Sue Clark. You’re the Head of Communications for the BBFC. What does your daily job involve?
My job is to look after all aspects of communications for the board. My daily job is looking after communications – I deal with media calls, all matters to do with the presentation and publicity of the BBFC, content for the website, that sort of thing.
How have attitudes changed towards film censorship these days? Has public attitude shaped how censors react to movies?
Well…public attitudes don’t shift as quickly as people think they do. The BBFC does regular research (we started doing this in 1999), and we go every four years and we ask the public what they think, what the classification issues are, and how we should tackle them. What is very clear is, public attitudes don’t shift very quickly, and they don’t always go in the direction people assume they’re going to go. They don’t necessarily become more relaxed as time goes on, and concerns change. Twenty years ago people didn’t think that drugs were the sort of issue they do now. They’re very concerned about the portrayal of drugs in films, and particularly in the junior catagories.
Attitudes to sex have changed. Certainly since I joined the Board, which is about ten years ago, we’ve seen a shift in attitudes towards what adults can watch, and what we can allow through at [certificate] 15, for instance…
So attitudes towards sex are more liberal, do you think?
Yes they are, as long they’re not at the junior catagories, we’re still very concerned with children seeing sexual material, but we used to be much more restrictive at [certificate] 15 than we are now, because parents have told us their children at 15 years old will know about these things. The sort of thing ten years ago we would have bumped up to an 18 we now allow through at a 15.
Films like Brown Bunny and 9 Songs have explicit sexual acts in them…
Yes that’s another issue that has become clear through public consultation, which is at an adult level, the BBFC should not really be intervening, unless there are issues connected with harm, or sexual violence. That is one area the public are still very concerned about – they’re not in favour of sexually violent material in 18 films. We will still intervene at that sort of level and very extreme violence we might still intervene at. We tend to take the view that at the adult catagories, adults should be free to make their own choices, which is why we allow through films like 9 Songs.
If sex is shown as a loving act then, it would go through…?
As long as it’s there for a particular reason. If it’s there to purely and gratuitously arouse the viewer, then it falls into what we would consider pornography. If the sex is there as part of the storyline, like in 9 Songs, where the sex was how the relationship developed, and collapsed, we didn’t intervene.
Is there a blurring of the line between porn, and mainstream viewing these days?
No there isn’t, because the point about pornography is very clear. The BBFC is very clear about what the purpose of pornography is, and with sex, if it’s there purely to titillate the viewer, then it’s pornography. We’re not saying that some of this material does not sexually titillate some of the viewers, but it’s about the intent. What’s the intent? Why’s it in the film? And if it’s in the film to be part of the exploration of a relationship, then it’s not there to titillate – we can allow it through at 18.
You mentioned sexual violence, which I assume is why a film like Straw Dogs was banned for so long…
Well Straw Dogs is a very interesting case. When it first came into the BBFC [having] been pre-cut by the Americans (the film was first edited by the Motion Picture Association of America) and they had oddly taken out the material which actually balanced the whole issue of rape. What we were left with was the rape where it looked as if Susan George’s character was coming to enjoy being raped.
The second rape very clearly said that this was something she wasn’t enjoying, but that wasn’t in the original version, so the BBFC did cut the version without it, pre-cut from America. The version on release now has both rape scenes in, and the message is this is not something approved of by the film, so we were able to pass it uncut. How it’s presented is important. What is the message the sexual violence is sending out? If the message is it’s ok to beat up women, women like violence attached to sex, we have a problem with it…
…almost a public duty to perform.
Yes, it’s about protecting people from harm, and what messages the film is sending out and how it’s perceived by certain sectors of society.
Why did it take so long for Straw Dogs, or anything else from the ‘Video Nasties’ list to be released?
Because you have to get a distributor to put it in for classification. We only classify what is sent in to us to be classified, we don’t nip down to the basement every so often and have a rummage and say “Oh we haven’t looked at this for a while”. We have to wait for a distributor to pick it up and want to release it. Fact is a lot of the movies from the ‘Video Nasty’ era probably won’t see the light of day simply because they’re just not financially viable propositions for a distributor.
Some titles from the ‘Video Nasty’ list have been released, like Evil Dead and The Exorcist. Is that a change in public attitudes?
There was a lot of fuss at the time of the ‘Video Nasties’ list and a lot of titles got swept up with other material…
…a knee jerk reaction?
Yes. And when material was seized by police they were just lumped together with material that was being caught by the legislation at the time (the Video Recordings Act 1985) and what happened was things that shouldn’t have been included in the banned list because they weren’t dangerous were included. What’s happened now is things have been slowly sent for classification that have been passed, and probably would have been passed even then I suspect if they hadn’t had a policition standing against them.
Last year MP Julian Brazier tried to pass a law to tighten BBFC guidelines. What would that have meant for the industry if the bill went through? (Editors note – it failed).
Yes the Bill was “talked out” is the technical expression. What would have happened was…chaos to be perfectly honest. What he was proposing was any member of the public who decided they didn’t like the sound of a film the BBFC had classified, could complain to their MP who would then put a block on the film. A committee of MP’s would then sit down and review the decision which would have been a complete fiasco.
So you’d have a film shown in one area fine, and banned in another?
