Beers from all over the world.. but no sign of customers anywhere
It might be counterintuitive for Pub Spy to put down the prosecco just before Hogmanay…
But you can have too much of a good thing, right?
So time to head to Glasgow’s metrosexual- sounding Beer Cafe to see if it does what it says on the tin.
This venue is one of a handful of well- established pubs and restaurants which surround the indoor Merchant Square.
You’d expect it to be buzzing, especially at this time of year – but you’d be wrong. For the duration of our visit, the sole other customer was a young man who spent two hours plugged into an electronic device and sipping a single bottle of ale.
Staff tried their best to inject life into proceedings and were unfailingly polite but even they looked a bit underwhelmed by the lack of atmosphere. The decor is basic and the tables and chairs reminded Pub Spy of being back in the school dining room.
The food was in keeping with the simple theme, with the menu board offering pie and mash or, er, a different pie and mash.
Having said that, they are very tasty pies. The almost-funny Kate and Sydney has free-range British steak, kidneys, fresh herbs and ale. All are served on a stack of mashed potato, with mushy peas and gravy.
The venue’s selling point – beers from all corners of the globe – is worth checking out.
We tried a crisp African favourite, Tusker, all the way from Kenya, which went down well and cost £ 4.75 per bottle.
A door at the rear of the pub backs on to busy Merchant Square and shifting out there with our drinks was the best move we made all night.
The Beer Cafe have an excellent range of drinks but our visit posed one question: At this busy time of the year, where were the customers?