Ah, sweet, sweet Friday. The reward for all the hard labour of the previous few days.
Here are some new places in Glasgow which you might like to explore during our brief reprieve from the coal face.
And now for something completely different
If you’re looking to kick back in Clarkston then ‘something‘ at The Toll looks fun.
The quirkily named diner drew a lot of attention when its forthright job advert on Gumtree went viral back in May.
Their tumblr feed is just as much fun and just as honest as the job advert. For example, this is from their staff page:
‘Emma Ainsley is the smiling person that probably greeted you if you’ve been in. She was found in an abandoned tyre factory and given three showers, a small wardrobe, some stale bread ends, and a job. She still eats all the bread ends, and has learned to speak in full words and sentences.’
We haven’t been in and have no idea what the food is like but the menu looks engaging.
Eggs seem to be a major feature and, if only I could figure how to rip pics off their feed, then I’d have shown you how good their dishes look.
Lockhouse unlocked
Over on Maryhill Road, The Lockhouse Bar and Restaurant has come to life in the last week or so. It used to be the Elephant and Bugle – we think.
The new venture is aiming to give local residents a more contemporary bar and kitchen experience. You could argue that many of the surrounding pubs are traditional, community venues.
As an alternative, The Lockhouse is offering cocktails, wines, Champagne and continental beers such as Heverlee wheat beer.
The menu is canny. There are the buffalo wings, racks of ribs and Cajun Bad Boy burgers which you would expect to find in any on trend city centre bar. But they are flanked by more trad steak pies, lasagne and cheesy garlic bread.
Go French on West Nile
Back in the city centre, a Côte Brasserie has opened on West Nile Street.
The restaurant group already has dozens of units south of the border. The Glasgow operation is its first Scottish branch and an Edinburgh outlet is in the pipeline.
A modern version of classic Parisian bistros is what Côte aims for. Look out for steak frites, moules marinières and tuna Niçoise.
Over the last couple of years, West Nile Street has become something of a restaurant row, especially for the larger restaurant groups. Bill’s, Las Iguanas and Carluccio’s all spring to mind.
Not that this has stopped independent operators such as the Riverhill Restaurant and Bar from staking a claim on the street.
