GLASGOW

16 Charing Cross

 There are 23 pub trails in Glasgow. There are eleven trails in the centre of the city, plus five in the West End, three on The Southside across the river and three going East and of course the famous Subway Crawl

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, Around THE TRONGATE, BATH STREET

WATERLOO St & BOTTOM of HOPE St and CHARING CROSS .

Across the river Clyde, on the South side are PAISLEY ROAD WEST , SHAWLANDS and QUEEN’S PARK trails.

Going east are trails for up GALLOWGATE , DUKE STREET, Dennistoun and along to SHETTLESTON

In the West End there are more trails - GREAT WESTERN ROAD two trails covering Great Western Road and Woodlands Road via St Georges Cross to

Kelvinbridge Undergrounds

BYRES ROAD - two trails one down Byres Road and the other using Ashton Lane ,

FINNESTON,

KELVINHALL TO PARTICK - two routes back and forward between Kelvinhall and Partick subway stations

and MARYHILL - two trails split into top and lower

Plus the SUBWAY CRAWL - subway stops and the closest bars.

Glasgow pubs around Charing Cross

GLASGOW: CHARING CROSS TRAIL

From Glasgow Central walk out the main entrance and turn left to walk to Hope St. At the lights cross over and then cross again onto the far side of Bothwell St. Walk uo to the corner to find Bavaria Brauhaus. Leaving here turn around the corner and head up the hill to the next set of traffic lights at St Vincent’s St (not the first small lane) and across the road on the righ is The Slug and Lettuce. A refeshment before the walk, 10 minutes, to the first Charing Cross pub.

Now a long walk across Wellington St and up St Vincent St all the way to crossing over above the motorway (M8) . Once the other side of the motorway turn right onto North St towards Charing Cross and a further minute along is The Bon Accord. Walk on towards Charing Cross but turn quick left and find The Maverick at the next corner now return to the main road and continue to Charing Cross and find Chinaski’s and The Locale right next to each other just before the corner.

Leaving these you need to cross back over the M8 and cross diagonally towards Sauchiehall St and the Driftwood Bar is on the corner. From here down Sauchiehall St is across the road The Hall. Further along, passing Nice & Sleazy and The Variety Bar (visiting these depends on day and opening times -see later) is Nico’s. Across the road and up is The Kilt and Kocktails, back across the road is The Hengler’s Circus and round the corner from this is The State

 A place this size is bound to have its own guides to illustrate the vast quantity, quality and styles of pubs.

CAMRA in Glasgow

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

Bavaria Baurhaus

Bavaria Baurhaus is Glasgows Munich Style beer hall. Long servery along the right-hand wall with tables filling the room. There is also an upstairs which over looks the main hall with more seating. There is lots of beer on offer – 20 draught and over 40 different bottles. Bavarian food is offered all day and there are evenings with a beer hall brass band.

The beer comes from the big six Bavarian breweries – Hofbrau   , Lowenbrau,  Paulaner;  Spatenbrau;  Augustinerbrau;  Hacker-Pschorr. Padles of four assorted beers are available for tasting sessions.

 Slug and Lettuce closed

Slug and Lettuce has a long thin bar room into the right with more seating going to the left behind the long . The room opens out at the far end of the servery. Opposite the servery are some booths and some seating along side the large windows. there is lots of lighting to aguement the daylight coming in the large windows.

Have a half pint here

Heavy (Bitter):     Punk IPA

Lager:                  Tennent’s;  13 Hop lager;  Innes & Gunn lager;  Peroni;  Esttrella;   St Mungo;  Blue Moon

Cider:                   Mortimer Orchard;  Rekorderlig                                   Guinness

Pub Jukebox:

Alcohol themed music to listen to while you browse.

strange brew - Cream

 Bon Accord ★

Bon Accord is situated alongside the M8 on North St. The entrance at right of building takes you to a thin bar with some basic tables and chairs to the left at window. Then the servery, with stools, is along the left wall. This has a dark wood counter and gantry; the gantry is full of whiskies. There are tall chairs at shelves along the wall opposite servery. Beyond servery and down a few stairs the bar opens up to a large seating area with various sizes of dark wood dining tables and some leather like armchairs. At end of this room is a door to some outside seating.

