WebMarApr18

34 | www.westendermagazine.com
@
The
Lismore
Reviewed by
Emily Donoho
In a corner of Partick where pubs come and
go faster than Theresa May’s cabinet, the
Lismore has withstood changing tastes and
demographics since it opened 1996. It looks
like it’s been there forever. The woodwork
inside is oak in rich browns, with leather
benches framed by old ropes from ships
and tables made from the tops of whisky
casks. The pub’s artwork looks to island life,
abstract collections of materials from the
Highlands and Islands: turf, bird eggs, fish,
boats, fishing nets, while the stained glass on
the windows was specially commissioned,
depicting the Highland Clearances.
The island of Lismore, from where the pub
takes its name, was one of the last places to
be cleared.
You notice something Victorian about the
Lismore – a step back in time to a place
where pubs were for socialising, not eating a
posh meal, watching television, or listening to
music on a PA turned up to 11.
There is music, but it’s live. The Lismore has
hosted Irish and Scottish traditional music
sessions for years, bringing in some of the
best musicians in the city. The sessions run
roughly three times per week – Monday,
Tuesday, and Thursday (double check, the
days can vary). On Sundays, they have bands
playing a variety of genres, anything from jazz
to folk to funk.
The pub is unusual in that it has two bars, the
front one where the sessions live, and up a
couple steps, the back one. There’s even a
small bar in the back, which is useful if you’re
visiting on a packed night and don’t want
to battle the hordes to get to the main bar.
Image I Gregor Reid
The back bar rarely gets deafening, so if
you’re looking for a place for a quiet chat, you
can find a nook or a cranny.
The Lismore hasn’t quite jumped on the
real ale bandwagon. They have one guest
cask ale and Deuchars IPA on the handpumps.
The bar staff when we were there
didn’t know what ale they had on (it was
Greenmantle Century), but the beer itself
had been well-kept. Nonetheless, they keep
an extensive range of beverages on tap,
including Heverlee, Tennant’s, Caledonian
Best, Punk IPA, two Drygate lagers, Estrella,
and Magners for the cider drinkers.
At its heart, though, it’s a whisky pub –
not surprising from a bar so devoted to
the Highlands and Islands – and it has a
lot of whiskies. You can have the usual
suspects, the ten-year MacAllans, Highland
Parks, Laphraoigs, and so on, but for the
adventurous (and financially solvent) whisky
drinker, there are 18 year Dalmores, a 21-year
Glengoyne, an 18 year Bowmore, and many
more.
The homage to Highland and Island history
is inescapable for male patrons. The urinals
are devoted to George Granville, Colonel
Fell, and Patrick Sellar, all notorious for their
brutal and callous role in the Clearances, with
plaques suggesting men relieving themselves
‘pay them the respect they deserve.’
It certainly invites a dialogue about history.
The Lismore
206 Dumbarton Road G11 6UN
0141 576 0102
facebook.com/LismoreBar