GLASGOW
4. Along West Nile St
There are 22 pub trails in Glasgow. There are ten trails in the centre of the city, plus five in the West End, two on The Southside across the river and four going East.
Three trails explore three of the main streets in the city centre HOPE St; RENFIELD St and WEST NILE St
Two trails are around Squares; GEORGE SQUARE and the OLD FRUIT MARKET in Merchant City.
Another five, trails take in : QUEEN St & GLASSFORD St, JAMAICA St/ST ENOCH, BATH STREET , WATERLOO St & BOTTOM of HOPE St and CHARING CROSS .
Across the river Clyde, on the South side are PAISLEY ROAD WEST and QUEEN’S PARK trails.
Going east are trails for Around THE TRONGATE, up GALLOWGATE , DUKE STREET, Dennistoun and along to SHETTLESTON
In the West End there are more trails - St George's Cross subway to Kelvin Bridge , BYRES ROAD , KELVINBRIDGE , KELVINHALL TO PARTICK and MARYHILL
Plus the SUBWAY CRAWL - 15 subway stops and the closest bars.
Glasgow pubs along West Nile St
GLASGOW: WEST NILE STREET TRAIL
From Glasgow Central walk out the main entrance and turn right, cross over Renfield St (Renfield St Trail) and walk up to the left and cross over to the next corner which is the small, lane called Dury St. Walk along here to West Nile St. In this walk you could visit visiting the famous Horse Shoe Bar, the Dury St Bar & Kitchen and Yes Bar (currently closed). These are not part of the real trail but The Horse Shoe is worth a visit.
To start the trail when reaching the end of Dury St turn left to go up West Nile St. First stop next block up is Vroni's Wine Bar. At the next corner, across the road is The Shilling Brewery Co. Continue up West Nile St a few blocks to find The Iron Horse -closed.
There is now a short walk up to the top of West Nile St and following the curve round cross over the main road and onto Port Dundas Road. At the next corner is The Station Bar. Return back to West Nile St and begin the journey downhill. Stay on the right-hand pavement and turn right onto Renfrew St and in the middle of this block, on the right, is The Intermezzo. Return to West Nile St and cross over to go down the far side. Almost opposite what was The Iron Horse is Alfie’s (was Alfredo's). On the next long block down is Cul Cuil (formerly The Courtyard). Two Corners down is All Bar One. Continue straight down to Innes & Gunn Taproom then Las Iguanas and then to the end of West Nile St and cross over to Mitchell St and on the left, midway down, is Revolution. Then at the next lane corner there is Ross's Original Bar. Cross over and walk down a little to August House, then return to Ross’s and turn left along the lane to Tabac.
A place this size is bound to have its own guides to illustrate the vast quantity, quality and styles of pubs.
Glasgow guide illustrating top ten pubs in different styles of drinking (and dining) eg Style pubs or Live Music pubs.
Timeout listing of best pubs - controversial
A good proportion of the pubs have real ale but many do not. The west coast still has a bit of a lager flavour - occasionally only lager. Real ale is not limited to trendy style pubs, and not even in many of these.
Glasgow does not have the tourist grouping of pubs as found in Edinburgh - they are mainly aimed at Glasgow folk.
Practically every pub offers food at lunch or all day
The Horse Shoe ★
The Horse Shoe is a regular in pub books looking for iconic pubs. Set down Drury Street (actually a lane) in Glasgow city centre. A building of historic importance according to Historic Scotland. Downstairs is a centre bar in a horseshoe shape to the front with the rear of each leg curving out to give two lobes. Said to be the longest bar counter in Britain at 104 feet.
History History 2
Reccomended by Anthony Cooke author of A History of Drinking: The Scottish Pub Since 1700 link
Upstairs lounge
Good Beer Guide (CAMRA) regular, including 2023
Have one here
real ale: Bitter & Twisted (Harviestoun), Caledonian 80/-, Summer, Deuchars (Caledonian)
heavy Belhaven Best; Tennent's Special, Caffrey's
lager : Tennent's
Drury St Bar and kitchen
Drury St bar and Kitchen is a large downstairs bar. More of an evening venue than lunch time.
Have half pint here
heavy: nil
lager: Steampunk; Brooklyn Brewery; Grimbergen Blonde; Carlsberg; Staropramen ; Tuborg; San Miguel
Cider: Somersby
The Yes Bar closed
The Yes Bar (nee Vespars) styles itself as a retro Italian cafe-bar. Street level small bar with formica and plastic retro style furnishing. Upstairs is balcony seating looking over the centre of the small bar. Where is the Scottish beer? Brewdog and Innis & Gunn
Have one here
real ale: : 45 IPA
heavy : John Smith
lager : Heineken; Fosters; Amstel; Birra Moretta; Sagres; Three Hop Lager
cider :Strongbow Guinness
PLACES TO VISIT WITH PUBTRAILS
The towns and villages highlighted on this web site have a wide variety of pubs and beers in them. All of the places are great to visit, whether for a day or longer, and most have tourist attractions for all of the family.
