The restaurant normally isn't open on Sunday, but they opened for our tour group which was very nice. Food: 2/5 Stars Our group had a prix fix menu which may have not been the representation of Alta's cuisine. My first course was the goat cheese salad which was good, but the portion of the Spring mix greens was very small. The second course I chose was the vegetable paella. I. would have liked more vegetables in the dish. The creme brûlée I chose for dessert was good. Service; 3/5 Stars Good, but not a lot of checking in or refilling of the water carafe. Ambiance: 5/5 stars I love the space and it is decorated perfectly. Three Levels with lots of dark wood, wrought iron and candles everywhere. The ladies room had some beautiful sinks. read more

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This was only my second visit, and I loved it! The decor is reminiscent of a Mediterranean village, the cocktails divine (especially the Mai Thai), and reasonably priced, unlike the rest of the bar tariff, and the staff relatively cheery. The music gave the impression of a 20s Jazz bar, and although I spent an hour on my own awaiting the arrival of the rest of my party, I never once felt uncomfortable. We were booked for a private function in the Red Room, which is a cosy (looking) room comprising of comfortable sofa seating and a long dining table in front of the private bar. Service was quick and efficient, however, as we were booked for the large party menu, there was quite a restriction on choice, and between that and the quality of the food, I would have expected better for the £22 set price. It was also pretty freeizing, being that it was the coldest night of winter, and no apparent heating. The atmosphere is rather casual, however dress code ranges from smart casual, to glammed up. I'm actually quite looking forward to going back for another evening of drinks and glad rags. A sure sign that I'm getting old! read more

Arta - This is a bar, not a Mediterranean village! - Bars Near Me - Glasgow, GLG

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A G1 venue in the Merchant City?! I never... I jest. Arta is a venue for the, er, 'older' crowd - not that there's anything wrong with that. It's actually surprisingly ok. It may only be open at the weekends, however, it's always packed, whether it's the restaurant, bar, club or private rooms downstairs that you're using. I recently went to a family friend's 35th Birthday party here and had a hilariously good night. The finger food was brilliant, the DJ was hilarious (in an 'i'm laughing at you' way), and the service was excellent (every 5 minutes some staff member was trying to give me another glass of champagne, or offer me something to eat). Not the 'coolest' of venues, but, it's doing something right. read more

Arta - Bars Near Me - Glasgow, GLG

I want a glimpse of my future, to know what will become of me in 20 years time. To gain an insight, I went to Arta, where all my questions were answered. On the basis of Arta's clientele I have arrived at the following conclusions. My wife will walk out on me around the age of 49, after years of suffering my tedious and vile personality has pushed her over the edge. I will become quite pathetic and lonely, frequenting drinking spots like this in the vain hope that I will find an equally desperate woman. I am praying that after a greedy volume of drinks, she will be prepared to give me a second look, and make me look like the man if front of the other lurkers I am surrounded by. I will have 2 or 3 other pals in a similar situation, who as much as they will argue the opposite, know they have fucked up their personal lives also and deserve the mediocre existence they are imprisoned in. I shall dress in my middle aged clothing, probably chinos and a shirt, and be deluded enough to think I can still cut it with the kids. When I look in the mirror and the lifeless eyes return my gaze, I'll fool myself into believing that tonight will be different and I'll at last meet someone special. I'll be prepared to pay the ludicrous prices for the drinks in here because I never spend my money on anything else. My kids won't want to know me and I will live in a small rented flat that I shall call my "pad" or my "digs." My evening will consist of drinking excessive quantities of booze and talking shite, and I'll laugh loudly enough for everyone in the bar to hear me and think I'm the guy to know, when really I'm a train wreck on the inside and just want someone who loves me and doesn't think I'm a total twat. The best I can hope for is finding some drunken trollop who will consider sitting on my semi flacid penis at the end of the night if I keep the drinks coming, although deep down we both know she's just a quick fix for my continued self loathing, and neither of us will want to be there. And next weekend, I'll be doing it all again. Some things never change. read more

I was only here for drinks after missing the birthday meal. Those that had eaten said the food was good. This is a place to go once just to experience how awesome the place looks. Grandiose, a very plush well done backdrop making it one of the nicest places, décor wise I've been to in Glasgow. I'm no mathematician but the place was lit up by approximately 1 zillion candles which created a nice intimate atmosphere. It was dim, not Hollister dim, but old people, or those with bad eyesight might not be so keen. On the pricey side but well most bars in the merchant city are. Good list of spirits and some interesting cocktails on the menu. The bartender also made me a white Russian which wasn't on the menu another nice touch. The only fault I picked up on was we were near the door which let in a hell of a breeze when opened. After 9.00 p.m. I don't think this door is open to the public but the doorman and staff were in and out often enough to make it a bit annoying. All in all great place for a drink, I'm looking to return to try the food. read more

