Maclay Inns has created a stylish new craft beer bar in Glasgow’s West End
With an extensive craft beer selection and inventive interior, Munro’s is a refreshing addition to Glasgow’s West End. Leading Scottish bar operator Maclay Inns has invested £400,000 in revamping the former Captain’s Rest in Great Western Road into Munro’s, a stylish new destination showcasing craft brews from Scotland and around the world.
With core ales Harviestoun Schiehallion and Caledonian Deuchars IPA, Munro’s has eight craft and cask taps at any one time, with six changing on a regular basis to include special guest brews such as Magic Rock High Wire from West Yorkshire and Shoreditch Blonde from the Redchurch Brewery in east London. It also offers 40 bottled beers, lagers and ciders, including American imports such as Brooklyn Lager, East India Pale Ale and Blue Moon. Customers can still enjoy a pint of Tennent’s or Guinness but, to encourage trial of unknown beers, they can go for tasters which allow them to sample three pints, in third-pint glasses, of different beers for £3.50 for cask and £4.25 for craft.
But it is not just about craft beer, with a good selection of wines and premium spirits available. Munro’s also offers freshly prepared food including sharing platters, thin and crispy pizzas, sandwiches, “beer bites” and main dishes.
The new name is partly inspired by the history of the site which used to be a car showroom called Munro’s Motors. There are nods to this in the interior design, such as the tyres suspended on steel from the striking circular pendant lights, but otherwise the concept is an eclectic, creative design that uses materials and recycled furniture in innovative ways.
It was created by Design Build Deliver, which has worked on 28 previous projects for Maclay Inns over the past 14 years as well as other bars and restaurants across Scotland. Michael Dunn, managing director of Design Build Deliver, says: “The brief was to create something unique, something with great character. With so many different places opening at the moment, it had to be innovative, exciting and new.”
Previously divided into a public bar and a snug, the space was opened up but broken down into different zones. Many of the furnishings have been sourced from antique shops and auctioneers and upcycled such as re-upholstered leather booths, two Queen Anne-style green leather armchairs, standard lamps, a wood-burning fire, storm lanterns, poser tables made out of large cable drums, and rugs hanging as curtains. Scaffolding poles have been recycled for the back gantry behind the bar, which has a counter crafted out of elm wood and polished concrete.
Munros are also a name for Scottish mountains, and there are references to these including scenic paintings and a portrait of the British mountaineer Hector Munro who gave his name to the peaks. The décor has other Scottish influences such touches of tweed and the natural wood cladding on the exterior. This adds a stylish appearance to the outside while newly fitted large feature windows add a sense of space and light inside.
Maclay Inns managing director Steve Mallon says: “We have been looking for a fourth property in the West End for quite some time. When the opportunity to take over the Captain’s Rest came up, it seemed like the perfect fit. As a company we have always differentiated ourselves through our focus on offering quality beer. This is particularly evident in Munro’s sister venues in the West End – the Lansdowne Bar & Kitchen, the Three Judges and Dram. Munro’s is very much the next step forward in our journey.”
Munro’s, 185 Great Western Road, Glasgow G4 9EB
Tel: 0141 332 0972
www.munrosglasgow.co.uk
Who did it
Design: Design Build Deliver
Bar top: Paul Hodgkiss Designs
Contractor: Donaldsons Construction
