When most of us think of bowling alleys, we think back to visits to the harshly-lit ones in retail parks as a kid, where you’re sometimes greeted by sticky carpets and the smell of chips. You felt like an absolute boss not getting a gutter ball and scoring a strike without the barriers needing to be up. However, at VEGA, you’ll be feeling like a boss without the sticky floors. Atop YOTEL on Argyle Street sits this fab bowling alley and rooftop bar, and it’s a cracking night out.
Named after one of the brightest stars in the universe, the venue boasts views of the city and an interior inspired by Glasgow’s music scene and British pop culture with a ‘space-age’ vibe. You’ll find it opposite Glasgow Central station, where it’s taken over the entire seventh floor of the hotel, and to get there you’ll shoot up in a futuristic, neon-lit elevator – making the journey to the bar and bowling alley even more exciting.
VEGA boasts four lanes featuring all sorts of fun projections to make your bowling experience an excellent one (sadly, neither Secret Glasgow nor VEGA can guarantee that your bowling abilities will meet the threshold of ‘excellent’). The venue is the epitome of ‘lit’, with neon lighting and interactive light shows that transforms the bowling alley into a chilled hangout by day to become a glowing, disco-themed destination at night with DJs on the decks. The venue also offers a space for exclusive private events as well as a restaurant serving breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner.
Signature dishes include a slow-cooked BBQ pork belly burger with slaw, sweetcorn and house-made spring onion salsa; vegan-friendly chargrilled sweet potato, roast red pepper, onion jam and rocket bun, and hand-pressed corn tacos filled with Baja lemon sole, green tomatillo, avocado and crema, to name a few.
Also on the menu are irresistible hand-spun boozy shakes and imaginative cocktails created by VEGA’s skilled bar crew. The cocktail list celebrates the venue’s magnetic ‘space-age’ concept and includes party-starting punch bowls served in Insta-worthy disco balls, as well as drinks like Red Dust with Absolut Raspberry, elderflower, topped with Prosecco and sprinkles of red dust, or the unusual The Sighting with Havana Club 3YO, lychee, coconut and a hint of cherry.
The hotel has 257 modern cabins (that’s YOTEL speak for bedrooms) and each cabin (starting from £49 a night) is equipped with features including the space-saving adjustable beds, refreshing rain showers, Smart TVs and free super-fast WiFi. Plus, alongside having access to VEGA, guests can also make use of the 24-hour hotel gym. So, no need to split after your game is done!