No it would have been a national situation, but you’d have had individual members of the public who feel strongly about a particular film, and there are always people out there who think we shouldn’t be passing films, simply going to their MP, and saying “I’m very worried about this film, I haven’t seen it, but I don’t like the sound of it from what I’ve read in the papers, the BBFC shouldn’t have passed it…” and it would literally be hauled in and looked at by a committee of MP’s. By this time it may well have been seen in certain parts of the country, and then banned from being shown for weeks until the MP’s got around to looking at it, and deciding or not if we’d (BBFC) made a mistake.
In July a Japanese horror movie, Grostesque, was refused a certification, can you comment on that?
Yes, that was because of the sexual violence and we were also very worried about the attitude towards women in the film, and that the victims got younger and younger until eventually they were children. We did look at wether there was a viable work left after we cut out the problematic material, and we felt there wasn’t, so we rejected it. We do it very rarely, we try not to do it, simply because it’s not our job to just go around banning things. I know some people think ‘What’s the point of the BBFC if you don’t ban things?’ but that’s not what we consider our role to be now. We label material so people can make informed decisions. We do have a role to play in protecting society from material which could be potentially harmful, and the tone of [Grotesque] was too extreme to be passed, and too much to be cut for it to be released.
You’d rather go back to a producer and say “If you cut this scene we’ll pass it”?
Yes we do, we try very hard to say to a distributor if you remove this, this and this, it becomes a viable proposition but literally there was so much to be taken out of that film that it just wasn’t viable.
Would a movie like Saw been considered for a release 15 years ago?
The Video Nasties were 1979/1980 so that’s thirty years ago…I suspect there would have been cuts made to the film but if you look at Reservoir Dogs, there was a lot of outcry at the time. The BBFC actually passed it 18, uncut. What we do now with films like Saw is we know they fall into a particular genre, we know people watching those films are very well aware of the conceit behind the film, and we don’t feel there is a need to intervene. Again, because we don’t consider the violence in those films to be potentially harmful…we would not intervene at the adult category unless necessary.
It’s interesting you mention Reservoir Dogs. One of the infamous scenes in that is the scene where the cop has his ear sliced off but it’s all done out of shot. If the scene was actually on camera, would the BBFC have had a problem with that?
It’s difficult for me to say yes or no, I don’t think we would now…because on what basis would we have a problem…it’s not necessarily problematic…people argue some might copy this film but I don’t think they would. [If it was cut] I don’t think it would be as good a film to be honest, and I think the whole subtly that you don’t actually see it is like another film, American History X, where there is an attack on a man, you think the character is stamping on his head….
He bites the kerb…
Yes and you don’t actually see it, but your brain fills in the gaps, and it’s quite horrific, but actually if you actually saw it, it would be so unpleasant it would spoil the movie.
As it is it’s a very powerful scene.
It’s an extremely powerful scene because of what you don’t see.
What about the new trend for downloading movies, from places like iTunes and Sony’s new Playstation Network movie downloads. Is it going to get harder to control the content of films online?
Downloads aren’t covered by any law. The Video Recordings Act and the Licensing Act don’t cover downloads in any shape or form, so we don’t have a role where that’s concerned. What we are doing is working with the industry on a scheme called ‘BBFC Online’. It’s a voluntary scheme and pretty much everyone has signed up to be a member of it, which means when you go to download a film it will have a BBFC Online classification on it. You know it’s a legitimate site to start with, and it will help parents in particular, because when you download a film it will have embedded in it a BBFC ‘black card’ like at the cinema. This will help in a world where you don’t know what you’re seeing until you’ve downloaded it.
It wouldn’t stop a younger child downloading an 18 movie though?
It would if you as a parent can put in place a code system, so a child can’t access a certain site without the code.
What about a movie that was only released online? You mentioned it’s a voluntary scheme at the moment, would that then be exempt from classification?
It is exempt, simply because there is no law covering it. With big distributors, releasing films through all available formats, we would expect them to do it via our scheme, so they still have a BBFC classification on them. I think what will happen is people will come to chose films they know have a BBFC stamp on them, therefore they know what they’re buying.
It’s not going to stop teenagers, but in years gone by all you did was take a trip to another country and bought the stuff abroad. There has always been a way around the system in some shape or form, but we’ve never said we provide a water tight scheme, and for most of the time, for most people, it works.
Friday, 11 December 2009
Monday, 5 October 2009
Thai Siam
We've found Argyle Street to be slowly turning into the new Ashton Lane these days, or to be more exact, a map of the world. India, Italy, Korea, Thailand, er Ireland are all represented here. Thai Siam, from the outside, doesn't look very special. Kinda bland actually. The décor inside doesn't do much to change your mind. However the food doesn't just change it, it drives off with it and parks it around the corner. Staffed by authentic Thai ladies (makes a change in Glasvegas, natch) we've found Thai Siam to be one of the best Thai restaurants in these here parts. It's not pretentious, it's just good food, it's as fresh as you could get it, and they serve it sizzling to your table. And that's what Thailand is about. Aside from the obvious.
Written by: Steve Adams
500 Days Of Summer
500 Days Of Summer
Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a once architect who now writes greeting cards for a living, falls head over heels for new girl Summer (Zooey Deschanel). Problem is, Summer doesn't believe in love...
The story, told in a nonlinear fashion, is not the typical boy meets girl movie, and thank God, as we get to avoid all the usual clichés. As we move through the titular 500 days, little known director Marc Webb (who? Watch this space) does a fantastic job of making sure we can still follow the story, and afterwards you can't help think it wouldn't have worked as well simply travelling from Day 1 to 500.
