Crabshakk, which is five minutes from Glasgow has deservedly already garnered numerous awards. But its significance lies beyond the charms of the Scottish fish, shellfish and crab that it serves every day, and in the combination of an unlikely location, an unusual building and its architect, who became a restaurateur in his early 50s and brought Crabshakk to life.
The location is Finnieston, once home to Glasgow’s bustling docks and shipyards, which bequeathed to the city a series of impressive late 19th-century buildings.
One of these now houses a chic launderette and a newsagent that has, like so many across the country, closed its doors.
Last year, as the sun shone on to these shop fronts, architect John Macleod was standing, pint and roll in hand, outside The Nevis, one of the city’s oldest pubs just across the road. Ever since he moved to Glasgow 30 years ago from the Isle of Lewis, where his family have been boat-builders for six generations, Macleod had been saddened by the fact that his adopted city did not boast a simple shellfish restaurant that could serve what lies so abundantly in the seas nearby.
His inspiration lay 6,000 miles away in San Francisco, where the Swann Oyster Depot has been serving oysters and shellfish for decades. A narrow strip of a restaurant with a single counter, this place has become so popular with residents and visitors that the queue outside is often as long as the number of customers happily eating inside.
Macleod was therefore not fazed by the building’s relatively small size. “Fortunately,” he explained, “we could just squeeze in a mezzanine that seats 22.” The ground floor seats another 32, including 15 around the bar that faces on to an open kitchen. Art Deco lamps dominate this curved bar, lending a contrast to the modernity of the glass tiles on the walls, and give the feel of an old-fashioned fishmongers. There are photographs from his family album of boys fishing off the rocks and an old model boat.
Most of Crabshakk’s immediate success, which has surprised even Macleod, is due to the impeccable sourcing of impressive shellfish from around the Scottish coasts, an enthusiastic, young team and some keen pricing.
Quite correctly, the menu itself is relatively simple. Oysters on ice, langoustines, cold or grilled, lobster served as a half or a whole, scallops with anchovies, and a large platter of fruits de mer for two. And plenty of crab, naturally: in a rich bisque, as a plate of claws, and transformed into some of the best crab cakes I have ever tasted with just the right amount of chilli. Keeping all these under what Macleod considers to be the crucial price points of £6, £10 and £13 has also contributed to the overall sense of pleasure for anyone eating here.
“No wonder,” said Macleod, obviously relishing his new career, “that every night feels like Hogmanay.”
1114 Argyle Street, Finnieston, Glasgow, 0141 334 6127, crabshakk.com
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