Pub Guide – Edinburgh and Glasgow

Mathers

Here’s the 2022 list of Ted and Steve’s favourite pubs in Edinburgh and Glasgow. We usually (tricky in the last year) visit both cities regularly and call in somewhere for a pint or two – we’ve noted when we last visited each pub. GBG means that the pub is in CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide 2022.

Steve and Ted, January 2022

EDINBURGH PUBS
City Centre – New Town
Abbotsford	3-5 Rose St, EH2 2PR	GBG	Buses: Princes St Tram: St Andrew Sq Rail: Waverley
Fine old pub, best of the Rose Street boozers, impressive island bar, good selection of beers and whiskies, and helpful staff. Visited in 2019.
Café Royal	19 West Register St, EH2 2AA		Buses: Princes St Tram: St Andrew Sq Rail: Waverley
Huge Victorian island bar, famous for its ornate décor and ceramic tile murals. Fine choice of beers and good food. Visited in 2021
Cask and Barrel	115 Broughton St, EH1 3RZ		Buses: 8
Large corner pub at east end of the New Town. Last visited 2017.
Guildford Arms	1 West Register St, EH2 2AA	GBG	Buses: Princes St Tram: St Andrew Sq Rail: Waverley
Next door to the Café Royal, another ornate Victorian pub with a particularly impressive ceiling and an excellent selection of real ales. Visited in 2021
Kay’s Bar	39 Jamaica St West, EH3 6HF	GBG	Buses: 24, 29, 42
Small and friendly upmarket pub with good selection of beers and whiskies. In a mews lane in the posh bit of the New Town. Last visited in 2017.
HP Mathers	1 Queensferry St, EH2 4PA		Buses: West End Tram: West End
At the West End of Princes St, a fine pub. Impressive décor and mirrors. Visited in 2019.
Regent	2 Montrose Terr, EH7 5DL	GBG	Buses: London Rd
To the east of the centre, near Calton Hill, a rarity….an LGBT pub with real ale. Good pub, good beer and the food looks good. Visited 2019.
Oxford Bar
currently deleted – haven’t been in for more than five years. Hopefully back in next year.

Old Town and South Side
Bennets	8 Leven St, EH3 9LG	GBG	Buses: 11, 16, 23
Tollcross pub with tremendous interior featuring brewery mirrors and whisky barrels. Visited 2019.
Bow Bar	80 West Bow, EH1 2HH		Buses: George IV Bridge
Excellent selection of whiskies and beers in this impressive small pub in the Old Town. Visited 2019.
Canny Man’s	237 Morningside Rd, EH10 4QU		Buses: 11, 16, 23
Famous Morningside pub…justly so. Series of rooms, full of paraphernalia. Visited 2019
Halfwayhouse	24 Fleshmarket Close, EH1 1BX		Buses: Princes St, Rail: Waverley
Tiny pub, halfway up the stairs from the Market Street exit from Waverley. Good food – try the stovies. Ideal place to miss a few trains. Visited 2019
Hebrides	17 Market St, EH1 1DE		Buses: Princes St, Rail: Waverley
Small and friendly bar, close to Waverley Station. The Doric, next door, is also a good pub. Both visited 2021.
Sandy Bells	25 Forrest Rd, EH1 2QH		Buses: Forrest Rd/Bristo Pl
Famous mainly for its folk music sessions. During the daytime it’s a quiet and friendly pub near the university and the National Museum of Scotland. Visited 2021.

West – Haymarket, Gorgie
Athletic Arms (Diggers)	1-3 Angle Park Terr, EH11 2JX	GBG	Buses 1, 34
Go there. And try the pies as well as the beer. Last visited 2017.

GLASGOW PUBS

City Centre and Merchant City

Babbity Bowster

16-18 Blackfriars St, G1 1PE

GBG

Buses: George St, Trongate, Rail: High Street

Good beer and food in a relaxing and friendly pub. Visited 2019. Note: Has since been refurbished under new owners.

