Pubs & bars and Student friendly
Sorted by place / most viewed. Showing 25, 50, 100 per page.
- The Tea Rooms at The Butterfly and the Pig
City centre gem serving Afternoon Tea, High Tea, cakes & delights - The Canon's Gait
Impeccable gastro pub food, Royal Mile’s best real ale, with cellar bar available for hire - Filmhouse Café Bar
fresh affordable food - breakfast, lunch & dinner, cakes & snacks, vegetarian selection. Open 7 days 10am–late. - Moskito
Moskito is a laid-back bar with an extensive drinks list as well as great food
The Arch Inn
10–11 Westshore Street,
Ullapool,
IV26 2UR
Housed in one of Ullapool’s original white washed buildings, the Arch Inn is popular with locals as a watering hole with a busy schedule of live entertainment. There are two options for food. Downstairs, bar menu is available seven days a week between…
The Arches Café Bar & Restaurant
253 Argyle Street,
Glasgow,
G2 8DL
This venue seems to offer something for everyone – renowned clubbing for late-night revellers, theatre productions for the culture vultures and a small accomplished restaurant for the foodies. Located downstairs from the main entrance, a funky bar with…
Assembly
41 Lothian Street,
Edinburgh,
EH1 1HB
A popular student venue despite – or indeed perhaps because of – its closeness to the ubiquitous student unions. No doubt another plus is its good value food and two-for-one drinks deals. The battered leather sofas and twinkling fairy lights are…
Avoca Bar & Grill
4-6 Dean Street,
Edinburgh,
EH4 1LW
Just a few steps from the hurly burly of Stockbridge, Avoca attracts more drinkers than diners during the week but normally sees that trend reversed at weekends. A traditional wooden bar is the centrepiece, with stools, settees and a couple of window…
Baby Grand
3–7 Elmbank Gardens,
Glasgow,
G2 4NQ
Just a few short steps from Charing Cross station, the Baby Grand is by day mainly filled with office workers and commuters who do lunch and coffee in the long thin room, but by night the mood changes to a more leisurely vibe as the pianist takes over.
Bacchus
80 Glassford Street,
Glasgow,
G1 1UR
Weekends are busy at this Merchant City bar, catering for the post-work and pre-club crowd. The interior is stylish, with comfy low cushioned benches, bar stools and standard tables offering seating options to suit your night. Be careful to arrive…
The Bank Café Bar
443 Clarkston Road,
Glasgow,
G44 3LL
Part of the Maclay Inn’s chain, this former bank has been nicely refurbished with solid wood and leather furnishings and a chrome-topped bar. Crane your neck to see the detailed cornicing and dramatic domed rooflight. There’s a good selection of draft…
Bar Budda
8 Cresswell Lane,
Glasgow,
G12 8AA
Although Thai-influenced food has been a characteristic of this high-concept chain for several years, more recently the West End branch has also been focusing on Scottish ingredients while still retaining a flavour of the Far East. Embedded in…
Bar Gandolfi
64 Albion Street,
Glasgow,
G1 1NY
This stylish little bar upstairs from Café Gandolfi is something of a hidden gem, and the management like to keep it that way by advertising mostly by word of mouth. There simply isn’t space for more than a handful of diners and drinkers, around the…
Bar Milano
2 Mains Avenue, Eastwood Toll,
Glasgow,
G46 6QZ
From its pleasantly neutral décor and friendly service to the suburban location, Bar Milano ticks all the boxes for a comfortable neighbourhood trattoria. It’s housed in a converted bank but where such buildings often possess a cold grandeur, the…
Bar 91
91 Candleriggs,
Glasgow,
G1 1NP
From business suits to groups of students, Bar 91 is as non-pretentious a venue as you get in the Merchant City. Clearly a local for many, its red velvet curtains and dimly lit décor, as well as a smattering of disco balls and a TV fireplace, make it…
Bar Soba
11 Mitchell Lane,
Glasgow,
G1 3NU
Tucked next to the Lighthouse, the popular bar serves a wide range of South East Asian fusion food that’s proved a hit with the pre-clubbing crowd. The ground floor bar area and downstairs restaurant space share a cool functional design with booths…
Bar Ten
