Watch: Cheese and charcuterie boards at the Merchant City’s Pania

The Merchant City has transformed in recent years, reeling from pandemic losses and salvaging its reputation as a vibrant hub of hospitality. It’s a collective effort with existing businesses amplifying their appeal against lower footfall and strained incomes to convince customers in, while new ventures have had to arrive with strong ideas and an immediate sense of identity to pull attraction. And with a variety of fresh additions, the area has reignited a bustle during the day and night.

One of these is Pania, a colourful corner venue at the centre of Candleriggs, a brunch spot during the day and wine bar come night. It opened in January 2024 by industry veteran Neil Connolly, former owner of Moskito on Bath Street which was one of the first late night bars to enter the city. We spoke to him about the influence behind his new business, why he chose this area of town and what the venue offers:

“Pania is a kind of day/night cafe. My influence is very much Mediterranean. I love the simplicity of going to a cafe in Spain, Italy, France and finding amazing produce just done simply. Everything we do is very straightforward, it’s not complicated. Less is more. All the hard work has been done by the producers so what I buy is really good, I have amazing suppliers. The chorizo is, I’ve been told by lots of people, the best they’ve ever had and I’m not arguing with that.

“I came out of hospitality about 2018. My wee boy was diagnosed with autism so I started looking after him for a few years. And then he started going to school which was fantastic. And then I had the option to do this. I think I first done a business plan for this kind of idea 15 years ago. When he decided to go to school, which was a win, I started the idea of coming back and doing this. The week I got the keys for this place he stopped going to school”, Neil laughs. “So that’s made it quite challenging.

“I just loved this sight, these windows are just great. In the summer it’s fantastic because the sun comes in but even in the winter, you just sit here and watch the world go by. I love the light. As you can see from the decor there’s lots and lots of colour. I think when people walk past it automatically draws you in. “I wanted to do this for a long time and this site became available and it was just perfect for what I wanted to do.

“I’m delighted with my team, the staff have been phenomenal. They’re a big part of it, it’s not me or how much money you spend on it, it’s about the staff. That’s always been my ethos, even when I had other places before. If the staff buy into what you want to do and understand what you want to do it makes your life so much easier.”

On why Neil chose the Merchant City to launch his business, he said “It’s funny because I never thought I’d be here. I had a look at what I wanted for a site and this ticked every box. I didn’t want a big kitchen because I don’t need a big kitchen, I didn’t want a big venue, I wanted a small venue. I wanted an outside area, I wanted the big windows.

“I think the timing of it has worked out perfectly. There seems to be a lot happening in the Merchant City. With the opening of the Social Hub, Nico’s opened round there, you’ve got Vodka Wodka opening. It’s on the up and certainly being here in the summer you could see the impact of tourists and people who stay in the Air bnbs and serviced apartments round the corner, it’s fantastic. Incredibly pleasantly surprised with the steadiness of the business, we just need the sun to come back.

“The two boards we do at nighttime, so during the day it’s very simple brunch and we make fresh sandwiches every day. Everything is done fresh, all the cheese and charcuterie we do at night is cut to order. We buy whole hams and whole salamis and just cut them when we need to. The difference that makes too is incredible.

“They’re all Spanish cheeses. We have a Mahon from Menorca, we have a semi-cured manchego. We have a goats cheese called Montenegro. We have the blue cheese, it’s very strong. They wrap it in sycamore leave and they age it in caves so it’s really powerful but very smooth and creamy. That’s my favourite. We have a pickled fig, a mix of pickles and olive oil crackers.

“On the charcuterie we have a salami Milano with two different types of chorizo. One’s aged a wee bit longer so it’s harder, it’s air dried. We have a Spanish salchichon, kind of the Spanish version of salami just using salt, pepper and garlic. This is made with Iberian pigs so it’s one hundred percent Bellota, that’s pigs that have been fed on acorns, a lovely flavour coming through the meat. Then we have a Serrano ham, that’s been aged for 18 months. Amazing product.”