SCOTS Project - www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk Document : 1618 Title : Pub review of The Living Room, Glasgow Author(s): Paul English Copyright holder(s): Derek Stewart-Brown: on behalf of The Scottish Daily Record and Sunday Mail Ltd Text Going out : Pubs PAUL ENGLISH overcomes his aversion to Carrie & Co to enjoy a drink in the Sex And The City-inspired Living Room LET'S just get one thing straight. I hated Sex And The City. Detested it. Carrie's torturous ponderings on the meaning of life and love and Samantha's 'if it's got as pulse, it'll do' approach to sex were just two things that made me shout at the telly whenever my flatmate forced me to endure it on Friday nights. And I'll never forgive Candace Bushnell for creating the monster which forced me to succumb to the knowledge that Jimmy Choos were stupidly expensive shoes and not something you'd find in a two-bob mixture off the ice-cream van. What hated most about it was how it turned so many girls from this part of the world into cocktail-quaffing air-kissers, deluding themselves into thinking that with a maraschino cherry in their cosmopolitan, they suddenly became more Upper East Side than East Kilbride. And don't even mention Glasgow lads thinking that they were the local equivalent of Mr Big. It's like Morton thinking they're Real Madrid. Still, just because some hacked-off hack gets the chance to shout about how naff the whole Sex And The City influence is when it's seen anywhere other than on the telly doesn't mean to say that everyone else agrees. And as long as the (wo)man on the street knows that Manolo Blahnik is a fashion designer and not a UN weapons inspector, then the SATC legacy endures. With the recent opening of The Living Room in Glasgow, there now appears to be a place for those that way inclined to act out their Bradshaw-inspired fantasies. And, despite hating the show it alludes to, The Living Room hit the right mark here. With outlets in London, Manchester and Edinburgh, the St Vincent Street bar/restaurant is a million miles away from the old Living Room which sat at the bottom of Byres Road. It's far more, er, chi-chi, as Bradshaw-ites would say. In fact, our party of five (and that includes two confirmed fans, girls) were unanimous that it was sooo SATC. Our Friday night visit witnessed a thirty-something crowd, many straight from the office, nursing their drinks as the resident smoothie tickled the ivories and crooned through some thoroughly stars-and-stripes themed tracks such as Walking In Memphis. Subtle opal-tinged lighting, which one of our boozers commented made 'everyone look healthy', big windows, roomy tables, a long bar and creamy drapes give it a relaxed yet classy air. Through in the restaurant, tables are cubed off into booths and private areas, with low-hanging lights, black and white photos and a the odd canvas featuring female nudes. The food is thoroughly satisfying and the waiting staff were falling over themselves to help. The Living Room isn't going to be your number one choice for kicking back with your mates for a quiet no-frills drink. It's certainly a 'make an effort' venue. And the prices are no more than a smidgen above what you'd pay anywhere else. Saying that, when the barman came back with a bill of £20 for four bottles of beer, I worried city centre prices had gone haywire. But he once the mistake was pointed out, he sorted it with no need for a performance. It's miles better than a Friday night in your own living room, although dare I suggest that those of a similar mind to me visit The Living Room on a Wednesday to make the most of it - that way you'll miss the double bill repeats of Carrie, Samantha and the girls on Channel 4. The Living Room, 150 St Vincent Street, Glasgow, G2 5NE Tel: 0870 22 03 028 Open: Mon-Tues: 10am-1am; Wed-Thur: 10am-2am; Fri-Sat 10am-3am; Sun 6pm-midnight. Drinks: Pint £2.90, bottles £3, vodka dash £2.90, cocktails from £3.95, coffee £1.50. Food: Served from 12pm Rating: Four out of five This work is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. The SCOTS Project and the University of Glasgow do not necessarily endorse, support or recommend the views expressed in this document. Information about document and author: Text Text audience Adults (18+): General public: Audience size: 1000+ Text details Method of composition: Wordprocessed Year of composition: 2004 Word count: 696 General description: Newspaper review article Text medium Newspaper: Text publication details Published: Publisher: Daily Record Publication year: 2004 Place of publication: Glasgow Edition: First Part of larger text: Contained in: Daily Record 14/08/04 Page numbers: 6-7 Text setting Journalism: Text type Article: Author Author details Author id: 1165 Forenames: Paul Surname: English Gender: Male Decade of birth: 1970 Educational attainment: University Age left school: 17 Upbringing/religious beliefs: Catholicism Occupation: Journalist, Daily Record Features Writer Place of birth: Paisley Region of birth: Renfrew Birthplace CSD dialect area: Renfr Country of birth: Scotland Place of residence: Glasgow Region of residence: Glasgow Residence CSD dialect area: Gsw Country of residence: Scotland Father's occupation: Social club manager Father's place of birth: Port Glasgow Father's region of birth: Glasgow Father's birthplace CSD dialect area: Gsw Father's country of birth: Scotland Mother's occupation: School meals auxiliary Mother's place of birth: Port Glasgow Mother's region of birth: Glasgow Mother's birthplace CSD dialect area: Gsw Mother's country of birth: Scotland Languages: Language: English Speak: Yes Read: Yes Write: Yes Understand: Yes Circumstances: Work / home etc