Do not be persuaded by the hip (though random) decor. We didn't receive even our drinks or water for an hour! Then it was 2.5 hours until our good arrived which was cold or luke warm! Then as far as the food: the oysters had some odd watermelon flavor on them with a jalapeno?! (Plus, apparently half a dozen = 5). The salad was tiny with no dressing and I asked for balsamic or something and they brought out a larger salad with no dressing?! The cauliflower was cold and no sauce... They brought out more that was hot with sauce (which is the only reason I knew it should have that). I had to go to the bar and ask a bartender to bring more wine since the servers were not checking in at all. Terrible experience. read more

So....I work very near here so have been watching with interest on it opening. Good news is they make a very good White Russian. It's a fleeting visit during a grabbed lunch break. Lovely space inside. Very well stocked bar and helpful staff. Menu looks interesting....especially the lobster burger. I'll be back to try that. read more

The Spiritualist - Bars Near Me - Glasgow, GLG

One of my close friends Karlin had her hen do on Saturday night. This involved a wine tasting session which was educational, a dinner in The Spiritualist and then that's really about all I can remember! There was about 15 of us there for dinner and we had a set menu printed up with a picture of my friend on it which in hindsight was easier for the staff with such a big group. The restaurant interior is very luxe. There is a grand piano right at the entrance and lots of leather seating and lavish lighting fixtures. It is definitely a restaurant for a special occasion. There was one waitress allocated to look after our group and she was really attentive and made sure we never waited too long for drinks despite the restaurant being quite busy. From our menu I choose soft shell crab to start with salsa and guacamole, then fillet steak, chips and peppercorn sauce. Then the piece de resistance my dessert which was a rhubarb and custard filled doughnut with salted popcorn and bacon candy floss, yes you read that right bacon flavoured candy floss! The food was delicious and well made. The crab was deep fried and was light, tasty and crunchy and was complimented well by the fresh salsa and guacamole. The steak was cooked just how I liked it and with little to no fat and tasted amazing with the saltiness of the chips. Then there was the dessert. Calling it a doughnut was a little misleading as it was more the size of a doughnut hole but it was a taste sensation paired with the saltiness of the popcorn, the sharpness of the rhubarb and the sweetness of the candy floss which didn't taste too much like bacon at all. The only downside to my experience was at times the waiters became a bit flustered and got a few of our orders mixed up and came to a standstill instead of trouble shooting to rectify the mistakes. Also and I'm aware of how petty it sounds but the garnishes on the dishes were a bit lifeless, a couple of leaves of wilted rocket and a few squished tomatoes, it would be better to just leave them off the plate. Overall my experience in The Spiritualist was great, beautiful decor , great food and consistent service and I feel I would definitely return for a special occasion. read more

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It was a one-drink stop for four of us. - Despite the fact that there were lots of free tables, the only seats available to us were two tables for two along a wall. The other tables were out of bounds due to reservations. This wouldn't be so bad; we figured we could move the chairs round so we were able to chat. This apparently wasn't okay, and the waiter was very blunt in conveying that to us. So we moved the chairs back and what followed was four people attempting to communicate despite such awkward seating arrangements. I'd say we managed it, but that's entirely down to good company! The music was also quite loud too, which didn't help at all, as the person at one of the farthest ends couldn't hear a word of what the person at the other end was saying so us middle folks had to relay the chat. Also, the playlist was jarringly eclectic, and not not entirely suited to the early evening. We wouldn't have minded sitting at a table and moving as a reservation approached, but there was no explanation. There was also no explanation of whether it was table or bar service. This only became clear when the waiter was stood right behind me just when I'd uttered the very words: 'Is it table service or bar service?' - No. It's surprise service; the bar man creeps up behind you. I had a non alcoholic cocktail which was sweet and fruity. - I've no complaints there. The Spiritualist is a swish affair, and really not my kind of place. There are lots of bars and restaurants like this one in Glasgow and The Spiritualist doesn't seem to be offering anything different or unique from the rest. The service wasn't particularly friendly or welcoming either. - I think I'd much rather head to one of Glasgow's undeniably cosy and friendly bars, of which there are plenty. read more

