro, an off-shoot of the critically-lauded restaurant No 16 in Byres Road, and home to what owner Margaret implies may well be the champion burgers of them all.
And the Mela
As a bonus there's the Mela in Kelvingrove Park on the same day, - again, I hope the weather is at least dry-ish, because this event deserves some sunshine. The bhangra music is stunning, utterly fantastic, and there are generally loads of different stalls selling everything from home-cooked curries to jewellery and clothes. Although it's a celebration in its own right this is definitely a main festival attraction in my book, and one - like Gibson Street - not to be missed. So maybe it's a good idea to be extra-finicky about what you want to eat that day: the chances of seeing something later on you wish you'd had instead of your initial choice are fairly high.
Curry with a cause
The Asian food theme brings me conveniently to a very laudable offer launched by Mother India owner (also Mother India's Cafe and the three Wee Curry Shops) Monir Mohammed - whose cuisine is regularly rated among the best, or the best, in the country. Any serious look at Glasgow's unmatched collection of Asian restaurants would have to place these restaurants (choose your own favourite) within the top five, and maybe the top three.
There's no definitive "best" because it's ultimately a subjective choice (and the critics often get it a bit wrong) but most regular Asian diners are pretty sure which ones they rate as the greatest. So if you haven't visited the Mother India stable of restaurants you should do so without further delay - Wee Curry Shop Ashton Lane is a must-book any evening; its sister in Byres Road is also worth a phone call. There's an additional and compelling reason for visiting the Byres Road outlet during the festival, and beyond.
Monir and his wife Smeena, whose three-year-old son Amaan has autism, have launched a special fundraising menu in a bid to help other families whose lives are affected by the disorder. It will run between noon and 4pm, and will be continued well after the festival - possibly even till the end of the year - if there's support from the public.
The meal costs £10, a snip, and the couple are donating all the money to the National Autistic Society Scotland, in order to help the estimated 50,000 people across Scotland who are affected by the condition. You might consider leaving a generous tip, too, because the staff have generously volunteered to donate all their gratuities from that special meal.
Monir says: "Amaan is now approaching six years old and like most kids his age is a bundle of fun and energy. Ever since his diagnosis we have sought and used every piece of advice or support available to us as parents.
"Although this has all been invaluable, we still struggle daily to cope with the demands that are placed on us as parents of a child with autism. There is a need for more public awareness, more research, more funding and more support for adults and children with autism, and their families or carers.
"We believe that everyone affected by autism deserves the greatest level of support we can provide, and that's why we are supporting the NAS Scotland with the launch of this new menu."
Money raised from the special Sunday offer will go to vital NAS Scotland services, including Daldorch School in Ayrshire, which offers residential care and schooling to children with autism. Other services include a parent to parent support line and social and befriending groups for people with Asperger's syndrome as well as autism.
Otto try it
Pat Byrne has patiently explained to me that Otto, the name of the relaunched former Rubaiyat bar in Byres Road, is the Italian for the number eight - and I believe her. But all sorts of other connotations spring to mind, such as Ottoreallygethomenow; or even Otto von Bismarck - the Iron Chancellor, architect of German unification. They named a famous battleship after him, you'll recall, but we sank it.
So what's it really all about? With brilliant timing the venue was both open and busy on festival Sunday, after weeks of frantic hammering and sawing at the behest of Dunn Interiors, the firm also responsible for the interior fits of Bobar, The Lansdowne cafe bar, and Three Judges - not to mention The Pond Hotel and many other above-average places all over the west. So now the fuss has subsided a little we'll take a leisurely look at this interesting new arrival in a future edition. One big change is the large window spaces the chaps bashed into what had once been blank walls - a terrific improvement which floods the place with light. A significant food offer is guaranteed too - so that will be well worth studying in its own right.
Meanwhile Whistler's Mother, moribund and shut for more than a year, is ... moribund and shut. For a unit of this former standing - at its best it was a great venue, serving pretty good food (Gordon Ramsay was never out of the place while pursuing his doomed Amaryllis venture up the road). Now the leaseholding pub company which owns it can't seem to find a taker.
New for this season ....
La Vallee Blanche in Byres Road has a new seasonal menu to wow its diners, following a great deal of work on the part of chef Neil Clark - who from the start has insisted on a rigid "seasonal only" policy in all of his cuisine.
A "warm tartlet of Tarbert crab" - with a salad of samphire, pink grapefruit and cucumber - sounds suitably enticing ... but we'll have very much more on everything on offer at this undeniably distinctive West End fine dining venture in the very near future. Meanwhile, if you're planning a graduation special do, check out the restaurant's special menu (£19.95) - the owner tells me he's done his level best to offer classic quality at an affordable price.
