Having enjoyed raging success with his Pinxto tapas restaurant, Allan Mawn has branched out with a new venture that sits next door to his existing Dumbarton Road restaurant in Glasgow.

Velvet Elvis is a bar and grill that takes its name from a picture of Presley that an artist friend painted on velvet for Mawn many years ago. If you like kitsch then googling Velvises can provide hours of day-glo fun.

Mawn’s plan for the food is that it will be pub grub but done to a standard that’s a cut above the norm. Seasonality, careful sourcing and a price point that won’t break the bank are the keywords.

The food looks as though it will be done with a flourish. One of the dishes is the Jack House steak pie, named after the Glasgow journalist, restaurant critic and bon viveur who crusaded against the folly of steak pies which were cooked separately from their pastry lids.

The premises used to be a second-hand furniture shop but, as it was being stripped back, the workmen uncovered an Edwardian butchers shop underneath. Many of the original features have been kept or restored as Velvet Elvis takes up residence. The operation opens to the public at 5pm today.

It sits in an area of Dumbarton Road that is slowly becoming better served for restaurants. As well as Pinxto, Café 279 and Bibi’s Cantina are among the 5pm members doing business nearby.

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