There is a large variety of pubs throughout the different towns shown below. Some you may wish never to visit again but even discovering these can be interesting. There are pubs that you would not take your wife into. While some you could not take your girlfriend into. A few you would not take either into. However, most of the pubs are very pleasant.
HOME MAP of places visited
Alnwick Ambleside Anstruther Bakewell Bamburgh Barnard Castle Bath Berwick upon Tweed Birnam & Dunkeld Bourton on the Water Bowness on Windermere Bridge of Allan Chester Chichester Dunblane Dunoon Edinburgh Ely Fort William Glasgow Gourock Greenock Helensburgh Inverness Kelso Keswick Knaresborough Largs Linlithgow Lyme Regis Melrose Montrose Newton Stewart North Berwick Norwich Oban Pebbles Penzance Portree Pitlochry Quorn Richmond Rothesay St Andrews Seahouses Seend Shrewsbury Skipton Stirling Stratford-upon-Avon Stockton Heath Whitby Windemere Whitstable York
Now the West Nile Street trail proper starts
Vroni's Wine Bar
Vroni's Wine Bar is dark and quiet; low lighting, low ceiling, low music. Small round tables, two to a booth line both walls until the bar counter on right hand side. More seating beyond bar and upstairs in mezzanine level. Some outside tables either side of door.
Not a beer drinker's paradise yet intimate and relaxing so worth visiting
Have a half pint
heavy :Caledonia Best
lager : Stella; Bud; Estrella; Tennent's
Guinness
The Shilling Brewing Co ★
The Shilling Brewing Co (formerly Horton's) opened June 2016 is a large open plan bar and pizza place. the first brewpub in the centre of the city it has around 30 draught beers available. The servery is along the wall to the left of the entrance. This is a brew pub with the brewery to the left of, and behind and above the marble bar counter. The corner building has an impressive interior in height and volume. A variety of styles of seating and tables are available. the right-hand side of the room is slightly raised. The fonts have numbers rather than names, which refer you to beer menu on the wall giving taste descriptions and logos (actual names not always readable). The fonts also have a glass front so that colours of beers can be seen as they flow through. Their own brews are served via fonts on the back wall.
have a pint here.
Real: Full Nettle Racket (Shilling Brewery)
Craft: Unicorn; The Steamie; Glasgow red (Shilling brewery); Joker; Ceasar Augustus (both Williams) Drygate IPA
Lager: Heverlee; Tennent's; Drygate lager Drygate Pilsner
Guinness
The Iron Horse closed
now closed for redevelopment
The Iron Horse has an entrance at either side. Both take you to seating by the windows on a platform. The counter starts a little way in with a rounded end. There are stools along the bar. Further down the bar the room opens out for traditional tables and chairs. There is a small basement lounge for hire and upstirs there is a large conference / event suite.
Have a pint here.
Craft Dublin Porter
Heavy Joker; Caledonia Best
Lager Tennent’s; Haverlee; Innes & Gunn; Stella
Cider Magners Caledonia Stout Guinness
The Station Bar ★
The Station Bar is a small cosy bar on a corner in a tenement building. there is a small traditional bar with a lounge area beyond it. It is the bar area that is busy with both sexes, young and old.
Door at corner with servery in centre of opposite wall. Some stools around wooden servery and gantry. Pub fixtures are wooden with with fabric coverings all dark green. Seating to right of entrance two small round tables and one tall table and along window wall opposite servery. With dining style tables and green coloured Banquette seating with chairs opposite.
Further into left and beyond servery is a second stirring area.
Ornate ceiling white with designs picked out in dark green
The Station Bar stopped serving real ale in 2021.
HISTORY
Have one here
real ale : STOPPED selling real ale .
Heavy/IPA: Belhaven Best; East Coast Pale Ale
Lager: Coors; Tennents, Belhaven Saltire; Carling; West 4
Cider: Strongbow
Stout Guinness; Belhaven Black
Intermezzo
Intermezzo does not live up to its name as a night club it sounds like but is actually traditional small bar. It has a square room with the servery to the left-hand wall. There is also an upstairs mezzanine lounge overlooking the bar area.
