Pubs & bars and "Glasgow"
- Black sparrow
Black Sparrow offers traditional pub food and wide ranged drink list - 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 Monkey Bar
The Monkey bar serves up bar favourites and mixes great cocktails
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…
Pivo Pivo
15 Waterloo Street,
Glasgow,
G2 6AY
Pivo Pivo was one of Glasgow's first pubs to serve an extensive range of world beers - from Argentinian Quilmes to Kirin from Japan - and still largely trades on punters' tourism. Located right beside Central Station, its small bar area lies at the foot…
The Clutha Vaults
167-169 Stockwell Street,
Glasgow,
G1 4SP
Hosting live music five nights a week, predominantly acoustic and folky, but with a smattering of rock'n'roll, the Clutha Vaults is a dark, low-ceilinged, traditional Clydeside boozer that's relaxing of an afternoon but gets densely packed on weekend…
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…
The Living Room
150 St Vincent Street,
Glasgow,
G2 5NE
Weekends at this popular bar and diner feature live music and even a regular magician – helping to create a lively infectious buzz that is easy to get caught up in. Couples and groups are seated in leather booths, helping to break up the restaurant…
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…
November
Princes Square, 48 Buchanan Street,
Glasgow,
G1 3JX
Situated right at the top of Princes Square, November is a light, airy cocktail bar and café which offers seating 'outside' on the balcony, looking down to the shops below, or under the interior's cupola. It offers a variety of dishes to tempt wearied…
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…
The Libertine
45–47 Bell Street,
Glasgow,
G1 1NX
A competition saw this bar named after the decadent 17th-century poet, the 2nd Earl of Rochester, but here’s nothing debauched about this Libertine, which neatly balances daytime bistro and night-time bar. Tall windows line both aspects, allowing diners…
All Bar One
62–72 St Vincent Street,
Glasgow,
G2 5TS
With floor-to-ceiling windows on the corner of St Vincent and West Nile streets, All Bar One is well placed to watch the world go by over a drink or a bite. Such is its bustling nature, however, it seems as if few people have time to linger at its…
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…
The Art School
The Beresford Building, 468 Sauchiehall Street,
Glasgow,
G2 3LW
While The Glasgow School of Art is renovated, the union has made its home here in the Beresford building. It’s suitably scruffed up –- creative doodles on the wall, candle-lit tables, and lots of students (though all are welcome). There’s a friendly…
Arta
The Old Cheesemarket, 62 Albion Street,
Glasgow,
G1 1PA
In Glasgow’s trendy Merchant City the competition among restaurants to attract discerning diners is high. Artà stands out architecturally. Once the location of a medieval cheese market this listed building was developed Baroque style in 2000 into a…
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…
King Tut's Wah Wah Hut
272a St Vincent Street,
Glasgow,
G2 5RL
Please note this listing is for the gig venue. To find out more about the bar/restaurant, read our Eating & Drinking Guide review of King Tut's.
