Roots ... the Horseshoe Bar in Glasgow.
David Whitley uncovers the fun, creative side of the city that fancies itself as 'Scotland with style'.
STAY
Budget
Renfrew Street in the north-east of the city centre has a whole string of near-interchangeable bed and breakfasts clustered along it; single rooms in particular are generally dirt cheap. Of these, the Charing Cross Guest House (310 Renfrew Street, 332 2503, glasgow-guesthouse.net) and the Victorian House Hotel (212 Renfrew Street, 332 0129, victorianhotel-glasgow.co.uk) offer the best value. Both have en suite doubles from £39 a night; try getting one of the refurbished rooms at the latter. The best steal, however, is one of the £29 advance online-booking rooms at the well-located Premier Inn George Square (187 George Street, +44 871 527 8440, premierinn.com).
Mid-range
The new Citizen M (60 Renfrew Street, 404 9485, citizenmglasgow.com, from £59) is an eye-popper, with pod-like bedrooms, bizarre furniture all over the lobby and bright-red Google-map carpets in the corridors. Marks Hotel (110 Bath Street, 353 0800, www.markshotels.com, from £75) isn't quite as out there but the bold magentas in the wallpaper and bedding are very much a love-or-hate affair. Love it and the rooms have character to go with free Wi-Fi and all the expected amenities. Top value is to be found at the Fraser Suites (1 Albion Street, 553 4288, frasersuitesglasgow.co.uk), with spacious studio apartments available from £65 a night.
Luxe
The stylish but fun Malmaison (278 West George Street, 572 1000, malmaison.com, doubles from £105) is in a converted church but plays up a sinful vibe with massage oil in the bathrooms and plush furnishings. Abode (129 Bath Street, 221 6789, abodehotels.co.uk, doubles from £130) is more impressive for the grand building it's in — the former home of British prime minister Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman — than the rooms themselves but it's still a good up-scale option beyond the vintage lifts. Saint Jude's (190 Bath Street, 352 8800, saintjudes.com, from £115) has distinctive, instantly likeable rooms with all the requisite high-tech gadgetry and nice freebies such as sweets, crayons and herbal teas.
Lash out
Best in town is the Hotel du Vin (1 Devonshire Gardens, 339 2001, hotelduvin.com, from £175) in the West End. It feels like a classy country retreat; each room has an individual character but is sumptuously decorated and extras such as the in-suite golf putting set are great. Dalmeny Park (Lochlibo Road, 881 9211, www.dalmenypark.com, from £175) is the country-house real deal but feels far more staid and is on the outskirts. Blythswood Square (11 Blythswood Square, 208 2458, townhousecompany.com/blythswoodsquare, deluxe rooms from £200) is the new, city-centre pretender to the throne with an in-house spa — the marble bathrooms and Harris tweed sofas are impressive, as are the ultra-comfy beds.
SHOP + PLAY
Markets
The weekend Barras market (244 Gallowgate, 552 4601, glasgow-barrowland.com/market/barras.htm) is enormous, with traders toting thoroughly impenetrable accents while selling everything from dishcloths to DVDs. It's about the experience rather than high-quality crafts. Merchant City Market (Candleriggs, 552 3038, merchantcityglasgow.com) is the artsier option. Taking place between 10am and 6pm on Saturdays and noon and 6pm on Sundays, this is all about craftspeople selling their handiwork directly to the public. It feels closer to The Rocks Market in Sydney than the Barras cattle-auction vibe.
Go shop
Glasgow likes to bill itself as "Scotland with style". Malls and shopping streets dominate the centre of Britain's second-biggest shopping city. Buchanan Street is the main retail artery, with Buchanan Galleries (220 Buchanan Street, buchanangalleries.co.uk) and the St Enoch Centre (55 St Enoch Square, st-enoch.co.uk) offering giant, mainstream opportunities at either end. The West End has a more indie ethic, with the best bets on the side streets near Byres Road. Cresswell Lane is the best of the bunch: the shops are independent design, crafts, book and music outlets that are perfect for gift and souvenir shopping.
Live music
Glasgow has a massive rock music heritage: the likes of Simple Minds, Primal Scream, Franz Ferdinand, Belle and Sebastian and Travis all hail from the city. Barrowland (244 Gallowgate, 552 4601, glasgow-barrowland.com) is the leading tour venue and has a reputation for passionate crowds but the O2 Academy (121 Eglinton Street, 418 3000, o2academyglasgow.co.uk) gives it a run for its money. King Tut's Wah Wah Hut (272A St Vincent Street, 221 5279, kingtuts.co.uk) is the place to see up-and-coming bands; Oasis were discovered here and NME-clutching music fans eagerly survey the stage for the next big thing.
Nightclubs
Sauchiehall Street is Glasgow's grease-streaked street of shame come the witching hour. The surprisingly cavernous Garage (490 Sauchiehall Street, 332 1120, garageglasgow.co.uk) — with a faux truck jutting from the outer wall — is the best bet, although the emphasis is firmly on fight-free fun rather than musical credibility. The club nights run by the Glasgow School of Art Students Association (353 4410, theartschool.co.uk) offer the latter, often leaning towards specialist indie but with a few detours. Soundhaus (47 Hydepark Street, 221 4659, soundhaus.co.uk) is a members-only affair — try buddying up to get signed in outside — with a dedication to pushing the boundaries with an eclectic range of DJs.
SEE + DO
Icons
The Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum (Argyle Street, 276 9599, glasgowlife.org.uk) is one of the best in Britain and it's the completely scattergun approach that makes it so loveable. One minute you're on record-breaking animals, the next you're on domestic violence or ancient Egypt. The transformation of the River Clyde is also worth seeing. Once the world's most important shipyard, the Clyde's banks are now lined with futuristic buildings such as the Armadillo (officially the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre) and the fun-packed Glasgow Science Centre (50 Pacific Quay, +44 871 540 1005, www.gsc.org.uk).
