Collabs have long been the name of the game in hospitality, ranging from one-night-only guest-chef supper club situations to long-term kitchen takeovers between (usually) bars and street-food operators. But one recent partnership is on a totally different scale. Phillies Of Shawlands (a throbbing beast of a bar already ensconced in the Southside, and Finnieston’s Five March (equally beloved for its take on Mediterranean-Asian fusion small plates) announced that the latter would take the reins of Phillies’ kitchen on a permanent basis. And so, on 5 March (nicely done), Five At Phillies was launched.  

‘We had a good steer on what we wanted to offer,’ explains Phillies’ general manager Laura Hughes. ‘But we wanted to delve a bit deeper, for Phillies to benefit from an out-and-out restaurant’s strengths in bringing something even stronger to the Southside.’ The bar’s success came from its community focus and ability to cater to a broad church of customers, something the previous menu reflected. Now, it’s a more refined dining experience, with a subtle separation of dining and bar spaces, and food bearing those hallmarks of the restaurant’s standalone spot in the West End. Think coley with Asian greens and bonito flakes, or confit chickpea fritters in a romesco sauce and parmesan crumb (plus the legendary Five March fried spuds). Menus will also change more frequently than is usual for a bar. 

Yet the overall energy of the bar still defines the vibe. ‘We’re essentially creating a new brand,’ observes Hughes. ‘Phillies takes care of the well-curated and lively atmosphere. At a restaurant, you finish your meal and go somewhere else, but here the evening’s just about to get going, though we’ve asked our DJs to rein it in a bit until dinner service is over now!’ This curation reaches new levels with the addition of Curious Liquids, the artisan wine, beer and spirits shop that trades from the front part of Phillies’ space. They manage the wine list for Five At Phillies, and their wines are also available for a corkage fee.

‘That’s always been the case,’ explains Curious Liquids’ owner Dayton Joline, ‘but it’s only with Five At Phillies’ more food-focused offering that it’s started to take off.’ So a customer might sit down for dinner and choose from Phillies’ fully fledged cocktail list and 18 draft/craft beer lines, and then have access to a 100-plus bottles wine selection. Very impressive. But how have their regulars dealt with the change? ‘We’ve got such an established customer base, and they will tell you if they don’t like something!’ Hughes laughs. ‘Some of them just needed to see that it was still the personality of Phillies; only now we can drive the most elevated dining experience available in a bar setting.’

Five At Phillies, 1179 Pollokshaws Road, Glasgow.