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…
Babbity Bowster
16–18 Blackfriars Street,
Glasgow,
G1 1PE
Located in an old tobacco merchant’s house on the periphery of the Merchant City, Babbity Bowster is a pleasantly secluded place for a drink and some good food, particularly in the beer garden if the sun is shining on this evocative street. Babbity…
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…
Bar Soba
116–122 Byres Road,
Glasgow,
G12 8TB
The sister venue to the Mitchell Street venue of the same name, Soba opened on Byres Road in early 2012 and is described as a ‘Bar & Noodle Kitchen’. The bar aspect means that Soba offers a great selection of cocktails. They may not be cheap but…
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…
Black Sparrow
241 North Street,
Glasgow,
G3 7DL
The Black Sparrow is certainly an attractive room, packed with original details, with a huge ornate bar that runs the length of the space and lots of rather cute booths perfectly made for two. There’s a mezzanine level for larger groups and a much…
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 Goat & Grill
1287 Argyle Street,
Glasgow,
G3 8TL
When the weather’s right the Goat and Grill has one of the largest outdoor seating areas around, while indoors is a small bar with the centre of attention on the big screen showing sporting events. Upstairs the focus is on food but the bar atmosphere…
Kuta
104 Bath Street,
Glasgow,
G2 2EN
Bar Kuta is the latest addition to the group of Glasgow venues operated by owner Alan Tomkins, an impressive array already including notables like Urban Bar & Brasserie and Booly Mardy’s. Kuta’s sleek contemporary interior certainly achieves it’s…
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…
Metropolitan
Merchant Square, Candleriggs,
Glasgow,
G1 1LE
Given the weather, Metropolitan’s indoor terrace overlooking Merchant Square is the safest way to dine al fresco in Glasgow. It’s a very pleasant place to be, with the sandstone walls, linen napkins and twinkling fairy lights adding atmosphere to the…
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…
The Pour House
1038–1042 Argyle St,
Glasgow,
G3 8LX
A newcomer to the vibrant Finnieston drag, and reviewed here within days of opening, it’s fair to say the Pour House is still finding its feet. The exterior signage of a large squirrel guzzling from a tap is indicative of the quirky interior, featuring…
The Tiki Bar
214 Bath Street,
Glasgow,
G2 4HW
Polynesian stylings (straw basket chairs, palm trees, ‘Easter Island’ heads) alongside 1950s Americana (MAD comics and a popcorn machine) – to the unordained, this place benefits from an explanation. The décor constitutes, you see, a ‘Tiki Bar’, the…
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…
The Corinthian Club
191 Ingram Street,
Glasgow,
G1 1DA
The brasserie and bar area in the Corinthian must be one of the most beautiful rooms in Scotland. If you want to impress then this dramatic central hall of the former High Court is certainly the place to come. The food can’t really compete with such…
The Counting House
2 St Vincent Place, City Centre,
Glasgow,
G1 2DH
This grandiose building in the very heart of the city centre is vast and ornate, even by JD Wetherspoon standards. What was once a Bank of Scotland now feels like the living room of a stately home. An impressive domed ceiling rises above the central…
DRAM!
232–246 Woodlands Road,
Glasgow,
G3 6ND
As its name may suggest, DRAM! is a whisky drinker’s heaven; a range of over 75 malts providing ample scope for even the most learned of whisky connoisseurs to sample a new nip. A food menu comprising the best of Scottish produce brings in a mixed group…
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…
Jackson's Bar
95–97 Cambridge Street,
Glasgow,
G3 6RU
Jackson’s is a welcome addition to Cowcaddens, in its struggle for decent drinking dens – unless spit and sawdust is your tipple. Nearby student accommodation contributes to a mixed clientele that also includes an older crowd from its days as the…
Kudos Bar Restaurant
29 Waterloo Street,
Glasgow,
G2 6BZ
Situated in a prime spot close to Central Station and the financial district, Kudos is the ideal venue for office staff looking for a quick pit-stop at lunchtime. The bar’s express lunch menu, containing favourites such as battered haddock and macaroni…
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…
The Monkey Bar
100 Bath Street,
Glasgow,
G2 2EN
Entered via the basement on Bath Street or threw a sneaky lane behind into the secondary bar, the Monkey Bar opens out into a modern, cool space – minimal but with splashes of colour. Cocktails are a big focus here – from their own versions of classics…