Brel Extravaganza
From the new kid on the block to the established star just around the corner we turn to Brel, Belgian-themed bar-restaurant and music venue extraordinaire. It is now a little over a decade old, but it somehow seems longer-established than that. So it's no real surprise to see there's a truly action-packed programme right through the festival, for example, of which a centrepiece is surely the 12-hour free music event planned for this Saturday (June 21). From ukuleles (Elidh's ukuleles, to be precise) to electronica, jazz, French rock (Vive le Plastic Bertrand!) and Glastonbury-bound Irish troubadour Niall Connolly. I won't list the full schedule here - you can easily check out the Brel website, but here are a couple of sets that caught my eye:
6pm: Stewart Forbes/Mira Opalinska : new music from Stewart Forbes showcasing the amazing Polish virtuoso jazz pianist Mira Opalinska. Support Poland at the football - support Mira at Brel: I've a feeling this one will be a bit special.
Then at 8.30pm there's Will o' the wisp, an acoustic set born from the 2006 Massilia rock event .... Massilia derives from the ancient Greek name for Marseille, when it was an overseas Greek colony and port ... but I digress. It's a major Gallic music spectacular where huge - Gallic - reputations can be made. This act is definitely worth an Asterix in your festival diary, with music inspired by titanic classic acts like The Cure and The Doors, of blessed memory. My all-time favourite French rock act is of course Plastic Bertrand .... Ca plan pour moi, indeed.
While in Ashton Lane you may be one of the first customers to see new wine bar Serge, upstairs from Brel, which promises not only a first class wine selection but a whole assortment of unusual beers ... and perhaps some interesting music from distant shores.
Cafe Society
The rain doesn't last forever, and any bar, cafe or restaurant owner with a potential pavement area will wheel out the tables and chairs in double quick time the moment a glimmer of sun appears. There are way too many to list all the potential Festival favourites, but here are a few solid options which spring to mind, whether indoors or out.
Republic Bierhalle, Kelvinbridge: Substantial outdoor area packed when I passed the other day, full of people enjoying food and beer - effortlessly continental, civilised, fun.
Cherubini (nearby above) Those hideaway outdoor tables are arguably the most chic al fresco area in the West End - or you can admire the art in the bright and welcoming interior. The cafe has a table licence too, now, meaning you can enjoy a glass of wine with your meal.
The Rio Cafe, Hyndland Street: Needs no introduction - an instant Partick institution, as popular for its evening entertainment as its cuisine.
Vienna Cafe, Hyndland Street: A burgundy-coloured temple of continental gastronomic excellence and effortless elegance - if you can find it open. It has been shut at some odd times, lately, so it's worth checking ahead, if possible. I think its Parisian breakfast (much better than anything I can remember in Paris) is not far short of a work of art. Highly recommended.(Closed Mondays and Tuesdays).
Cafedezique, Hyndland Street: cafe offshoot of Delizique the deli, of which I've heard good things - I'd expect it to reflect the sort of quality you find in the shop.
Enjoy, Kelvinbridge: Subtle lighting, comfortable lounge-about furniture, cool contemporary decor - relaxing ambient music. Possibly the West End's most chilled cafe, depending on the time of day.
The Atrium, Cresswell Street: The pavement outside is a sun-trap when there's any sun at all, and a great choice for a coffee if you want a few minutes' peace away from Byres Road.
Naked Soup, Kersland Street: Another place with a nice (awning covered) outdoor area, but also with an attractive dark wood interior, comfortable booths and nice window seats - and a good range of quality coffees, croissants, etc.
Bibi's, Dumbarton Road, Thornwood: More than just a cafe, this critically-rated cantina is a full-blooded restaurant in its own right, but conveniently opens on a cafe basis during the day - meaning you can drop in any time for a coffee and a Latino light bite.
There are, of course, many more, but that's arguably not a bad representative sample of the sort of quality on offer, these days.
Argyle Street and surrounds
To round off this brief tour of the highlights it's worth noting that another local event, based around The Goat in Argyle Street (near the Ashoka and Spice of Life), is going to bring a bit of fun and festival action to an increasingly interesting area of the West End. The Goat/Corona Street Party may be the ideal way to round off the festival on Sunday June 29 (2pm to 7pm), but both the pub and the area around it is worth a visit any day.
"Argyle Street is the new Byres Road" a lady licensee informed me today, and she's not far off the mark - that will certainly be the case in a year or two, and things are already looking good now.
On one short stretch you'll find businesses including, for example, Kokuryo, the Korean restaurant; quality Gaeldom-inspired pub The Ben Nevis, critically-acclaimed bistro Fanny Trollopes and also recently-launched Italian restaurant Lamora.
And as it turns out one of the most recent arrivals on the scene is also one of the most interesting. SugaQube is a brand new and thoroughly attractive new cafe, with internet access galore (but tucked discreetly out of main view) where you can enjoy anything from organic soft drinks to a wide range of bagels and other snacks, fair trade coffee and more. Decadent loll-about sofas beg to be lounged upon. The large expanse of blond wood floor set off by huge picture windows makes this an unusually eyecatching venue. It aims to offer "unbeatable quality at merely average prices," owner Omar Ameen tells me.