10 Mitchell Lane,
Glasgow,
G1 3NU
Bar Ten’s style is trendy but effortless. Fairy lights are dotted about the bar and a high ceiling makes it feel spacious. Metal benches and tiled walls give it an almost industrial feel too. Celebrating its 20th birthday in 2011, the bar remains a…
Barbazza
5-9 Young Street,
Inverness,
IV3 5BL
One of the most popular and stylish bars in the city, Barbazza offers generous portions of honest bar food during the day and an energetic scene after dark. With its sleek booth seating in conker-brown leather, central square bar in dark wood and…
Barça Tapas and Cava Bar
Princes Square, 48 Buchanan Street,
Glasgow,
G1 3JN
Eating at Barca Tapas and Cava bar, situated in the upmarket Princes Square mall, is a classy experience. If you can, grab a table on the terrace which overlooks the light and bright shopping centre and browse the impressive menu. The calamari with…
Barioja
15-19 Jeffrey Street,
Edinburgh,
EH1 1DR
The older establishment of the burgeoning Edinburgh tapas bar scene, Barioja remains a popular and central destination for diners looking for quick snacks or an evening meal. Its red-hued interior is fresh and modern, and makes a centre-piece of a…
The Basement Bar and Restaurant
10–12a Broughton Street,
Edinburgh,
EH1 3RH
While the bustle of city life proceeds at street level, down below, and largely hidden from view, drinkers in this traditional bar sip beers from around the world, whether it’s the local Innis & Gunn or far-travelled favourites Corona and Tiger.
Ben Nevis
1147 Argyle Street,
Glasgow,
G3 8TB
Inspired by its designer's West Highland ancestry, the Ben Nevis is a cramped, quirkily assembled pub that indulges the celebrated Ranald McColl's fondness for 'natural' materials, from the 'Highland faultline' along the floor, to the organic angles…
Best Bar None
50 Upper Craigs,
Stirling,
FK8 2DS
A brash but slightly confused style bar – an eye-catching painting of Stirling landmarks snuggles up to ads for Cuban rum – Best Bar None nevertheless has reasons to recommend it.
Biblos
1 Chambers Street,
Edinburgh,
EH1 1HU
With a name that means ‘book’ it is hardly surprising Biblos has gone for the decadent library theme. Leather Chesterfield sofas, wingback chairs and dark wood abound, and, in case the point still hasn’t hit home, they even have small pictures of…
The Big Blue
445 Great Western Road,
Glasgow,
G12 8HH
Once again part of the Paperinos group after a flirtation with other management, this West End favourite’s chief selling point is its riverside location, the bar section opening on to the Kelvin with outdoor tables that are always packed in summer…
Big Slope
36a Kelvingrove Street,
Glasgow,
G3 7SA
It would be interesting to know how many folk come into Big Slope for a drink, but end up having something to eat. That's what makes a good bar food menu: perched on the table, teasing and appetising. Here we have pub favourites with lovely twists…
Black Bo's (Restaurant)
57–61 Blackfriars Street,
Edinburgh,
EH1 1NB
Black Bo’s is another restaurant which has graced the Edinburgh vegetarian scene for over 20 years. If this were to draw you to the conclusion that they must be doing something right you’d be spot on. The shabby chic bistro-style interior is…
Brass Monkey
14 Drummond Street,
Edinburgh,
EH8 9TU
As far as selling points go, the Brass Monkey is all but unique. After all, how many other bars to you know which actually have a cinema in their back room? Not only that, but one with big, plush Eastern-style seats so you can make yourself at home…
Brel
39–43 Ashton Lane,
Glasgow,
G12 8SG
Namesake Jacques Brel would definitely recognise this informal wood-filled bar as a distinctly European approach to dining and beer. The former stables at the end of Ashton Lane has the air of a Gallic tavern with its oak-lined walls, wooden floors and…
Bunker
193–199 Bath Street,
Glasgow,
G2 4HU
The atmosphere of Bunker is ever-changing – by day this bar offers light bites; in the evening it shows off its full menu; and at 9pm the house DJ takes to the decks to get patrons in the mood to hit one of the numerous clubs in the area. Fixed price…