Zooey Deshanel can do kooky and adorable in her sleep, and she brings warmth to a character that has the potential to leave audiences detached. Gordon-Levitt is of course his usual excellent self and has fun with the character (watch for the High School Musical inspired dance scene), but there are one or two faults, such as how a 12 year old girl knows more about love and relationships than the rest of the cast combined. Aside from this mis-step, it's another well chosen, solid movie by Gordon-Levitt who seems to have developed a knack for such things, and Itchy suggests that Marc Webb is a director to keep an eye on.
Steve Adams
www.500daysofsummer.co.uk
Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a once architect who now writes greeting cards for a living, falls head over heels for new girl Summer (Zooey Deschanel). Problem is, Summer doesn't believe in love...
The story, told in a nonlinear fashion, is not the typical boy meets girl movie, and thank God, as we get to avoid all the usual clichés. As we move through the titular 500 days, little known director Marc Webb (who? Watch this space) does a fantastic job of making sure we can still follow the story, and afterwards you can't help think it wouldn't have worked as well simply travelling from Day 1 to 500.
Zooey Deshanel can do kooky and adorable in her sleep, and she brings warmth to a character that has the potential to leave audiences detached. Gordon-Levitt is of course his usual excellent self and has fun with the character (watch for the High School Musical inspired dance scene), but there are one or two faults, such as how a 12 year old girl knows more about love and relationships than the rest of the cast combined. Aside from this mis-step, it's another well chosen, solid movie by Gordon-Levitt who seems to have developed a knack for such things, and Itchy suggests that Marc Webb is a director to keep an eye on.
Steve Adams
www.500daysofsummer.co.uk
Two Fat Ladies at The Buttery
http://www.itchyglasgow.co.uk/article.cfm/7/41/7297/Glasgow-City-Guide/article/Two-Fat-Ladies-at-The-Buttery
Two Fat Ladies at The Buttery
Two Fat Ladies at The Buttery presented us with such a conundrum, it's forced Itchy to do something we've never done before – give three separate marks: one for service, one for the restaurant itself, and one for the food. We just couldn't decide on an overall conclusion, and when you've got an idea, hey, sometimes you just need to go with it.
Restaurant first then. Frankly you don't expect it right next to a motorway, in the middle of a housing estate, but there it is. Inside though is like stepping into a different world. It's superbly decorated, using panels and furnishings from an old church, and feels very warm and cosy. Kind of like how your Gran's might have looked when you were three.
The service was outstanding. Greeted by the maitre d', we were sat with a bowl of complementary olives and the food menu, and the gentleman was uniformly polite and just...lovely. We wanted to take him home with us to serve us dinner every night. Fe was happy to sit with us and talk about the history of the restaurant (who knew it used to be a freemason's club, and was one of the first establishments in Glasgow to start serving food?). Top notch.
Then we come to the food. Itchy's meal was certainly tasty...but something didn't quite work with it. For example, for dessert (some say the most important part) we had lemon tart, with raspberry sorbet and passionfruit. All individually, tasted great. When together however, didn't quite work. It was the same for the starter and main course, though we should point out our companion's food, and wine, was enjoyed very much.
Verdict then out of 10? For the Restaurant an 8 (location is a bit odd but the place itself is excellent) Service 10 - can't fault it in any way. Food 7 - good but not great. Overall then we have to go with 7 1/2 out of 10, which we're slightly disappointed with because the only thing that let us down was the food. Perhaps we just ordered the wrong thing?
www.twofatladiesrestaurant.com
Steve Adamshttp://irishsteve.blogspot.com
Two Fat Ladies at The Buttery
Two Fat Ladies at The Buttery presented us with such a conundrum, it's forced Itchy to do something we've never done before – give three separate marks: one for service, one for the restaurant itself, and one for the food. We just couldn't decide on an overall conclusion, and when you've got an idea, hey, sometimes you just need to go with it.
Restaurant first then. Frankly you don't expect it right next to a motorway, in the middle of a housing estate, but there it is. Inside though is like stepping into a different world. It's superbly decorated, using panels and furnishings from an old church, and feels very warm and cosy. Kind of like how your Gran's might have looked when you were three.
The service was outstanding. Greeted by the maitre d', we were sat with a bowl of complementary olives and the food menu, and the gentleman was uniformly polite and just...lovely. We wanted to take him home with us to serve us dinner every night. Fe was happy to sit with us and talk about the history of the restaurant (who knew it used to be a freemason's club, and was one of the first establishments in Glasgow to start serving food?). Top notch.
Then we come to the food. Itchy's meal was certainly tasty...but something didn't quite work with it. For example, for dessert (some say the most important part) we had lemon tart, with raspberry sorbet and passionfruit. All individually, tasted great. When together however, didn't quite work. It was the same for the starter and main course, though we should point out our companion's food, and wine, was enjoyed very much.
Verdict then out of 10? For the Restaurant an 8 (location is a bit odd but the place itself is excellent) Service 10 - can't fault it in any way. Food 7 - good but not great. Overall then we have to go with 7 1/2 out of 10, which we're slightly disappointed with because the only thing that let us down was the food. Perhaps we just ordered the wrong thing?
www.twofatladiesrestaurant.com
Steve Adamshttp://irishsteve.blogspot.com
Saturday, 27 June 2009
The world is being taken over...by a fruit?
