In 1935, as the Queen Mary took shape on the Clyde, Rogano restaurant was fitted out in the same Art Deco style as the great Cunard liner and a classic of Glasgow hospitality was created. On Friday 20th March 2020, 84 years of uninterrupted trading came to an end when the restaurant closed alongside other hospitality venues in the city for what was anticipated to be a pause, in line with government guidance at the time.
Rogano was active on social media and posting about future plans. Then between December 2020 and January 2021 Something changes. After a period of silence it became clear in court document that damage to the restaurant left it unable to reopen. The ramifications are now the subject of a protracted legal action between a Glasgow business family and Spain’s richest man.
Zara clothing chain founder Amancio Ortega, estimated to be worth £90billion, owns the building that is home to Rogano through his family investment firm, Pontegadea. Lynn and James Mortimer have operated Rogano since 2006 when they bought the restaurant for £6 million through Forthwell Ltd. Scotland’s highest civil court heard last year that “substantial damage” was caused to the restaurant due to flooding on three different occasions between December 9 2020 and January 10 2021.
Now a Supreme Court Hearing in May will decide on whether the Mortimer family should be compensated for loss of income while Rogano restaurant languishes in disrepair. You can read more about this legal tussle here.
After the Supreme Court ruling on this matter, the legal case will return to Scottish courts with a ruling expected on who is responsible for repairing and restoring the restaurant to full working order. What condition the dining room and kitchen is in, how much of the original fixtures and Art Deco details remain in place, are questions that should be answered once the judges have had their say.
Today we are taking a look back at the story of Rogano restaurant and how it became a treasured part of Glasgow hospitality.
9. Rogano
Describing their own place in the Glasgow culinary scene, Rogano states: "With its unique 1930's ambience, Rogano is the oldest surviving restaurant in Glasgow. For over seventy five years its chefs have dedicated themselves to the delicate art of cooking and serving the finest fish and seafood in the world from Scottish waters." | Supplied
10. Rogano
"For all its inimitable style, and its local clientele, Rogano is a friendly place, with a special welcome for the traveller, being perfectly situated with close proximity to the city's most elegant shops and many of its leading cultural venues." | Supplied
11. Rogano
"In 1935, as the great Cunard liner 'Queen Mary' took shape on the Clyde, a restaurant was refitted in the same Art Deco style and a Glasgow legend was born." | Supplied