History
Heavy Special 70/-; Caledonia Best
Lager Stella; Tennent’s
Cider Olde English Guinness+cold
Alfie’s (was Alfredo’s ) ★
Alfie’s (was Alfredo’s) has a small outside presence that is almost cafe looking. Inside there is a long seating area connected to a back spot which widens out and has a horseshoe shaped serving counter. The counter is taller than usual with stools around it. There is seating around sides and in middle of room. The walls are decorated with framed European football shirts.
Have a pint here.
History
Heavy Gladeye IPA (Drygate); Caledonia Best
Lager Bud; Haverlee; Menabrea
Cider Strongbow Guinness
Cul Cuil (Formerly The Courtyard)
Cul Cuil (Formerly The Courtyard, first three pics) has changed from a bar with performance area to a bar/restaurant. The old courtyard area downstairs and the corridor leading to it are set out for dining tables. The front room, a bit more bar, has more variety with tall tables and stools along the centre and barrel tables close to servery.
Have a half pint here.
Lager Amstel; Red Stripe; Birra Moretti; Brixton; Heineken;
Cider Strongbow and dark Fruit Guinness
All Bar One
All Bar One is large bar on a corner site with outside seating along one side. The outside walls are all glass which combines with the lighting and the white ceiling to give a very light and spacious feeling to the seating area. The bar is in the opposite corner to the entrance and serves both sides of the room.
Seating and tables are a variety of styles and layout has tables for two and for bigger groups. More seating, of the more traditional square tables with four seats, is upstairs
History
Have a pint here.
beer Hazy Jane; Joker
Lager Madri; Tennent's; St Mungo; Asahi; Pravha
Cider Aspall Guinness
non-alcoholic Lucky Saint
Innes & Gunn Taproom
Innes & Gunn Taproom was a disappointment room wise. It is a big open plan room with full sized windows letting in lots of light. Easy to see that it is at its best in the evening with lots of room for customers both sitting and standing. The floor of the room seems to be the floor used by the previous premises. The servery takes the middle of the left hand wall. On the servery are only dispensers for Innes & Gunn Lager. On the back wall are lots of other pourers for the drinks shown on the large displays up above the back of the counter.
Once past the lager taps there are another 21 craft beers to feast upon. So not really disappointing.
Against the left wall are seven attractive booths with soft seating. Down the c entre of the room are a row of dining height long wooden tables and benches then a row of tall steel tables with the ever popular ever metal stools. At the far end of the room and also along the right hand side beyond the servery are dining style tables. The long tables have large numbers on them in case you get lost. The minimalist décor is accompanied by air conditioning units handing from the room to give that concrete and metal industrial look.
Meals served and dog friendly.
Beers available: see pictures above
Las Iguanas
Las Iguanas is a large Latin food restaurant. It has a large servery for standing at while waiting a table or three small round tables with chairs for a very quiet drink.
Pleasant but not a pub
A half pint here
Corona is the choice
Revolution
Revolution is a large room with access to downstairs in the foyer. Once inside there is seating around to the right and a small coffee table area ahead on the left. Further on the main room has two parts split down the middle by wall and pillars stripped back to the brick. The left-hand side has seating and tall tables and stools against wall and along the pillars leading to a boardroom style area at end of room. The right-hand side has the long metal servery along the right-hand wall and more tall tables along the pillars. Shiny wooden flooring. There are high ceilings with bare metal beams and skylights in the wooden ceiling. Lots of standing room between counter and tables. Food served
History
Bitter: Camden pale; Goose IPA
Lager: Tennent’s; Estrella; Mahou; Peroni
Cider: Magner’s
Ross’s Original Bar
Ross’s Original Bar has a small frontage from the road but stretches down the lane to the right. It has a long thin bar area which widens out at the far end. There is seating around front and right-hand side by the windows. A very traditional looking bar. Does food.
History
Have a half pint here
Heavy Caledonia Best ; Gladeye
Lager Tennent’s; ; Heverlee; Manabrea
Cider Magners Guinness+cold
August House
August House is a cocktail bar and restaurant hidden away in a dark Street. Once in the door the attractive room has the servery on the far wall. Bers are served from taps on the back wall which unfortunately are not named so it needs a quick glance at the menu to see what is available.
Rhe entrance corridor leading to servery has banquette seating and tall tables to the right with some shelve space and stools opposite. The far side has secluded booths while running up the centre is a wide tunnel like room with banquette seating and dining height tables with chairs. Wall and furnishings are reddish and whole place has an orange light to it. At the window end round from entrance are some dining height tables and a DJ space.