Burlington Bertie’s
11-13 Tarvit Street,
Edinburgh,
EH3 9LB
Ask anyone behind the bar to name the best feature of Burlington Bertie’s, and they’ll all come back with the line that they’ve got the best jukebox in town. That might be open to debate, but there’s no doubting that its selection of classic and…
The Caley Sample Room
42–58 Angle Park Terrace,
Edinburgh,
EH11 2JR
Proximity to Tynecastle and Murrayfield stadiums has long made this bar a busy watering den but recent years have seen a more serious food offering emerge, making this a very worthwhile venue all week and not just on match days. The bare brick wall and…
Cameo Bar
23 Commercial Street,
Edinburgh,
EH6 6JA
The Cameo Bar doesn’t seem to have settled on a single decorative style. There is a touch of the contemporary (see the beige suede benches); there is a little Edwardian (see the red and brown flock wallpaper) and there is a bit of traditional pub (dark…
The Canon's Gait
232 Canongate,
Edinburgh,
EH8 8DQ
Located further down the Royal Mile than the plethora of bars and restaurants surrounding St Giles, the Canon’s Gait is a stone’s throw away from the Palace of Holyrood at the bottom. The gilt lettering and rich red exterior are difficult to miss, and…
Harlequin
1 View Place,
Inverness,
IV2 4SA
It's one of the only bars in Inverness with a beautiful beer garden. Resting halfway up Castle Street, in summer you can watch the world rush by and in every other season you can enjoy the views of the Castle from inside this cosy and intimate space. A…
Chinaski's
239 North Street,
Glasgow,
G3 7DL
Even if Charles Bukowski – whose biographical alter-ego Chinaski’s is named after – mostly lived off a liquid diet, this dark, discreet hipster haunt just off the main drag of Sauchiehall Street is as much about its food as it is its drink. A huge…
City Café
19 Blair Street,
Edinburgh,
EH1 1QR
Things have been a-changing at the City Café in the last year or so. Glittery, red laminated tables, leather booths and a jukebox evoke the kitschy glamour of a classic American diner, and the food at City Café is made to match. Starters big enough to…
The Cloisters
26 Brougham Street,
Edinburgh,
EH3 9JH
Situated in an old church in Tollcross, Cloisters is a dependable, straight down the line pub. Here you will find an open fire, large solid wooden tables and a bunch of friendly locals enjoying a pint of ale from the well stocked bar. There isn’t a…
Coopers
499 Great Western Road, West End,
Glasgow,
G12 8HN
Beneath the ornate ceilings and chandeliers in this rather grand establishment hang four large corner screens that regularly show football. But Coopers caters for a wide spectrum of customers: young beer drinkers and the occasional tea-sipping…
Cottier's
93–95 Hyndland Street,
Glasgow,
G11 5PX
Ascending the tight spiral staircase, leading from the grounds of this stunning converted church, an elegant dining space awaits – dark wooden flooring with matching tables and original church seating contrasts against the green and gold walls, with…
Dragonfly
52 West Port,
Edinburgh,
EH1 2LD
Although it's located on a spur from the Grassmarket, this cocktail bar offers a different sort of buzz to the tourist pubs. There been a recent shuffle of ownership but much remains the same. Kickboxing ninja wallpaper and anime inspired artwork from…
Driftwood
2–4 St Georges Road,
Glasgow,
G3 6UJ
Driftwood has been a fixture of Charing Cross for a few years now, offering cheap and cheerful food to hungry students and weary shoppers. The dining area is decked out in the 'traditional' Mexican terracotta and yellow, though it's actually barely…
Earl of Marchmont
22 Marchmont Crescent,
Edinburgh,
EH9 1HG
A biannual facelift due in April 2011 may see the décor spruced up but otherwise it is business as usual as the Earl continues to serve as both child-friendly café and student watering hole. In its café guise it offers freshly squeezed orange juice…
Ecco Vino
19 Cockburn Street,
Edinburgh,
EH1 1BP
Edinburgh’s wine bar scene might be expanding, but this intimate cubby hole on Cockburn Street has a decade on all of them. Ecco Vino is firmly Italian in its menu: generous plates of antipasti share a billing with enticing fish and meat dishes, pastas…
