Perhaps more than any other British city, Glasgow has a sense of self that pervades all aspects of its culture, infrastructure and collective outlook. There’s a defiant individuality to the place, yet, to an outsider, this never overspills into a clique-mentality. In part, this is due to its rich history of inclusive, scene-based arts and music culture, which has always embraced the creative and the curious from all walks of life.
What other city could nurture subcultures as divergent as gabber, the Postcard Records scene and the Mogwai-helmed post-rock underground, folding them all seamlessly into a coherent, progressive metropolitan cultural history? Scotland’s largest city stands alone, and, here at Remus Uomo, we love it.
WHAT TO SEE
The Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum houses one of Scotland’s finest art collections, as well as outstanding historical and scientific exhibitions. The Kelvingrove is currently hosting the largest-ever exhibition of the work of Frank Quitely – aka Glaswegian native Vincent Deighan – entitled The Art of Comics. This comic book legend has worked on some of the biggest characters in the world – including Batman, Superman and the X-Men.
Elsewhere, it’s always worth popping into Glasgow School of Art, one of the UK’s finest art colleges and an extraordinary building, designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh.
DINING
There’s much more to Glaswegian cuisine than the Mars-bar-frying stereotype might have you believe. In fact, a thriving vegan food scene has flourished in Glasgow and the centrally located music venue, Stereo is a prime example. On the ground floor is an excellent, entirely vegan café bar and their polenta chips we can personally recommend.
For those with a more exotic palette, Topolabamba tops our list of Glaswegian Mexican restaurants. Located within a stone’s throw of the central railway station, on St Vincent Street, their fish tacos pack a zesty, nicely spiced punch. Or just a couple of corners away is Paesano Pizza, whose Napoletana-style pizzas are built atop a sourdough base which is proofed for a whopping 48 hours. Believe us, this is time well spent.
NIGHTLIFE
For a full-throttle Glaswegian night out, it’s hard to beat Nice N Sleazy on Sauchiehall St. There’s live music, a righteously well-stocked bar and a devoted, welcoming regular clientele. Its proximity to legendary venues like King Tut’s Wah-Wah Hut and the O2 ABC makes it a particularly good bet for a post-gig boogie, and Sauchiehall St itself has become quite the nightlife hub in recent years.
For somewhere a little more tranquil, we recommend Hillhead Book Club, whose range of cocktails and more intimate atmosphere are perfect for a sophisticated – but never pretentious – night on the town.
Planning a trip soon? Make sure to check out the Remus Uomo store in Silverburn Shopping Centre, Glasgow and tell us if we’ve missed somewhere great on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram @remusuomo
