Octagen aka Marco Bernadi - Secret Glasgow

Soma signing Octagen on how to enjoy Glasgow, no matter what your budget!

The Turkish
44 Oswald Street, Glasgow

This place doesn’t just do kebabs, it’s the home of the ‘Sarbeni’; a 12 inch wrap full of some sort of meat, salad and the biggest helping of chilli sauce known to man, all housed in a thick wrapping of burnt dough...hmmmm. You will usually find me here after tumbling out of the Arches at some ridiculous hour or, to be honest, any weekend night between 3 and 6am, as long as I have just been out on the sauce - if I’m out with the wee guys then I could end up anywhere.

The Dhabba
44 Candleriggs, Glasgow G1 1LE
www.thedhabba.com

Another food place again. In Glasgow, in my opinion, there are three different levels of quality of Indian cuisine depending on how rich you are that week:

Level 1 - When you’re skint and need a belly full of cheap curry and rice - Ashoka (they’re fucking everywhere).
Level 2 - A week after payday (bit of cash in the bank) - Mother India is everyone’s favourite West End curry house.
Level 3 - Then you have the top class, fucking extortionate but bloody good - Dhabba Merchant City. Go in, get lost in their North Indian menu – on which you don’t recognise any meal names – and enjoy. Remember your credit card though.

Ask for Ali and tell him Maron sent you (I don’t have the balls to tell him after 4 years that it’s not my name!)

Brunswick Hotel
106 -108 Brunswick Street, Glasgow G1 1TF
www.brunswickhotel.co.uk

If you’re looking for a class boozer full of beautiful people, or just a quiet pint while you stare at Robbie Coltrane or that Scottish guy who was in Lord of the Rings, then this is the place for you. You will usually find me in here Thursday, Friday or Saturday nights, or if I’m not there I will be in Bar 91, on the street which runs parallel to this. These places have coolness in a good way and not in a 15 haircuts on one head way. They have an arty feel but not in an "oooh I love that white square picture, it’s just sooo.......mmmm", type of way. You know what I mean, check them out if you can.

MacSorleys
Macsorleys, 42 Jamaica Street, Glasgow, G1 4QG
www.myspace.com/macsorleys

Originally an old man's pub, it has been transformed since the change in ownership to the infamous Sub Club. Great place to hang out before the Sub Club or the Arches. You can find yourself listening to a three piece covers band from Govan or a twisted Autechre rip-off from Possil. No matter when you go, there will be a great vibe with cool clubber type people with hoodies, nice Adidas and washed out denims...my sort of place.

Published: 16/06/2008

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