The pub has little natural light and has dark wood floor with white ceiling and walls; with wood panel third of way up walls. Food is served all day.

Regular in Good Beer Guide, including 2023, 2024, 2025

Real ale:        usually 10 pumps - nice to see real ale handpumps outnumbering keg taps Stout Jock; Balmy days (Adnams); Ritual Pale (Alchemy); Glasgow Cross (Broughton); Thekstons Bitter; Inferno (oakham); Edinburgh gold (Stewarts) Born Brewery IPA

previous visit - Duchess;  Malt bomb (Alechemy);  Happy Chappy (Cromatory);   Pedigree;  Northwest Pale (Runaway);  Ritual (Alechemy);  Top Out;  Chocolate Armoretto

Heavy/Pale Ale:        Beaverton Neck Oil

Lager:                          Heineken Silver; Birra Moretti

Cider:                          Old Rosie                                            Inch’s            Guinness

The Maverick

The Maverick is a pleasant corner bar with the corner of the L-shaped servery straight ahead of door. Left and right have banquette seating under the windows with dining style tables and chairs. Wooden counter has some stools along it. the counter stretches longest to the right and through a door it also serves a lounge area with banquette seating on three sides

heavy/Pale Ale: Bombay Bicycle Pale Ale;

Lager: Tennent’s; Stella; Sapporo

Cider: Magners; Kingfisher Guinness

 Chinaski’s ★

Chinanski’s - strangely there is no name outside, merely a board proclaiming information that could as just as easily belong to the pub next door. This is a gem that hides itself away.

The door takes you to a long thin bar with seating either side of door and servery, with stools, starting half way along the right-hand wall. Stools along servery. There

A dark room dark brown wooden floor, dark wood fixtures black tall servery though glass mirror gantry.

A small covered and heated outside seating area of table and benches which acts as a balcony to look over a larger beer yard with orange umbrellas. The balcony also overlooks The Locale pub next door

Heavy/Pale ale:            Chinaski’s Pale Ale; Ice breaker Pale Ale

Lager:                           Tennent’s; Furstenburg; Weihenstephan; Estrella Gallia; Peroni; Chinaski’s Lager

Guinness

The Locale

The Locale is an interesting bar. The long servery is along left wall while beyond the servery is an outside balcony  overlooking a large beer garden.

Opposite the servery are tall tables with stools and banquette seating. The mezzanine area has dining table and chair seating. On the balcony are tables and bench seating overlooking Chinaski’s next door. While below the balcony is a large “beer garden”, no grass; just one of the largest outside drinking yards in Glasgow are long tables and benches covered with large umbrellas – almost a marque. There is also a downstairs ‘Dive’ available for private parties. Good food available.

Lager:                            Locale lager; Estrella Galicia; Pravha

Wheat Beer:                  Blue Moon

Cider:         Aspall                                               Guinness

PUB QUIZ

Which Cluedo suspect is known as Dona Violeta in Brazil?

Answer at foot of page

 Driftwood Bar

Driftwood Bar is a student party night and quiz venue. Tall servery with stools on left side immediately inside the door. To the right are some stools and booths.

Beyond the servery is a larger round area with a domed ceiling which has lots of seating. Wooden furniture is a white distressed wood look throughout.

Lager:        Amstel;  Heineken Silver.

Cider:             Strongbow

 The Hall

The Hall entrance is into middle of very large room with full length windows on either side and with a tall servery along the back wall. A place targeted for lots of customers -students, craft beer drinkers, food, sports on TV and pool players.

Two pool tables are off to the right attracting older clients in afternoon, though not many.

Lots of dining style tables with chairs  and some tall tables with chairs, with some long tables to encourage large groups.