He adds that subtle ambient lighting at night makes the venue a perfect retreat for a quiet tete-a-tete. Definitely a welcome new arrival on an increasingly vibrant local eating and drinking scene.
Forthcoming features
We've been speaking to many of the West End's leading licensees over the festival, and will be featuring some of the best bars, restaurants and cafes in a steadilyh-expanding series of special articles over the coming months.
Meanwhile, as a closing cultural note, if you were bored to distraction by the interminably dull Burton/Taylor epic Cleopatra (which I saw in the original Salon, many years ago) you could always enjoy the 45-minute version as a live drama at Oran Mor to rekindle your interest in the play. It's part of the Corona Classic Cuts series - speed dating, speed Shakespeare ... where will it all end?
May Update on what's happening with the restaurants and pubs in Glasgow's West End
A Taste of Soep in Partick
This merry month of May column was supposed to be all about the looming West End Festival, but not for the first time there's too much going on - so we may as well start with the exuberantly "different" art exhibition launched this week at Roastit Bubbly Jocks in Dumbarton Road, Partick.
The work of Argyll artist Jenny Soep (pronounced "soup"), now living and working in the West End, is unusual to say the least. Her art is "live" - created on the spot - and aims to capture the intensity of the moment in a way even the best photograph can never hope to, particularly when there's music involved.
Jenny has worked her magic at events large and small all over the country, with a particular focus on rock and folk acts (of all types), but has also captured, for example, the ugly intensity of a classic Old Firm game.
She tells me she was delighted to get the chance to exhibit at RBJs - a first class gallery space - because its culinary offer was very Scottish but in a contemporary and inspiring way: it's maybe not stretching it too much to say the sort of people who enjoy the food there are also inclined to be interested in the colourfully spontaneous world of Jenny Soep.
Roastit owner Chris Bryers - whose canapes are extraordinarily good, thanks - tells me he had been aware of the potential of his large, single-room restaurant as a gallery for some time, and it had been a case of waiting until the "right" potential exhibitor came along.
Jenny's art will be on display - and potentially for sale - for several weeks; and I predict the artist herself will be a familiar sight at all sorts of West End music events over the Festival, as she's well aware of all of the area's best venues.
We're able to show, courtesy of Jenny, this take on "Jazz at the Rio Cafe" - a nice example from a nice venue: I think the biggest compliment I can pay this work is "I wish I'd been there".
Also pictured, the Peat Bog Faeries, beautifully captured in a splash of orchestrated colour - and, major league, a picture from a concert starring Bjork ... which I think has a sort of Midsummer Night's Dream quality to it. The other picture is, of course, Jenny at work in her studio - but she tells me most of the work really is done on the spot, with only relatively minor embellishment added on later. More on Jenny on Pat's main page, no doubt, in future updates.
In the Mood for Love
As an example of the breadth of musical styles on offer at Oran Mor - and the quality - singer Jacqui Dankworth's tour appearance there on Tuesday June 10 is as good as any.
The glamorous jazz vocalist's show, In The Mood For Love, features classic and contemporary love songs from the composers and singers she has been inspired by, from ladies of swing like Nancy Wilson and Ella Fitzgerald to (I played their records to shreds) Joni Mitchell and Carole King.
Jacqui was nominated for the prestigious BBC Radio 2 Jazz Singer Of The Year award in 2006 and was also given an Honorary Doctorate of Music by the University of East Anglia.
She presents her own radio show on The Jazz, a new digital station and works extensively with the Brodsky Quartet, recording an album with them alongside music legends Sting, Elvis Costello, Bjork (her again) and Sir Paul McCartney. She has also sung with the LSO, BBC Concert Orchestra, New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and The BBC Big Band.
As an actress,Jacqui has appeared in London's West End in productions for the RSC and the National Theatre -playing lead roles in Les Liasons Dangereuse, Sophisticated Ladies, Into The Woods (the cast recording of this production won a Grammy) and Merrily We Role Along.
And - this is one busy lady - she can also be heard on plays for BBC Radio 4. Jacqui has recorded two albums on the Candid label - As The Sun Shines Down On Me and Detour Ahead which received glowing reviews worldwide, and she is currently working on a new big band album due for release later this year.
For the Oran Mor gig we're told Jacqui will be accompanied by two of the leading jazz guitarists in the country - it should be a good night.
Swingcats at the Tron
To underline the fact that this is the country's most glamorous drinking and dining page we continue the musical theme by nipping in to town - I'd suggest to tube to St Enoch, then hoof it up Ar
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Maggie | Wed Oct 17 2007
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