Scoop Restaurants have announced that their new Glasgow restaurant, Margo, will open on October 28 on Miller Street. It is the latest venture from Scoop Restaurants, the Scottish group behind both Glasgow’s Ox and Finch, which was awarded the coveted Michelin Bib Gourmand within six months of opening and has retained the award for a decade, and the popular southeast Asian-inspired Ka Pao restaurants in Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Margo’s kitchen will be headed up by Glasgow native Robin Aitken, who first joined Scoop as a chef at Ox and Finch 2014. After a period of travelling and working abroad, Aitken returned to Scoop as part of the senior team leading Ka Pao Glasgow to its first Michelin Bib Gourmand, and Ox and Finch retaining its Bib Gourmand for the 10th year. Aitken will lead the kitchen in delivering a menu of snacks, small plates and sharing dishes.
Paige Wilson will head up the 138 seat restaurants front of house team. Paige has led Scoop through milestones including the opening of Ka Pao Glasgow in 2019 and the restaurant’s receipt of its first Michelin Bib Gourmand, as well as the launch of Ka Pao’s second location in Edinburgh.
The interior has been designed Stuart Black of Mosaic Architecture and Design who has worked with the Margo team to bring together a group of local craftspeople to create bespoke furniture and carpentry for the space. The architectural metalwork and traditional clay render have been mixed with ceramic and terracotta tiles and salvaged light fittings, to deliver “a warm and welcoming space with an industrial edge”. Meanwhile, a large open kitchen with counter seating gives guests the opportunity to watch Margo’s chefs at work, while banquettes and booths offer a more intimate dining setting for groups.
Jonathan MacDonald, Managing Director of Scoop Restaurants Group, said, “Margo will be an evolution of our first restaurant, Ox and Finch, which has just celebrated its 10th birthday. Both restaurants share the same ethos of being relaxed, accessible and fun, alongside a focus on quality.
“Whilst retaining lots of the features that have made Ox and Finch so popular for the last decade, Margo will be bigger and bolder. We’ll be pushing things further in the kitchen, baking our own breads, making fresh pastas and also doing some in-house butchery. There’ll also be a larger, more adventurous wine list, which the team have been sourcing from a range of great suppliers.
“We’re very excited to be able to share what we’ve been working on with Glasgow, and we’ve also got some exciting plans coming up for Ox and Finch later in the year.”
Picture: Clockwise from top left: Jonathan MacDonald, Managing Director, Scoop Restaurants Group; Daniel Spurr, Chef Director, Scoop Restaurants Group; Paige Wilson, General Manager, Scoop Restaurants Group; Robin Aitken, Head Chef, Margo
