Zique was the name Mhairi Taylor’s grandfather acquired when he fought against Franco in Spain as part of the International Brigade.
The name is now a prominent part of Hyndland Street as a reinvented Zique’s occupies the corner where Mhairi has offered a variety of dishes over the last twenty years.
She told me last year that the emphasis on their scene-stealing brunch would be replaced by an all-day and night-time hospitality offering and that process is now complete. The menu is closer to what Mhairi makes at home for family and pals she says. It has a lighter feel and is more in tune with seasonal flavours.
The small plate menu is available Tuesday to Saturday, 12-10pm and there is currently a summery theme that brings together Scottish ingredients with international flavours.
Seabass cerviche is perched into an oyster shell with shallots and oyster mayo. Tempura courgette flowers are served with Katy Rodger’s crowdie. Mussels are piled together with a rose harissa and chickpea sauce. Baked apricots are complemented by pistachio, zaatar and crème fraiche.
I pop in for langoustines with garlic butter and a crisp white wine. The deck area has become a popular part of Zique’s appeal and is an ideal neighbourhood spot to watch the sun go down on a warm evening.
Meanwhile, the former Peckham’s on Glassford Street is set to become a luxury hotel after being acquired by the family firm behind the House of Gods hotel in Edinburgh. The plans include 31 bedrooms, a bar and brasserie on the ground floor and a hidden late night cocktail bar that will extend under Glassford Street. The new venture is expected to open in early spring next year.
La Pastina, a new Italian deli from chef John Traynor will open on Byres Road on 12 August. The store will take over from the Rodgers Butchers shop who have moved further up the road. The deli will offer fresh pasta, pizza, focaccia sandwiches, cakes and Italian coffee. John tells me “I’m super excited about this new challenge. It’s always been a dream of mine to have my own spot so I’m over the moon that the time has come. We’ve got some really exciting plans for the deli.”
Podcast Show
Where Is My Mind? is an award-winning podcast that explores how we can better look after our emotional wellbeing in the modern world. Guests have included Biffy Clyro’s Simon Neil, Ruby Wax and Jameela Jamil. Presented by Irish musician, author and former professional athlete Niall Breslin, a live version of the show is coming to Oran Mor in Glasgow’s West End on 28 October with monologues, music and conversations with guests illuminating “the unvarnished truth of the human condition”.
Niall counts Glasgow as his second home: “I miss it. There’s a character to it that doesn’t exist in a lot of other cities. My mum is Scottish, my auntie, sister and my brother are in Glasgow. When I was in the band we would play a gig on a Monday night in King Tut’s. Folk would presume no one would show up for a random Irish gig and then all my Scottish cousins would come striding in.”
The entertaining stage show version of Niall’s podcast will be driven by personal honesty combined with elements of performance, “I’m working with a script writer, the comedian Sean Burke. There will be a dark humour, an irreverence to it that I think Scottish audiences will appreciate” he says.
Tickets for Where Is My Mind? are available at oran-mor.co.uk.
Local Brew
It’s boomtime for brewing in Glasgow and the latest name to join the fun is burger joint El Perro Negro who have teamed up with Williams Bros to create a special pilsner. The key elements to making this new brew to enjoy with food is a classic saaz hop and a twist of Spanish oranges.
Speaking of the collaboration, Chris Williams, Director at Williams Bros said; “Spain is of course better known for producing grapes rather than hops. However, a serendipitous encounter with some Seville Oranges on a trip to the fruit market gave us some unusual inspiration. Seeing and smelling the aromatic oranges influenced the idea of adding a subtle nuance to a pilsner. We ordered up what we could and put it into our freezer store, so we could use it for the beer all year round. And the El Perro Negro pilsner was born.”
El Perro Negro Founder, Nick Watkins spoke of his excitement about the launch; “We’re big fans of Williams Bros and have stocked their range in our Woodlands restaurant since it opened in 2019. So we were delighted and really flattered when the team suggested a collaboration and putting our name behind this delicious new lager. The refreshing citrus notes are the perfect pairing to our burgers and we can’t wait to serve them up together.”
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here