Blackfriars

36 Bell St, G1 1LG

Buses: Trongate, Rail: Argyle Street

Large open-plan pub on a corner site in the Merchant City. Excellent selection of mainly Scottish real ales. Very bright inside when visited in 2019.

Counting House

2 St Vincent Pl, G1 2DH

Buses: City Centre, Subway: Buchanan St, Rail: Queen St

A Wetherspoons pub, with the pluses and minuses that implies. Extremely central, on the corner of George Square, and an impressive former bank building. Good range of real ales. Last drank in in 2018, visited for breakfast 2019.

Horse Shoe

17-19 Drury St, G2 5AE

GBG

Buses: City Centre Subway: Buchanan St Rail: Central

Long, long island bar…friendly, lively and not to be missed (but trains from Central can be). Visited 2021.

Pot Still

154 Hope Street, G2 2TH

Buses: City Centre

Small pub, Mainly known for its incredible range of malt whiskies, including many rarities. And the beer, from local microbreweries, is good too. Visited 2019.

Sloans

Argyll Arcade, G2 8AG

Buses: City Centre, Subway: St Enoch, Rail: Central, Argyle St

Enter via the arcade or lane from Argyle St. Fine old pub interior and large courtyard drinking area. Visited 2019.

Steps Bar

62 Glassford St, G1 1UP

Buses: Glassford St, Rail: Argyle St

Small pub on edge of Merchant City, largely unchanged since it opened in 1938, though the formica tables have been replaced by wood. Friendly. Unfortunately no real ale. Last visited 2018.

HorseShoe

Charing X
Bon Accord	153 North St, G3 7DA	GBG	Buses and Rail: Charing X
The original real ale mecca in Glasgow….still going strong. Visited 2021.
State Bar	148 Holland St, G2 4NG	GBG	Buses and Rail: Charing X
Welcoming bar, with a good selection of beers, and fine lunchtime food. Visited 2021.

South Side
Clockwork Beer Co.	1153-1155 Cathcart Rd, G42 9HB		Buses: 5, Rail: Mount Florida
Large and friendly brewpub near Hampden Park. Visited 2019.
Laurieston Bar	58 Bridge St, G5 9HU	GBG	Buses: 3,4,38,57, Subway: Bridge St
Unspoilt 1960s bar just across the river from the city centre, mainly serving Fyne Ales. Reputation for good beer is deserved. Visited 2019.

oznor

West End
Doublet	74 Park Road, G4 9JF			Buses: 4,4A,6,6A,Subway: Kelvinbridge
Local pub near Kelvinbridge. Small bar, friendly, with good beer. Visited 2019.
Grove		8 Kelvingrove St, G3 7RX			Buses: 2,3,77
Unspoilt, friendly locals boozer in Kelvingrove. No Real Ale. Last visited 2017.
Inn Deep		445 Great Western Rd, G12 8HH	GBG		Buses: 6, 6A,Subway: Kelvinbridge
Modern pub in railway arches beneath Kelvinbridge. Good selection of cask and craft beers. Visited 2019.

Tennents

Lismore		206 Dumbarton Rd, Partick, G11 6UN		Buses: 2,3,77, Subway: Kelvinhall
Friendly, local pub, with some real ale and plenty of whiskies. Last visited 2018.
Tennents		191 Byres Rd, Hillhead G12 8TN	GBG	Buses: 4,4A Subway: Hillhead
The centre of the West End. Tennent’s flagship Victorian tenement corner pub with fine beer and usually an interesting mix of people. Pity about the TVs visible from every corner. Visited 2019.
Three Judges	141 Dumbarton Rd, Partick G11 6PR		GBG	Buses: 2,3,77 Subway: Kelvinhall
Real Ale pub at Partick Cross. Ever changing selection of beers, well kept. Visited 2021.

Finally: One that got away (more or less). The Mitre Bar, Brunswick St, Glasgow, photographed in 1994, later closed, demolished and now reconstructed inside Glasgow’s Riverside Museum.

Mitre 1994