Big Blue oasis of calm

By Jonathan Trew

Details Big Blue Bar  445 Great Western Road  West End  Glasgow  G12 8HH      0141 357 1038 Spring is in the air and as the weather creaks from Baltic to merely freezing, thoughts turn to the pleasures of outside drinking. There is something very civilised about sipping a frosty beer in the sun, but Scotland doesn't boast too many great places to do it. A lot of bars just plonk some seats outside at the first hint of sunshine, but a couple of plastic garden chairs and garlic bread on the bar's snack menu doesn't really capture that continental café vibe. Especially when the exhaust fumes from the traffic are adding an extra but unwelcome layer of flavour to your bottle of beer. So it's bravo for the Big Blue Bar and Pizzeria on Glasgow's Great Western Road. Although the entrance to the bar is on one of the city's busier streets, the actual bar is three flights down and by the time you get there, the traffic could be on the other side of the planet. The Big Blue has a strong aquatic theme on the go, from its name to the etched glass backdrop to the bar which teems with swordfish. But the real ace up its sleeve is the way in which the vaulted stone bar opens out onto the Kelvin walkway and overlooks the river. The wooden seats and tables there are the ideal spot to while away a summer evening or a peaceful venue for a Sunday afternoon recovery pint. It would be going too far to say that sitting outside there is like being in a country beer garden but with birds in the trees and the river meandering past, it is a calm spot in the heart of the city. The only drawback is that the Kelvin can get a bit whiffy if the temperature soars. The one area that Big Blue's watery theme bypasses is their new cocktail list. We tried a couple and my eyes soon started swimming. It is the kind of list that is well worth serious exploration. There are plenty of classics there such as Bloody Marys, Cosmos and White Russians. But there are also several surprises. I had never come across a Rumbatini before. Mixing Havana rum, vanilla syrup, chocolate liqueur, Cariel vanilla vodka and chocolate schnapps, it ran the risk of being sickly sweet. Far from it. The drink was well balanced, with the kick of the rum softened by the mellow chocolate flavours. It also packed the kind of punch that rocket fuel has. I would quite happily have sat there and supped my way through as many Lemon Meringue Martinis and Wham Bam Thank You Mams as my wallet allowed. But I reckon that more than two of Big Blue's cocktails could have had serious consequences on my ability to put one foot in front of the other in the right order. Apparently, one of the barmen had just won a cocktail competition a couple of days before we were in. The staff must have still been on a high when we dropped by, because these cocktails were serious contenders. The Giovanazzi family have been running Big Blue for 10 years this November, but they also have two Italian restaurants in the city. Pizza and pasta are obviously the mainstay of the dining area, but Italian flavours also make themselves felt in the bar. There are snacks such as bruschetta and mozzarella sticks to help soak up the cocktails and there are also Italian beers such as Peroni and Nastro Azzuro. So if you are looking for a bar for a few al fresco drinks, try diving into the Big Blue. Just don't tango too hard with the Rumbatinis. Opening hours: Sun-Thu,noon-11pm; Fri/Sat, noon- midnight Prices: Cocktails from £4.75; shooters from £2.50; pint of lager £2.40; glass of wine £2.90 ; vodka and tonic £2.50. Rating: Four out of five

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