Culture
In 2009, a number of Glasgow's arts organisations joined together at the purpose-built Trongate 103 (276 8380, www.trongate103.com). Many of the galleries and studios are worth a look but the standout is the truly incredible Sharmanka Kinetic Theatre (552 7080, sharmanka.com). The shows — mechanical sculptures moving to lights and music — are spell-binding. For challenging theatre of a more human kind, Tramway (25 Albert Drive, 276 0950, tramway.org) has a long-standing reputation for ground-breaking productions. Glasgow is a seriously funny city, too, and The Stand (333 Woodlands Road, +44 844 335 8879, thestand.co.uk) is regarded by many of Britain's top funnymen as the best comedy club in the country.
On foot
In terms of city walking routes, Kelvingrove Park is a really pretty place to stretch the legs; it seems a world away from the Glasgow grit. For considerably more than a stretch, the Clyde Walkway goes for 65 kilometres from Glasgow's West End to the World Heritage site at New Lanark. The first 17-kilometre section takes you as far as Cambuslang Bridge and covers many of the Clyde's highlights. Full guides can be downloaded at visitlanarkshire.com. For those interested in the architect that defined "the Glasgow style", the Charles Rennie Mackintosh Society (www.crmsociety.com) has info-packed walking routes around Mackintosh's buildings available online.
Follow the leader
Mackintosh's masterpiece is the Glasgow School of Art; the buildings are an architectural and design wonderland and tours (167 Renfrew Street, 353 4526, www.gsa.ac.uk) of the premises are available for £8.75. Other interesting city tour options are thin on the ground but Glasgow's key selling point is its proximity to Loch Lomond and the Highlands. Scottish Tours (237 4294, www.scottishtours.co.uk) offers a one-day coach trip to Glencoe, Loch Ness and the Spey Valley for £42. Alternatively, try taking a 40-minute seaplane tour (+44 1436 675 030, lochlomondsea planes.com, £99) over the islands, landing on Loch Lomond.
EAT + DRINK
Cafe culture
Glasgow is a great city for Indian food but the Mother India Cafe (1355 Argyle Street, 339 9145, motherindiaglasgow.co.uk) opposite Kelvingrove Park serves exemplary subcontinental dishes in tapas-style portions. Cafe Gandolfi (64 Albion Street, 552 6813, cafegandolfi.com) has a timeless feel and attracts an arty crowd with its breakfasts and pasta dishes. For something different, Cafe Cossachok (10 King Street, 553 0733, cossachok.com) serves Russian recipes in a dazzling setting, which includes carpeted ceilings, a giant balalaika in the window and mural-covered pillars. Jazz or Russian violinists often accompany the meals.
Snack attack
Cafe Hula (321 Hope Street, 353 1660, cafehula.co.uk) is a quirky favourite with a Bohemian vibe and a bizarre robe-clad skeleton. The deli-style takeaway sandwiches and salad bowls are a good option for those in a hurry. Where the Monkey Sleeps (182 West Regent Street, 226 3406, monkeysleeps .com) offers filled bagels, stews, fruit salads and the like, "all served with free wireless, a dose of rock brutality and a smile". The music policy should keep you awake as much as the coffee. For a good burger, try Ketchup (44 Ashton Lane, +44 845 166 6011) in the West End. Options range from Thai green chicken to "Who killed Bambi?"
Top of the town
Michael Caines Restaurant (221 6789, michaelcaines.com) at the ABode Hotel is hotly rated beyond the celebrity-chef factor. Local produce for dishes such as saddle of highland venison and glazed wild mallard is seemingly paramount. Brian Maule at Chardon d'Or (176 West Regent Street, 248 3801, brianmaule.com), however, is regarded as Glasgow's best contender for a Michelin star. It serves French-style cuisine using mostly local ingredients. The Grill Room at the Square (29 Royal Exchange Square, 225 5615, grillroomglasgow.com), meanwhile, does high-quality steaks from £26.95 and has a private-members' club vibe. It's the place for impressing a business client.
By the glass
The Horseshoe (17-19 Drury Street, 248 6368, horseshoebar.co.uk) seems rooted firmly in the 19th century. People from all walks of life are perched on stools around the gigantic bar at any hour. More New Glasgow is Pivo Pivo (15 Waterloo Street, 564 8100), a vaulted underground cellar bar with a big selection of bottled beers and a dedication to hosting live bands. New wine bar Boudoir (Merchant Square, 552 4774, boudoirwinebar.com), meanwhile, takes a trip upmarket, with gorgeous booths, barrels as tables and an impressive wine list.
Hot tip
Glasgow is the sort of city that gives you back what you put in. It doesn't have the good looks or immediacy of nearby Edinburgh but is arguably more vibrant once you dig beneath the surface. The music, comedy and arts scenes are phenomenally strong, while the big-drinking reputation is hardly a myth. Prepare to hang out rather than tick boxes, strike up a conversation with the usually happy-to-chat locals and soak it up rather than rush through.
Getting there
Easily the most convenient route to Glasgow is via Dubai with Emirates (emirates.com), although you might get better deals with airlines such as Qantas (qantas.com.au) and British Airways (ba.com), which involve connections at London Heathrow as well as a stop in Asia. Baseline fares tend to start about $1600.
Visas and currency
Australians don't need a visa to enter Britain. The currency is the pound and £1 equates to about $1.60.
Calling Britain
For numbers listed that don't already have +44 before them, add +44 141 to call from abroad.
Further information
www.seeglasgow.com.
David Whitley was a guest of the Glasgow City Marketing Bureau.
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