The best pubs in Glasgow cater for a varied clientele. Some are dedicated to whisky connoisseurs who appreciate rare single malts in authentic surroundings. Others have a passion for real ale and craft beer, soaking up the latest creations from artisan brewers.

The pubs themselves are diverse. Grand or simple, cavernous or cosy, they suit different moods and different needs. The best pubs in Glasgow have been around for decades – centuries even – and attract locals who know they’re onto a good thing as well as savvy or serendipitous visitors.

  • 1

    Waxy O'Connor's

    Where to go in Glasgow for the Irish craic

    Waxy O'Connor's
    • Food
    • Nightlife

    Waxy O’Connor’s is Glasgow’s largest Irish bar, a rabbit warren of a place set over 3 floors of interconnected snugs and passageways. Ornate coffered ceilings and wood-panelled walls accented with stone create a bold backdrop. Within these spaces, clusters of leather armchairs and pub tables have been laid out with camaraderie in mind.

    All the elements you’d expect of an Irish pub are here. Live music acts fill the space with the sounds of pipes, whistles and fiddles. Special events mark every occasion from St Patrick’s Day to the highlights of the Irish sporting calendar. Raise a glass of Guinness and celebrate.

    Location: 44 W George St, Glasgow G2 1DH, UK

    Open: Sunday–Thursday from noon to 11 pm, Friday and Saturday from noon to midnight

    Phone: +44 (0)14 1354 5154

    Map
  • 2

    The Pot Still

    Whiskies from around the world

    The Pot Still
    • Food
    • History
    • Nightlife

    The Pot Still in Glasgow began its journey as a pub back in 1886 when Glaswegians knew it as McCall’s. After several changes of ownership, it took on its present persona in 1981 and those at the helm laid the foundations for its future as an award-winning whisky bar.

    These days, there are more than 800 different whiskies behind the bar. They’re all here: single and blended malts, single and blended grains, whisky liqueurs, Scottish, Welsh, Irish, Swedish, Dutch, American, Canadian, Indian, Kiwi and Japanese. Figure out where to start by booking a private whisky tasting.

    Location: 154 Hope St, Glasgow G2 2TH, UK

    Open: Daily from 11 am to midnight

    Phone: +44 (0)14 1333 0980

    Map
  • 3

    The Horseshoe Bar

    Victorian pub with an iconic horseshoe-shaped bar

    The Horseshoe Bar
    • Food
    • Group
    • History
    • Nightlife

    The Horseshoe Bar is a Glasgow institution that first opened in 1884. It’s popular, but even on the busiest of Saturday nights, you shouldn’t have a problem getting served at the bar. That’s because they claim it’s the longest in Europe, measuring 104 feet and 3 inches – over 31 metres – from end to end.

    Alongside Scottish beers and ales are more unusual tipples like grapefruit radler. There’s also a good selection of spirits including Engine Gin with notes of rose, juniper, lemon, and sage. You can come here for karaoke but the biggest draw is the sport feeds, broadcast on 11 screens.

    Location: 17-19 Drury St, Glasgow G2 5AE, UK

    Open: Daily from 11 am to midnight

    Phone: +44 (0)14 1248 6368

    Map
  • 4

    Sloans

    A characterful pub with a cobbled courtyard

    Sloans
    • Food
    • History
    • Nightlife

    Sloans isn’t your usual, run-of-the-mill Glasgow pub. It’s been serving refreshments since 1797, initially as a coffeehouse catering for those who boarded the daily stagecoach to Edinburgh. When David Sloan took over in the early 20th century, he put his own stamp on the place by adding an aquarium and a grand ballroom, used today for a weekly ceilidh.

    Other events that take place here include bingo, quizzes, comedy and more unusually, life drawing classes and drag shows. The Scottish Macaroni Appreciation Club meets here once a month. If you’re content simply to come for a quiet drink, the fairy-lit beer garden is a must on a dry night.

    Location: 108 Argyle St, Glasgow G2 8BG, UK

    Open: Sunday–Thursday from noon to midnight, Friday and Saturday from noon to 1 am

    Phone: +44 (0)14 1221 8886

    Map
  • 5

    Drum & Monkey Glasgow

    A splendid pub housed in a former bank

    Drum & Monkey Glasgow
    • Food
    • History
    • Nightlife

    Drum & Monkey Glasgow is a pub that has a solid reputation for its menu of pies and ales. Inside a grand stone building constructed in 1924, the magnificent interior features an opulent moulded ceiling hung with glass chandeliers plus ornate marble columns rising behind a sturdy wooden bar.

    But it’s the little details that add a dash of quirky charm. Check out the Singerie Snug, a nod to the pub's name, and inscriptions above the bar that bear the phrases from Glasgow’s coat of arms, such as “Here is the bird that never flew.”

