Thanks to the smoking ban, cheap supermarket booze and increasing legislation, the idea of the local bar for local people seems to be dying on its backside. Fortunately, the neighbourhood bar looks like it could run for some time.
So, what’s the difference between the two? For me, a local pub is kept alive, sometimes only just, by a band of regulars who probably have their own special but unspoken seat at the bar. The horse racing is on the telly during the day and the football is always on in the evenings. The customer base doesn’t have to be entirely composed of pensioners but the bar’s best seller will be a half pint and whisky chaser. A gin and tonic is the closest thing they do to a cocktail list and it is generally understood that only women will order it. Not that many women ever come in. The only food available is the caged pie on the bar which may be older than the barman.
By contrast, a neighbourhood bar is a bit more funky. It’s where local residents hang out when the thought of trekking into a city centre venue seems too much trouble. The plasma screens might show big international matches but people go there to blether rather than growl at the telly. While the bar will be the focus of the place, there will be a food menu. It doesn’t have to be fancy. Trad pub grub staples are fine when they are done with a little care. The place won’t look like a florists but there might be flowers on the bar and candles on the tables in the evening. No-one will think it odd if a man drinks a glass of wine and the cocktail list will go beyond the mojito.
One such place has just opened on Argyle Street in Glasgow. Called the Neighbourhood Bar and Kitchen, it’s the baby of Phil McDonald, one time head chef at the October Café and owner of Giffnock’s Dine. He says he opened the new place because he liked the neighbourhood and nearby places such as Lebowski’s, The Ivy and Gazelle.
The Bank, Black Sparrow, blas, Cottiers and the Drawing Room also fit the neighbourhood bar description in Glasgow. In Edinburgh, 5pm members such as The Golf Tavern, The Granary and The New Bell are in the same ball park.