IPA: Jubel; (Drygate)
Lager: Menabrea
Cider: Magners Dark fruit
Tabac ★
Tabac is a small intimate dark bar room. There is banquette seating to the left of entrance and then the room narrows with the black servery on the right and four small tables and seating opposite it. The small room is dominated by two gigantic black and white posters of glamourous ladies from the 1940s. The room has a high ceiling with several large mirrors on the side and back wall. Paintwork is black and there is some theme of 2eye2 including in the lights supported by bare steel.
Have a pint here
Bitter: Elvis Juice; Punk; East Coast
Lager: Bear Face; Birra Moretti; Moritz; Estrella
Cider: Aspall Guinness
Links for Glasgow city centre Pubtrails
-
Trail 1 - Around George Square
(blue with black dot icon)
Waxy O’ Connors
Dow’s
The Vale (now closed)
Camperdown Place (closed)
Georgics
The Ark
The Piper
Committee Room No 9
Katie’s Bar
Drouthys
The Counting House
The Anchor Line
The Citizen (was The Trading House)
The Auctioneers
-
Trail 2 - HOPE STREET
(light blue icon)
Stereo
The Old Hairdressers
The Society Room
The Pot Still.
Molly Malone's.
MacConnell's
Ardnamurchan (was Trader Joe's)
Rufus T Firefly
NYC Bar
Ad Lib
The Toby Jug
The Smokin' Fox (formerly The Hope)
-
Trail 3 RENFIELD STREET
(green icon)
The Merchant
The Maltman
The Raven
Lauders.
The Atholl Arms
Walkabout
The Renfield Bar
Revolution
Missoula
Revolucion De Cuba
The Drum and Monkey
The Horseshoe.
Dury Lane Bar & Kitchen
Yes Bar - closed
-
Trail 4 - WEST NILE St
(red icon)
Vroni's Wine Bar
The Shilling Brewing Co.
The Iron Horse - closed
The Station Bar
The Intermezzo
Alfie’s (was Alfredo's)
Cul Cuil (was The Courtyard)
All Bar One
Innes & Gunn Talroom
Los Iguanas
Revolution
Ross's Original Bar
Tabac
August House
-
Trail 5 - AROUND THE FRUITMARKET
(grey icons)
Bar 91
Beer Cafe
The Metropolitan
Marmalade Skies (was Boudoir Wine Bar) - closed
Bar Square
The Tap Room (was Steak, Rattle and Roll which was Bar Espagnol Mercado)
O'Neil's
Bar Soba
Bar Gandolfi.
Bar Home
Babbity Bowster,
Strathduie (was Macgregor's Pie & Ale Howf and before that Strathduie !)
The Black Bull
McChuills
Connolly’s LIQR (was LIQR and before that The G-Lounge)
Blackfriars of Bell St
-
Trail 6 -A circle around Waterloo St & Hope St
(yellow icon)
The Smokin’ Fox (was The Hope)
Kitty O'Shea's
El Camino (was The Drop)
Rhoderick Dhu
The Woods
The Waterloo
The Duke’s Umbrella
Sir John Muir
Oswald’s (was Kellys ;was Quarter Gill)
No 16 Bar & Kitchen (was Sotto; was The Two Heided Man)
Denholms
Solid Rock Cafe
The Alpen Lodge
The Park Lane
26 Hope St
-
Trail 7 - Queen St and Glassford St
(purple icon)
Biere Halle
The Lab
Wonderbar
Sloans
Rocky O' Sullivans CLOSED
Strata CLOSED
Max's Bar & Grill
Thundercat
The Spiritualist
Cairns
Steps Bar
Blane Valley
Bacchus
Rab Ha's
The Pavement
The Doghouse
The Gallery Bar
The Amsterdam
The Oriental (closed)
-
Trail 8 - Jamaica St- St Enoch
(brown icon)
O'Neil's (was The Royal Scott)
The Grant Arms
The Crystal Palace
Macsorley's
The Imperial
The Mint & Lime
Lauristons
Gallagher’s (was Kelly’s and was Coyote)
Hootenanny
Times Square
Crafty Joe's (taken over by Times Square)
-
Trail 16 - Charing Cross
(yellow with small square)
Bavaria Baurhaus
Slug & Lettuce
Bon Accord
Chinaski’s
The Locale
Driftwood
The Hall
Nico’s
Kilt & Kocktails
The Hengler’s Circus
The State
-
Trail 10 - Bath St
(red with small square)
Golf Loung
Buck’s Bar
Bloc+
The Butterfly and The Pig
Palomino
Slouch
The Griffin
Tiki Bar and Kitsch Inn
St Judes
Howlin’ Wolf
Malones
The Bay Horse
-
