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September 20, 2021

First up, say 'Howdie' to Oscar Bar and Kitchen which has opened on Kilmarnock Road in Glasgow's Shawlands.

A suave sort of chap, Oscar serves 'vibrant new brunch dishes and seasonal small plates with a traditional French twist'.

On the plate, that means small dishes like the crab gnocchi, lamb cutlets or the oat-smoked sweet potato with gin-glazed artichoke, spring truffle oil, confit shallot, red chilli and sundried tomato pistou.

Brunch options run from baked eggs with parmentier potato, Stornoway black pudding, baby spinach, provençale, green harissa dressing and toasted sourdough to French toast with maple-cured bacon, hazelnut crumb, whipped mascarpone and a toasted blackberry compôte.

The menu also includes separate sections for vegan small plates and brunch dishes. Think along the lines of baba ganoush with a coriander and red chilli vierge, spiced rum currants, toasted flat bread and an aubergine crumb.

New Glasgow restaurant: Hooligan

Over in the West End, Hooligan is another newbie that has gone down the small plates route. Sister operation to Eighty-Eight on Dumbarton Road, Hooligan is above The Drake on Lynedoch Street.

Natural wine and small plates are the name of the game here. Typical dishes might be the kombu-cured monkfish with grapes, mint and dashi; the slow-cooked egg with chorizo and morcilla terrine, bravas sauce and manchego or the king oyster mushroom, celeriac, mushroom jus and gremolata.

Abandon Ship

All being well, Abandon Ship on Mitchell Street should have started welcoming its first guests on board by now. The new bar has been taking shape in the former So L.A. premises.

Parent company, the MacMerry 300 Group, already has several units open in Dundee and Broughty Ferry plus The Luchador in Glasgow's Southside and The Bull on Great Western Road.

The first Abandon Ship is in Dundee and the main pic above is taken from their Facebook page. The second Abandon Ship will mix a bar and kitchen with retail space.  

We'll return to the subject of Abandon Ship with lots more information soon. For now, let's just say that there are big plans for the brand. There has been talk of opening ten Abandon Ship units across the UK and there are loud whispers that Covent Garden in London could be the next port of call.

Numbers add up

Finally, a quick mention for 63rd+1st which is scheduled to open on Friday 24th September on Bothwell Street.

A new offering from the people behind T.G.I Fridays, it is a cocktail bar and restaurant and we'll have more coverage next Monday.