Apple. Outside the USA, not many of us even heard of Apple until about 10 years ago, however if I said to you,"think of an MP3 player", you'd instantly think of the iPod, yeah?. So ingrained into the collective conciousness is the association between "mp3 player" and "iPod" that other players have struggled to even enter the market, never mind hope to dent Apple's share. It's in part down to the clever marketing of the iPod, and also in part to the very simple "Click Wheel" that Apple invented, patented, and has been part of the iPod ever since, until very recently when they changed the rules again, and invented the iPod Touch.
Which leads us to the reigning "must have" mobile phone of the last three years, the iPhone. Shrouded in secrecy until it's launch, which only served to build the hype, when it hit the iPhone went massive, and instantly changed the mobile phone market overnight. Firstly, it was thinner than many of the phones at the time, and secondly, it had a touchscreen, almost unheard then. Most importantly though, just like the iPod, it just worked. It was a joy to use, and two generations on, it's no different, it's still ruling the roost. I've just gotten one, after being a longtime Blackberry fan, and it's easy to see why people love the damn thing. It's from another first from Apple, single handedly creating a brand new market - the App Store. Over one BILLION Apps have been downloaded through iTunes and handsets, and Blackberry, Nokia, Sony, etc have been quick to follow suit with their own versions. Much like with the iPod, Apple invent, everyone else plays catch up. And STILL everyone wants an iPhone, despite expensive and long term contracts, and in an unprecident turn of events, second hand models are still fetching huge amounts of cash on eBay, even long after they've been released. The only other market that's happened in? Computers, and guess what type? Yup, Apple Mac's. Where PC's depreciate rapidly, Mac's only loose around 10% of their market value a year (on average, don't quote me on specifics).
So after conquering the mp3 player market, and phone market, one has to wonder where they're going next. It's been an interesting journey so far, and most of us are happy to go along for the ride.
Which leads us to the reigning "must have" mobile phone of the last three years, the iPhone. Shrouded in secrecy until it's launch, which only served to build the hype, when it hit the iPhone went massive, and instantly changed the mobile phone market overnight. Firstly, it was thinner than many of the phones at the time, and secondly, it had a touchscreen, almost unheard then. Most importantly though, just like the iPod, it just worked. It was a joy to use, and two generations on, it's no different, it's still ruling the roost. I've just gotten one, after being a longtime Blackberry fan, and it's easy to see why people love the damn thing. It's from another first from Apple, single handedly creating a brand new market - the App Store. Over one BILLION Apps have been downloaded through iTunes and handsets, and Blackberry, Nokia, Sony, etc have been quick to follow suit with their own versions. Much like with the iPod, Apple invent, everyone else plays catch up. And STILL everyone wants an iPhone, despite expensive and long term contracts, and in an unprecident turn of events, second hand models are still fetching huge amounts of cash on eBay, even long after they've been released. The only other market that's happened in? Computers, and guess what type? Yup, Apple Mac's. Where PC's depreciate rapidly, Mac's only loose around 10% of their market value a year (on average, don't quote me on specifics).
So after conquering the mp3 player market, and phone market, one has to wonder where they're going next. It's been an interesting journey so far, and most of us are happy to go along for the ride.
Thursday, 25 June 2009
Blogging about....blogging
I've finally started my proper blog, to let the world...well, anyone interested...my thoughts, as rambling and incoherent as they are. This is my first non-review blog, and it makes me wonder why the sudden obcession with blogging. The internet has been here for a while now, and it's only recently, with the advent of Web 2.0, that blogging, social networking and so on have become widely popular. Evolving too - it's considered unfashionable to have a Myspace page these days, with Facebook ruling the roost. Why though?
Is it that we have this underlying, subconcious need to let everyone know our thoughts and opinions? Are we trying to do what we did in High School, standing out from the crowd while still trying to fit in?
Tweeter puzzles me. So many people, celebrities included, have jumped on the Tweeter bandwagon, and people follow "tweets" as they're known, just to see what their friends and celebrities are up to. Does it actually matter though, to know what Stephen Fry had for breakfast this morning, or that he's stuck in a lift? Amusing perhaps, but "Donna is at work" is hardly fast breaking news. Or perhaps I'm being cynical. I've got a Facebook page. I don't tweet, but I do use instant messenger programs to talk to my friends. I do try and make my Facebook posts at least interesting, or amusing, though I'll admit to posting a bit too many photographs of my new degu's (more on those later). With having a Blackberry, and just today, an iPhone (more on that later too) I can update on the move, and get updates from my friends on the bus. Are we just trying therefore to become more connected with our piers? What happened to a simple phonecall? Welcome to World 2.0.
Is it that we have this underlying, subconcious need to let everyone know our thoughts and opinions? Are we trying to do what we did in High School, standing out from the crowd while still trying to fit in?
Tweeter puzzles me. So many people, celebrities included, have jumped on the Tweeter bandwagon, and people follow "tweets" as they're known, just to see what their friends and celebrities are up to. Does it actually matter though, to know what Stephen Fry had for breakfast this morning, or that he's stuck in a lift? Amusing perhaps, but "Donna is at work" is hardly fast breaking news. Or perhaps I'm being cynical. I've got a Facebook page. I don't tweet, but I do use instant messenger programs to talk to my friends. I do try and make my Facebook posts at least interesting, or amusing, though I'll admit to posting a bit too many photographs of my new degu's (more on those later). With having a Blackberry, and just today, an iPhone (more on that later too) I can update on the move, and get updates from my friends on the bus. Are we just trying therefore to become more connected with our piers? What happened to a simple phonecall? Welcome to World 2.0.