Trail 19 - Paisley Rd West
(dark blue teardrop)
Lauriston Bar
The Quayside bar
The Union Bar
The Old Toll Bar
The Viceroy
The Bellrock
Grapes
The District bar
Kensington Bar
Park Bar
-
trail 22 -Queen's Park
McNeil’s
The Regent
Titwood Bar
TheBbungo
Allison Arms
MJ Heraghty
Victoria Bar
Ryan’s bar
The Bell Jar
The Rose reilly
Queen’s Park Cafe
-
Trail 9 - Around The Trongate
(orange with large square icon)
Grace’s Irish Sports Bar
Buck’s Bar
Boteco do Brazil
Maggie May's
Avant Garde
13th Note -(closed)
Old Empire Bar (closed)
Whistler on the Green
The Old Ship Bank Bar
The Winds
The Victoria & Clutha
The Scotia
-
Trail 17 - up the Gallowgate
Chrystal Bell & Co
MacKinnon’s
The Gate (check opening)
Bar ‘67 (check opening)
226 Gallowgate
Hielan Jessie
The Wee Man’s Pub
The Drover
Van Winkle (check opening)
Luke’s & The Flying Ox
Traders Lounge
The Old Burnt Barns (check opening)
Braemar
Tollbooth Bar
-
Trail 18 - Duke Street, Dennistoun
The Bristol bar
The Louden tavern
The Duke Bar
the Crown Creighton
The Alexandra Bar
The Snug
The Palais
Redmond’s of Dennistoun
The Drover
The Wee Man’s Bar
-
Trail 21 -Shettleston
Snedden’s Inn
The Palaceum
The Town Tavern
The Cottage Bar
The Marquis
The Drum
The Portland Arms
The Railway tavern
The Kirkhouse
Miller’s
Links for Glasgow West End & Subway Pubtrails
-
Trail 11 - St George's to Kelvinbridge
(lime green with tick icon)
The Castle Vaults
The Hug and Pint
The Scallion (was Munro's then The Bull and now ..)
Wintersgills
The Lansdowne - closed
Webster's
Inn Deep
Cooper’s
Bakehouse
The Left bank
Stravaigin
The Doublet
Schoolhouse
Dram!
Arlington
The Carnarvon Bar
-
Trail 12- Byres Rd
(light blue icon)
Curler's Rest
the Wee Pub/The Pub
Innes & Gunn Brewery Tap
Brel
Vodka Wodka
Jinty McGinty’s
Hillhead Book Club
The Parlour
Oran Mor
BeGin
Tennent's Bar
Bar Soba
The Aragon
The Hill - closed
Gumbo - closed
The Record Factory
The Three Judges
Bag O'Nails
-
Trail 13 - Kelvingrove
(red with tick)
Dirty Duchess
Lebowskis
Taphouse
The Grove
The Big Slide
The Snaffle Bit
The Butchershop
BrewDog
Dukes Bar
The Islay Inn
The Park Bar
No 78
Kelvingrove Cafe
The Ben Nevis
Finnieston
Brass Monkey
Strip Joint
-
trail 15 - Kelvinhall to Partick and back
(maroon circle with square or tic)
To To
Kelvinhall Patrick Stumps Bar Three Judges
The Fiddlers The Dolphin
Victoria Bar Bag O’Nails
Quarter Gill Storm Queen
The Linsmor Smiddy Bar
Sparkle Horse Tenement Bar
Bauhaus Windsor Tav.
Record Factory Rosevale Tav.
Gallus Deoch An Dorus
-
trail 20 - Maryhill
LOWER
The Castle Vaults
The Tower
the Star & Garter
Munn’s
The BrewHaus
The Botany Bar
The Woodside Inn
The Royalty Bar
UPPER
The First & Last
Kelvin Dock
The Punch Bow;
The Viking Bar
The Lockhouse
Harvey’s Bar
The Ram’s Head
-
Trail 14 - Glasgow Subway
Waxy O'Connors
Jackson’s
Castle Vaults
The Hug
The Doublet
Curler’s Rest
The Bag O' Nails
Deoch and Doris
Brechin's
The Louden Tavern
Kensington
The Bellrock
Stanley Bar - closed
The Old Toll Bar
The Lord Nelson - closed
Laurieston
Times Square
Links to pages and sites
-
Books on Beer
A variety of recommended books to improve your knowledge of beer and brewing
-
Stevenson & MacKay
Craig Stevenson and John MacKay use their bus passes to visit pubs the length and breadth of Scotland.
They have recorded their adventures in seven books.
-
Books on Pubs
A veriety of recommended books that describe the history and development of the public house.
-
-
CAMRA
The Campaign for Real Ale
-
Places visited by Pubtrails
Villages, towns and cities which appear on this website.
ANSWER: Atlantic