Glasgow it's that time again - the time where we rank just about everything in the city definitively - today we're looking at the best pubs in the city centre ranked from best to worst by an acclaimed, beloved food & drink writer from GlasgowWorld (yours truly).
Truth be told, the one thing I know about pubs in Glasgow is that I know nothing about pubs in Glasgow. Every month I'm finding some dive in far-flung corners of the city that I'm proclaiming to be the best pub that you simply must visit. When it comes to the city centre however? I feel like I know these pubs pretty well, I commuted through here for years, I lived here for years, and now I've been working here (for years).
In that time I've drank more pints of lager, stout, whisky, shots, gins, mixers, cocktails, mocktails, and cod liver oil than I'd care to remember - but Glasgow I'll tell you that I have thought back to the very beginnings of my drinking career to share the pubs where I've had the best experiences with in Glasgow city centre.
Please remember that these personal opinions are entirely objective, infallible, and generally 100% correct - if you disagree with these rankings, I'm sorry to tell you that you're wrong. In all seriousness, you may not agree with this list at all, and that's okay - it's 2024 and we're all practicing mindfulness now.
A few things to know about me which will inform you about the ranking system: I like a live music venue as much as I like a traditional sit-down pub atmosphere. That's about it, take a look below to see my rankings of the 20 best pubs that you need to visit in Glasgow city centre, ranked from best to worst.
1. Nice N Sleazy - 421 Sauchiehall Street
If you're ever on a Glasgow scavenger hunt and you need to find a mullet and a moustache, Nice N Sleazy's should be your first port of call. You'll find all kind of music fans young and old gracing the well-worn booths at Sleazy's - plus some usually incredible bookings of the best local bands in the city downstairs. It can feel a little bit expensive for my tastes, but that's the price you pay when you're a poser like me.
2. Drury Street Bar - Drury Street
I started out hating Drury Street when we first started going out in town. You can never get a seat, there's no signal, and it's full of goths. It's handy thanks to its proximity to Glasgow Central Station - hence why we always ended up there. There is a real dive bar charm about the place, and the punters & staff are usually incredibly friendly if you take the time to make an effort. Also there's a boozy arcade up the stairs now which seemingly popped up out of nowhere. My only complaint these days is that the bar shuts at 12 - if anywhere is begging for a late license in Glasgow, it's Drury Street.
3. The Admiral Woods - 29 Waterloo Street
I only discovered The Admiral in the very last week of its lifetime - a tragedy I thought I'd never get over. Then The Admiral Woods opened down the street a short while later, what a rollercoaster that was. The new(ish) pub brings with it decades of experience running a pub, and somehow an even stronger community than before. Not to mention their Macaroni Cheese is still the best you can get in Glasgow.
4. The Ark - North Frederick Street
I love The Ark for one reason and one reason only - its massive smoking area - the largest I've ever encountered in Glasgow City Centre. That is if you don't count the chairs Wetherspoons stick out on George Square, but there's hardly an ambience around that in my opinion. Truth be told it took me an embarrassing amount of time to realise it was a student / sports bar. I've spent far too many an hour on a lazy afternoon smoking, drinking, and reading in that smoking area - long may it continue. If I ever quit smoking make no mistake The Ark would fall down the rankings drastically.