Monday, 9 March 2009
Zivvi review
It’s in a shopping centre. Get over that, and once you manage to actually find it, Zizzi is quite a nice restaurant. It’s well priced, the waiting staff are actually Italian, which is great, and the food, while not mouth blowingly amazing, is pretty damn good. Just something not quite there to make it brilliant, though we can’t put our finger on why. It’s all very woody too – not the food, the décor – and nice moody lighting. Wait…shopping centre…darkness…Romero ‘s lawyers on standby please.
Ketchup review
”Everybody be cool this is a robbery! Any of you f**ing pr*ks move and I'll execute every mother f**ing last one of you!“ These words weren't actually shouted at Itchy as we sat munching our burger. Nevertheless, eating at Ketchup is like inhabiting a deleted scene from Pulp Fiction (minus Jules and Vincent in the corner discussing condiments). Ketchup takes inspiration from 70's American diners, and succeeds without looking cheesy. The food is criminally good. Everything's prepared fresh, from Aberdeen Angus burgers to nachos and milkshakes; they even make their own ketchup (bottles available to buy); Heinz, be warned.
http://www.itchyglasgow.co.uk/review.cfm/7/209023/Glasgow-City-Guide/review/Ketchup
http://www.itchyglasgow.co.uk/review.cfm/7/209023/Glasgow-City-Guide/review/Ketchup
Monday, 9 February 2009
Botanical Gardens
Botanical Gardens
730 Great Western Road
Glasgow
G12 OUE
open from 7.00am till dusk daily however the specific facilities within the park are subject to opening times.
Glasshouses: 10.00am – 4.45pm (4.15pm in winter)
Visitor Centre: 11.00am – 4.00pm
Toilets: 10.00am – 5.00pm (this may vary through the year)
The Botanic Gardens sits snugly in the West End, fairly close to Hillhead underground, and boasts a pretty impressive selection of flora from across the world in the large glass houses. Regularly maintained by Glasgow Council, we were impressed to see how much was crammed into such a small area (we walked across right through it before realising we’d come out the other side). Pretty much an ideal place to get away from city life without actually leaving the city, there’s even a nice walk along the River Kelvin where you can try a spot of fishing.
The only down side is when you’ve seen everything, you’ve seen everything. Still, bring a picnic, chill out in the main gardens, and just enjoy the peace and quiet.
730 Great Western Road
Glasgow
G12 OUE
open from 7.00am till dusk daily however the specific facilities within the park are subject to opening times.
Glasshouses: 10.00am – 4.45pm (4.15pm in winter)
Visitor Centre: 11.00am – 4.00pm
Toilets: 10.00am – 5.00pm (this may vary through the year)
The Botanic Gardens sits snugly in the West End, fairly close to Hillhead underground, and boasts a pretty impressive selection of flora from across the world in the large glass houses. Regularly maintained by Glasgow Council, we were impressed to see how much was crammed into such a small area (we walked across right through it before realising we’d come out the other side). Pretty much an ideal place to get away from city life without actually leaving the city, there’s even a nice walk along the River Kelvin where you can try a spot of fishing.
The only down side is when you’ve seen everything, you’ve seen everything. Still, bring a picnic, chill out in the main gardens, and just enjoy the peace and quiet.
Otto Bar and Grill
Otto Bar & Grill
94 Byers Rd
Glasgow G12 8TB
01413347462
www.ottobargrill.com
Mon-Sun 12pm-12am
Food served till 9pm daily
Bottle of house wine - £11.95
Drinks Promos from £1.50
Otto, on Byres Road, used to be a bar called Rubaiyat, which we remember as a bit of an old mans pub with a friendly atmosphere. Newly named, it’s reinvented itself in a wine bar style, without the pretence. Thankfully they didn’t chuck out the atmosphere either.
Otto doesn’t have a “type” of customer, we spotted moshers, professionals, students, normal people… The food probably helps. Sourced locally, well cooked and with decent portions, you could have a meal and hang around after, without feeling you have to move on to a bar/club. They have local well known DJ’s playing a mix of RnB, funk and a little house, so you can easily start your night here.
We’ve no idea why the wine list is in a metal binder, other than its cool, though the Death Star style lampshade was a tad worrying. We’d easily come back though.
http://www.itchyglasgow.co.uk/review.cfm/7/208421/Glasgow-City-Guide/review/Otto-Bar-and-Grill
94 Byers Rd
Glasgow G12 8TB
01413347462
www.ottobargrill.com
Mon-Sun 12pm-12am
Food served till 9pm daily
Bottle of house wine - £11.95
Drinks Promos from £1.50
Otto, on Byres Road, used to be a bar called Rubaiyat, which we remember as a bit of an old mans pub with a friendly atmosphere. Newly named, it’s reinvented itself in a wine bar style, without the pretence. Thankfully they didn’t chuck out the atmosphere either.
Otto doesn’t have a “type” of customer, we spotted moshers, professionals, students, normal people… The food probably helps. Sourced locally, well cooked and with decent portions, you could have a meal and hang around after, without feeling you have to move on to a bar/club. They have local well known DJ’s playing a mix of RnB, funk and a little house, so you can easily start your night here.
