AN UNDERGROUND bar and restaurant in the heart of Glasgow has been recognised by Michelin less than a year after opening.
Sebb’s, located at a former library and warehouse on Miller Street, has been added to the prestigious Michelin Guide, which celebrates the very best in food and drink venues across the world.
The popular grilled food venue joins the prestigious list alongside fellow Glasgow restaurants Ox and Finch, Ka Pao and Margo, which are all part of the Scoop Restaurant Group family.
Managing director of Sebb’s, Jonathan MacDonald, said the accolade marks a milestone in what has been more than five years in the making.
“As soon as Ka Pao opened in 2020, Covid hit and everything else was put on the back burner,” he said.
“Once we made the decision to push forward, it took years to design the place from scratch, making significant structural changes, and working through all of the associated paperwork that comes with it being a listed building.
“To be honest, there were moments when we thought about selling the space. People told us not to open in the city centre — post-pandemic things looked bleak.
“But we took a leap of faith, and I’m glad we did. The city centre is buzzing again.
“There is lots of excitement and a few like-minded operators have opened more great venues.”
Opening last year, Sebb’s, named as an acronym of Sixty Eight Basement Bar, has become one of Glasgow’s hottest venues and according to MacDonald is a space that is as much about music and atmosphere as it is about food and drink.
“It’s more of a bar, with music playing a bigger role than in our other venues,” he said.
“But the food is approached with exactly the same passion and standards. The kitchen team works with the same suppliers and processes, and importantly, they care just as much about the food.”
At the heart of the kitchen is head chef Danny Carruthers, who started his Scoop journey as a chef de partie at Ox and Finch almost a decade ago.
Carruthers’s love of BBQ and grilling has helped shape Sebb’s sharing-style menu, which takes inspiration from around the world, from Texas barbecue to Middle Eastern kebabs, all cooked over charcoal and changing regularly.
“Sebb’s is really a celebration of food from across the globe, served in a way that’s fun and unfussy,” said MacDonald.
“Danny has been instrumental in shaping that. The team is everything to us, and people like him show what’s possible when you give great people room to spread their wings.
“We don’t take the decision to open new venues lightly, we take these opportunities organically. One of the key drivers behind it is creating new opportunities and providing longevity and career growth for our incredible teams.”
MacDonald, who spent his twenties travelling the world with McLaren’s F1 team and living in London, Melbourne and Vietnam before eventually returning to Glasgow to launch Scoop in 2012, sees Sebb’s as another sign of the group’s evolution.
“Opening a new venue is something we take very seriously, and it always has to happen organically.
“Our restaurants run fairly autonomously — each team brings their own flair to menus, cocktails and atmosphere, but with a shared ethos and back room support. Recognition from Michelin is brilliant, and it definitely raises our profile, but it only gives us more reason to keep moving forward. We’d slide backwards if we stood still.”
