323 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow. G2 3WH. Tel: 0141 353 0953.
Bier Hof. 2008.
Other branches of the Bier are in 372-74 Great Western Road, Glasgow. Telephone 0141 339 9177. They also have a Pizza delivery call 07597 563 598. The Original Republic Bier Halle is at 9 Gordon Street off Buchanan Street, tel: 0141 204 0706. The original Bier Hof in Sauchiehall Lane.
Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow.
An added attraction for cinema-goers is now open at ABC1 in Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow in the shape of a new bar for patrons of the cinema.
But it is not just an ordinary bar, this one is installed with circuit television monitors.
Engineer Jack Graham tells me, “this means that patrons can follow what is on the big screen and either finish their drinks and snacks at leisure or know just when to return to their seats.”
Those who are long in the cinematographic tooth will recall well that the ABC 1 used to be called the Regal. Well the new bar is sited on the top floor of what used to be the old Regal restaurant.
Mrs May Mackie, who is in charge of the bar, says that the new closed circuit screens make life a lot easier for herself and staff, other wise she would be answering questions about the programme all the time.
Manager Alan Dale tells me that as far as he knows the ABC complex is the first in Scotland to provide this facility. “One of the partners in the firm of contractors who built the bar, Jack Wallace, is just back from North America where he saw monitors of this type actually installed outside the cinema.” said Alan.
Which makes you wonder why people bother paying to get inside! There is nothing modern about the decor in the new room. It was designed by Mr Dale himself. The theme is an old stableyard surrounded by an inn, the bar counter, and the innkeeper’s house. Across a low central wall is the coachman’s house, with an enormous canopied fireplace.
“The old restaurant had enormous arched windows which we didn’t want to alter,” said Mr Dale, “so I decided this theme would be in keeping with them.” Much admired by patrons, I’m told, are the leaded-glass bow windows of the “innkeeper’s house” which looks on to interiors specially painted for the new bar by Mr Henry Hellier, head of the interior design department of Glasgow School of Art.
The bar sells “practically everything,” being a free house and opens from 6 p.m. to 9.30.
408 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow.
51st State Drugstore Cafe, 408 Sauchiehall Street.
The 51st State Cafe was situated right next door to Pythagoras.
This was Glasgow’s first American styled diner. The waitresses skated around the premises in their roller skates wearing short denim skirts. Serving Hamburgers, steaks, Chilli. There was a soda fountain plus cocktails at the bar.
The full name of the cafe was the 51st State Drugstore Cafe.
A 1977 advert for the 51st State.
Do you remember this diner, if so please get in touch.
510 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow. G2 3LW. Closed.
Cabaret turns at city’s newest pub / restaurant.
I first heard about Crazy Daisy about three weeks ago, and my immediate reaction was wonderment about the zany bird with the off-beat name. It was just as well I didn’t give voice to the thought because it turns out that the Crazy Daisy is the newest pub and musical restaurant to open in Glasgow.
It is sited at Charing Cross, in the old Locarno Club premises. Although it has been opened for only about three weeks, they have feature singer Neville Taylor in cabaret and this week singer Ruby Carter is on stage. The place is owned by Mike and Kathy Kenna, who used to run the Dunny discotheque next door to the Metropole Theatre.
Open to the public
Mike tells me that he intends making the Crazy Daisy into one of the most swinging place in Glasgow. At the moment he is slightly afraid that people might think it is a club because of his association with the Dunny. “I would like everyone to know there is no membership here, and the place is open to the general public.”
Mike is obviously keeping his future plans closely under wraps at the moment, but he has already dinner-dance-cabaret nights running on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. From Monday he is starting to cater for business lunches. Next week Maggie Mercer is on stage. Maggie has been resident singer at the Bruce Hotel, East Kilbride, for several years, and is a great favourite.
Incidentally, the vivacious curvaceous singer Lee Anthony will be at the Crazy Daisy every lunch time, but not as a singer. Lee will be helping out behind the bar.
In the News 1972…
The singers will be appearing in cabaret at the recently opened Crazy Daisy at Charing Cross, Glasgow, tonight and tomorrow. Since he appeared in Glasgow, Stephen has toured extensively throughout the Continent, in London, and on the club circuit in the north of England.
Incidentally the Crazy Daisy have started up a Saturday morning jazz session and this week they are featuring George McGowan and the City Centre Sound. They are also throwing in what they describe as a “pub nosh” which I understand is bits and pieces of this and that, if I make myself clear!
Do you remember this old venue? If so please leave a comment.
431 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow. G2 3LG. Tel: 0141 332 5431.
Tennis is the name of the game in the Centre Court decor. 1979.
