Residents on Nithsdale Rd recently received notice of plans to renovate the old Fotheringay pub which has been empty for two years. The people behind the proposed £110K refit own two successful restaurants in the West End – Left Bank on Gibson St and Two Figs on Byres Road.
I popped into the Council offices to look at the plans today. The changes being proposed would lead to a similar appearance to that of Left Bank. They’ll be reorganising the interior, opening up ‘windows’ between rooms and exposing some of the cornicing. The plans also indicate that they’d like to paint the front facing grey and install a huge sliding window on about half the front elevation. Finally, as it’s a food-focused venue, they’re hoping to get consent for installing a flue at the back of the building and up the tenement block.
We’ve contacted the design company and asked if a representative would like to come along to Monday’s meeting to chat about the proposals. If you’d like to find out more about the plans, do come along – 7.30pm, Monday 18th April at Grianach on Nithsdale Rd. You can also look at the plans before the meeting at the Council offices at 229 George St 9-5pm on Monday ref: 11/00378/DC.
Finally, and to avoid confusion, one of the names used by the company on the application is The Bungo Ltd but they are in no way connected with the Society or Bungo events!
Yay! Sounds like a great supplement to Mulberry Street, which I am convinced could be twice the size it is and still stay full. And of course the traditional pubs in the neighborhood are nice, but in Michigan, where I’m from, we have a pub culture that is based on neighborhood bar/restaurants, and so having another one in the neighborhood would make me very happy. They’re more family friendly than traditional British pubs, and the food is often better and cheaper than in dedicated restaurants, since they profit mostly from booze sales.
I’m looking forward to seeing the plans.
That would be great. Left Bank is a fanatastic place. Well done Cookie for leading the way in Nithsdale Road and proving there’s a market!
I’ve thought for years someone could make a killing in the South Side by opening a pub that’s quite good.
Play some decent music. Get some comfy seats. Don’t have LCD screens showing football. Have simple food done well. It’s not hard to make a really nice burger.
Cookie is OK, but it’s more of a cafe, not really a pub vibe.
So please Mr Left Bank, make it vaguely good. Thanks.
Just as an update, some folk behind the new plans for the Fotheringay will definitely be coming to the Strathbungo Society meeting tonight to discuss them. All are welcome to attend and put forward their views.
This would be a fantastic addition to the neighbourhood and enhance that stretch of Nithsdale Rd some more – let’s hope there’s no grumpy objections to changing the façade to incorporate the larger window! I could see that perhaps there could be a noise issue with the large open windows of an evening, but surely licensing laws would dictate they’re closed after a certain time.
It should also be seen as healthy competition to the existing premises, encouraging them to up their stakes (no pun intended!) but also increase footfall to the benefit of the everyone.
Just imagine if the parking in the street was moved into the middle of the road and the pavements extended it would make a great wee cafe-centric thoroughfare …
we live directly opposite and have received no notification of anything. would be worried if the plan is to have a hage open window will create a lot of noise. is that what’s planned?
Yes, a few local concerns to be ironed out but I completely agree that it would be a very welcome addition to the neighbourhood. Nithsdale Road has such potential – it’d be great to have lots of cafes along the side, a weekly market… 🙂
Hi, a note to those concerned about the noise from the sliding window. They currently have no plans to have outdoor seating (and based on previous applications would be unlikely to get it anyway). As that side of the street is in the shade, the main reason they want larger windows is to let in the reflected light from the blonde sandstone buildings opposite. I imagine that it would be closed much of the time cos otherwise it would be pretty nippy in there! Neighbour notifications tend to only go to those directly adjacent to or above a property but anyone can look at the plans if they’re concerned. The company has a history of good relations with community groups (i.e the Gibson St residents’ association for Left Bank) so the Society will be keeping any eye on developments.
Yippeeeeeeee!!
Let’s submit our dream tap lists.
[deep breath]
I have decided to come out of the closet as a beer snob, and also reveal my preference for anything strong and malty (or balanced).
• La Fin Du Monde (Quebec)
• Young’s Oatmeal Stout (England)
• Mill Street Tank House Ale (Ontario)
• Bell’s Amber, Porter, and/or Two Hearted Ale (Michigan)
• Anything by Bells, Founders, Arcadia, or Black Horse. Who am I kidding? Anything from
Michigan. Two or three taps. Great stuff.
• Something by Rogue, or anything else from Colorado.
• McEwan’s Champion Ale
• J.W.Lee’s Brewer’s Dark
• Fraoch Heather Ale
• Affligem Abby Blond
• Koningshoeven Dubbel, Tripel and Quadrupel
• A German dunkel
Here are some of my former locals and favorites:
• Sin and Redemption in Toronto, Ontario
• Arbor Brewing Company, in Ann Arbor, Michigan
• Ashley’s, in Ann Arbor, Michigan
• Beer Bistro, in Toronto Ontario
• Traffic Jam and Snug, Detroit, Michigan
• Bar Volo, Toronto
My taste in beer is either very dark, very strong or both – and on the malty side, I must admit. Lagers and pilsners fail to excite me. Even on the hottest summer days, I’d rather have a weisse. And yes, probably very few other people around here are into this kind of beer, and it would probably be impossible to import the North American stuff. Oh well. One tap, maybe?
Speaking of good beer, does anyone know of a bar/restaurant in Glasgow with good food and a decent tap list – and by ‘decent’, I mean 8+ microbrews or real ales. I have to say, I’ve been tempted to give up, but then I remember that it took me five years to find all the good places in Toronto. Michigan is the only place I’ve lived that pretty much has local microbrews in every pub.
West Beer please!
@Dee
Dee, what about the Bon Accord/3 Judges/Black friars, they all have some beers on tap. The 78 has Samuel Smiths which I like, particularly their oatmeal stout. Their food is vegetarian, I reckon it’s tasty, casual and not expensive.