We’ve no idea why the wine list is in a metal binder, other than its cool, though the Death Star style lampshade was a tad worrying. We’d easily come back though.
http://www.itchyglasgow.co.uk/review.cfm/7/208421/Glasgow-City-Guide/review/Otto-Bar-and-Grill
Khubla Khan
Khubla Khan
20 Candleriggs, Merchant City
Glasgow
G1 1LD
Tel 0141 5525646
www.khublaikhan.co.uk
Open 7 days 5pm-12am
Lunch 12pm-4pm Fri-Sun
Bottle of house wine - £13.99
Various drinks promos on different nights
We've never been to Mongolia. It's a bit far. If we do go, we're hoping it's a lot like Khublai Khans. You need to be in the mood for something special if you come here. Simply select either rice or noodles then chose from an array of unusual meats. Add your sauce made up from ingredients either from the suggested menu or choose your own style. Then hand it to the ninja chef who cooks it for you. Well, he uses samurai swords. Khublai Khan boasts that you won't leave hungry, and trust us, you won't. We'll be back. If only to stare open mouthed at sword chef again.
http://www.itchyglasgow.co.uk/review.cfm/7/208244/Glasgow-City-Guide/review/Khublai-Khan
20 Candleriggs, Merchant City
Glasgow
G1 1LD
Tel 0141 5525646
www.khublaikhan.co.uk
Open 7 days 5pm-12am
Lunch 12pm-4pm Fri-Sun
Bottle of house wine - £13.99
Various drinks promos on different nights
We've never been to Mongolia. It's a bit far. If we do go, we're hoping it's a lot like Khublai Khans. You need to be in the mood for something special if you come here. Simply select either rice or noodles then chose from an array of unusual meats. Add your sauce made up from ingredients either from the suggested menu or choose your own style. Then hand it to the ninja chef who cooks it for you. Well, he uses samurai swords. Khublai Khan boasts that you won't leave hungry, and trust us, you won't. We'll be back. If only to stare open mouthed at sword chef again.
http://www.itchyglasgow.co.uk/review.cfm/7/208244/Glasgow-City-Guide/review/Khublai-Khan
Variety Bar
Variety Bar
401 Sauchiehall St
Glasgow
G2 3LG
Tel: 01413324449
Mon-Sun: 11am till 12pm
Bottle of wine: £10.99
Various drinks promotions durng the week
It’s easy to dismiss the Variety Bar from the outside as an “old mans pub”. When you get inside, the décor doesn’t do much to change your mind. However the people that drink there are far from the old man type. There’s such a wide mixture of people you’d hate to classify it as one type of bar or another. Everyone we asked raved about the place, particularly the toasties for £1.
The staff were friendly, everyone had their own favourite type of toastie, and the place didn’t pretend to be anything other than a decent local for a pint. Nice.
401 Sauchiehall St
Glasgow
G2 3LG
Tel: 01413324449
Mon-Sun: 11am till 12pm
Bottle of wine: £10.99
Various drinks promotions durng the week
It’s easy to dismiss the Variety Bar from the outside as an “old mans pub”. When you get inside, the décor doesn’t do much to change your mind. However the people that drink there are far from the old man type. There’s such a wide mixture of people you’d hate to classify it as one type of bar or another. Everyone we asked raved about the place, particularly the toasties for £1.
The staff were friendly, everyone had their own favourite type of toastie, and the place didn’t pretend to be anything other than a decent local for a pint. Nice.
West
West
Templeton Building
Glasgow Green
Glasgow
G40 1AW
Tel 0141 5500135
Sun-Thurs: 11am-11pm
Fri, Sat: 11am-12pm
£2.90 for mug of West Beer
£13.99 for bottle of house wine
Sample dish – Fillet of beef, pickled cabbage, dumping - £13.99
West is different. Not only because it’s the first genuine German restaurant in Glasgow, but it also produces and sells its own beer (in litres!), being an independent brewery too. We tried some. It’s good.
This is food from the Old Country – Sauerkraut, schnitzels, bratwurst, and a spiced red cabbage mixed with ginger, all of which bring something unique to the area. You wouldn’t expect a German restaurant/brewery right next to Glasgow Green, but it works, and you certainly won’t leave thinking about a bag of chips on the way home. It may not be to everyone’s tastes, the train line right next to it can get a little distracting, and we also found it slightly odd that they continually played just one music track over and over, but you could do a lot worse after a walk in the park.
Templeton Building
Glasgow Green
Glasgow
G40 1AW
Tel 0141 5500135
Sun-Thurs: 11am-11pm
Fri, Sat: 11am-12pm
£2.90 for mug of West Beer
£13.99 for bottle of house wine
Sample dish – Fillet of beef, pickled cabbage, dumping - £13.99
West is different. Not only because it’s the first genuine German restaurant in Glasgow, but it also produces and sells its own beer (in litres!), being an independent brewery too. We tried some. It’s good.
This is food from the Old Country – Sauerkraut, schnitzels, bratwurst, and a spiced red cabbage mixed with ginger, all of which bring something unique to the area. You wouldn’t expect a German restaurant/brewery right next to Glasgow Green, but it works, and you certainly won’t leave thinking about a bag of chips on the way home. It may not be to everyone’s tastes, the train line right next to it can get a little distracting, and we also found it slightly odd that they continually played just one music track over and over, but you could do a lot worse after a walk in the park.
Slaters Menswear
Slaters Menswear
165 Howard Street
Glasgow, G1 4HF
Tel: 0141 552 7171
Opening Hours
Mon-Sat 0830-1730
Thur 0830-1930
Sun 1130-1630
Slaters was recently nominated for the Evening Times Favourite Business Award (a fact they ram home with the many posters about the store) but spend a bit of time there and you can see why. Selling everything from causal wear to formal suits, the staff are friendly and professional while giving a personal service not often in seen in Glasvegas. We went in for a causal shirt and trousers and were made to feel quite at ease, and were even recommended to not wear the shirt we chose because it didn’t look right – definitely a case where the customer may always be right, but they shouldn’t look silly while they are.