Craft ales:            Yeastie Boys;  Jari; ; Caesar Augustus;   Hazy Jane; Vermont ( Tempest);  Elvis Juice; Punk IPA; Planet Pale;  Neck Oil

Lager:                  St Mungo;  Tennent’s;  Innes and Gunn lager

Cider:                         Strongbow                                                 Guinness

 Nico’s

 Nico’s has some outside seating either side of the door. Inside the servery with marble topped counter and stools along front, is along the right hand wall. There is modern banquette seating down left hand wall with dining height tables and chairs. Beyond servery are two booths on right and seating beside glass shelves. Décor has lots of mirrors on walls above the seating and then white walls to ceiling. Middle of the room has an archway .

Pale Ale:    Lagunitas Daytime

Lager:        Heineken; Heineken Silver; Amstel;  Birra Moretti; Staroperama; Corona

Cider:             Strongbow; Strongbow Dark Fruit                      Guinness

Kilt and Kocktails

Kilt and Cocktails The Kilt and Kocktails is a cocktail bar designed as an evening venue. Either side of entrance are booth areas and then a tall black servery is against the left wall. Opposite the servery is dining style area. The areas beyond servery to the right and left have tables for two or booths for party groups for nights out.

Lager:     Tennent’s (four fonts!);  Bud Light; Stella

Cider: Magners                                          Guinness

The Hengler’s Circus

The Hengler’s Circus is a corner Wetherspoon’s pub with large windows allowing light coming in from two sides. L shaped corner room with L shaped corner servery on back wall. Mix of tall and dining tables and chairs and stools. To the right of servery is a more secluded area with booths and more seating.

Regular in Good Beer Guide, including 2023, 2024, 2025

Real Ale:             Belhaven  80/- Shilling;  Doom Bar; Abbot; Ossian; Cowcatcher (east London); Silkies Stout; Hobgoblin Gold; Blackadder Stout (Mauldons)

Heavy/bitter: Worthington; Punk IPA; Joker

Lager: Carling; Leffe; Corona; Tennent’s; Innes & Gunn; Budweisser; Bud Light; Staroperaman; Stella; Caesar Augustus; Carlsberg; Blue Moon; San Miguel

Cider: Strongbow; Strongbow Dark Fruits; Stowford Guinness

The State ★

The State is a traditional old pub with large etched windows to the front and doors at each side leading to an oval island bar with marble counter and brass foot rails. The counter has fancy wooden posts around it holding up a curved gantry for glass storage. The main area is dominated by the bar and its fittings. Old photos and theatre posters fill the space in the walls not covered by large mirrors. 4 TVs and modern toilets keep you in the present. Wood, mirrors and counter all sparkling clean. There is some seating to back and to the right-hand side (seating at left has been removed for modern toilets although cornicing and wall have been preserved.) Attractive old fireplace in righthand corner (although not a real fire) with banquette seating and tables to either side. Only midweek lunchtime meals. Blues music on Tuesday night.

CAMRA Glasgow pub of the year 2007, 2012, 2014 to 17, 2019, 2021, 2023

Regular in Good Beer Guide , including 2023, 2024, 2025

Have a pint here

Real ale: Nelson IPA (two by Two); Simple Pleasure (Almasty); State No 3 (Stearts)  White Dwarf; Citra; Green Devil (all three Oakham)

Heavy (Bitter): McEwan’s Export;  John Smiths

Lager:             Tennent’s;  Estrella; Innes & Gunn; Staroperaman; Birra Moretti; 1604

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

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)

    Millenium Hotel

    The Alchemist

    Flight Club

    The Ark

    The Press Bar

    Committee Room No 9

    Katie’s Bar

    The Piper

    Assaggin i(was Doppio Malto)

    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

    Hope & Vincent

    Ad Lib (closed)

    The Toby Jug

    The Smokin' Fox (formerly The Hope)

  • Trail 3 -renfield St

    (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 (closed)

    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

    Mharsanta

  • Trail 6 - Waterloo St and bottom of Hope St

    (yellow icon)