Yikes! The initial smell upon entering is NOT good! It smells like freshly painted walls and seafood that's gone past the expiration date. Gross. Why did we even bother to stay? (We only did because one member of our group wanted a cocktail.) My group and I (6 of us total) went here post dinner for some cocktails. It should have been a red flag when it took almost 10 full minutes for someone to come and even acknowledge us. Once they did, it was a manager - he took our drink order. 3 Joker IPAs, an old fashioned, a mojito, and one glass of red wine. Pretty simple, right? Wrong. After another 15 minutes 2 female servers brought out 6 Joker IPAs, an old fashioned, a mojito, and a glass of red wine. I informed them we only ordered 3 Jokers and they seemed annoyed but removed the extras. We enjoyed our beverages for about 25 minutes and in that time not one person checked in on us. It wasn't even that busy for being a Saturday night. My friend that ordered the mojito was extremely underwhelmed and wad adamant that there wasn't any rum in her drink. Working in hospitality my entire life, I took it to the bartender's attention because that's simply not ok! I told him the situation and he didn't really believe me at first. I said, "Go ahead. Try it. She won't be drinking anymore of it anyways." He grabbed a straw, tried it, and exclaimed, "Wow! You're right! No rum at all! I'll make another one and send it out." Great resolution, but horrible timing. It took another 10 minutes for her drink to be brought to our table. At this point she was the only one drinking. The overall crowd was probably late 40s and older. It felt like we'd snuck into a divorcées meeting or something. All of the people seemed like they were trying to find their new soulmate while sucking down overpriced cocktails. The only real positive note I can say about the place is the bathrooms were really clean and beautifully lit. There's your 2 stars. We definitely will not go back again. read more

Man it was hard to pass Paesano, but we made it. This latest venture by the Citation crew is your typical Glasgow piano establishment, without the exciting antique detailing of many. I heard it has the biggest spirits menu in Glasgow, I'm not sure about that, but it is impressive. A bit bland and uniform, it might help if the bar was in the centre instead of hidden at one side, but it isn't and there's nothing to keep your eyes interested. A minor point you might think, but then compare it to The Anchor Line! We went there for a family lunch, the a la carte menu looked lovely, if expensive, the set menu was a lot less exciting. We all had the same main, haddock and chips, and I had the mackerel and ? terrine to start. I have to state that both courses were really, really nice. The terrine was lovely, the haddock was beautifully cooked, I would have preferred normal to skinny fries, and my mushy peas to the side rather than smeared under my chips but hey, I can have no complaints about the quality of the food. So why not five stars then? Well, as an entire experience it was a bit beige, a bit vanilla, a bit boring, even with the piano man bashing out some great tunes I left wondering if I'd be back, early days, maybe all it needs is a few more punters in to make it great! read more

Very impressed on my first visit. My first impressions always start with the booking, and a lovely cheery voice was a nice thing to hear instead of a warble that I can't make out. Loved the decor, loved the atmosphere the second I opened the door, whoever designed the layout got it bang on enhancing the height of the room and the furniture is perfect. I kind of skimmed past the bar area as I was booked in for dinner, I had forwarded the menu to the rest of my chums and they liked it immediately. I ordered the black pudding starter, followed by the pork main course. The staff were bang on, very attentive, genuine, and smartly turned out. I seriously can't think of any feedback to give other than positive. Please don't let the standards slip! I have a brother in law who can only be described as a 'foodie' and has been spoiled rotten having lived in Paris for 3 years. I can't wait to take him and my sister here the next time he's home, he'll love it. I appreciated the grown up atmosphere, I love a lively bar and restaurant, but this was much more mature with absolutely no one taking selfies. Amen to that. read more

This is a nice setting for a couple of fancy dan drinks,although the food was a tad below par for the cost of it. I had the lemon sole on a tomato and basil salad,and the fish was tiny. The sauce it came with was good. My dining partners venison was overdone. He ordered the cheese board for dessert and it came with toasted doorstop bread,not crackers... I don't eat cheese but even I know that you don't do that?? Have drinks,don't bother with the food til they sort it out. read more

My first visit to this new bar on Friday night was a positive experience. Gorgeous, clean, stylish area, massive bar with hundreds of spirits, friendly, chatty staff and an amazing singer/pianist. We just went here for a few drinks, the cocktails were made well and decently priced. Looking forward to going back. read more

Came here with my wife on Saturday evening for dinner and drinks. Was instantly impressed with the tasteful decor, a bit different from other bar/restaurants in Glasgow. Staff were very friendly and attentive throughout. We both ordered the Mackerel terrine for starters and Fillet Steak for mains. The food in my opinion was excellent. Really enjoyed the experience and it's a great place for food followed by drinks/cocktails. We had espresso martinis, white russians and some draught beers after our meal, all of which were great. Will definitely be returning! read more