Offshore
3/5 Gibson Street,
Glasgow,
G12 8NU
It’s impossible not to mention the view from Offshore. Large windows looking out onto Gibson Street and onto the beginnings of Kelvingrove Park give the café a laid-back feel that makes it the perfect haven for anybody looking to chill out and watch the…
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 Universal
57–59 Sauchiehall Lane,
Glasgow,
G2 4AB
Somewhat hidden in the depths of Sauchiehall Lane, not many people will stumble over this bar, but those who seek it out will find an unpretentious café-style venue offering a menu of pub meals such as macaroni cheese, burgers and chicken enchiladas…
The Waverley Tea Room
18 Moss Side Road,
Glasgow,
G41 3TN
This is perhaps the best of the G1 Group’s Southside outposts, as popular with early-rising families for its coffee and kids' play area as it is with evening revellers for its late licence, strong choice of beers and ten wines by the glass. It’s also…
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…
Café Cosmo
Glasgow Film Theatre, 12 Rose Street,
Glasgow,
G3 6RB
Just as the cinematic offerings at the GFT are a million miles from the standard multiplex fare, so is the café a welcome departure from harshly lit popcorn pushers and hot dog dispensers. It’s a cosy haven, with low lighting, dark blue walls and a…
Hillhead Bookclub
17 Vinicombe Street,
Glasgow,
G12 8BE
There are not many places you can indulge in cocktail served in an old gramophone, but that is just one of the many quirky traits that ensures the Hillhead Bookclub is counted among the West End’s coolest hangouts. Food is of a very high standard, the…
Lismore Lounge
206 Dumbarton Road,
Glasgow,
G11 6AA
Scotland
Winner of the 2005 Scottish Licensed Trade Award for best whisky bar, the Lismore Lounge existed long before the resurgence of Partick Cross' bar culture, and will doubtless continue to do so long after it declines. Although it still attracts a strong…
Molly Malones
224 Hope Street,
Glasgow,
G2 2UG
Unmistakably Irish even from the outside, you feel welcome here before you even order a drink. There’s no going overboard on clichéd wall decorations either, and the long bar makes for a perfect spot to converse over a beer. Molly's claims to have the…
Mono
12 Kings Court, King Street,
Glasgow,
G1 5RB
Mono has been serving Glasgow’s veggie and vegan clientele for ten years now and it’s easy to see the attraction. The room has an indie vibe with a raised platform for the eating area, a good-sized stage for visiting musicians and a long colourful bar…
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 clientele…
The Pot Still
154 Hope Street,
Glasgow,
G2 2TH
The Pot Still has arguably the easiest sell in this entire guide: more than 370 types of whisky. That’s what it’s all about, and nowhere else in town comes close. It’s a proper old-fashioned affair, with leather-backed bench seating in racing green and…
Rab Ha's
83 Hutcheson Street,
Glasgow,
G1 1SH
Rab Ha’s is a well-loved and fairly busy Merchant City pub (and small hotel), and over the past 20 years or so its basement restaurant has meandered up and down market, with varying critical and commercial success. Currently it feels like an…
The Roxy 171
171 Great Western Road,
Glasgow,
G4 9AW
A bar that truly offers a multitude of experiences, the Roxy 171 ensures that clients of all demographics are catered for. With an intimate live music venue downstairs now spearheading the local acoustic scene, the bar is often frequented by the…
Saint Judes
190 Bath Street,
Glasgow,
G2 4HG
This ivy-clad basement townhouse on the Bath St social hub is an interesting and attractive mix of bar/bistro and hotel with a dark and dangerous (especially when you trip on the way to the toliet) interior and a public yet surprisingly intimate…
The Social
27 Royal Exchange Square,
Glasgow,
G1 3AJ
Location is key for this trendy city centre bar/brasserie in the G1 Group's stable of stylish ventures. A huge square bar dominates the interior space, surrounded by dark wooden tables and leather pouffes. A mixture of suits and pre-clubbers rub…
The Tearoom @ The Butterfly and the Pig
153 Bath Street,
Glasgow,
G2 4SQ
The 'odd pair', it states in the blurb, and they could be talking about the mismatched cutlery and crockery. A step back in time to a more genteel age awaits on climbing the stairs to the sister venue of the Buff Club and companion piece to the…
The 13th Note Café/Bar
50–60 King Street,
Glasgow,
G1 5QT