Oh, Arta. Does anyone ever go here entirely of their own volition? I've certainly only visited for hen nights and one groupon-type deal....and given that hen nights in particular seem to be their bread and butter, I'm not sure I'd want to go for anything else. I was there on a Saturday as part of a hen do. I think we were one of at least half a dozen groups in that evening. We were seated more or less on time, but after that everything slowed right down. The service was sluggish and utterly impersonal - I don't think I got a smile or even a hello from a single server. Even just getting someone's attention to ask for more wine was a struggle. The tapas was ok, although having had tapas in Barcelona earlier this year I would suggest it has only the most vague of resemblances to the real thing...but then given the number of large groups they had in, I suspect the kitchen is more focussed on quantity than quality. The serving sizes weren't hugely generous, which wouldn't have been much of an issue if we hadn't been charged an arm and a leg for it. We paid £34/person for some bread and olives, five dishes (i.e. a couple of skewers of chicken, a spoonful of lamb stew, a spoonful of risotto, etc), a creme brulee and maybe half a bottle of wine each. Add to that the distinct lack of service and you get a two star review. They do a weird thing involving chucking rose petals off a balcony to Carmina Burana, which is apparently some Spanish tradition, but I'd rather feel like I've not been ripped off and forego the theatrics. Your mileage may vary. read more

When your just that little bit too old to get into the Garage without a whithering " are you sure guys?" look from the bouncers, yet are still looking for a place that offers.....mmmm, how to put this politely...that offers the dating equivalent of a meat market....yeah, that'll do, then this my dear, reeking of sexual tension and gaunt desperation, is the place for you!! Now i must admit, this place has a certain interestingly gaudy charm to it, like a pink poodle wearing a tiara, however despite some claims of opulent decor and magnificent interior, it all feels a little too contrived and a little bit "Argos ish". Ok, so back to the sleaze. I had the pleasure of attending a party here for a friend who was emigrating to Australia, lucky bitch we call her. For the majority of the eve we had our own room down in a dungeon room, located via a maze. This however was opened up to the masses later in the evening and to our dismay became the "make out room" much to the amusement of myself and one of the other husbands who had been left behind as the females left us to jiggle there stuff. Cue sloppy make out sessions, one lap dance (clothed but still a lap dance) and lots of pawing......older pawing.......eeeuuuuuuugh. If you fancy a laugh and don't mind being ogled and possibly groped by machismo oozing middle aged men or leopard skin wearing " that ain't lamb or mutton...that's tripe" females, then Arta is your place....and your welcome to it! read more

I quite liked this bar with the unique decor and set up that made it look like a stage, good bar service by polite service staff, but what lets it down in a big was is the beggars in the toilets and yes you did read right this one had beggars in the toilets. I don't see my self coming back for that reason read more

Arta - Bars Near Me - Glasgow, GLG

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Arta is a strange wee place. Tucked away in the Merchant City, you could quite easily walk past it, never knowing of its existence. It was only through friends and colleagues that I ended up visiting for Christmas dinners and nights out filled with bad dancing. When you walk through the heavy wooden doors and through to the main hall/drinking space you could be forgiven at being taken aback a little by the Mediterranean opulence on display. The faux-fruit baskets and the gilded staircase and various trinkets and statues all around give Arta a strangely grand aura. It is part Spanish vineyard, part Caligula (the film). The atmosphere is usually buzzing on a Friday and Saturday night; the architecture lending itself to producing a cacophony of chatter and close proximity to other folks. I guess the design and aforementioned decoration gives everyone a kind of holiday vibe! It was a while ago now, when I dined for Christmas dinner and from what I remember we had the usual nosh. Does anyone really expect much anyway? I'll move on. The club, situated on the lower level is great if you fancy a night out, which doesn't involve being grimaced at by heavy duty bouncers (see the ABC, Garage, Firewater). The clientele is of a slightly more vintage collection down this neck of the woods but is by no means a wrinkly disco. More and more young folks have discovered the cool band, DJ, band thing put on by Arta, which has led the Merchant City to become ever more popular. Drinks are reasonable too and the end of night wait at the cloak room usually produces a good bit of banter with fellow steamers. read more

Wow, this is an amazing venue to behold. Wow, the cuisine is terribly mediocre and overpriced. Worth checking out the unusual, ostentatious grandness of this surprisingly vast venue. Though after eating their "Spanish" cuisine, you'll start realising the venue is as fake as a Las Vegas mall. It has a separate bar area with background classical music that may be pleasant enough to return to for a drink sometime... read more

