THE TOUR GUIDES
Alex Lawrie on the best of the west
I It's nigh on rvr‘2possrbie to reduce everytlrrng that i‘i (:‘rlaagow to a tee; lftffélitfjltfi. "out f;tttit70f3lt‘tg a irrend has an erenrng to be Introduced to the I:rt~,' their-[s no better place to start than Oran Mor I731 [353 (fire-at V‘I’estern Hill. a treautrtrrl r:lr:rr<:h ronprrartrcrl Into an award»
Ia'Inr‘vrno {)th restaurant and «enue that rs fast heeovnrng a local :arrrlrnark. Nearin Ashton lane rernarns a favoured V‘rest End starnrnng ground. centred around the ta'nout; Ubiquitous Chip It? Asr‘tor: lane). WHIIth krokstarted fine dining rn (,‘rtasrgow lit the earlx, 705;. and the reeenttr,’ returtrrsnrxl Grosvenor Cinema I24 Ashton lane). wnreh allows; drinks to be taken Into :;I:reenrntirs;. It you fancy { walk. wander III: to Lock 27 It 100 ()row Head) for a VlCW ot the Itanal. l or the tub rnto town the ('tllttthSSOItllftlly (,‘rlaswegran Underground Is the best option.
In toe-In, Bar 10 I10 Mitchell l aneI drsptays the same effortless; cool rt has maintained tor years. a tun to Zinc Bar and Grill It; a stylish excuse to n( se around the Princes; Sguare Shopping Centre (48 Buchanan Streetr and Rab Ha’s I81? tlutclreson Street) rs a fine example of a tradrtronal iinh. King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut
I1? I'Qa St Vincent Street) 5; regarded as; one of the best live venues In Britain ~ Oasrs were 'Ilr:;I:I>vere<l' there and rt now features a ‘WorIderv-Jatl' urinal where people twetl, guys arwv-rayr can pay therr' resirems; to th 72 band. Finally, for those still standrng, the Canton Express t-ith’ Sauehiehall Streett has been feeding stotious Glasv-xegrans; for over 20 years. and tilt” does. until stain every day.
FIVE CLICHES WORTH LIVING Drink Buckfast ' TI. :11 , I
Play skittles r'. "I - w: 2
Go sea dog dining .r'. 'x '2 2
Hog the jukebox .2'. t\" 2 ' .'
Be a grumpy old man "
Liquid Room
28 THE LIST
BEST OF GLASGOW
after DARK
Best of the east
Showing visitors your city is often a bit fraught. Doug Johnstone skips past Edinburgh’s tourist tat and finds hills. kebabs and literature.
he eohhled ()ld lonn ot lzdinhurgh hax
long heen axxoeiated \\tllt hloodxtained
xkulldugger'} and ghoxt|_\ hauntingx. \ou ean xoak up the dark xide ol the en} on a guided \\;tll\ eottt‘tex} ot Mercat Tours I.\'Iddr_\ Street Southr. \Vith nighttirne II'ekx through underground \aultx. e\eeution xitex and haunted gI';I\L‘};II'le. It gi\ex _\otI a ehanee to get pt'ottei‘l} xpooked. Izdinhurgh ix alxo I‘ightl} ltllttItll\ lItl' itx lilerat‘} hile'} and _\ou ean lind ottt all about It Iand ha\e a pint uhile _\oII'I'e at itI \\lllt Scottish Literary Pub Tours I‘VII \\t‘xl ltoxx I. Starting in Robert lturnx' old Ioeal. the Beehive Inn I IN (iraxxrnarket t. the tour I'unx through .iltlt _\earx ot~ Seottixh literar} hixtor'}. lt'Itllt \Valler Seott to lI'\ine \\'e|xh. ending up in Milne’s I35 llanoxer' Street I. loI'IneI'l_\ a home l'I'oIn hoIne tor xueh poetx ax llugh \leDairrnid and Norman .\le('aig.
()l' eourxe there Ix a xtupidl_\ high nuInheI' ol puhx in ladinhurgh to ehooxe lt'Itltt tor a drink. It It’x an old xehool pint _\otI‘re alter It} the Oxford Bar I.\' Young Streett. Inade littttItlt\ in Ian Rankin'x no\elx ax Inxpeetor lx’ehux~ loeal. Haek in the ()ld town. the City Cafe I It) Blair Streetr \\;t\ lzdinhurgh‘x \eI'_\ tirxt xt_\ le har'. itx 5ltx—xt_\le diner deeor an Inxtitution III the en}. and lainouxl} narneeheeked in II'III'Irx/m/rr'rre.
.-\\\a_\ ll'Itllt the literar) there are plent} ot' great puhx to eheek out Seottixh t'olk Inuxie. Inoxtt_\ in the xhape ol~ intornial 'tttllt xexxionx. .»\niongxt the hext are Sandy Bell’s I35 l‘oI'ext Roadi. a tantaxtie. erarnped \Iee I'oorn round the eorner
‘ ebai) Mahal
ttI l
lroIn (iI'e_\ tI'iaI'x Kirk. \Ihrle ruxt do\\n the xtIeet the Royal Oak I l lnt'irinart StIeetI Ix IIghtl} taInoIIx tor' the late night xexxronx that elattei' along in itx xerutt_\ haxernent har. Whistle Binkies I-1 South ltr'idger hax InoIe ot a I'oek hent hut Ix a great plaee to xee ltdinhurgh'x I‘ltt‘L‘t'lllll} l'It\\Il_\ \tIlI‘.
During the I'exti\a| the en} Ix x\\arnped \\lllt the \IoI'ld‘x hext eoinedianx. hut Seolland [tunehex \\ ell aho\ e itx \\ eight in terrnx ot eoIniex all the _\ear round. and there are eraeking xtand up pertorrnaneex to he had at the eit_\'x original and hext eoIIIed_\ elIIh. the Stand I5 \ork I’laeeI. Inoxtl_\ l'ronI up and eoIning Ioealx. .luxt round the eoi'ner the gloxxI Jongleurs Comedy Club t(Il'L‘L‘tt\lIlI‘ l’ltlet‘t ltttx lltt‘ Iltlklk'tl ltIIllltx (ll ltL‘tlth open till Rain at the \Ieekendx.
lhe IzdinhIII'gh eluh xeene ix generall} xInaller and Iruir'kier than other eitrex'. and the Irtiintexxential eluh night ix hard to pin domr. hut onnething dalt and tun like the \\It|tl\_\ eahar'et dixeo ol the Snaleh Soeial on lhttt'xd;t_\x at the Liquid Room (We \iietoria Sll'L‘L‘lt Itl‘ lllL‘ eltL'L'\_\ heatx ot' 'l‘aekno on Inonth|_\ SiIiId;I_\x at Ego Il’ieaI'Ih I’laeeI Inake tor a xtupendoux night ol t'I'ixk_\ tI'ionit}. \Ihile the at the Wee Red Bar I ladinhurgh ('ollege ot .\I't. l.;IIII'ixton l’laeer Ix a delinitne Indie/Irltx xhindig. .\lteI' that )otl might need to tuel up. and there'x no better late night lood \enue III to\\n than Kebab Mehal I7 \Ieolxon Squarer. a hrilliant. \Iee dinereurn— takeaxxa} lndiarr \xhieh doex the hext kehahx in ton n. ax taxi} ax an} thing and ax eheap ax ellipx.
City Cato