Pubs & bars, Student friendly and "Glasgow"
Sorted by place / most viewed. Showing 25, 50, 100 per page.
- Maggie Mays
Outstanding contemporary Scottish restaurant, with a bustling bar and all-year entertainment - Moskito
Moskito is a laid-back bar with an extensive drinks list as well as great food - The Tea Rooms at The Butterfly and the Pig
City centre gem serving Afternoon Tea, High Tea, cakes & delights
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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 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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Mono
12 Kings Court, King Street,
Glasgow,
G1 5RB
Upon entering Mono, tucked down a blustery Trongate street, there is an immediate feeling of warmth and relaxation. A glass cupola floods with light the cafe/bar which houses an independent music store and also acts as a gig venue and mini-art gallery.
Moskito
200 Bath Street,
Glasgow,
G2 4HG
Located among a spate of trendy drinking bars towards the West End of Bath Street, Moskito is a rabbit warren of an institution, with copious nooks and crannies to hang out and enjoy a glass of something from the extensive drinks menu. The selection of…
Nice'n'Sleazy
421 Sauchiehall Street,
Glasgow,
G2 3LG
It isn't pretty and it smells of the night before but what Nice n Sleazy does is good music, good drinks and the food’s not too bad either. Celebrating its official 20th birthday in October 2011 with a month-long party, Sleazy’s is finding its regulars…
The Observatory
140 Elderslie Street,
Glasgow,
G3 7AW
Observatory offers informal neighbourhood dining in a site pitched between the West End and city centre. Warm sandstone and scrubbed-wood finishes with plain, unlaid tables give an unpretentious and appropriately flexible feel for its diverse…
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…
Radio
44-46 Ashton Lane, West End,
Glasgow,
G12 8SJ
With its indie/electro tunes and low-price drink offers, this small, informal bar largely caters for a student crowd. The comfy sofas and some reasonably adroit service help to ensure a steady stream of customers from nearby Glasgow University, day or…
The Rio Café
27 Hyndland Street,
Glasgow,
G11 5QF
There aren’t many places where you find fashionable students sitting next to an anorak-clad granny who's sitting next to a couple on a date, but that’s what you get at the Rio Café – and it works. Step inside and you enter a 1950s diner – the red…
The 78
10–14 Kelvinhaugh Street,
Glasgow,
G3 8NU
Vegan fare is often given a body swerve by diners but The 78, nominated by the Vegetarian Society for its top quality pub food, is worth a journey. Granted, the starters aren’t particularly exciting with bruschetta and spring rolls on offer but the…
The Tearoom @ The Butterfly and the Pig
153 Bath Street,
Glasgow,
G2 4SQ
The unique interior of welcoming shabby chic makes this a pleasant gem of a place to catch your busy urban breath over a quick wholesome soup and sandwich lunch, or a leisurely afternoon tea. The food is excellent. Here they do justice to the classic…
TGI Friday's
113 Buchanan Street,
Glasgow,
G1 3HF
Now in its 15th year of serving up hearty American favourites to families, office parties and numerous other punters, TGI Friday's is as busy as ever (and by some accounts it's the most popular restaurant in the city). The chain operation's formula of…
The 13th Note Café/Bar
50–60 King Street,
Glasgow,
G1 5QT
Located in what is fast becoming the city’s only remaining ‘alternative’ quarter, the grungy 13th Note is one of Glasgow’s main live-music venues, and a popular hangout for young and hip Glaswegians. Things get pretty lively here at the weekends, but…
Tusk
18 Moss Side Road,
Glasgow,
G41 3TN
One can't help being overwhelmed when entering Tusk; the vast, high-ceilinged former filmhouse carries off a contemporary Asian-inspired design with a luxurious flourish. At centre stage sits a giant golden Buddha, and the faint smell of incense drifts…
Walkabout
128 Renfield Street,
Glasgow,
G2 3AL
Part of a chain, Australian-themed sports bar Walkabout offers a budget-friendly dining experience for a young, noisy, studenty crowd. The Boomerang card entitles patrons to 25% off all food and drink once purchased for just a few quid. A jumble of…
Waxy O'Connor's
44 West George Street,
Glasgow,
G2 1DH
The first thing you notice on entering Waxy O’Connor's is the sheer size of it. The different rooms and levels make it possible to find a cosy nook even when the pub is busy. Added to this, the wood interior gives a reassuringly traditional feel for an…
WEST Brewery
Building 4 Templeton Building, Glasgow Green,
Glasgow,
G40 1AW
German-inspired brewery WEST’s bar-restaurant scooped the family friendly trophy at the Scottish Restaurant Awards in 2010 and it’s easy to see why. A big, bright, inviting space situated just outside the City Centre in the Templeton Building, a…