Elmwood Fairways Restaurant and Bar
Elmwood Golf Course, Stratheden,
by Cupar,
Fife,
KY15 5RS
Elmwood Golf Course, owned and managed by Elmwood College (see p.8), provides a practical, working environment for students studying for a career in green keeping or other aspects of the golf business. Located in the clubhouse, with views over the 18th…
Favorit
19–20 Teviot Place,
Edinburgh,
EH1 2QZ
Favorit is a late night diner for the young and hip and – most importantly – for those with the munchies. Black and white chequered tiles, retro tables and benches and a large, red neon Favorit sign set the scene. All that's missing is Pulp Fiction's…
Filmhouse Café Bar
88 Lothian Road,
Edinburgh,
EH3 9BZ
The Filmhouse has been Edinburgh’s home of independent and arthouse cinema for many years, and its café-bar has long been a place to meet fellow cinephiles and chew over the plot with a pint. Just as the cinema itself is like an old friend to many, so…
Firebird
1321 Argyle Street,
Glasgow,
G3 8TL
This well-established neighbourhood bar and bistro makes sense whatever the occasion. The intelligent, free-flowing layout means you can dine more formally at the rear, sip a cool microbrewery pint perched at the curved wooden bar, or snack and watch…
Frankenstein Pub
92 West George Street, City Centre,
Glasgow,
G2 1PJ
Located in a former bank, this large city centre bar is decorated to look something like Dr Frankenstein's laboratory, complete with a 10-foot monster. Booths, clustered round the central bar area, come with their own plasma TVs. Dining is also…
The Globe
53-57 West Port,
Dundee,
DD1 5ER
Situated within spitting distance of the university, the cultural quarter and the city’s clubbing district, this large corner bar is ideally placed for most purposes, and cuts its cloth accordingly. Equally as useful for a relaxed daytime drink as for…
The Granary
32–34 The Shore, Leith,
Edinburgh,
EH6 6QN
This split-level restaurant and bar is well positioned on the Shore with floor-to-ceiling glass windows and views of the Water of Leith. With its seductive brown leather sofas, dark wood floors, rugs and realistic-looking gas-powered fires, you’ll…
The Granary
10–16 Kilmarnock Road,
Glasgow,
G41 3NH
The Granary has been bestriding the two main Shawlands arteries of Pollokshaws Road and Kilmarnock Road for 25 years. At lunchtime the main part of the pub is closed and you have to slip in via a side door. Failing to make a grand entrance, too, are…
The Grosvenor Café
The Grosvenor Theatre, Ashton Lane,
Glasgow,
G12 8SJ
With its filmic décor and location above the cinema, the recently rebranded Grosvenor Café offers a great opportunity for a movie and a meal night-out. The striking and cavernous venue, lit by spotlights adorning the walls, has silent movie clips…
Hamiltons Bar and Kitchen
16–18 Hamilton Place,
Edinburgh,
EH3 5AU
Hamiltons tries to be all things to all people, and it pretty much succeeds. It’s a buzzing bar with pop art strewn walls, a music venue, a stopping-off point for coffee or brunch, a meeting place for business people, and a restaurant with an…
Hard Rock Café
18–20 George Street,
Edinburgh,
EH2 2PF
Brace yourselves. A trip to the globe-straddling Hard Rock Café is more experience than mere meal out. Leave any resistance at the door and let your smiling server lead you into a bear pit of gaudy cocktail-fuelled groups on work nights out…
Home
80 Albion Street,
Glasgow,
G1 1NY
The decoration at this city centre hang-out is indeed a bit like home – if you happen to live somewhere that’s the ‘before’ part of a makeover. The furniture is a random mixture of leather booths (some with ripped seats), squashy sofas and gaudy…
The Horse Shoe Bar
17 Drury Street,
Glasgow,
G2 5AE
Pubs come and go, but the Horse Shoe endures - the literally horseshoe-shaped, longest continuous bar in Britain ensuring its fame, regardless of the gold and platinum discs donated by Travis, drummer Neil having once worked here. Halfway down a…
The Hudson Hotel
7–11 Hope Street,
Edinburgh,
EH2 4EL
