Pubs & bars, Student friendly and "Glasgow"
- The Tea Rooms at The Butterfly and the Pig
City centre gem serving Afternoon Tea, High Tea, cakes & delights - Moskito
Moskito is a laid-back bar with an extensive drinks list as well as great food - Maggie Mays
Outstanding contemporary Scottish restaurant, with a bustling bar and all-year entertainment - King Tut's Wah Wah Hut
A legendary live music venue serving cosmopolitan pub food
Chinaski's
239 North Street,
Glasgow,
G3 7DL
Named after a Charles Bukowski alter ego, Chinaski’s maintains its underground roots by eschewing any signage on the exterior in an effort to deter large groups of rowdy drinkers from nearby Sauchiehall Street. During daylight hours the bar is bright…
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 chairs…
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…
Bar Ten
10 Mitchell Lane,
Glasgow,
G1 3NU
Bar Ten’s narrow space, alongside its zinc tables, marble bartop and alley-way location, has always given it a rather European feel. And it still retains a bit of an edge from its glory days as a ‘pre-club’ venue, too, with an older, but trendy, crowd…
Cottier's
93–95 Hyndland Street,
Glasgow,
G11 5PX
Stencils on the walls, fairy lights and candles add plenty of character and atmosphere to proceedings in this converted church. Service is genuinely warm and helpful while suitably informal given the relaxed surroundings. The carpaccio of Inverurie beef…
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 pensioner…
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…
The Rio Café
27 Hyndland Street,
Glasgow,
G11 5QF
The Rio Café’s 1950s diner-style décor and vibe has made it something of an institution in Glasgow’s West End, and it’s menu offers up tempting options whether you’re in for breakfast, lunch, or just a snack. The burgers come large and tasty, and even a…
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 early…
The Bank Café Bar
443 Clarkston Road,
Glasgow,
G44 3LL
The Maclay Inns group, five of whose premises are featured in this section, tend to choose interesting buildings for their ventures that add a nice bit of character. In the case of The Bank it is, indeed, a former bank, now popular residential café/bar…
The Ben Nevis
1147 Argyle Street,
Glasgow,
G3 8TB
The Ben Nevis is well worth a visit if you’re after whisky, contemporary Scottish folk or just a chance to hang out with some real Glaswegians in an agreeable environment. With slabs of slate, ropes and wood, the interior evokes a fantastical Highland…
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…
Maggie May's
60 Trongate,
Glasgow,
G1 5EP
If you believe the deep-fried Mars bar is an urban myth, proof of its existence can be found at Maggie May’s, an indie/folky music venue and pub with a surprisingly civilised restaurant tucked away at the back of the bar. The crisply battered…
Moskito
200 Bath Street,
Glasgow,
G2 4HG
The ambient beats and distinctive green-turquoise hue of Moskito have been with us for more than a decade now, making it the elder statesman of Bath Street. Like its neighbouring bars, the location’s great for workers from the nearby offices, as well as…
Bar 91
91 Candleriggs,
Glasgow,
G1 1NP
Regularly filled with an eclectic mix of professionals, students and families, Bar 91’s welcoming vibe and contemporary interior see it busy all day. In addition to the usual array of mainstream lagers, there are beers from the nearby West Brewery…
Bar Soba
11 Mitchell Lane,
Glasgow,
G1 3NU
One of the first restaurants in Glasgow to serve fashionable ‘fusion’ food, Bar Soba serves up a mix of Thai, Japanese, Vietnamese and Chinese influenced dishes including the soba noodles that the restaurant’s name suggests. Bar Soba claims that its…
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…
The Grosvenor Café
The Grosvenor Theatre, Ashton Lane,
Glasgow,
G12 8SJ
Located above the well-known Ashton Lane cinema, the Grosvenor is a bar which captures the atmosphere of the film experience. A large projector screen plays out silent pictures throughout the day, while the bar’s décor harks back to the cinematic…
The Lansdowne Bar & Kitchen
7a Lansdowne Crescent,
Glasgow,
G20 6NQ
With walls covered in plasma screens and a plethora of comfy booths, it is easy to see why the Lansdowne is considered by many to be among the best sports bars in town. To the rear of the spacious bar is a conservatory area, primarily a function room…
The Left Bank
33–35 Gibson Street,
Glasgow,
G12 8NU
Within its warren of nooks and crannies, the Left Bank offers a kaleidoscopic take on casual dining. Aimed squarely at the broadsheet-reading classes of this undergraduate-heavy area, and housed within a refurbished, multi-levelled bank building, it…
Òran Mór
731-735 Great Western Road,
Glasgow,
G12 8QX
The grand looking Òran Mór, a converted sandstone church overlooking Byres Road and the Botanic Gardens, attempts to cater for the varied wants of trendy West End locals by being all things to all punters: restaurant (see Scottish), club, theatre, bar…
The Big Blue
445 Great Western Road,
Glasgow,
G12 8HH
A perennial student favourite and something of a West End institution, the Big Blue endures in its picturesque location by the Kelvin. Portions are hearty enough to satisfy diners with big appetites. The fried calamari with lemon is a tasty starter and…
