The Best Pubs in Glasgow

The Allison Arms is a fantastic pub for anyone who loves beer, offering a brilliant selection of German and craft brews that is hard to beat. The real magic is in the back fridge, where you can browse an incredible array of bottled beers to find your perfect drink. It has a wonderfully flexible character, buzzing with energy on a busy night yet feeling warmly cosy and relaxed when it is quieter. This place is a true gem for sharing great drinks with friends on Glasgow’s south side.

Max's Bar & Cantina is a late night bar and Mexican cantilla open until 3am every night, offering 20 draught beer taps, over 100 spirits, and a mix of classic and modern cocktails. The venue has been a go to spot since 2009, popular with hospitality staff, locals, and visitors for its great drinks, delicious food, and lively music. It serves food daily from 12pm to 8pm, and recent visitors rave about the cheap beers, friendly staff, and fantastic pulled pork.

MacSorley’s is a family run, multi award winning music venue serving traditional Scottish food with a twist. It offers live entertainment six nights a week and stocks a large range of premium spirits, whiskies, and draught choices. You can enjoy new cocktails and alcoholic slush flavours, plus a malt of the moment and gin of the moment. Since 1892, it has been the place for good food, good music, and great vibes.

Òran Mór is a historic arts and events venue that is more than just a pub, housed in a former church with the foundation stone laid in 1862. It features a labyrinth of gig, wedding, event, and dining spaces, all wrapped around a very good pub, and is home to Scotland’s largest piece of public art, a ceiling mural by Alasdair Gray. This venue is a popular local hangout that functions as a venue, pub, and club in one, and you can look up to see a red halo shining. It also offers a play, a pie and a pint, which is Scotland’s longest running daytime theatre initiative.

Stravaigin is a Scottish restaurant and bar that inspires folk to wander off the beaten path for adventurous, great tasting food and drink. The menu is designed for sharing and served seven days a week in the café bar, mezzanine, and the cellar. This dog friendly spot is a trusted local sanctuary with a buzzing calendar of events, from weekly sessions to a drinks club and annual Burns supper. With decades of accolades including an AA Rosette and Gastropub of the Year, they experiment with flavours and ingredients sourced both globally and locally.

The Belle is a true gem, a place where you can settle in by the crackling open fire in winter and feel instantly at home. The staff are famously friendly, and the expertly kept Anchor ale on tap is a real treat for any beer lover. It has a wonderfully unpretentious character, a small and comfortable spot where you might even spot a Turner Prize winner enjoying a quiet pint. This is simply the best bar in the area for a warm, welcoming drink.

Step into Redmond's and you are instantly welcomed by a crew who remember your name and your order, making every visit feel like coming home. This is the kind of place where you can settle in for an easy, relaxed evening, fueled by fantastic pizzas at brilliant prices. The steamed buns are absolutely amazing, and the selection of craft beers is top notch. With genuinely friendly service and consistently lovely food, it is widely celebrated as the best pub in Dennistoun.

Welcome to the Republic Bier Halle, a family run Glasgow institution and a contemporary underground beer hall with Czech and German influences. Voted number 1 in the Times 100 Best Pubs in Scotland 2025, it serves one of the city’s largest collections of international and craft beers from over 30 countries. The food is a huge draw, especially the famous stone baked pizzas with thin and crispy bases and original toppings, alongside vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free options. When the sun appears, the huge ‘bier garten’ terrace along Gordon Street is the perfect spot for people watching.

Step into the Scotia Bar, a true Glasgow institution that has been pouring pints since 1792. This is the city’s oldest pub, and it wears its incredible history with pride, offering a wonderfully genuine and cozy experience. The live music, ranging from brilliant to delightfully questionable, adds to the pub’s raw and lively character. With friendly staff and a pace that encourages you to settle in, this is the perfect spot to soak up real Scottish hospitality.

Step into The Laurieston Bar, a true Glasgow gem where the spirit of a proper drinking establishment lives on. This is the kind of place where the friendly staff will happily pull out photo albums of past sub crawls, making you feel like part of a lively, ongoing tradition. It’s the perfect spot to grab a pie and gravy before or after a show at the nearby venue, all while enjoying a perfectly poured proper ale.