    Location: 91 St Vincent St, Glasgow G2 5TF, UK

    Open: Sunday–Thursday from noon to 11.30 pm, Friday and Saturday from noon to midnight

    Phone: +44 (0)14 1221 6636

    Map
  • 6

    The Bon Accord

    An acclaimed pub specialising in ales and whiskies

    The Bon Accord
    • Food
    • History
    • Nightlife

    The Bon Accord is an award-winning pub in Glasgow city centre. It stocks a fine selection of ales, rotating more than 800 different types over the course of a year. But whisky is their true passion and this is the home of the Bon Accord Whisky Society. If you’re a novice, they’ll get your education off to a flying start at one of their regular whisky tastings. 

    The Bon Accord richly deserves accolades such as “Best Whisky Pub of the Year 2021”, bestowed by the folks behind the Good Pub Guide. There are more than 500 whiskies from which to choose, including a septuagenarian Glenlivet and Macallan.

    Location: 153 North St, Glasgow G3 7DA, UK

    Open: Monday from 11 am to 11 pm, Tuesday–Saturday from 11 am to midnight, Sunday from 12.30 pm to 11 pm

    Phone: +44 (0)14 1248 4427

    Map
  • 7

    The Ben Nevis

    A renowned whisky pub in Finnieston

    The Ben Nevis
    • Food
    • Nightlife

    The Ben Nevis in Glasgow’s hip foodie hub of Finnieston feels more like a bothy than a city pub. It boasts stone walls, an open fire and live folk music – promised on a Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday but possible at any time. Together, these elements bring to mind exactly such traditional countryside dwellings and, for a time, you’ll forget the city traffic beyond its door.

    This is the place to come again and again if you like whisky, with friendly staff members happy to offer advice if you’re finding it hard to choose. From the big names to those smaller distilleries you rarely hear of, it’s all here.

    Location: 1147 Argyle St, Finnieston, Glasgow G3 8TB, UK

    Open: Daily from noon to midnight

    Phone: +44 (0)14 1576 5204

    Map
  • 8

    The Scotia

    A historic pub and popular hangout

    The Scotia
    • Food
    • History
    • Nightlife

    The Scotia is Glasgow’s oldest pub, founded in 1792. With its brass taps, battered wooden shelving and a banknote collection fluttering from its low-slung ceiling, it has bags of charm. As you’d expect, it receives more than its fair share of visitors, but a loyal band of regulars add credibility.

    Though the beer shines, this is a place to hang out and have fun. Play pool upstairs or time your visit for a live music performance. Billy Connolly and Gerry Rafferty are among the big names that have once taken the stage here, so who knows, you might just discover the next big thing.

    Location: 112 Stockwell St, Glasgow G1 4LW, UK

    Open: Daily from noon to midnight

    Phone: +44 (0)14 1552 8681

    Map

    photo by Rab Lawrence (CC BY 2.0) modified

  • 9

    Innis & Gunn Glasgow Brewery Taproom

    A thriving taproom in Glasgow’s lively West End

    Innis & Gunn Glasgow Brewery Taproom
    • Nightlife

    Innis & Gunn Glasgow Brewery Taproom in Hillhead is a popular go-to for good Irish beer. Innis & Gunn itself is an independent brewery with taprooms across Scotland. Founder Dougal Gunn Sharp learnt the ropes from his father and eventually branched out on his own. Soon he was able to open a string of taprooms, including 2 in Glasgow.

    Try The Original, its flagship beer. The idea for this very special beer came about as a way to season oak casks that would later hold single malt whisky. Those who tasted it soon realised it was a winner, with hints of vanilla, honey, toffee and spice forming this complex and flavour-packed brew.

    Location: 44 - 46 Ashton Lane, Hillhead, Glasgow G12 8SJ, UK

    Open: Daily from noon to midnight

    Phone: +44 (0)14 1334 6688

    Map
  • 10

    The Allison Arms

    A buzzing neighbourhood pub

    The Allison Arms
    • Food
    • History
    • Nightlife

    The Allison Arms is a dog-friendly pub in Glasgow’s Southside. Aside from a brief spell in the 1920s when it closed under pressure from prohibitionists, it’s been a landmark pub on the busy Pollokshaws Road since 1884 and remains as popular as ever.

    The pub hosts regular live music nights, quizzes and karaoke evenings, but coming here is mostly about socialising with friends. The range of drinks on offer is extensive, and you’ll be offered a choice of more than 60 German beers, a further 150 or so craft beers and over 160 specialist gins.

    Location: 720 Pollokshaws Rd, Glasgow G41 2AD, UK

    Open: Daily from 11 am to midnight

    Phone: +44 (0)14 1423 1661

    Map
Julia Hammond | Contributing Writer