You would be forgiven for overlooking this place, based upon its dull exterior, however I suggest you take a closer look. During a jaunt about town, in the mood for a cocktail, my friend Mary and I stumbled upon this hidden gem in Glasgow's Merchant City. Enticed by the cava cocktails boasted on the drinks list outside, we decided to venture inside for a nosey. Once past the deceptively dull doorway, we entered a land of marble staircases and opulent surroundings that wouldn't have been out of place on a Shakesperian set. I kid you not, Arta is one of the grandest places to drink and dine in town. As we ordered our bellinis, we were advised to take a seat in the dining room style bar area, as we were served our drinks at our table from a silver platter. I know this all sounds rather cheesy and very much like something from a fantasy dream sequence, but it really is that over the top, which I think just adds to the fabulously surreal experience. read more

I don't know about this place. It's the very epitome of grandiose, with over-the-top decor, heavily styled bric-a-brac, and even a massive offering of fresh fruit as you walk into the back room. Wut. I made my premier visit to Arta yesterday, to have a drink before dinner. While my companions all thought it, "classy", I couldn't help but think of it as one of those Disneyland-esque themed pubs I was banging on about the other day. As other reviews have pointed out, it's very much a late-thirties and forty-somethings bar. The place was empty aside from a few parties of around that age-group. The bar is lovely, with a great display of drinks that's backlit in white, which looks very grand and impressive. The rest of the decor is quite inconsistent, but pulls off an overall aesthetic. While most of it looks really cool, as if it has been pilfered from the set of Rome, some of it - I'm looking at you, cherub statues - are a bit tacky. The ceilings are so ridiculously high that we sat stubbornly shivering for the first half of the visit, and huddling in our outer layers for the next half-hour until we left. My main issue - aside from being absolutely frozen - was the music. While I understand that classic Italian music pulls the whole style together, most of what they were playing wasn't actually Italian. It was a film score. They went from Beethoven to Wagner, which is about as German as you can get. Perhaps they were pledging their World War II allegiance in a sort of warped ironic patriotism. All of this made it very difficult to carry a conversation. It's difficult to hit your comedic timing when there's a huge love-scene crescendo giving it laldy in the background. Overall, I enjoyed the aesthetic but hated the music and the fact that I could practically see my own breath. Maybe I'll give it another shot in the summer. read more

Visit 12/12/14 This is a good place to visit, it isn't an amazing place like it really should be, the venue is well decorated but not maintained The team are well trained in drinks but not customer service The drinks are tasty but slightly over priced I won't rush back unless it's for someone's birthday or an event, certainly now on my own volition read more

I can't decide whether the decor for this place is cheesy or kind of cool... though I do lean toward the former. It's a little over the top, to put it nicely. The food, on the other hand, is alright. Nothing special. I've been here for a couple of tapas nights that they often have, and while it is provided in abundance, out of a generous number of dishes, only one or two gave a sly tickle to my tastebuds. It is perfect for group dining though, with the huge venue, amount of tables and the format of serving, so the banal quality is worth it for good chat. read more

What the hell is everyone thinking?? Eek. I hate this place. Every now and again someone hosts their birthday drinks or whatever here and it completely puts me off attending (even to show face for half an hour). I've been in here a couple of times for work night outs and the odd birthday. Every single time, it's been too expensive. The bar staff have been snotty. The areas that were meant to be reserved for us, weren't. Then there were no seats. Or complimentary drinks. Furthermore, the music is always dodgy. The clientele has always appeared to be nearing forty with very few exceptions. I mean, half the point of a work's night out is to escape from the people you work with and enjoy the eye candy right?? Fair enough, the decor in here is pretty decent and they had lovely big candles elegantly placed in little corners and alcoves. Though, even this concerns me slightly after witnessing an older lady from work down two bottles of wine, start doing her performance signer routine (she worked on boats doing this when she was round about my age) and crashing into one of these. I won't even go on to tell you what ensued. The only positive comments I've heard from Arta came from a beautician doing my visit who was talking about her friend loving going here. The only reason being that this was in several attempts to bag herself a wealthy middle aged man so she could become a lady of leisure. Thus, unless Arta has had a major face - clientele, bar staff, price, seating, music and customer service - lift that I am completely unaware of (which I sincerely doubt) give it a miss. read more

I recently had my 40th in the Gold Room, which is one of the private function rooms. I loved the decor etc and thought the buffet was excellent value for the price, and a bit different from the usual offerings at these kind of functions. More recently my friend and I went for a midweek meal in the restaurant. After initial confusion about which part of the venue we were headed for (it is a bit like a maze) which involved walking through the middle of a salsa lesson(?!) we enjoyed a lovely selection of tapas. The restaurant was quiet, but our waitress was delightful and actually added to the atmosphere of the place. The tapas was way better than I remembered (I've only eaten in the restaurant previously as part of a large group, so maybe that made a difference) and each dish was delicious. There's loads to choose from too. Our server was really helpful in advising us how many etc to choose. We were last to leave and the only customers left for ages but at no point did we feel rushed out or hurried. I'll definitely go back! read more