    The Smokin’ Fox (was The Hope)

    Kitty O'Shea's (downstairs)

    Kitty O'Shea's (was El Camino and was The Drop)

    Rhoderick Dhu

    The Woods

    The Waterloo

    The Duke’s Umbrella

    Sir John Muir

    Oswald’s (was Kellys ;was Quarter Gill)

    Lafferty's (was 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

    Poco Loco (was The Pavement )

    BrewDog

    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 - closed

    Lauristons

    Gallagher’s (was Kelly’s and was Coyote)

    Hootenanny

    Times Square

    Crafty Joe's (taken over by Times Square)

  • Trail 9 - Around The Trongate

    (orange with large square icon)

    Grace’s Irish Sports Bar

    Buck’s Bar

    Boteco do Brazil

    Maggie’s Rock n Rodeo

    Avant Garde

    13th Note -(closed)

    Mono

    Whistler on the Green

    The Old Ship Bank Bar

    The Winds

    The Victoria & Clutha

    The Scotia

  • Trail 10 - Bath St

    (red with small square)

    Golf Lounge

    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 16 - Charing Cross

    (yellow with small square)

    Bavaria Baurhaus

    Slug & Lettuce (closed)

    Bon Accord

    Chinaski’s

    The Locale

    Driftwood

    The Hall

    Nico’s

    Kilt & Kocktails

    The Hengler’s Circus

    The State

East End and Southside links

  • Trail 17 - up the Gallowgate

    Chrystal Bell & Co

    MacKinnon’s (closed)

    The Gate (check opening)

    Bar ‘67 (check opening)

    226 Gallowgate

    Hielan Jessie

    The Wee Man’s Bar

    The Drover

    Van Winkle (check opening)

    St Luke & The Flying Ox

    Traders Lounge

    The Old Burnt Barns (check opening)

    Braemar

    Tollbooth Bar

  • Trail 18 - 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

  • 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 23 - Shawlands

    Trail 23 - Shawlands

    Trail 23 - Shawlands

    Old Stag Inn

    Quaich

    Loc's

    The Millwood

    James Tassie

    Phillies of Shawlands

    The Granary

    Georgic

    The Corona

    Sweeney's on the Park

Links for Glasgow West End & Subway Pubtrails

  • Trail 11 a nd b - Great Western Road & Woodlands Road

    (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

    Webster's

    FORK A

    Inn Deep

    Cooper’s

    The Belle

    The French Horn (was Bakehouse)

    Bank Street Bar Kitchen

    The Left Bank

    Stravaigin

    The Doublet

    or FORK B

    Schoolhouse

    Dram

    FF West End

    Arlington

    The Drake

    Camerons

  • Trail 12- Byres Rd (a) & (b)

    (light blue icon)

    Trail (a) Ashton Lane

    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

    Trail (b) Byres Road

    Curler’s Rest

    Tennent's Bar

    Cottiers

    The Rock

    Topolabamba (was 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

    El Jefe's

    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)

    Partick to Kelvinhall

    Stumps Bar

    The Fiddlers

    Victoria Bar

    Quarter Gill

    The Linsmor

    Sparkle Horse

    West End Tavern

    Record Factory

    Gallus

    Kelvinhall to Partick

    Three Judges

    The Dolphin

    Bag O’Nails

    Storm Queen

    Smiddy Bar

    Tenement Bar

    Windsor Tav.

    Rosevale Tav.

    Deoch An Dorus

  • trail 20 - Maryhill

    LOWER

    The Castle Vaults

    The Tower

    the Star & Garter

    Munn’s

    The BrewHaus

    The Botany Bar CLOSED

    The Woodside Inn

    The Royalty Bar

    UPPER

    The First & Last

    Kelvin Dock CLOSED

    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.

The Vale is now closed

You can't be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline — it helps if you have some kind of a football team, or some nuclear weapons, but at the very least you need a beer.

Frank Zappa

ANSWER: Mrs Peacock