To have one successful restaurant worth bragging about is a great achievement, but to have a second in close proximity is just spoiling us.

Across the road from Gambrino Pizzeria is Bar Gambrino, also a popular venue in Glasgow. Open until midnight, this is the cooler and more relaxed of the pair. They boast an impressive selection of beers, ales and lagers from every corner of the globe; they even stock a personal favourite of mine from Belgium, but there were plenty of other fine options, including ‘beer of the week’.

The bar has a laid-back, modern feel with a menu full of promising dishes. My generous serving of minestrone soup started the evening well, with my guest opting for the fantastic beer-battered king prawns. Our mains compromised a deliciously spicy chicken and pepperoni calzone (part of the tempting two-for-one pizza offer), and a hearty steak and ale pie.

Both establishments take their name from Gambrinus, a folk-tale legend and the supposed patron saint of beer and brewing, which should heighten enough curiosity (and thirst) to merit a trip up Great Western Road to visit them. If not for the beer, then the mouth-watering peanut butter and chocolate cheesecake alone makes this bar worth a visit.