A local hospitality group is taking over a prominent site on Mitchell Street

A new live music venue inspired by American dive bars is to open on Mitchell Street. The prominent unit in the city centre was August House, a cocktail bar with a food menu that closed last month, which took over from doomed bar brand Abandon Ship. Before that, it was a Californian style restaurant So LA.

Lucky Strike will be the new name for the bar after a refit is complete. It’s the latest project from the hospitality group owned by Marco Lazzuri, who also has nearby cocktail bar Tabac on Mitchell Lane.

Marco Lazzuri will add Lucky Strike to a collection of Glasgow bars and restaurants - alongside Tabac there is also Devil of Brooklyn, a cocktail bar that operates as a coffee shop in the daytime. La Fiorentina in Kinning Park is his longstanding neighbourhood restaurant.

Then there is 1802 at Hutchesons’ Hall, a cocktail bar and restaurant at the historic city centre landmark that opened in April last year - it’s currently closed for renovation and expected to return with more of a focus on drinks. He told me when 1802 opened that he had ambitions for it to be one of the best cocktail bars in the UK.

Last month Lazzuri caught the attention of the local hospitality scene when The Last Bookstore opened its doors on Hope Street. The bar combines the charm of a traditional bookshop with a modern drinking experience, complete with literary-inspired drinks and moody, antique decor.

The bar is a visual feast for book lovers, with 8,000 books lining its walls and a spectacular literary archway made of 1,300 books – together containing 442 million words.

The drinks menu is a tribute to famous authors, with cocktails inspired by the likes of Jack Kerouac, Dorothy Parker, and Ernest Hemingway. Beer lovers can also choose from twelve taps, including the house Bookstore Lager, Cruzcampo, and Guinness.

The food offering includes small plates and lunch options, highlights being brisket croquette with mascarpone, rosemary, and apple, as well as charred cauliflower with pickled shallot and tahini yoghurt.

Visitors will find a 16-foot floor-to-ceiling backlit gantry and a stunning 32-foot brass-topped bar, adorned with both books and bottles.

Seating options vary from high tables and stools to cosy booths and traditional tables. A stairwell plastered with book pages leads to the bathrooms and a literary archway invites customers upstairs to a cosy mezzanine space.

Mick Quinn, head bartender, said: “We wanted to create an atmosphere of having a dog lying on your toes while you drink something strong with this concept.

“The Last Bookstore is the perfect place for me – I studied to be an English teacher before I became a bartender, so I’m a happy camper!“I’ve used that knowledge when designing the drinks menu; each cocktail is inspired by an author and a line or connection they’ve written about alcohol.”

Mick added: “'It's been a long road and a real labour of love trying to bring our vision to life.“But now that we've dotted our 'i's and crossed our 't's, we can look eagerly to our next chapter; sharing it with the public we're so excited to welcome in.”

For their next trick, Lucky Strike will be a “live music venue meets American dive bar” with a cocktail and food menu.

Lucky Strike, 43 Mitchell St, Glasgow G1 3LN