A new pub and restaurant, The Kelvin Bar and the Birdtree & Bellfish, will be opening in Finnieston next month, in the Edwardian building next to, and owned by, the Lorne Hotel.
The Kelvin Bar will be offering a mixture of craft and mainstream beers, whisky and a selection of Scottish gin. The adjoining restaurant, Birdtree & Bellfish, will recreate Scottish dishes using local produce and tweaking classics. Traditional dishes like Clootie Dumpling, Cullen Skink or Stovies will be on the menu as well as dishes like wood pigeon served with Stornoway black pudding & celeriac puree and chicken Bonnie Prince Charlie with caramelised apples & Drambuie creamed reduction.
The Kelvin, named after Lord Kelvin, will also be the first bar to offer the entire range from Scottish brewery, Harviestoun. The building was bought in 2007 and renovated in 2008, however, the corner bar was overlooked in favour of opening the flashier Bilberry Cocktail Bar. With 2007 in mind, The Kelvin will also be offering its own-brand lager, Kentigern’s Lager, for 2007 prices of £2.50 on draught. It will also stock Scotland’s first rum, Dark Matter, and Scotland’s Arbikie Vodka.
Birdtree & Bellfish will borrow heavily from the historic influence of Finnieston as the source of local produce from the West Coast, as befits its name derived from Glasgow’s coat of arms and the story of St Mungo.
Kevin Siri, bar manager at The Lorne Hotel, told DRAM, “The Kelvin, will serve the best of Scotland’s drinks from beer to whisky, gin and will showcase what we have to offer. The restaurant is a Scottish/Glaswegian restaurant instead. The hotel is part of history itself, and we’re hoping both the Kelvin and Birdtree & Bellfish will become as iconic.”
The Edwardian era building on the corner of Sauchiehall Street and Kelvingrove Street, began life as a house before being divided into flats. In the 1980s, the restaurant was actually the function room of the famous Kelvin Park Lorne Hotel, known for its legendary singles nights.
The hotel’s popular Bukharah Indian restaurant, and cocktail offering, the Bilberry Bar, will continue to be open to guests and non-residents.