The Pub that’s set to March them All…
An Upmarket Pub which is oozing with style has just opened in Sauchiehall Street at Charing Cross.
It’s called Centre Court, and you don’t have to be a genius to figure that the theme of the decor is based on Tennis.
Wimbledon, in fact.
Ironically, Gordon McMurray and Fred Sommerville, the two Glasgow business men who own the new premises, don’t play tennis.
“Why that theme?” Says Gordon, “We were looking for decor different from anything else in Glasgow. The subject of tennis came up and we thought, why not.”
The result was that they went to Wimbledon and had a long chat with Mr A. B. Cooper, curator of their magnificent tennis museum. He was enormously helpful and gave them many ideas as well as a selection of tennis photographs and other related memorabilia.
FIVE STAR…
The photographs of all the tennis greats, Bjon Borg, Jimmy Connors, LLie Nastase, John Newcombe, Chris Evert Lloyd, Sue Barker, Billie Jean King, Virginia Wade etc, have been framed and are now hanging on the walls of the plush lounge and cocktail bar at 431 Sauchiehall Street.
There is so much tennis interest and history in this luxurious five-star howff that you could spend a happy hour just browsing round soaking up tennis lore.
One striking feature is a hand-painted mural on the wall by Glasgow designer David Ogilvie. It took about 15 months to complete.
The tennis theme is carried out throughout the premises, from floor to ceiling. The carpet in the lounge was specially woven for the room by furnishers, Hampton and McMurray and cost £7000. Woven through it are cross rackets with the letters “CC” weaved into the “gut” of the rackets. It’s all very striking.
On the ceiling there is a small illuminated tennis court which looks like the real thing.
The best Doubles and Singles in town at The Centre Court. 1979.
RELAX…
In keeping with the decor the drinks list is in the shape of a tennis racket, has concoctions on it like a Sneaky Lob, a Low Lob, and a Drop Shot. A few of those and you are a match for anyone.
Say’s Gordon, “We set out to give the people of Glasgow a lounge of which it can be proud, and I think we have done just that. We want people to come in to relax in comfortable surroundings and enjoy a leisurely drink.”
The Centre Court is certainly a match for anything else in the city. In moulding it the owners have created the type of place where they would like to go, their yardstick being that if they would like to go there, so would others.
Mr Cooper, the curator of the Wimbledon Museum, was more than delighted to help the owners get everything absolutely authentic because he feels, rightly, that such decor can evoke and sustain interest in tennis among people in Glasgow and the West of Scotland.
Needless to say Mr Cooper has been given a standing invitation to sample the delights of Glasgow’s Centre Court any time he cares to call.
DELIGHTS
A cold buffet and “Wimbledon – type” food will be available for customers at the Centre Court, just what “Wimbledon-type food” is the owners aren’t saying. They like to keep some surprises up their sleeves. But the possibility is that such delights as strawberries and cream might be on sale.
Only on season, of course, otherwise the cost would be prohibitive.
Customers will be served by staff dressed in red tops and white calf-length skirts. The girls that is… the men will wear white trousers.
That net result of all this thought and work is decidedly good!
Other names this venue has had over the years, L’Odean, The Box, The Glasgow Pub Company.
Do you have memories of this popular venue? If so please leave a comment.
468 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow. G2 3JU. Tel:
Oceans Eleven, Bar Lounge and Off sales.
This pub had a name change in the 1990s from the Beresford then to the Library, hoping to attract the many readers from the Mitchell Library.
Update 2005…
Passing Sauchiehall Street and noticed the Library has closed down, a short lived pub. Refurbishment is going on at the moment, maybe a new title for this bar too. I will keep you updated.
A new name for this pub “Capitol” 2008.
Capitol was a great venue, you could get cheap drinks in here which is great. Every few months Sauchiehall Street seems to have a new pub, you are spoiled for choice of drinking venues along the full length of Sauchiehall Street.
The Art School. September 2012.
It seems that every couple of years this Sauchiehall Street bar has a name change. This time it is called “The Art School”, named after the nearby School of Art a Charles Rennie MacKintoch wonder.
Update 2012…
Brazilliant is a Steakhouse & Currascaria. Again this place didn’t last for long.
It is a shame that this Sauchiehall Street venue has had so many businessmen come and go. I thing there is too many licensed premises on Sauchiehall Street, they are all competing against each other for trade. Many years ago when this pub was Oceans Eleven there wasn’t so many pubs.
Update 2018…
I wish the owners all the best of luck in competing with the rest of the pubs on Sauchiehall Street especially pubs within 300 yards.
Do you have any memories of this Sauchiehall Street bar? If so please leave a comment.
