Wunderbar in Buchanan Street has opened its doors amidst a flurry of fiesta with burlesque dancing girls, beers aplenty, appetising cocktails and delicious dogs and burgers.
Formerly Bread and Butter, which was based around a cantina concept, the new Wunderbar brings a ‘lived in’ German-inspired bierhalle feel to the back lane bar and eaterie.
The old burgundy seats and darker wood tables and wooden panelled bar have been stripped out completely and replaced with a lighter industrial decor with tiling and brick, lighter tables, topiary to bring the outdoor biergarten inside and offer quirky design detail.
On arrival, up a hidden back lane away from the maddening crowds in between the main stay of Buchanan Street and Queen Street, there is plenty of greenery and foliage in the Wunderbar sign alone. Surrounded by two glowing lanterns from times gone by, the sign is written in a Willie Wonka text font suggesting there is something pretty wondrous and magical to be found inside.
Glass doors lead directly to a stairway that is Instagram-friendly with its tiny wooden panelled walls, and the first of many display cages showcasing some of the hundred plus beers on offer. Once up the white tiled and stone-clad stairs, industrial-style bulb lights give off a warm and inviting glow reminiscent of a traditional, slightly aged Munich bier halle while those who look straight ahead are treated to plenty of greenery via the welcoming garten. It has cosy wooden palette inspired booths with graffitied corrugated iron walling behind them giving a slightly urban feel to the area. It was christened by Lewis Capaldi on its opening night and is sure to be an evergreen hotspot despite our often unpredictable weather.
Light brown chairs and stools have clean lines, allowing even more light through the venue. To the direct right of the entrance is a huge wall feature boasting an array of beermats from all over Europe and on the right-hand side of the venue, there is a stage area, lit in the daytime by two large windows behind it. Burgundy velvet curtains are pulled back during daytime but can no doubt create a cosier ambiance by night.
To the left of the entrance doorway are more display cages with cans and bottles of beer and at the far end an even bigger caged-off area containing premium spirits.
A kitchen area lies to the back of the bar area complete with appetising burger, hots dog, chips, and nacho offerings.
White tiled walls have been given a distressed look to bring a cellar like feel to the venue. More hanging greenery surrounds the industrial railed lightbulbs which look over the bricked bar area. There are tall chairbacked stools and barrels which have been spray-painted with the Wunderbar logo to provide a relaxed tabletop for customers who wish to stand nearby.
Lighting consists of round ‘bistro hoop’ style chandeliers with bulbs sticking out of them and a slightly arched roof made of hammered metal panels keeps up with the modern theme, whilst giving customers some much-needed breathing space.
Designed in collaboration with CM DESIGN, the masterminds behind SUGO and Paesano Pizza fame, the venue plans to take the party from day to night with its disco ball installation.
Mark Brunjes of CM DESIGN said, “The eclectically assembled bar is built entirely of reclaimed and rustic materials to reflect the found nature of the space creating a welcoming, relaxed feel. “The plants flowing throughout the venue and bier garten give it an organic and earthy feel. We worked with a local graffiti artist for all the art installations throughout the space. And our wall feature was created using old beer coasters from around the world.”
He added, “Radically, everything was stripped out to allow the new concept to be introduced A stage area has been introduced to allow live music, stand up, comedy, and more and the outside area has been closely designed to seamlessly connect with the interior and large sliding doors open both areas up with each other.
“The vaulted metal ceilings were completely covered up before and these are now exposed. Timber studs that look like rivets were added, and the ceilings and cast iron columns were painted/distressed by artist Ranald McColl to look aged. The outside space is very important and this area allows lots of fresh air to flow throughout the space.”