Alterations are free too (we needed the trousers taken up), and you leave feeling you’ve made the right purchase, though its not the cheapest place we’ve been to, but you’re paying for the quality and service. Recommended.
165 Howard Street
Glasgow, G1 4HF
Tel: 0141 552 7171
Opening Hours
Mon-Sat 0830-1730
Thur 0830-1930
Sun 1130-1630
Slaters was recently nominated for the Evening Times Favourite Business Award (a fact they ram home with the many posters about the store) but spend a bit of time there and you can see why. Selling everything from causal wear to formal suits, the staff are friendly and professional while giving a personal service not often in seen in Glasvegas. We went in for a causal shirt and trousers and were made to feel quite at ease, and were even recommended to not wear the shirt we chose because it didn’t look right – definitely a case where the customer may always be right, but they shouldn’t look silly while they are.
Alterations are free too (we needed the trousers taken up), and you leave feeling you’ve made the right purchase, though its not the cheapest place we’ve been to, but you’re paying for the quality and service. Recommended.
Maggie Mays
Maggie Mays
60 The Trongate,
Glasgow
G1 5EP
Tel: 0141 548 1350
Mon-Sun: 11am till 12pm
Bottle of wine: £13.99
Various drinks promotions during the week
Maggie Mays has fast become one of the hottest places for bands in Glasgow, so much so they won “Scotlands Best Music Bar” at this years Theme Awards in Edinburgh. Oddly it doesn’t look like a gigging pub, more of a trendy wine bar place, but the amount of bottles behind the bar was bloody impressive. We made up a drink for a laugh and actually got a cocktail back.
The first ten minutes or so you get the feeling the place is a bit pretentious, but we soon warmed to it and headed for that nights gig – gotta hand it to the place, the sound is awesome. Gig over, we left feeling we had a decent evening. Oh, and they have 986 Myspace friends. They asked us to mention that.
60 The Trongate,
Glasgow
G1 5EP
Tel: 0141 548 1350
Mon-Sun: 11am till 12pm
Bottle of wine: £13.99
Various drinks promotions during the week
Maggie Mays has fast become one of the hottest places for bands in Glasgow, so much so they won “Scotlands Best Music Bar” at this years Theme Awards in Edinburgh. Oddly it doesn’t look like a gigging pub, more of a trendy wine bar place, but the amount of bottles behind the bar was bloody impressive. We made up a drink for a laugh and actually got a cocktail back.
The first ten minutes or so you get the feeling the place is a bit pretentious, but we soon warmed to it and headed for that nights gig – gotta hand it to the place, the sound is awesome. Gig over, we left feeling we had a decent evening. Oh, and they have 986 Myspace friends. They asked us to mention that.
The Original Shoe Company
The Original Shoe Company
162 Buchanan St
Glasgow
G1 3JX
Tel: 0141 332 7628
Mon-Wed & Sat, 9am-6pm;
Thu, 9am-7pm; Sun, 12pm-5pm
The Original Shoe Company is obviously trying to shed it’s ned attraction ,and it’s not really working. Largely we found the store’s neon white shelving and decoration wasn’t the inviting cream colour found in, for example, the Apple Store, but was clinical and cold. The staff seemed largely uninterested and we got a slightly confused look when we asked about Etnies for men. Not a major surprise when the men’s section was as small as it is.
Perhaps we’re being harsh, and all the scaffolding outside is going to give the place a face lift, but we doubt it’s the place to find the latest trendy footwear.
162 Buchanan St
Glasgow
G1 3JX
Tel: 0141 332 7628
Mon-Wed & Sat, 9am-6pm;
Thu, 9am-7pm; Sun, 12pm-5pm
The Original Shoe Company is obviously trying to shed it’s ned attraction ,and it’s not really working. Largely we found the store’s neon white shelving and decoration wasn’t the inviting cream colour found in, for example, the Apple Store, but was clinical and cold. The staff seemed largely uninterested and we got a slightly confused look when we asked about Etnies for men. Not a major surprise when the men’s section was as small as it is.
Perhaps we’re being harsh, and all the scaffolding outside is going to give the place a face lift, but we doubt it’s the place to find the latest trendy footwear.
The Bothy
The Bothy
11 Ruthven Lane
Glasgow
G12 9BG
Tel: 0141 334 4040
Mon-Sun 12pm-10pm
Bottle of house wine - £12.95
Sample dish – Oven roasted chicken, with rumbledethump, crispy bacon, and thyme jus - £13.95
Walking into The Bothy, you almost feel like you’ve just returned home. We mean this in both atmosphere and decoration, there are sofas and arm chairs everywhere, and a fireplace in the corner. You half expect to see the wife has just finished making the dinner.
It’s only been open just under five years, but the Bothy has already made a bit of a name for itself, serving classic Scottish food that doesn’t pretend to be what it’s not, at a decent price. Ok, the names are sometimes a bit odd (rumbledethump? It’s spud, turnip and cabbage mashed apparently) but after eating it you feel like you’ve had an honest meal after an honest days work. Staff are friendly and happy to have a bit of a chat, and the place feels cosy and warm, which is nice when you come home, isn’t it?
