In bigger, more sophisticated cities, there’s this culture of frequenting bars and restaurants located in hotels that just doesn’t really exist here. Look at London, where the art deco American Bar at The Savoy dishes out £20 cocktails to a clientele of old-school aristocrats and celebrities. Or New York, which has Bemelmans Bar and its whimsical murals tucked away inside The Carlyle, the Empire Hotel’s glitzy rooftop club, and hipster haven the Wythe Hotel’s Ides Bar, which offers panoramic views of the Manhattan skyline.

Can you see a pattern emerging here? If you’re asking me (and I’m fully aware that nobody, anywhere, is doing that), the reason we’re different is our wider drinking culture, which tends to shun the refined glamour that most popular hotel bars cultivate. We prefer the down-to-earth, relaxed boozer over the upscale experience. The world of hotel bars is just not for us.

There is an exception, though. They call it Brutti ma Buoni but in the words of Mark Renton, that is a total misnomer. The downstairs bar in the Brunswick Hotel is named for the Italian phrase “ugly, but good,” a label that’s wrong on one count. This stylish space is good-looking AND good: it’s one of the Candleriggs’ hippest hangouts, with a sweatbox basement club that hosts wild disco parties most weeks.

On Saturday, to mark the beginning of the Merchant City Festival, there’s a free bash kicking off at 8pm with local house selectors Oscar (of Sub Rosa) and The Burrell Connection going back to back on headline duties; Subcity Radio’s Rose Hips, So Low’s Ribeka and the Loose Joints DJs are also on hand to get things warmed up.

Tell us a secret you’ve never told anyone before?

Owen Bayne, 24, Merchant City - "I don't like having my picture taken"

Laura Doherty, 29, Troon - "I've got a 23-year-old cat called Frankie"

Jay Dalziel, 35, Troon - "I'm secretly obsessed with wrestler The Rock. I even have him as the ringtone on my phone"

Emma Reid, 29, Edinburgh - "I live in Edinburgh, but secretly love Glasgow"

Ros Barrie, 34, Denistoun - CLUBBER OF THE WEEK

Q: Favourite club?

A: Cathouse

Q: Favourite pub?

A: Redmonds

Q: Favourite DJ?

A: Annie

Q: Favourite band?

A: Tool

Q: What are you drinking?

A: IPA

Q: First club you ever went to?

A: Club De Mair, in Ayr

Q: Describe your dancing?

A: Epileptic, without rhythm

Eddie Daly, 48, City Centre - "I struggle with hangovers"

Chris Murphy, 57, Merchant City - "I'm on the wrong planet. The older I get the more difficult it is to connect with people"

Iain Robertson, 27, City Centre - "I like dogs more than people"