MY current two favourite bars in the city are neighbourhood locals.

Kelvingrove Cafe is a stylish hospitality hub for Finnieston folk. The Thornwood on Dumbarton Road has become the focal point of the area that gave the pub its name, sandwiched between Partick and Broomhill.

Barry Oattes, owner of Kelvingrove Cafe, says that sticking to the greatest hits has transformed their cocktail and brunch menus. Joanne Munro, former head chef of Cafe Gandolfi, leads the morning kitchen team. Top bartender Mal Spence is back to oversee the drinks side of things.

“We’re not interested in serving everything with a twist. It works for us to have a proper eggs Benedict or a real fry up. In certain places it works to have things that are a bit more rock and roll, we like the classics,” Barry says.

The fried breakfast comes with pork link sausage, bacon, black pudding, portobello mushroom, tomato, home fries and sourdough. I usually order the brioche French toast with honeyed figs, mascarpone, pistachio and mint or their huevos rancheros with tortilla, bean salsa, avocado, chorizo, queso fresca, scallions and a fried egg on top.

The evening menu is designed by Paul O’Malley of Exile Cooks, a group of chefs specialising in global street food dishes for kitchen residencies and pop-up events. Try the truffle chicken shawarma with nduja naan and hot sauce.

“Paul used to be head chef here about eight years ago and it’s great to have him back involved. The food they are doing is so interesting and cool. It has a positive effect on the vibe of the cafe.”

Finnieston emerged 12 years ago as the new rebellious upstart location in local hospitality, Glasgow’s coolest street packed with maverick trend-setting food and drink venues that shook expectations, establishing a reputation that projected out from the city.

What now that places like Kelvingrove Cafe have become the establishment?

“I still feel like a bit of a rebel,” Barry says.

“When we started out we were doing things in the dark, taking a chance and hoping it all worked. Now we are doing things from a position of experience. We still have the atmosphere and the style of service and the tunes and the way the place makes you feel.

“We know exactly what people want from us and we’re not going to try to push them towards some weird and wonderful version of that. What we’ve managed to do over the years is refine ourselves.”

Barry recommends an appletini from the mixed drinks menu.

“We put the juice from a whole apple in every drink, it brings a new dimension to the flavour and you can see the bright colour,” he says.

He is positive about the current state of play in the Glasgow bar scene, despite all the challenges besetting the hospitality industry.

“You look at The Gate and The Absent Ear, the cocktail bar at Dakota. Fantastic venues. There are newer places like Bar Vini on Victoria Road.

“Glasgow as a city has always allowed these small satellite areas to pop up. We have these amazing neighbourhood joints and there are a lot more of them now. I love that.”