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Is it a wine bar or a cafe? Or both?
I've always felt that Woodlands Road wasn't really sure where it sat. Located just outside the city centre, the eastern end always chops and changes, with West, Greggs, Beanscene, No.1 Chocolate Factory and Insomnia, to name a few, coming and going over recent years.
The Arlington (one of the cheapest pubs in the West End), The Primary (one of the most boring pubs in the West End) and KRK (which sells ingredients to make every known curry on earth!) are still providing student sustenance, alongside takeaways, but what about if someone wanted to up the game and try applying a Finnieston makeover?
Villiers & Co looks like it is trying to do that by finding a common ground of wine bar at night but cafe during the day feel.
Inside
Villiers & Co looks cosy from the outside with its twinkly lights and dark interior. Staff were welcoming and we found ourselves a table next to a solitary heater that had been plugged in. It was a cold night but was the heating broken?
Looking around the room it has all those wine bar ticks - blackboard menu, candles and gentle music in the background. First impressions, a place to meet a date or a girlfriend for some wine and chat.
A friend had purchased us an Itison voucher as a gift for this evening. Our deal included a "scrumptious charcuterie board, brimming with salami Milano, mortadella, Parma ham, chorizo, olives, bread and oil." As well as a bottle of wine. Good nibbles and wine are right up our street. 👍
A few minutes after the wine arrived the charcuterie. Not quite the rustic artisan look I was expecting or in honesty the portion for the real price. Is this £37 worth or charcuterie and wine? What we got each was two sun-dried tomato slices, a bundle of olives, and two slices each of chorizo, salami Milano, Parma ham and roast pork. I felt like this was something I could have rustled together nipping into supermarket along the road...
The wine was pleasant, a good 'sit down and have a chat with friends' wine ( You can find it for £4.49 in Lidl).
The Verdict
Charcuterie and wine is a good excuse to get together with a friend but I wouldn't be too happy paying the recommended price of £37, actually, I couldn't tell if this was the current price as the menu is on the wall and my eyes aren't what they used to be!
The atmosphere was also lacking. Compared to other nearby venues, Villiers & Co was empty. Just ourselves, a girl on her own, a chap at the bar and what sounded like the owner and his friends creating the "vibe" but we did jokingly wonder if the 'Villiers' behind Villiers & Co is Ronald Villiers!
Toilets were clean and tidy with free sanitary products 👏
TL;DR+ It does look cosy
+ Clean and tidy
+ Decent wine
+ Staff were welcoming
- Overpriced
- Charcuterie lacking in oomph
- Lacking atmosphere
- We had an electric fire at our feet, without it we'd have been cold
Where
Villiers & Co., 48 Woodlands Rd, Glasgow, G3 6UR
Telephone 0141 332 7936
Public Transport
The number 4 bus goes down Woodlands Road and Subway St Georges Cross and Charing Cross are both 5 - 10 minutes away by foot.