Difficult one this. If you like this sort of thing, I'm sure there is a lot to like about this new cocktail bar, but the experience we had absolutely ruined this place for me to be honest, and I don't see me coming back unless I'm out with a group of folk that really want to go there. It's obviously going for the high end cocktail bar vibe, probably to recoup the significant cost that's gone into doing the place up. It has a massive bar down one side filled to the gunnels with spirits, a bar area around that and a dining area at the back. In terms of decoration, it looks like it's had a hell of a lot of money spent on it, but I don't know if that necessarily means that it looks amazing: the style harkens back to old French photography of the late 1800's/early 1900's and it kind of works, but there is something about it that just doesn't feel 100% right. I don't know if they've used modern photos and treated them to look old, but there's something about the feel of it all that makes you look twice at it all. In terms of the cocktails, they have an extensive list, as well as a number of beers on draft and in bottle. Prices for the cocktails are above average, I think my rum old fashioned was £7.50, and in keeping with the vibe of the place there are a number of "high roller" expensive options for when you want to be seen splashing your cash - there is a bottle of something for £220 for example. The glassware was lovely, and it was a perfectly good cocktail. All in all, it's obvious that they are aiming for a certain crowd, and on the whole it seems to be working - in amongst the couple of big crowds of guys that were there on the late afternoon we were there were a bunch of people who looked like they wanted to be seen, and had spent a lot of money and time making sure that they were. This in and of itself is fine, but the problem is when (some of) the staff went out of their way to make sure that anyone that doesn't fit into that template wasn't really welcome. As you can guess, I was part of the crowd of people that have also 2 starred this place, and they explain what happened to us as well as I can. In short, a half full bar (including a near empty semi-beer garden/smoking area out the front) was turned into a fully-booked, mobbed establishment, and we were offered the most unsuitable seats in a manner that made it clear that we weren't really welcome, probably in the hope that we went elsewhere. A further bit of confusion meant that we all moved some chairs around one table, based on the way the tables were handed to us. Admittedly we were blocking a walkway (something that became even clearer when a woman in a wheelchair came past us 10 minutes later), but this was a genuine mistake. The front of house staff were more than correct to move us, but the tone it was done in was pretty poor - impolite, patronising, and only reinforcing the feeling that we were viewed as riffraff not deserving of their establishment. At the end of the day, I'm now at the stage of my life where I can't be bothered with places that want to let you know that they are expensive and exclusive and attract people that want you to know that they are expensive and exclusive. There are enough bars in Glasgow you can go to if you want to do something fancy without the snobbery that I experienced here, and I can get a decent cocktail in any number of unpretentious bars in the city and have a much more relaxed experience. read more

Would give 0 stars if possible. Terrible service, terrible host (possibly a manager? I really hope he wasn't). I live right across the street and always walk by The Spiritualist. As it is virtually empty almost every night but Fridays/Saturdays, I wanted to stop in before it closes because of lack of revenue. The drinks sound nice in theory so it's a shame we weren't even able to order. Despite their website allowing dinner reservations up until 10:15pm, when we arrived at 9:50 we were told the kitchen was closed. Not sure how that works? What if we had booked that reservation in? We decided to grab a drink instead, and sat down at a table for two near the bar area, as there were no seats directly in the bar area (very small area). We fully understood that the kitchen was closed, and my boyfriend went up to the bar to order our drinks. As they were no longer serving food and we didn't expect table service, and there were tons of open tables just past the bar, we felt it would be fine to sit and have a drink at the table. Apparently that was ridiculous and rude of us, as the host came storming over and told me we were not allowed to sit as the kitchen was closed. I have worked in a restaurant before as a hostess and his demeanor was absolutely abhorrent. He avoided eye contact, spoke roughly, stood about four feet away from me, and kept speaking over his shoulder with his face pointed in the direction of the bar. In a fairly loud atmosphere that meant I couldn't hear anything he was saying. When I asked him to repeat himself and explained that I couldn't hear him when he was facing the opposite direction of me, he practically yelled at me to follow him to the bar area and stand. In all this time my boyfriend hadn't even been served yet, so we left without ordering anything. With amazing places like Paesano and Soho on the same street, who would waste their time and money getting yelled at here?? read more