12 Best Pubs And Bars in Glasgow City Centre | 2022 Guide
Glasgow is a fantastic student city to live in. There are so any great things to get involved with, the art and culture, the museums, the sport, the music scene, and of course it is packed full of brilliant bars and pubs for you to sample a few beers on a night out.
Whether you are looking for a pub to have a quiet pint after uni, or a list of some of the finest pubs in Glasgow city centre to go on a big pub crawl, we’ve got you covered. Below are 12 of the best Glasgow pubs and bars to visit. Now, go make the most of it and get out there on a crawl!
1. BrewDog Doghouse – Hutcheson Street
View this post on Instagram
You’ll most likely know that BrewDog isn’t the cheapest chain of pubs to go to for a drink, but what you can guarantee is quality. The Doghouse is central, so easy to find, and offers up all the best things about BrewDog.
It is the perfect pub to start a pub crawl, get in early, sample some fine tasting beers and grab some food to line your stomach before you embark on an odyssey of epic proportions around the pubs of Glasgow city centre!
2. Nice ‘n’ Sleazy – Sauchiehall Street
View this post on Instagram
For many people, Nice ‘n’ Sleazy is the definitive Glasgow bar. It’s been a revelation, a hideout, a hotspot and creative and political hub in Glasgow since opening on Sauchiehall Street back in 1991. Always a great place for musicians, artists, and lovers of all things alternative, it has since transcended into something bigger, providing a great location for brilliant food day or night, live music, a hang-out for regulars and a place to dance your socks off (it’s open until 3am every night of the week!).
The dive bar to beat all other dive bars, Nice ‘n’ Sleazy is atmospheric, posters plastered over every wall and surface that helps to create an intimate venue that you’ll soon call home. The drinks promotions are epic too, with really cheap white and black Russians always on the menu, and new deals showing up every single week, meaning you’ll always want to come back to try out what’s next on the bar!
3. Katie’s Bar – John Street
View this post on Instagram
This queer basement bar is at the centre of all that is great about Glasgow and its LGBTQ+ scene. Head down underneath John Street and find an eclectic mix of pints, shorts and cocktails, all at very enticing prices that are suited to students.
The entertainment on offer is something else, home to karaoke nights, drag nights and cabaret, featuring some of the best of Ru Paul contestants over recent years.
4. The Ark – North Frederick Street
View this post on Instagram
Self-proclaimed as the ‘Best Student pub in Glasgow’, The Ark has a big range of craft beer, alongside juicy burgers and subs, big sharing platters of pub grub and junk food heaven (25p chicken wings are pretty hard to beat), as well as a decent selection of vegan food. You’ll find student discounts and big screens everywhere you look, making it a popular haunt for live sports.
The best bit about The Ark though is its big beer garden, an atmospheric location that is the perfect spot for a post-exam pint and a celebration for Glasgow students.
5. Tingle Bar – Mitchell Street
View this post on Instagram
If you like to get a few shots down your neck on a night out, Tingle Bar is definitely one of the best pubs in Glasgow city centre. It’s actually a bar where you can chill out for a few hours if you like, have a pint or a cocktail from the extensive menu, take up one of the food deals and relax for a bit. It definitely comes alive though when you’re there to party!
Classic cocktails, frozen alcoholic beverages and fishbowls are great, but with shots like the black and white sambuca (called Michael Jackson) and Council Juice (Buckfast and strawberry MD) just to name two, you are in for a wild time! Shots are priced at just £1.50, so you don’t need to break the bank.
6. Chinaski’s – North Street
View this post on Instagram
Right at the top end of Sauchiehall Street, Chinaski’s is a tribute to Charles Bukowski, the cheap drinker to beat them all. Henry Chinaski was Bukowski’s literary alter-ego, and at Chinaski’s there is a staggering wall of whiskies to choose from (over 80 in total).
The fact it has a sign-less frontage makes it even more appealing to us, a hidden gem within a series of hidden gems in city centre Glasgow. The split-level beer garden out the back is sublime. The food too is tasty, with the smoked cheese and beer toast worth shouting about.
7. The Flying Duck – Renfield Street
View this post on Instagram
An underground hipster paradise, The Flying Duck has been around for years, always ahead of the game and safe in the knowledge that it will always be one of the coolest bars in Glasgow. Pop culture pours out of every surface, with a level of kitsch décor that must be experienced to be believed.
Glasgow students flock here for the discounts on the tasty 100% vegan menu (we’d recommend some loaded fries and the chili cheese dog!) the cheap drinks, comedy shows, and regular quiz nights.
8. Driftwood – St George’s Road
View this post on Instagram
If you want to go to pubs in Glasgow city centre that are cheap and cheerful, where you can have a good night out without spending too much money, Driftwood fits the bill.
The décor is cosy, with rustic wood and leather booths. Crazy cocktails? Tick! Boozy shakes? Tick! Under £1 for vodka? Tick! Actually, we won’t say anymore because that tells you everything you need to know. Simplicity is key to a good night out sometimes.
9. The Belle – Great Western Road
View this post on Instagram
Okay so hear us out, this pub might not be right in the city centre, but we couldn’t leave it out! It’s super close to the University of Glasgow – a students dream! It always has a range of American craft beers and European lagers on, a big open fire that is welcoming and warm, and a mixed, eclectic bunch of regular drinkers.
It is a traditional Scottish boozer that gets right in your heart the first time you visit and allows you to make friends for the night with whoever is sat next to you. The Belle straddles the boundary between hipster and authentic pub, and there are very few Glasgow pubs like it.
10. The Gate – Gallowgate
View this post on Instagram
The legendary Barrowlands (The Barrowland Ballroom) can be seen directly opposite The Gate, placing it in one of the most iconic locations in the city. As far as pubs in Glasgow City Centre go, there are few that have got the pulses racing and the chatter flowing in recent years.
It’s not an old, traditional Glasgow pub, but it has opened as a ‘modern Scottish’ bar, serving up over 160 whiskies, the best in craft beer from around the world, and even does a delicious range of toasties to help you soak up the booze! The Gate also has regular kitchen takeovers where some of the best chefs come to serve up foodie delights.
11. The Laurieston – Bridge Street
View this post on Instagram
If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to drink in a Glasgow city centre pub in the 1960s, The Laurieston provides you a much easier way to time travel than sitting in a hot tub or getting lost in the neon lights of Soho overnight. The pub looks like a bunker, has old signage, and has remained a cult drinking establishment with a diverse crowd of ages and types of people over the years.
It’s close to the Sub Club and the O2 Academy, so has a warm welcome for the younger, student crowds, alongside old veteran drinkers.
12. The Duke’s Umbrella – Argyle Street
View this post on Instagram
If you’re looking for pubs in Glasgow city centre that serve up some tasty grub. The Duke’s Umbrella is the place to be. It’s a gastropub where the focus is definitely on the food – you have to try it to believe it!
The décor is quite old-fashioned, like something you would find in your typical Glaswegian pub. If you are searching for the perfect, relaxed date night for some food and drink, look no further than The Duke’s Umbrella.
Whether you’re looking for a dirty dive bar with cheap drinks, the best in craft ale, a big, sunny beer garden to celebrate with your friends, tasty pub grub, or a cheap round of shots, there are some amazing pubs in Glasgow city centre for you to frequent during your time living in the city. Glasgow is such a great student city and as you can see from this list of pubs and bars, you’re going to have a fun time living here!
Table of Contents