In March BigHospitality reported on the Glendola group’s arrival into Glasgow’s Central Station and its £1m investment to open two new food and drink establishments there. The first of these was Gordon Street Coffee, whilst the new Alston Bar & Beef restaurant opened last week on 30 May.
British property development and investment company Hammerson PLC recently announced Chimichanga will be opening its first branch in Glasgow (and only its second in Scotland) as part of the Glasgow out-of-town shopping centre Silverburn’s £20m expansion, joining new sign-ups Carluccio's, Zizzis and more at the site.
Alston Bar & Beef
The newly revealed Alston Bar & Beef restaurant celebrates steak and gin, hosting a menu featuring over 10 different cuts of beef and 55 different gins, a dozen of which are Scottish. The site was previously lying empty, but has been extensively renovated to hold an 80-cover restaurant that features a 20ft marble bar.
General manager at Alston Matthew Mustard said: “We have invested a great deal of time and effort into securing what we think is the best beef, cooked in the finest way and served exactly how our customers want it. We have handpicked the growing list of gins from around the world and focus on delivering the perfect accompaniment to bring out their flavours.
“Alston prides itself on attention to detail; which is why we have invested heavily in our staff to ensure that they can recommend a cut of beef or the perfect serve gin and tonic to suit our customers.”
Alongside the steaks, the menu at Alston also offers dishes such as pea and roquefort risotto with a basil and walnut pesto, and pan fried sea bream.The bar produces its own barrel aged Martinez in two small Rioja barrels.
The venue’s redesign was done by interior design firm Jestico + Whiles and intended to celebrate the architecture of the railway while contrasting it with chandeliers made from crystal decanters and star-patterned mosaic flooring.The restaurant also features a hand drawn 8m x 4m mural designed by the Glasgow-based Timorous Beasties which boasts Scottish wildlife against a backdrop of thistles.
Managing director of Glendola Leisure Alex Salussolia said: “When we first saw the site we knew it could really be something special and we are very proud of the unique space we have created under Central Station. Jestico + Whiles completely understood our vision and have transformed what was once an unused space into a state-of-the-art bar and restaurant.
Silverburn Leisure extension
The new Silverburn leisure extension is also bringing a number of new dining establishments to the Glasgow area. The new Chimichanga site at Silverburn will be 3,122sq.ft and opens in December.
Operations manager at Chimichanga Peter Morrison said: "Silverburn is the perfect location from which to open the second Chimichanga location in Scotland. It is a well-established destination that has captured the imagination of consumers in the region, and the leisure extension can only add to the Centre’s success. This is an exciting time for Chimichanga and Silverburn and we are delighted to be part of what is going to be a very positive future for both brands.”
Burger King and Pret a Manger have also recently announced that they will be taking up sites at Silverburn, and they join Carluccio's, TGI Friday’s, Cosmo, Zizzi and Pizza Express as a selection of nine new restaurants within the 100,000sq.ft development, which is currently under construction. The first of the restaurants will open in autumn this year.