Glasgow West End Dining and Drinking by Roy Beers
www.glasgowwestend.co.uk

Velvet Elvis

From the man who brought critically-acclaimed Basque tapas restaurant Pinxto to Thornwood we now have, right next door in a former butcher’s shop, a completely new venue – which despite the name has nothing to do with the late Mr Presley at all, but which is craftily jammed, in a minimalist sort of way, with plenty of recondite retro flourishes. Like the vintage-choice juke box, which amiable owner Allan Mawn insisted I try out on the afternoon of the day he was getting ready to open to the general public.

He possibly realised this hadn’t been a good move when Lola, by The Kinks, boomed out four seconds later … Perhaps it was the sunny afternoon, and the jolly Damm (or was it Sagres?) branded windcheaters outside (indicating an affection for continental beers) at the tables – continental Thornwood, who’d have thought it? – but initial impressions bore out the verdict from Ken Smith in the Herald diary: “a cool neighbourhood bar”. With the tall continental doors rolled back, the tiled walls, wooden floor, brick bar and ancient boothed seating at the back (it looks like something out of Montmartre, circa 1895), this is yet another “one off” which begs exploration in detail. There’s a stuffed seabird to one side of the bar, which I correctly identify as a Gannet (a joke, you see); and the bar and gantry are a wonderful, towering extravaganza, the back bar acting as a display case for premium spirit options as diverse as Jameson’s Irish whiskey and Laphroaig; there’s a strong accent on quality continental premium beer, and also the obligatory Tennent’s Lager font – because the big red T is, by and by, what most people still prefer to drink. Or you could try a Krusovice (Czech) or Tyskie (Polish) lager from the chiller cabinet. Then there’s the menus, affixed to probably valuable retro LP and singles covers.

But what about the food? Allan has three chefs, all from very “rated” enterprises, and a menu designed to appeal to people who like familiar dishes done particularly well. Here’s an idea of what is on offer: for tasty bar bites you can choose options such as deep fried baby squid or salt cod croquettes, as well as the handcut chips and marinated olives.

There’s a full breakfast menu including a Crispy Morton’s Roll with either Ballencrief Bacon, Aberdeen Angus Lorne Sausage, or a free range egg … and you can add (it says here) a “tatty” scone – that is to say, “tattie” scone; I mean it’s not frayed at the edges, or anything. The deadly phrase: “selection of morning pastries available” introduces the possibility of further treats in store.

The main menu, meanwhile, is a beguiling litany of classics and twists to classics … for example there’s the Jack House Steak Pie, named in honour of the famous writer who knew all that was to be known about Glasgow; it comes with coloured carrots and Pommary Mustard, and takes 20 minutes to prepare, as it’s baked to order. Moules Frites, by contrast, offers fresh mussels in a leek and Addlestone cider cream with skinny fries. There’s also a deluxe chargrilled burger, Rolls Royce fish n’ chips, “slow cooked oxtail on the bone” and crispy skinned duck leg on Puy Lentils with spinach, roasted tomatoes and bacon; besides some interesting-sounding veggie options.

Some of the starters can be main courses too – for example chargrilled sardines; or poached egg with Stornoway black pudding and seasonal asparagus. Allan Mawn appears particularly proud of his salads selection (eg orange-marinated chicken with toasted seeds and summer greens); especially the Classic Nicoise, which he complains you “can’t find anywhere”. For the avoidance of doubt, this is seared tuna with dressed leaves, green beans, anchovies, black olives, potatoes and boiled egg. Rounding off the menu (which has been compiled in accordance with an ethical food-sourcing policy) there’s also a substantial kids selection, starring choices such as “home made fish fingers and real chips”.

The wine list has half a dozen reds and the same number of whites, and is carefully chosen to span the full spectrum, with an accent on New World wines; there’s a “Pink” choice too, a couple of sparkling wines, and three “treats” – dear wines – at a few pence under £40.

However apart from these three the wines are all under twenty quid and most are in the range £13 to £15 – which, given they’re not the sort of wines you’ll encounter in the local branded High Street offie, appears to be good value. There’s the option of numerous wines by the glass, too – all in the range £3,50 to just under a fiver.

Finally, on the sort of hot day we’ve had recently, you might care to try one of VE’s classic cocktails, a snip at £5.75. Allan’s staff could capably produce just about anything from hundreds of options on their cocktail lists, but in practice the ones which people will want will be the time-honoured balmy climate specials, the Mojitos and Daiquiris of old Havana.

Just a little up the road from Velvet Elvis and Pinxto is Bibi’s, a Mexican cantina which has now been hit-listed in the List food and drink guide, and while the former Cherrybean café across the road from Allan’s places is currently shut I learn it is now “under offer” and may soon re-emerge as another café; I hope so.

When you consider there was little if anything to tempt anyone farther than the Crow Road junction a couple of years ago this is a pretty remarkable transformation, and fair play to Allan and the ladies at Bibi’s for making it happen.

While I was chatting to Allan numerous people were already trying to get into the venue, only to be reluctantly stopped with the cry “We don’t open until five o’clock”.

I predict masses of interest in the immediate local area, but also plenty of visits from people across west Glasgow and, pretty soon, from across the city generally.

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