Salisbury opened a couple of months ago on Glasgow’s Southside and is already proving a success for owner Phil McDonald who also owns Finnieston’s Neighbourhood bar. The new bar and restaurant, on the site of the former Cookie’s, has been totally revamped and the kitchen has been moved into the basement. A hoist has been introduced to bring the food up, and a bar has been added.
Phil McDonald told DRAM, “Cookies was a popular restaurant but it was very small. I wanted to open a New Yorkesque neighbourhood bar and restaurant, and I think we have achieved this.”
The Salisbury, is very light and airy. It boasts floor to ceiling windows on both sides. The interior has a mix of exposed stone walls and dark vintage-green and light green walls and a wall of framed mirrors. Says Phil, ‘I didn’t pick the colours, but I did suggest the wall of mirrors.” The small bar features the exposed stone, and glass shelving displaying a wide variety of premium drinks, and the space has been well utilised with an over bar glass rack.
Says Phil, “I didn’t just want to have a restaurant, but I wanted people to come for a drink too. And so far the feedback has been good. We are already full at the weekends and during the week business has steadily increased. People are still discovering us.”
Manager Kevin Jamieson adds, “We’ve got a whisky club and have just set up a gin club, in fact we have a wide range of gins here, and we have also a small cocktail list and make all our own syrups.”