Monthly Archives: August 2013

Delish fish – exactly how we like it

Glasgow simply has too many fantastic eateries to pick favourites.  And yet the Finnieston on Argyle Street cannot help but rate high up on our list.

And just what sets this tasty treasure apart?  Well, it’s charming, cosy – and the staff are both knowledgeable and attentive.

Gin cocktail joy at the Finnieston in GlasgowIt has the most delicious and wonderfully named gin cocktails.  Where else can you happily have dinner with ‘the poet’, ‘the sailor’ and ‘the gentleman’ and no one fights?

Importantly the food is absolutely out-of-this-world delicious.

Even better, it’s served exactly the way you like it.

Choose from a selection of fish and decide how you want it cooked – poached, grilled or pan-fried.  Select your finish and  accompanying sides.  Perfection.

Salmon perfection at The Finnieston in GlasgowMy pan-fried salmon in rosemary and smoked garlic butter is exceptional.

And no matter what, do save room for dessert because it is equally outstanding.

Missing it would be a regrettable mistake.

Ever evolving, always brilliant

Like their evolving seasonal menu, their drinks are also updated regularly.  So there’s reason to go back time and time and time again.   We certainly will.

Dessert heaven at the Finnieston in GlasgowGin cocktails and seafood go together wonderfully.

So go on, try out one of Glasgow’s finest.  Get the booth by the fireplace, perfect for people watching and sipping delightful cocktails.

What’s not to love?

– T

Silent Sunday – 25 August

Get into Saturday afternoon swing of things at King Tut’s

swing band at King Tut's in Glasgow

Adventures in Glasgow vintage

Vintage guru - dress in the windowOur vintage shop adventures begin in  Vintage Guru  on Byres Road.

And we’re in luck because they’re having a fantastic sale including a £5 and £7 bargain rail.

But good finds wait for no one so don’t delay – amazing patterned swimming costumes, exquisite hats and dresses for every occasion and price range await you.

Star-struck delights

Starry Starry Night - outside shopNext stop is Starry Starry Night on Dowanside Lane.  But this is not a merely a vintage shop,  it’s an experience.

Tucked away down the cobbled lane this  glamorous retreat offers beautiful elegant clothes draped around the shop, hanging from every available surface.  There’s anything and everything including hatboxes and a rail of furs. And I’m quite sure I’ve found the way to Narnia.

Especially for you

From there we visit De Courcy Arcade ,  the perfect collection of  vintage shops all in one spot,  including the Audrey Hepburnesque  Just for You –  overflowing with gorgeous dresses and my favourite shop -Miss Lottie Lou.

Miss Lottie Lou - made to measure clothingAnd there actually is a  super-talented Miss Lottie Lou in this magical wee shop, working away on  her sewing machine to create made-to-measure vintage masterpieces.

The selection of material and vintage sewing patterns to choose from is nothing short of impressive.   Admittedly the thought of clothes that actually fit perfectly is blissful – even better, Miss LL works within your budget.

I could spend hours in this tiny shop looking through the jewellery, dresses and delightful trinkets and lace handkerchiefs still in mint condition in their original boxes.

As I walk back home from my shopping expedition, high on vintage  – I somehow manage to rip my favourite skirt.  But I don’t get upset. I get inspired and excited.  Miss Lottie Lou are you ready to whip me up the perfect new skirt because here I come!

– B

Silent Sunday – 18 August

The friendly faces you see in Glasgow…

Glasgow mural

 

Meet yoga-tastic fantastic you

Sometimes contentment can be found in the small things.  Like a glass of water or a cool breeze.  This is especially true if you’re sweating buckets in a super hot yoga class – generally hovering around a balmy 38c.

Infinity yoga in Glasgow Colette is one part yoga sage teacher, one-part comforting philosopher, all heart – perfectly combined with no-nonsense-you-can-do it sensibility.

Oddly, despite the sweltering heat, I believe her.   Because even if at first everything feels utterly impossible and I don’t think I can twist my body into a pretzel (aka eagle pose), Colette believes.

A special personal experience

She encourages, motivates and calls you by name.  Impressively she somehow remembers the name of every person who comes to her Merchant City Infinity yoga studio.  Here you are not just a number.  You’re special – you feel special.

The variety of hot yoga, hatha and Pilates means you won’t get too comfortable in one class, can experiment and test yourself in new exciting ways in a supportive environment.   In fact, you can adapt according to your own abilities. And the other teachers –  Jamie and Gemma – are also fantastic. Though Colette is my favourite.

Improve your day  and yourself

You will sweat.  You will feel challenged, quite possibly like never before.   But you will also feel totally brilliant – inside and outside.  Eventually.  I promise.

Go on, give it a try.

– T

Silent Sunday – 11 August

The holiday feeling continues…in Glasgow

Glasgow Green - blue sky bliss
#GlasgowGreen

Lost and found at Mama San

Tucked below St Judes on Bath Street is Mama San.  If like us you don’t find it the first time, be persistent.  When we somehow missed the entrance and ended up in St Judes, we were warmly welcomed and escorted to our table.

The 5pm deal is a great way to sample the wares and includes two courses and a drink for £12.95.  Bargain – and particularly brilliant considering your drink can be one of their totally tasty cocktails.

The recently refurbished restaurant is slick and chic, complete with a larger than life naked lady adorning one wall.  Mama San perhaps?

Cocoon of calm and soothing cocktails

But the bum-bearing lady is surprisingly fitting, somehow adding to the calm cocoon-like space.   It oozes cool, yet has a warm feel – or perhaps that’s the cocktail buzz.

Pad Thai Spring Rolls at Mama SanNot forgetting the all-important food, Mama San offers a delicious selection of dishes from Thailand, Indonesia and China.

It’s admittedly tough to decide between the Thai Green Curry and Beef Rendang.  In the end I go with the luscious chicken satay starter and an equally enjoyable Basil Chilli Chicken.  I have slight food envy when I see my friend’s  Pad Thai Spring Rolls and Thai Green Curry.

If you want to stray from the 5pm menu, the Chilli and Lime Sea Bass or twice cooked Pork sounds just as enticing.

So if you’ve had a long week and need to unwind, take a wrong turn – relax, enjoy good food and soothing cocktails in welcoming surroundings.

-B