Was in Arta twice recently for a gig (XFM Scotland band night) and an after party. First time around, I was in the downstairs room. This is a really lovely room. Except for the location of the toilets! One of the best places to stand to watch the band, and you just keep getting squished. Second time around, we were in the main bar (which was weird, as it was a ticketed party!). Very nice room, lots of seating, easy enough to get to the bar and the DJ very sneakily hidden up behind the piano. Only complaint would be the stair well to the toilets. After a few drinks, that must be treacherous!! read more

Was here for my cousins engagement party last night. Iv been to Arta a few times for drinks in the past and was actually going to book here for my engagement many years ago. It seemed to be different, I don't know if they have refurbishment going on but it was like a maze. They had a wedding party in and a few other parties along with the regular Friday night crowd so it was hard to find the correct function area with no staff to help. The function area was lovely, service was good and friendly enough and the buffet (I heard) was lovely. It was a good night had by all and would definitely recommend this venue for any functions. read more

Hard to fault really. Classy interior with different areas to choose from. Live music downstairs can be excellent.

Lovely surroundings, but perhaps a tad expensive. A wee bit of an upity crowd in at the weekends, but generally ok.

Now this is typical of the difference between the pubs and clubs in The Merchant City and those in the city centre. Whereas the city centre clubs have a much younger and 'studenty' feel to them, this club, and other places around, are more aimed at the older, more affluent, of Glasgow's population. I was in the nightclub downstairs, not the bar/restaurant upstairs, but did have a little look and it seemed very classy. This was my third visit and I think that each time was I've been, it's been a very similar experience. There is a DJ playing lots of popular radio edits from the current , and recent, hit parades. A band then comes on and plays a long set of familiar dance tunes. Good Friday there was a seven piece band with brass, keyboards, drums and singer, and last time there was a two piece band with keyboard and guitar and vocals. The live entertainment is always of a high standard with the dance floor just as full. There are plenty of comfortable seats all around and a big dance floor. The bar is long and there are plenty of attentive bar staff. The prices aren't cheap, so there aren't any young guys getting smashed and annoying everyone else. The dance floor was busy all night, partly because of the fact that the DJ was exceptionally good, and partly because the age group of the dancers. This IS the place to go for the single lady looking for a second chance as there is a plethora a single, middle-aged men standing around the dance floor with a drink in their hand. There may well be a dress code as there were very few 't-shirt and jeans' types in. Most of the punters had made an effort. The low ceiling, open-plan, low lighting feel to the place is very comfortable. You wouldn't be disappointed with this club, unless you were desperate to 'pull', as it is very customer friendly. read more

Perfect Christmas meal on the 11th December. Food was delicious, plenty and we were extremely well looked after by Ferrari, our host. Thank you - it's a beautiful venue. read more

Went to arta for a hen do and have to say the experience from beginning to end was awful. We were crushed to the side of the bar for a cocktail masterclass, where half the girls could not see or hear what was going on.Waiter also said he thought booking was for 12 people instead of 15 people despite calling 4 TIMES that week to confirm numbers! Food was ok however we had to wait 50 min between each course!! Had to ask on several occasions to get served drinks. Had also reserved a table in nightclub which we were told could be decorated. As they were running late with murder mystery the waiter said he would take decorations and put them up. When we eventually made it downstairs the bag had been dumped on top of the table and had not even been opened. Speaking to manager to complain was a waste of time as he was more concerned with a fight happening outside (which he told me in no uncertain terms) Will never do back and will be advising all friends and family to do the same. read more

top class venue in a quiet location and pricey too, but the customers dont seem to pretentious at all the bathrooms are like a mansions would be with decoritive thing all about to admire classy joint worth a visit if your a tourist. read more

stay clear................. omg what a nightmare place...... from start to finish i thought this was the last supper............. the music was awful like cathedral gloomy horrible noise....... we had a cocktail class to start which was done rushed and no class to it at all and very skimpy, the guy who did ours had no interest whatsoever and we felt we were boring him..... the shots which we had paid for.... there was 4 left over and he wouldnt give us them ????? then the meal.... sorry tapas sorry basic food very overpirced and very little of it..... then they have the cheek after paying 35 quid a head to ask for another 4 quid ahead for dessert................ the staff were rude and snotty.... we waited 45 mins for a round then when asked where it was we were very out in our place that they were busy....... then they ran out of wine...... the drinks were full of ice..... so after being in there for over 7 hrs were still sober....... i have had a better nite in whetherspoons anf a meal for a fiver and a drink...... i would never set foot in this overpirced craphole........ ever again....... very disappointing........... read more