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Old Glasgow Pubs by john gorevan

 

The Festival Bar & Lounge.

358 Argyle Street, Glasgow. G2.

 

Festival Bar

The Festival Bar. 1991.

There has been a pub on this site since 1852.

Many names have adorned the doorway such as the Chiltern 100, Alpin Lodge, the Glen Bar, the Glen Leven, Sylvester's and the Edinburgh Bar and the Tyrol. For further reading on the full history of this pub click here.

Tyrol Bar 1971

The Tyrol Bar. 1971.

In the News 1971...

If a holiday on the Tyrol is beyond the budget this year you could do worse than pop into Scottish and Newcastle Breweries newest Glasgow pub to sample their typical Bavarian atmosphere.

The Tyrol is in Argyle Street, it used to be known as the Glen Bar, and just round the corner from the new bus station, so whether you've just stepped off a bus after a tiring journey or you've a few minutes to wait before you leave the Tyrol is a convenient rendezvous to know about.

Completely renovated, the old bar had been given a strong Alpine influence and now incorporates a lounge called Die Schussel (the food bowl) and a cellar bar known as Das Keller. The lounge bar, which is at ground level has attractive German design carpeting in shades of red and brown. The walls are of white texture and contrast pleasantly with the dark-stained wood which has been used to give the lounge the atmosphere of an Alpine lodge.

The Tyrol advert

Decorative blue tiles have been used in the food service area. The main eye-catching feature in the lounge is a coloured leather mural behind the gantry. It was made by Andrew Barr, of Haddington, and depicts an Alpine folk scene.

Down in the cellar bar great use has been made of panels of colour against a white plaster wall. The floor is paved with ceramic tiling and there are shaped simulated pillars with white plaster beams. On the wall facing the bar typical Germanic "sayings" have been painted in Gothic style.

Possibly the greatest attraction of all, however, and especially when word gets around, will be the delicious food served both in the lounge and the cellar. In the lounge there are wine decanters on every table and you choose your own steaks or salads from the refrigerated showcase. There's trout, gammon steaks, smoked ell salad, smoked salmon salad, coleslaw, salad, mouth watering yet? There's a full grill menu as well as Danish and open sandwiches.

If you're in a bit of a rush and don't have time for a full-scale meal there's a quicker service in the cellar. It's more on help-your-self lines and there will be a dish of the day and a selection of salads, all priced around the 20-25p mark. Manager of the Tyrol is David Barsanti.

End.

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