11 Ruthven Lane
Glasgow
G12 9BG
Tel: 0141 334 4040
Mon-Sun 12pm-10pm
Bottle of house wine - £12.95
Sample dish – Oven roasted chicken, with rumbledethump, crispy bacon, and thyme jus - £13.95
Walking into The Bothy, you almost feel like you’ve just returned home. We mean this in both atmosphere and decoration, there are sofas and arm chairs everywhere, and a fireplace in the corner. You half expect to see the wife has just finished making the dinner.
It’s only been open just under five years, but the Bothy has already made a bit of a name for itself, serving classic Scottish food that doesn’t pretend to be what it’s not, at a decent price. Ok, the names are sometimes a bit odd (rumbledethump? It’s spud, turnip and cabbage mashed apparently) but after eating it you feel like you’ve had an honest meal after an honest days work. Staff are friendly and happy to have a bit of a chat, and the place feels cosy and warm, which is nice when you come home, isn’t it?
Ubiquitous Chip
Ubiquitous Chip
12 Ashton Lane
Glasgow
G12 8SJ
Tel 0141 3345007
Mon-Sat – Main Restaurant: 12pm-2.30pm, 5.30pm-10.45pm
Brassiere: 12pm-10.45pm
Sun – Sunday Lunch: 12.30pm – 2.45pm
Main Restaurant: 6.30pm-10.45pm
Brassiere: 12.30pm-1.0.45pm
Bottle of house wine – £16.95
Sample dish – Orkney Organic Salmon, lime and vanilla mash, red pepper and vermouth sauce and salmon beignet
This is it. Fine dining, without being stuck up its own arse. The Ubiquitous Chip (aka UB28, aka Wee Chippie, and twenty other names) sits nestled away and serves some of the best food this side of the Clyde. The staff are friendly, personal and happy to chat about anything from the décor to the wine list, and though portions seem small (perhaps it’s the big plates?) you won’t want a snack on the way home. Actually, after a couple of pints of their own ale (called Chip 71, after the year they opened, natch) you’ll probably want a roaring fire and a bit of a snooze. We loved decor, with its own water feature, and the place has a bit of fung shway about it, everything just flows. It’s softly lit, without being dark, and it buzzes with energy. Want to impress someone? Take them here. Fantastic.
http://www.itchyglasgow.co.uk/review.cfm/7/208979/Glasgow-City-Guide/review/Ubiquitous-Chip-
12 Ashton Lane
Glasgow
G12 8SJ
Tel 0141 3345007
Mon-Sat – Main Restaurant: 12pm-2.30pm, 5.30pm-10.45pm
Brassiere: 12pm-10.45pm
Sun – Sunday Lunch: 12.30pm – 2.45pm
Main Restaurant: 6.30pm-10.45pm
Brassiere: 12.30pm-1.0.45pm
Bottle of house wine – £16.95
Sample dish – Orkney Organic Salmon, lime and vanilla mash, red pepper and vermouth sauce and salmon beignet
This is it. Fine dining, without being stuck up its own arse. The Ubiquitous Chip (aka UB28, aka Wee Chippie, and twenty other names) sits nestled away and serves some of the best food this side of the Clyde. The staff are friendly, personal and happy to chat about anything from the décor to the wine list, and though portions seem small (perhaps it’s the big plates?) you won’t want a snack on the way home. Actually, after a couple of pints of their own ale (called Chip 71, after the year they opened, natch) you’ll probably want a roaring fire and a bit of a snooze. We loved decor, with its own water feature, and the place has a bit of fung shway about it, everything just flows. It’s softly lit, without being dark, and it buzzes with energy. Want to impress someone? Take them here. Fantastic.
http://www.itchyglasgow.co.uk/review.cfm/7/208979/Glasgow-City-Guide/review/Ubiquitous-Chip-
The Tron Theatre Bar
The Tron Theatre Bar
63 Trongate
Glasgow
G1 5HB
Tel: 0141 552 3748
Monday 10am - 9pm
Tuesday - Thursday 10am - late
Friday & Saturday 10am - late
Sunday 11am - 6pm
Bottle of wine: £13.99
Various drinks promotions through the week
The Tron Bar has won the Glasgow Bar Of The Year twice now, and it’s quite easy to see why. You’ve got a varied range of clients, from student-y types out to see a show, to young professionals who’ve popped in after work, and the older patron who fancies a quick half. The place is broken up into three – the kiddies area (nice touch), the older style Victorian Bar, or just stand around the regular front bar. It’s all wonderfully decorated and the staff are chipper too, which can be unusual in a bar these days. Prices are what you’d expect in a theatre bar and its got a nice energy to it, which would keep you coming back
63 Trongate
Glasgow
G1 5HB
Tel: 0141 552 3748
Monday 10am - 9pm
Tuesday - Thursday 10am - late
Friday & Saturday 10am - late
Sunday 11am - 6pm
Bottle of wine: £13.99
Various drinks promotions through the week
The Tron Bar has won the Glasgow Bar Of The Year twice now, and it’s quite easy to see why. You’ve got a varied range of clients, from student-y types out to see a show, to young professionals who’ve popped in after work, and the older patron who fancies a quick half. The place is broken up into three – the kiddies area (nice touch), the older style Victorian Bar, or just stand around the regular front bar. It’s all wonderfully decorated and the staff are chipper too, which can be unusual in a bar these days. Prices are what you’d expect in a theatre bar and its got a nice energy to it, which would keep you coming back
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