Photo of
November 7, 2017

Interior, The Spiritualist, Merchant City, Glasgow

The Spiritualist bar & restaurant in Glasgow’s Merchant City offers a thoroughly grown up drinking and dining experience. Stroll in for a cocktail or a bite to eat and you’ll find a softly lit interior with a gleaming piano, trays of sugar-dusted cocktails, and a gantry showcasing one of Scotland’s largest spirit selections. Grown up indeed.

The Spiritualist is based on Miller Street, in the grand old building that once housed the prestigious — and more recently abandoned — Stirling’s Library. The space has now been totally renovated, with decor on the contemporary art deco side of things, creating a pleasingly timeless vibe. The dining area is lined with comfortable, intimate booths and there are plenty of tasteful photographic prints to gaze at while you’re awaiting your speciality scotch whisky or champagne cocktail.

This is all the vision of veteran bar and restaurant operators, Ryan Barrie and Jim Ballantyne, who are determined to give Glasgow people a night out to remember. To this end, they’re carefully honed every last detail — from the lighting to the cutlery to the music — with the aim of creating the perfect dining experience.

Creative and contemporary dining

Mussels 2

 

This includes chic, creative cuisine at an affordable price. Dishes are crafted from the best seasonal Scottish produce, with brunch, lunch, dinner and bar snacks all being served.

The pre-theatre menu offers a starring role to the best of Scottish and British flavours. Expect to find starters such as Poached Gressingham duck breast with confit leg, apple date chutney & pickled candy beetroot, Steamed west coast mussels in a white wine marinière and Parmesan shortcake with steamed goat’s cheese, confit tomato & rocket salad.

Mains might include Beer battered haddock with fries, mushy peas & tartar sauce, Chicken stroganoff with basmati rice & flatbread and Forged field mushroom tagliatelle with wild garlic, wild leeks & parmesan.

Desserts are on the decadent side, and will likely include treats such as Caramelised citrus tart with crème fraiche & candied peel, Sticky toffee pudding with butterscotch sauce and Rich chocolate pot with shortbread & salt caramel.

High class spirits

Cocktail at The Spiritualist

But what about the drinks? Well, The Spiritualist’s soaring gantry display is close to being a work of art in its own right and showcases over 300 spirits and liqueurs. This includes an extensive selection of malt whiskies and some of Scotland’s best craft gins. You’ll also find a treasure chest of some of the world’s most prized drinks, from Louis XIII cognac to artisanal mezcals to exclusive, rare liqueurs.

Beer is sourced through the Craft Beer Clan of Scotland and the wine list is curated by established connoisseur, Guy Chatfield. The Spiritualist also has the distinction of being one of only a handful of UK venues to stock all three Fortaleza tequilas. Added to this, the Buy Your Tipple service is a very nice touch, as it allows customers to order prestige spirits straight to their door.

The extensive cocktails menu includes champagne creations, signature concoctions and a playful range known as Spiritualist Science. This features lab-coated delights such as cocktails served in ice spheres, or filled with heather smoke, or accompanied by fruit flavoured caviar. All very intriguing.

If you’d like to dine out in style one evening without any accompanying stuffiness (just soft piano music, lovingly crafted cocktails and flavoursome dishes), then The Spiritualist would make for an excellent choice.

Book our dining offer for 2 courses from The Spiritualist pre-theatre menu plus a glass of wine or a soft drink for £13.95.