As befits a busy live venue, 13th note has a cool and funky vibe that attracts music and arts lovers of all ages. A cavernous red room with large windows hosts the bar area with the café perched a few stairs up at the back. The mood of the room changes…
The Arches Café Bar & Restaurant
253 Argyle Street,
Glasgow,
G2 8DL
In the Arches’ subterranean dining room, regularly changing installations – often by local artists – provide the backdrop to interesting, well-executed food. An appetising menu includes adventurous options such as deep-fried baby octopus and wood…
Baby Grand
3–7 Elmbank Gardens,
Glasgow,
G2 4NQ
With its proximity to Charing Cross Station, the Premier Inn and the motorway, the long-established Baby Grand is handily placed to cater for commuters, visitors and business folk, particularly during the day. At night the area is quieter but a…
Bar Kandi
185 Hope Street, City Centre,
Glasgow,
G2 2UL
Having revived its reputation as a stylish weekend destination (after a change of hands and name a while back), Bar Kandi has also developed a degree of humility since its Candy Bar days: it rarely feels like somewhere reserved only for the beautiful…
Bier Halle
9 Gordon Street,
Glasgow,
G1 3PL
When the Bier Halle opened 13 years ago, lager enthusiasts embraced its ‘authentic German beer hall’ layout and menu of over 60 beers. Who would have anticipated that it would have pioneered a two-for-one pizza revolution that has now reached seemingly…
Bar Bloc+
117 Bath Street,
Glasgow,
G2 2SZ
From the mural of Brezhnev and Honecker kissing that greets you upon entrance to the imposing wooden benches one must then clamber into, Bloc is anything but subtle. And nor should it be, with live entertainment and a late licence all week. Its…
BrewDog Glasgow
1397 Argyle Street,
Glasgow,
G3 8AN
BrewDog is the shop window for the Fraserburgh-based craft brewery which has been making headlines around the world. And what a beautiful window it is, overlooking the Kelvingrove Museum. The interior is super cool yet entirely welcoming, but it’s the…
The Captain's
185 Great Western Road,
Glasgow,
G4 9EB
Sitting atop of one of the West End’s best known live music venues, the Captain’s Rest is a popular destination for the area's music lovers. Serving up wholesome, hearty pub fare, the bar constantly provides a source of live entertainment, from quizzes…
Curlers Rest
256–260 Byres Road,
Glasgow,
G12 8SH
A far cry from its past-life as a student boozer, Curlers Rest is now a sophisticated hang-out with an equally grown-up menu. The reasonably priced, high-quality food provides a pleasant surprise for those who remember the bar being dominated by cheap…
The Hermitage
177 Kirkintilloch Road, Bishopbriggs,
Glasgow,
G64 2LS
The G1 Group has been a major player in the development of Glasgow's city centre style bar scene. So this rather modest local is a departure from the norm for the empire, nestled as it is in Bishopbriggs (amid territory generally dominated by the JD…
Ivory Bar & Restaurant
2–4 Camphill Avenue,
Glasgow,
G41 3AY
Situated adjacent to the greenery of Queens Park on a relatively quiet residential street, The Ivory Hotel looks like it could almost be the eatery and watering hole in a rural town. It feels like it inside too, with an informal atmosphere generated by…
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…
Red Lizard
51 Bell Street,
Glasgow,
G1 1NX
On a corner site in the heart of the Merchant City, Red Lizard aims to combine different bar styles. From the drawing room-style drapes at the large windows and chunky leather chesterfields clustered in corners, to the tiger skin above the red-flock…
Stravaigin Café Bar
28 Gibson Street,
Glasgow,
G12 8NX
Founded by the son of the chap who established the Ubiquitous Chip, Stravaigin has long pursued an equivalent policy of culinary curiosity. Where the Chip focuses on the native larder, though, Stravaigin tries to scan wider horizons, in keeping with the…
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…
Bar Gandolfi
64 Albion Street,
Glasgow,
G1 1NY
It may no longer be a hidden secret, but the bar in the loft above Café Gandolfi still offers an intimate seclusion difficult to find in Merchant City. Inside, stunning handcrafted furniture contrasts with exposed metal beams overhead that somehow…
Barça Tapas and Cava Bar
Princes Square, 48 Buchanan Street,
Glasgow,
G1 3JN
Situated in upmarket Princes Square, Barça’s top floor terrace is a prime spot overlooking the courtyard and soak up the buzz. Inside this spacious urban style brasserie is a lively cava bar at one end with regular cocktail masterclasses and salsa…
