The owner behind one of Glasgow’s most popular bars is following in his family’s footsteps to bring a 90s 'it' neighbourhood back to life with an exciting new bar.
Joshua Barr, who opened The Locale in 2019, has shared exclusively with the Glasgow Times his plans for the venue opening in Partick next month.
West Side Tavern is coming to Partick
West Side Tavern will be taking over the former Bauhaus unit on Dumbarton Road, around the corner from where the iconic 90s nightclub The Volcano once stood.
The Volcano, which famously appeared in the film Trainspotting, along with The Living Room, were both popular venues in the early 1990s run by Joshua’s father, Colin Barr.
Joshua said: “My dad had The Living Room, one of his first bars just around the corner from here, which I believe is now the Banana Leaf.
“That was a really beautiful bar fashioned in a Baroque style.
“From what I’ve heard and the stories I can remember from being there when I was really little, even I can remember people dancing on tables and having a really good time.
“And the Volcano, while it was around, was loved by so many people in this area.
“It had super popular nights every night of the week and it was very busy on the weekends.
“It was loved so much that it was even chosen to be featured in the film Trainspotting. It’s the club in the famous scene where Renton and Kelly McDonald’s character meet for the first time and leave together.”
Joshua is now looking forward to bringing things full circle.
He said: “It feels like I’m coming back to somewhere that feels really familiar, from even when I was a baby.
“And my dad’s experience with the local community has been great.
“My uncle and my auntie used to live just up the road in Partick, and it feels right and it feels nice.
“I’m really looking forward to serving this community and bringing something new and something special to the area.”
New Italian-American themed eatery
West Side Tavern will be an Italian-American themed eatery and bar inspired by Joshua and his wife Amy’s love for New York City.
He said: “We love going to the bars, especially some of the older dive bars and some of the ones you would see in films.
“You know, the kind of bars that Robert De Niro would hangout in, like the Fanelli Café or the Minetta Tavern.”
Joshua works closely with Three Thistles West and Partick Housing Association to bring the new venture to life.
He said: “We’ve agreed to do a full refurb and give the city a new lease of life and bring something new and exciting to the area that we feel is lacking at the minute.”
“I’m feeling inspired, and I’ve had this concept in my head for the last few years and I think it’s going to work really well for this area and for the local community.”
Innovative cocktails and comfort food
West Side Tavern is located next to the bustling Kelvinhall Subway station and has an impressive beer garden.
It will be serving a unique take on Italian-American comfort food, with small plates, homemade pasta, and thin and crispy tavern-style pizza.
A selected drinks menu will be curated by Max Macaulay, founder of Hybrid Drinks, with house ‘tap tails’, a new concept of homemade cocktails that are blended in a keg and can be poured on draught like you would a beer.
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