First things first, The Research Club doesn’t have anything to do with academic research – but we just happen to consider sampling the craft beer and cocktails as research, thank you very much. The Research Club is one of the newest additions to Ashton Lane, so we headed down last week to check it out and see what all the chat is about.
Venue
Tucked away at the very top of the famous Ashton Lane, it’s got a bit of a secret bar vibe - you’d almost miss it if you weren’t looking for it. Climb the two sets of stairs and you’ll find yourself in a very stylish loft, surrounded by wooden panels and windows looking on to Ashton Lane. The bar certainly feels very intimate, complete with private booths to the back of the room, hidden behind saloon-style doors. The centrepiece is undoubtedly the bar, though, which sits bang in the middle of the room and allows you to watch the staff work their magic on the drinks.
An island bar to quench all cocktail thirsts at The Research Club.
Atmosphere & Clientele
People flock to Ashton Lane throughout the year, but during the winter months, even more so – the twinkling of the fairy lights draped above the lane is pretty iconic, after all. We visited The Research Club on a Tuesday evening and the bar really started to fill up with people by around 9pm. Given the close location to Glasgow University, the clientele was mainly students taking advantage of the weekday cocktail offers, but there was also a scattering of young professionals dropping by for a post-dinner drink.
The vibe was very laid-back and we were encouraged to try out a variety of drinks without being rushed. We spotted a small corner with some DJ equipment too, so we imagine The Research Club really gets going at the weekends. During the week, though, it’s all about catching up with friends over a few crafty cocktail concoctions.
Ashton Lane artisans will consider The Research Club a true gem.
Food & Drink
The Research Club is all about vintage-inspired cocktails and local craft beers. Needless to say, cocktails were the order of the night. We chose the Raspberry Lemonade, which includes a helping of Glasgow’s own Drygate lager – sounds like an odd choice, but trust us, it was excellent. The Rhubarb & Rosemary Collins at £6, and the Remedy Old Fashioned with Bulleit Bourbon and old fashioned bitters at £6.50, were then served up to us in sturdy, shining glassware, and went down a treat. The super-helpful staff were always on hand to help us out and very gracefully put up with our dithering! But hey, when you’re faced with so many awesome looking cocktails, it’s a small price to pay.
We chose the baked cheese board with a rosemary and garlic baked Camembert to go along with our drinks, which was the perfect choice and we didn’t go hungry. The Research Club offers a few other bar snacks, but this place is really all about the drinks.
Lip-smacking libations make The Research Club a roaring cocktail success.
Summary
The Research Club is a very welcome addition to the Ashton Lane scene. Offering something a little bit different, this is the place to be for a few post-work drinks through the week, or a hidden little hangout before hitting the town at the weekend. We’ll definitely be back to work our way through the rest of the drinks menu.
