STRAVAIGIN

28

GIBSON ST, GLASGOW G12 8NX

BY SUSAN YOUNG

t is never easy taking over a well-loved Glasgow establishment and then embarking on a make-over. However Jemma Kiddle, Head of Development at Metropolitan Pub Company – who managed the refurbishment has managed to both enhance, improve and contemporise Stravaigin in Gibson Street, and the result has put a smile on everyone’s faces, the staff included.

This is no shiney refurbishment instead the company has sympathetically improved the bar and dining areas and created a new basement wine bar called The Cellar.

John Vallance, The Seafood Experts, Units D11-14, Glasgow Fish Market, 130 Blochairn Road, Glasgow, G21 2DU

Telephone: 0141 552 2825 info@johnvallance.com

Glasgow interior design studio Surface-ID - whose longstanding association with Stravaigin stretches back to the original expansion in 1994 – mindfully struck a balance between retaining many of the venue’s original quirky features whilst introducing a number of stylish new upgrades and luxurious finishes.

Sustainability translates heavily across the new refurbishment with aged brass wrapping around signage and display units, reclaimed marble used across tables and countertops, reconditioned timber dressers used as new waiter stations, and salvaged accessories such as old theatre lights, vintage mirrors and antique chairs adding charm. Complementing these new eco-friendly touchpoints is Stravaigin’s existing idiosyncratic bric a brac including the old wooden boat hull, the rocking horse, the retro signage and the community book shelf.

One of the biggest evolutions has taken place in the basement of Stravaigin which has been transformed into The Cellar; a cosy and relaxed wine bar. In contrast to the high ceilings and lighter colours on the ground floor, The Cellar is now a warm and inviting space with an atmospheric, candlelit ambience, soft teal and stone colourways, rustic chevron terracotta tiled floor, untreated marble tables, and a new decorative wine storage wall created using old iron railings, all very much in line with Stravaigin’s salvaged style. Elsewhere, and given the emergence from a pandemic, the bathrooms have been stripped entirely and refitted with brand new flooring, fixtures and fittings. As well as ensuring the highest levels of hygiene, the transformed bathrooms with their dramatic lighting, dark green tiling, marble vanity units, porcelain sinks, brass taps and luxury toiletries, exude an unmistakable vintage glamour.

Complementing the new design evolution, Stravaigin Head Chef Jambo has created a new menu brimming with springtime seasonality which can be enjoyed throughout all areas of Stravaigin seven days a week. Speaking about the refurbishment, Jemma Kiddle, Development Manager of Metropolitan Pub Company, said, “Surface-ID has done a remarkable job in striking the balance with a design that remains sympathetic to the Stravaigin we all love, and a functionality that is now fit for purpose. There is a real synergy across the various rooms within the venue now, with Stravaigin’s heartbeat of the bar now moving more cohesively into the restaurant and connecting with The Cellar wine bar downstairs too.”