Great presents are not necessarily grand presents. Sometimes a good gift is simply a thoughtful one that the recipient will really appreciate. Over the next couple of days, we’ll suggest a handful of 5pm Christmas Gifts that would make fun, novel or unusual stocking fillers.

Glasgow Music City Tours

Buckle up your blue suede walking shoes and join Glasgow Music City Tours on a journey around the rock ‘n’ roll stories that have made Glasgow the only UNESCO City of Music in the UK.

Led by guides with years of experience in Glasgow’s music scene, the tours deliver an irreverent, informative look at the city’s iconic bands, the famous venues they played and the incendiary performances which became legends in their own show time.

The genres covered swing from folk to punk while the eras mentioned run from the music halls to the modern day.

And, with guest numbers limited to fifteen, these tours are the equivalent of an intimate, unplugged gig.

Since launching in August, Glasgow Music City Tours have had plenty of applause on TripAdvisor. This was from a guest who came out on the Glasgow’s Music Mile tour in October:

‘Loved this tour. Great guide, great way to spend a couple of hours in Glasgow. Just back from a very relaxed and enjoyable tour of some great Glasgow music venues. The guides… were knowledgeable and friendly. They know their music and have lots of good stories and patter! Brought back great memories of gigs in Glasgow and the many famous acts that have performed. Was good to hear about stuff behind the scenes. Learnt new things and had a laugh. Would recommend to visitors and locals.’

£20 for Merchant City Music or Glasgow’s Music Mile Tour for 2 from Glasgow Music City Tours

Wine Flight & Cheeseboard at Urban Bar and Brasserie

A rather suave restaurant and bar on St Vincent Place, Urban Bar and Brasserie was once home to the Bank of England’s Scottish HQ.

Decked out with wood panels, stunning flower displays and ornate cornicing, it is an elegant city centre spot which has retained its dashing good looks. If you have never dipped into Urban’s sleek interior, this offer is a great way to sample their wines and enjoy the relaxed ambience of the cocktail bar.

Served in Urban’s cocktail bar and available from noon to 9pm, Sunday to Thursday, today’s offer is for two people to each have a flight of three different wines, each wine served in a 100ml glass.

Diners will share a cheeseboard platter – a delicious selection of market cheeses with chutney, water biscuits and oatcakes.

Over the years, Urban Bar and Brasserie has built up a loyal following of happy customers. More than 1100 5pm reviewers have given Urban a combined rating of 4.4/5.

Writing on Urban Bar and Brasserie’s 5pm restaurant entry, this is what a recent visitor had to say:

‘Urban experience. Great food, lovely atmosphere. Staff were friendly.’ Rating 5/5

£17.95 for a Wine Flight + Cheeseboard for 2 at Urban Bar & Brasserie, City Centre

Craft Beer Gift Set from Flavourly

This ale and hearty Big Deal is guaranteed to put a big smile on the face of the family beer aficionado.

Today’s Big Deal is for a craft beer hamper containing eight beers personally selected to meet the preferences of the user. The box also contains a snack pack to complement the beer choices, a personalised gift message and a voucher package.

In addition there is a £10 discount off the monthly craft beer/gourmet food club, £5 off Flavourly’s gift box range and a free delivery voucher for their marketplace.

Craft beer is a growing phenomenon, with beer-lovers appreciating the diverse flavours and styles created by small but dedicated breweries.

You may be familiar with Flavourly from the Dragon’s Den TV show. It is the UK’s leading online craft beer club, specialising in distinctive small batch craft brews, selected by beer experts. They also offer inventive gourmet snacks and specialist foods that are a cut above the average bag of pork scratchings.

Redeem your voucher by 17th December for guaranteed Christmas delivery.

£19 for an Xmas Craft Beer Gift Set from Flavourly

Tapas Meal for 2 at Cafe Andaluz

 

Decked out with stained glass lamps, colourful ceramics and Moorish tiles, the Café Andaluz restaurants on Cresswell Lane and St Vincent Place in Glasgow and George Street in Edinburgh each have a lively, buzzy ambience which would give a Seville fiesta a good run for its money.

If you are looking for some Andalucian warmth without braving the boarding queue, this Big Deal is the passport.

The offer is for two people to share five tapas plus a dessert each from the Big Deal menu at either Glasgow branch or the George Street, Edinburgh, branch of Café Andaluz. The offer is available Sunday to Friday.

With just under thirty different tapas to choose from, the only tough part of this Big Deal will be making your mind up.

The two Café Andaluz restaurants are among the most popular 5pm restaurants in Glasgow. Between them, they have been given slightly fewer than 5000 ratings from 5pm customers. Those ratings tot up to give them both a whopping combined score of 4.4/5.

This is what a couple of recent visitors to the city centre branch of Café Andaluz in Glasgow thought of their experiences:

‘Excellent food and atmosphere and brilliant service. Highly recommend it.’ Rating 4.6/5

‘Smiling. Been before, never disappointed.’ Rating 5/5

£20 for 5 Tapas + 2 Desserts to share for 2 at Cafe Andaluz, Glasgow + Edinburgh

One Direction Themed Recording Session

Today’s Big Deal is a great Christmas gift idea for the One Direction fan in your family who may be feeling a little alarmed at the prospect of 2016 without any 1D activity.

To be honest, we suspect that One Direction will be back, sooner rather than later.

In the meantime, today’s Big Deal offers a unique opportunity to get up close and personal with the group’s back catalogue, in the form of a 1D themed recording session at Glasgow Music Studios.

It’s an opportunity to release your inner Harry Styles or prove that Zayn Malik was always the key member of the group, and generally get to grips with the pop masterpieces that will be the 1D legacy.

This Big Deal is for eight people to have a One Direction themed recording session in the Glasgow Music Studios, with a CD of your recording and a cover picture. Sessions are available for ages six and upwards.

The Glasgow Music Studios in the Merchant City is a welcoming environment for your One Direction themed session. Recognised as Recording Studio of the Year 2012 at the Scottish New Music Awards, the facility offers the finest recording equipment.

With sessions available from 9am until 5pm on weekdays and up to midnight at weekends, you can find slots suitable for tweenies, teens or grown-ups with an unashamed 1D fixation.

The Glasgow Music Studios have helped hundreds of visitors create lasting musical memories. These endorsements came from the studio’s website:

‘The Engineer made us feel like real recording artists. Such great fun.’

‘Fantastic day! A great venue for our team day out. We felt very at home and could have stayed all day. Just listened to the track, it’s hilarious!’

£19 for a One Direction Themed Recording Session for 8 at Glasgow Music Studios

For more stocking fillers, check out our 5pm Christmas Gifts Page.