Could there be a better name for a place in which to get steamboats?
Before it opened almost two months ago, it was obvious the locals had been scanning the horizon for place like this.
When the Ship was still a shell, owner Colin Clydesdale had passers-by harassing him to hurry up and open.
'It was a very enthusiastic response to a building site,' he says. But then, Glaswegians will move mountains, or even heaps of rubble, when they have a great thirst.
A drought of decent bars in this neck of the west end is what persuaded him to drop anchor here in the first place some 20 years ago.
The name came about through the hilarious distortion of his dad's bar and restaurant, The Ubiquitous Chip, and its fantastic associations with bevy and wanderlust. On the art deco-style frontage, it's billed as 'a Stravaigin bar', referring to two favourite west end eateries whose motto is 'think global, eat local'.
Liquid Ship emphasises the bar element, so expect good quality, but less quantity, food. And now the thirsty punters' mirage has become real, I doubt they'll be disappointed.
The design is quirky, with a few things nautical thrown in to the mix, and deliberately difficult to classify.
It's a mixture of a touch of Moroccan, a touch of rustic and a touch of chocolate leather contemporary a stylish rather than style bar that's timeless rather than up-to-the-minute, but gone the next day cool.
At ground level, which quirkily involves going upstairs, the bar has a food corner with rows of olives, pickled chillies and bunches of fresh herbs.
Around the corner is a lounging-around sofa area, downstairs is another bar cosy and candlelit at night. The loos are just as eclectic and cool.
The liquid served is of premium quality, which happily is not reflected in the prices.
Stella and Carlsberg are on draught and the old-style pumps are back in play with Deuchars IPA, Caledonian 80 shilling and Addleston's cask-conditioned cider.
There's a wine of the month, plus a further half dozen choices, as well as a good sparkly sold by the glass.
The spirits are culled from further abroad than the local Haddows and the cocktails like Davy Jones' Shocker and South Sea Sparkler all have an extra zing.
Try a gulp of Bloody Queen Mary with chilli vodka, horseradish sauce and dry sherry and you'll think you've been hit by a 10-foot wave a bit of a shock but very bracing.
The menu is short but sweet and very savoury with cheeses, olives and pickles that you might be meeting for the first time in salads, 'pieces' and platters, along with a soup of the day, a weekend breakfast and some tasty tarts.
Served until last bells are 'wee bits' like Kick Ass olives and platters to be shared continental-style as late as you like and never you mind about getting bad dreams.
The Liquid Ship suprisingly has almost an already- established feel. But being so new it's still a random mix of clientele with older punters easily mixing with slick, young stylistas at the weekend.
But it's definitely a grown-up's bar and not particularly studenty, despite the prices.
For instance, you can enjoy a large cappuccino fix for under a pound-and-a-half on a side of town where you could end up homeless if you're enslaved by a severe caffeine addiction.
The music ranges from T Rex to anything that suits the mood, and the moods.
Open: Mon-Thu, 11am-11pm; Fri-Sat, 11am-12mid; Sun, 12.30-11pm Food: 11am-8pm, seven days. Nibbles served until the bells.
Drinks: Pint of lager, £2.40; glass of wine, £2.50-£3.50; cocktails, £3.25£4.75, bottled beer, £1.95-£2.35.
Rating: Four out of five
Details
0141 331 1901
The design is quirky, with a few things nautical thrown in to the mix, and deliberately difficult to classify.
It's a mixture of a touch of Moroccan, a touch of rustic and a touch of chocolate leather contemporary a stylish rather than style bar that's timeless rather than up-to-the-minute, but gone the next day cool.
At ground level, which quirkily involves going upstairs, the bar has a food corner with rows of olives, pickled chillies and bunches of fresh herbs.
Around the corner is a lounging-around sofa area, downstairs is another bar cosy and candlelit at night. The loos are just as eclectic and cool.
The liquid served is of premium quality, which happily is not reflected in the prices.
Stella and Carlsberg are on draught and the old-style pumps are back in play with Deuchars IPA, Caledonian 80 shilling and Addleston's cask-conditioned cider.
There's a wine of the month, plus a further half dozen choices, as well as a good sparkly sold by the glass.
The spirits are culled from further abroad than the local Haddows and the cocktails like Davy Jones' Shocker and South Sea Sparkler all have an extra zing.
Try a gulp of Bloody Queen Mary with chilli vodka, horseradish sauce and dry sherry and you'll think you've been hit by a 10-foot wave a bit of a shock but very bracing.
The menu is short but sweet and very savoury with cheeses, olives and pickles that you might be meeting for the first time in salads, 'pieces' and platters, along with a soup of the day, a weekend breakfast and some tasty tarts.
Served until last bells are 'wee bits' like Kick Ass olives and platters to be shared continental-style as late as you like and never you mind about getting bad dreams.
The Liquid Ship suprisingly has almost an already- established feel. But being so new it's still a random mix of clientele with older punters easily mixing with slick, young stylistas at the weekend.
But it's definitely a grown-up's bar and not particularly studenty, despite the prices.
For instance, you can enjoy a large cappuccino fix for under a pound-and-a-half on a side of town where you could end up homeless if you're enslaved by a severe caffeine addiction.
The music ranges from T Rex to anything that suits the mood, and the moods.
Open: Mon-Thu, 11am-11pm; Fri-Sat, 11am-12mid; Sun, 12.30-11pm Food: 11am-8pm, seven days. Nibbles served until the bells.