On first appearance there is very little to lift the Hudson out of that popular subcategory of pub that should perhaps be termed 'elegant Edinburgh bars that also serve food'. Like so many it is a haven of shining dark wood, subtle lighting and…
Iglu
2b Jamaica Street,
Edinburgh,
EH3 6HH
The name Iglu suggests a frostiness that couldn’t be further from reality in this warm and welcoming eatery. Iglu’s ethical approach to food and drink is worn large and its daily-changing menu of locally sourced, seasonal and welfare-rich food is…
The Illicit Still
Guest Row, Broad Street,
Aberdeen,
AB10 1AU
The Illicit Still is a bit of a Jekyll & Hyde – is it a pub or a bar? Head downstairs to find a warm, pub atmosphere with a maze of nooks and crannies. The sofas, seats, booths and tables are great for cosy conversations, especially around the real…
The Inn at Lathones
Largoward,
by St Andrews,
Fife,
KY9 1JE
This unprepossessing looking, white-walled inn is full of surprises. It’s home to Scotland’s smallest music festival, attracting names from the Rolling Stones and 10cc. There are rock star-style luxury suites. The food’s pretty glamorous too. Quite…
Ivy
1102–1106 Argyle Street,
Glasgow,
G3 8TD
Located on the Finnieston strip, Ivy very much appeals to a 21st-century audience. The sets of the live DJs who play every weekend night can be downloaded from iTunes as podcasts and enjoyed at one’s leisure. This is just one example of the clever…
Jute
152 Nethergate,
Dundee,
DD1 4DY
Pretty much all things to all people in terms of Dundee’s social life, Jute is housed in the cultural quarter’s focus, the Dundee Contemporary Arts centre. The massive, airy and stylishly minimal bar area takes on a number of roles throughout the day…
The King's Wark
36 The Shore,
Edinburgh,
EH6 6QU
The term ‘gastropub’ does not get a lot of airing north of Hadrian’s Wall, but it is an apt moniker for the King’s Wark. On one hand, this is a solid old Leith pub, all dark wooden nooks and crannies, that serves up ales to a mixed crowd of tourists…
The Lansdowne Bar & Kitchen
7a Lansdowne Crescent,
Glasgow,
G20 6NQ
This deceptively large basement bar kitchen on the leafy, residential Lansdowne Crescent off Great Western Road is a great all-rounder. Spacious and versatile with an abundance of TV screens, DJs at weekends and possibly the best draught beer selection…
The Left Bank
33–35 Gibson Street,
Glasgow,
G12 8NU
It is hard to categorise this bistro / bar, mainly because it is so successful in all its guises – as a lazy brunch hangout, for drinks by the window or a relaxed evening meal. The atmosphere is casual but the kitchen works hard, handling flavours…
The Local
427 Sauchiehall Street,
Glasgow,
G2 3LG
The quirky mix of ceiling lamps and a spherical white TV add a bit of character to the otherwise rectilinear furnishings of The Local: tables, chesterfields, empty picture frames and a free-standing bar on which the youthful clientele can rest their…
Ma Cameron's
6–8 Little Belmont Street,
Aberdeen,
AB10 1JG
Ma Cameron’s is a friendly, old-school pub with a modern outlook and a small unexpected roof terrace. Serving popular Deuchars, Lia Fail and Belhaven Best ales, Ma's remains loyal to its heritage while also offering a wine selection providing far more…
Maggie May's
60 Trongate,
Glasgow,
G1 5EP
Just through a velvet curtain from the busy bar and gig venue is a quiet corner of Maggie May’s given over to dining. Dark wood and candles manage to create a subdued atmosphere despite the hubbub bubbling through from the bar next door. An extensive…
Malone's Irish Bar
14 Forrest Road,
Edinburgh,
EH1 2QN
Malone's Irish Bar certainly can’t be accused of misrepresenting itself. Owned and run by natives of the Emerald Isle, the cavernous property oozes Irishness from its street-level entrance area, the large central room with tables for dining and large…
The Meadow Bar
42-44 Buccleuch Street, Southside,
Edinburgh,
EH8 9LP
With Edinburgh University around the corner, it is little surprise that the Meadow Bar has long been a favourite of students and academics. Those in the know forsake the self-consciously happening haunts in this part of town for the understated cool of…
