New Kid On The Block: Forgans

Hi Jamie! Everyone in St Andrews is super excited about the newest and most happening bar on the block. When do the doors officially open? At the moment we’ve got […]


Hi Jamie! Everyone in St Andrews is super excited about the newest and most happening bar on the block. When do the doors officially open?

At the moment we’ve got a date for mid-May, and we’re all on track to meet that!

Great! We’ve heard talk of a restaurant, wine club, craft beers and even… a ceilidh club? It must be pretty big back there.

It is! We’ve got four bothies (Noun: Scottish. Small hut or cottage. Shack; hut; cabin) seating up to 10, and a larger private bothy for private dining experiences, which you can also hire for birthdays, dinners, and events like that, seating up to 25. In the middle we have a larger space with tables and chairs which can be cleared for the evening, and for ceilidhs.

Sounds ample… What can we expect from opening night?

We’re having an opening week! We’ve got lots of live music, something for everyone, and a big opening party. I don’t want to give too many surprises away though!

What are the drinks prices going to be like?

That is still being all worked out, but I can tell you that there will be no entry fees…

So everything is completely free to attend?

Free.

Awesome! How late will you be open?

Our license is until 1am.

Forgans was originally advertised as The Bothy Restaurant – Why the name change?

We dug a little deeper into the history of the building and discovered the site was once home to Forgan Golf – the first maker of golf clubs in the world – so the name was changed to better reflect the heritage.

And the dropping of ‘Restaurant’, is that significant at all?

Nope, we’re still a restaurant, and there are going to be some very interesting dining experiences on offer…but you’ll have to wait and see about those!

What’s a typical week going to be like for Forgans?

Again, I’m afraid I can’t give too much away, but I can say there will be something for everyone. There isn’t a lot for kids to do in St Andrews, so on the weekends we’ll have some events that are very family-friendly, but students will be catered for as well. A place for societies to meet, things like that.

We know you’re another G1 Group venue (owner of over 40 venues throughout Scotland) like the Vic and Mitchells, who both have a very strong aesthetic. Is Forgans going to be in the same style?

Yes, it’s similar. In fact, The Stand can have an exclusive sneak peak…

 

Jamie took me back past the building site front and into the restaurant, and I was utterly impressed. The building is enormous, with a really unique layout and massively high ceilings, which will hopefully keep the place feeling spacious even when it’s packed wall-to-wall. It has that sanded, exposed board feel of a Western saloon, accentuated by the colossal, stuffed (I hope fake!) animal heads. The shiny new open kitchen is a nice modern contrast to the wood and carpets, and they’ve even had room to put up some Vic-esque collages.

You can sign up on the website for all the updates on the big opening bash, and get ready to factor this great new venue into your plans for a night out next semester.