I tried hidden new rooftop bar and restaurant - and the city views were magnificent
Dinner and cocktails high above the streets was a winner, finds Rosalind Erskine.
Parts of Glasgow city centre are, once again, being transformed into New York as filming for the latest Spiderman takes place. The yellow taxis, traffic lights and police vehicles are within yards of the Social Hub, a new co-working space, hotel and accommodation which opened its first Scottish branch in the city in 2024.
A new addition to this stylish venue is its rooftop bar and restaurant SiSi. The all-day venue serves Mexican-American dishes, wines and cocktails in its eye-catching restaurant while outside, the terrace has panoramic views of the city’s rooftops, churches out to Cathkin Braes.
We visited on a warm night in mid-August, bypassing the little slice of the big apple, before heading up to the eighth floor and to the bar. The space is busy and bustling, as you might expect on a sunny summer’s evening. The first thing I’m struck by is the distinctive ceiling mural by Glasgow illustrator and tattooist Pelikan Baba. It shows margarita-sipping figures floating across a pale sky, painted in bold colours and loose lines. If you’re waiting long enough, you might spot nods to the city woven into the scene.


There’s also DJ booths and plenty of seating - 160 covers to be exact with 60 of those outside. Interiors take cues from mid-century design, with earth tones, wood and stone flooring, real planting and soft strip lighting. The space includes a mix of booth seating, open tables and low-slung lounge areas, designed to feel relaxed and sociable. A feature island bar sits at the centre of the room, with cocktails including a green bloody maria, mezcal paloma and spicy margarita, alongside an extensive wine list and beers on draught.
We started with a Hot Ember cocktail - a kind of spicy mojito with refreshing hints of mint, yuzu and a kick of jalapeno - as recommended by our brilliant waitress.
The food menu includes a range of small sharing plates from hand dived scallop ceviche, steak tartare tostada and crispy corn tortillas as well as larger mains which included, when we visited, half a roast chicken; monkfish and ribeye steak.
We enjoyed the Asado de Berenjena - aubergine with sour cherry harissa, pickled cherries, crema de aji amarillo, pomegranate and corn tortilla; Baja Hake - panko hake with crema de adobo, salsa roja, pickled red onion, crispy potato and corn tortilla; Elotes - creamy charred corn, with parmesan, lime crema and tajín and, much to my friend’s delight, the Papa Dorada, which was essentially a massive chip served with pasilla pepper mayo.
A few more cocktails and we had desserts of chocolate cremeux with chipotle cream and toasted hazelnuts (delicious but very rich) and a Mezcal Cranachan - mezcal spiked cream served with agave honeycomb, oats and raspberries.
We headed outside for a look at the views, and to enjoy the last of the sunshine. It’s a cool, understated outdoor space with feature lights and lots of glass. With the filming below, the actual sunny weather and a good cocktail on the terrace you could almost be in New York. Just don’t try and catch a yellow cab home.
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