There is no doubt about it, when Bubbles and Rahul Randev of the R Group decide to renovate one of their premises, they really go for it. That is certainly the case with The Marigold Cafe on Glasgow’s Park Road.
The two have completely re-imagined the venue with the help of CM Design and the result is a classy, neighbourhood bar and restaurant. However, don’t let the name fool you – it is in fact a wine and cocktail bar.
Floor to ceiling windows now allow diners to spill out onto the pavement, weather permitting, and the café-style furniture in the windows gives a very continental feel to this west end venue. The bar is definitely the focal point, and the two have returned it to the position it was when it was Bar Bola – which was the first name the two gave to the venue after buying the Blythswood Cottage and transforming it into a modern bar and bistro in 2008.
Over the years the venue has had various incarnations and was leased out. The last time the two renovated before leasing it out they called it The Richmond, and the bar was facing the street – but the new design sees it stretching from front to back.
The two have significantly invested in the venue, and although some elements have been kept – for instance the stone walls, it has been completely refurbished.
Says Rahul, “It’s been a total refurbishment. We have taken the premises back to its roots and put the bar back where it was when it was Bar Bola. We have also changed all the frontage and put in bi-folding doors. He continues, “Now the menu focuses on quirky food. It’s not Indian, but pan-Asian, and of course we are offering some really great cocktails too.”
The aforementioned bar is classic, with a marble top, dark Mahogany panelling, and brass features. The back bar cabinets are also floor to ceiling and are beautifully finished. There is a slight hint of Art Deco with the glass wall lights behind the bar, and the same glass is used on the dividing partition between the bar area and the dining area.
The colours used throughout are traditional but have a modern slant too. The walls have a Farrow and Ball feel and have been painted mid blue and cream. The ceiling too is cream which really lightens up the bar.
As for the furniture, the tables and chairs are dark, almost black mahogany, and were supplied by Select, whilst the fixed and booth seating comes in dark red, mustard, blue and black.
The colours are well represented in the tiled flooring around the bar, and which leads into the dining area. The tiling, supplied by Pronto Ceramics, compliments parquet flooring, and differentiates the spaces. Facing the bar there are elegant two-seater booths separated from the dining area with the half glass, half panelling partitions. T
he dining area is also predominantly blue and cream with the seating in a variety of colours – from the deep red booths, to fixed mustard and black faux-leather upholstery. There is also plenty of exposed brick, set off by greenery. The venue has been finished off with stylish black and white prints of a by-gone age in India. It’s a contemporary venue for today’s customer.