Glasgow is pub city - with hundreds of public houses in the city accommodating each and every type of sub-culture. There’s still a place for the classic ‘old-school’ pubs.
Spit and sawdust, lager and football - take us back to the days when Glasgow pubs were Glasgow pubs, where you could walk into any pub in the city and stumble out with a few new pals.
The days when the hard working men and women of Glasgow would drink, laugh and sing together in their locals - with ne’er a worry except waking up for their shift the next morning.
You can still find spaces that embrace classic Glaswegian pub culture, if you look hard enough.
Not that there isn’t a place for stylish gastropubs, hipster hangouts, and fancy restaurants in the city - they should be warmly welcomed, but that’s not to say we should get rid of proper old-school Glasgow pubs. There are classics from every era, from the 17th Century through to the 1970s. They are the kind of neighbourhood locals that you can’t build, they have to evolve over time.
If you’re heading out on the lash this weekend, make sure to check out one of these pubs on your travels.
1. Three Judges
Partick is my favourite place in Glasgow at the moment, and anytime I'm down in the West End you can be sure I'm kicking things off with a Guinness from the Three Judges. Despite being bought over by the Stonegate group a few years back, the hospitality group haven't sunk their claws too deep, leaving the traditional bar be as it always was. | Wikimedia Commons
2. The Old Toll Bar
A famous pub located to the south of the Clyde on Paisely Road West, handily-placed for Kinning Park Underground, the Old Toll Bar's quiz starts at 8pm each Wednesday. There's a big rollover jackpot, a £20 bar tab for the winner and, for a little local colour, a bottle of buckfast for second place. | Google Maps
3. The Doublet
Opened in 1962 - the traditional West End pub has proved popular to this day. | Google
4. Ben Nevis
The Ben Nevis is a much-loved traditional pub on Argyle Street | Visit Glasgow