Few bars or restaurants are afforded as striking a setting as Alston Bar and Beef in Glasgow. Located deep in the bowels of Central Station, the venue occupies a formerly abandoned space used until recently as a dumping ground for the surrounding business’ rubbish. There are two entrances; the first leads in from the station itself, and the other can be reached via Gordon Street Coffee, Alston’s sister venue, where I met Euan Robb from Glendola Leisure. Euan has been with the company for ten years, covering the majority of the group’s venues in a Sales and Marketing role. He revealed that Glendola’s primary goal had been to solidify the right concept for the venue. He said, “When we saw the site we conducted some research in the city and tried to identify gaps in the market. People in Glasgow are quite educated in food and drink, so it was important to pick a concept that stands out from the crowd.”
The restaurant’s name is a nod to the venue’s storied past, taking its name from Alston Street, a thoroughfare between Argyle Street and Gordon Street that was ultimately demolished in the 1870s as construction work began on the train station.
Interior design and architecture firm Jestico + Whiles were provided with a brief to make both the coffee shop and the restaurant unique, individual spaces, unrecognisable as both belonging to the same business. To this end they have been largely successful; the only notable consistency between the two units is the patterned floor tiling, discernible to only the most attentive of guests.
Gordon Street Coffee makes the absolute most of its limited space. As well as a secluded seating area, the mezzanine level also houses a coffee bean roaster. The coffee shop also has a license and we sell schooners of Scottish craft beer as well as wine by the glass.”
As you enter Alston Bar and Beef you are immediately met by a large metre fauna and floral wall mural at the top of the stairs, featuring magpies, bees, thistles and juniper berries. Designed by Glasgow’s own Timorous Beasties, the mural is both striking and memorable, and leaves a lasting impression long after you’ve reached the bottom of the staircase. James Dilley from Jestico + Whiles told DRAM, “We wanted people to see the mural when they were walking past so it would catch their eye and bring their attention to the restaurant downstairs. Because it’s a printed design we have the option of changing the mural at some point in the future, we hope it becomes a blank canvas for local artists. It has to shine out and show people there’s something special downstairs.”
The staircase itself is modelled on a classic, industrial New York stairway, with lights cut into the metal to under-light the steps. Once you’ve negotiated the stairs you find yourself directly opposite the hub of the operation – the kitchen. Pendants made from electrical insulators hang above the pass as a reminder of the building’s history.
The bar area is through to the left, and the intention was to make the room as strong and dramatic as possible to lure customer’s towards it. The bar top is made from Italian arabescato marble and it is stunning.
In many ways the most distinctive design feature of the venue is the space itself. The very nature of the basement, being former railway arches, lending a gravitas and splendour that would be extremely difficult to recreate in a newer building. James spoke of the particular challenges of working with the site. He said, “When we came in there were all kinds of services running through the building that we couldn’t move. Our primary job was to peel back the layers to reveal the arches. Instead of being perfunctory they became a natural beauty.” James told DRAM, “We work with the space that we’re given, which in this instance was a dream. With such a stunning building all we had to do was freshen the venue up and add some softness to it.”
The softness comes from the lighting the aforementioned white tiles as well as the blue banquettes that line the painted white stone walls. Distinctive pendant lighting hangs from the ceiling, shaped from old-fashioned gin decanters.
The back bar is a feature in itself, stocked with dozens of brands of gin and backlit with blue spotlights. Euan is particularly proud of the bar area. He told DRAM, “It’s a unique space in Glasgow. The bar’s main focus is on gin, we have over 50 in stock, 12 of which are Scottish. Gin is commonly thought of as an English spirit, however we’re also keen to promote that fact that Scotland produces top quality gin.”
Euan hopes that the bar can make the most of its setting within the station. He said, “Ideally we’d love travellers who maybe have a half hour wait for a train to pop down for a gin and tonic or a beer. In a few weeks time we’re going to have a subtle, electronic train timetable installed in the bar area – another of our units, DesVins at St Pancras Station, has the same feature, which helps give customers peace of mind so they don’t miss their train. We’re unique in the sense that our guests don’t have to go outdoors to reach their next destination, they can leave our venue and jump straight onto the next train home.”
The adjoining restaurant seats approximately 60 covers, and it’s here that Alston Bar and Beef intends to make its name. Euan told DRAM, “As a steak restaurant it was a matter of priority for us to ensure we had the best beef available. We also want the staff to become experts in meat; our General Manager Matthew Mustard has a farming background and what he doesn’t know about meat isn’t really worth knowing at all.”
Rows of marble-top tables line the restaurant, met at either end by arched wall mirrors reflecting the room’s fresh, white interior, and as with the bar area blue banquettes inject some colour into the surroundings. The mirrors heighten the impact of the arches, creating an infinity effect at either end of the restaurant. The symmetry is broken twice by two windows looking onto the bar. The first looks directly onto the beer fonts, and doubles as a staff service station. The second window rises from the floor to table height, with more pendant lighting illuminating the tiled floor. James said, “This window was a relic of the previous use of the space. We didn’t know what its original function was, and we decided to simply incorporate it into the restaurant design.”
It’s difficult to believe that such a striking, unique site could have lain idle and unused for so long, and Glendola Leisure have succeeded in carving out a stunning venue from the dead space. Euan told DRAM, “In six months I have no doubt that we’ll be the best known steak restaurant in the city. I’m more than confident we’ll get tongues wagging; we intend to blow people away by the standard of our food, drink and service.” Given the surroundings, Alston Bar and Beef has already won half the battle.
Design Focus: Alston Bar & Beef, Glasgow
