Glasgow is not one of the most popular cities to visit in Europe because it may not have as many sights as other cities, but the pub scene is outstanding, and it also has some very good restaurants. In a couple of days I cannot find a lot of bars and restaurants, but I will be posting some bars and restaurants here, and they will be located per neighbourhood.

West

The western side of Glasgow may be the most interesting area of the city, as it has museums, nice streets and cool bars and restaurants. You can not miss this area when visiting Glasgow.

The Wee Pub at the Chip

Located at the fantastic Ashton Lane The Wee Pub at the Chip is a great start to the trip in Glasgow. Although you can eat here, it is mostly a pub for drinks. The cosy areas of the bars are great to have some options in beer and whisky. There are different sections, so choose your favourite and connect with the locals!

Reservation: No reservations needed

Busy: It was busy, but we could sit straight away.

Sights nearby: Ashton Lane, Botanical Gardens

Restaurants/Bars nearby: PG fast food, Jinty McGuinty’s Irish bar, Óran Mór, Hanoi Bike Shop

PG Fast Food

PG Fast Food is an odd one out, as it is a fast food restaurant, but it is a very nice one. The buns are kind of waffles with stuffing in them. The stuffing can be vegetarian, chicken, salmon or something else, and it is delicious. This is a pretty healthy option in comparison to other fast food options, although it is still not great.

Reservation: No reservations needed

Busy: I could order straight away

Sights nearby: Ashton Lane, Botanical Gardens

Restaurants/Bars nearby: The Wee Pub at the Chip , Jinty McGuinty’s Irish bar, Óran Mór, Hanoi Bike Shop

Jinty McGuinty’s Irish bar

Jinty McGuinty’s Irish bar is another treasure at Ashton Lane. The bar mostly attracts a younger crowd. The pub is pretty long with the bar on one side. When we were there, there was a great band playing live music. This is a great place to try some different pints and enjoy your time. 

Reservation: Reservation is not necessary

Busy: There is a nice crowd

Sights nearby: Ashton Lane, Botanical Gardens

Restaurants/Bars nearby: The Wee Pub at the Chip , PG Fast Food, Óran Mór, Hanoi Bike Shop

Óran Mór

Óran Mór is one of the most famous venues of Glasgow. It is located in a church. It is mostly a pub with a very big bar, where you walk all around. You can sit at the bar, at tables or stand. There is often live music. In the evening it also turns into a concert hall/club. This is a fantastic place!

Reservation: No reservations needed, but sometimes you need a ticket for club nights

Busy: There is a nice crowd, but you will have a spot.

Sights nearby: Ashton Lane, Botanical Gardens

Restaurants/Bars nearby: The Wee Pub at the Chip , PG Fast Food, Jinty McGuinty’s Irish bar, Hanoi Bike Shop

Mother India Café

Mother India Café is located across Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. This restaurant has great service, a relaxed vibe and a cool interior. However, the best thing (and the most important) is the extremely tasteful food. This is some of the best Indian food I have had in my life. 

Reservation: It was crowded, but we had a spot without reservation. I think making a reservation is not bad thing

Busy: There is a nice crowd.

Sights nearby: Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum

Restaurants/Bars nearby: No places that I have been

Hanoi Bik Store

Hanoi Bike Shop is one of the coolest places in Glasgow. Although the name suggests something else, this place is a restaurant. The atmosphere is absolutely great, both inside and outside. You feel like you are in Asia. You can eat different types of small and larger Vietnamese dishes, and they taste great.

Reservation: No reservations needed in our case

Busy: It was pretty quiet, when we were there for lunch.

Sights nearby: Ashton Lane, Botanical Gardens

Restaurants/Bars nearby: The Wee Pub at the Chip , PG Fast Food, Jinty McGuinty’s Irish bar, Òran Mór

Centre

The city centre is a lovely area with many bars, restaurants, and pubs. You will not miss this great area when visiting Glasgow.

The Last Book Store

This bar is a very unique one, and I do not think I have to explain why. The number of books is very impressive, and it's so cool to have a look. The bar has a large variety of cocktails, but unfortunately, the beer selection is less impressive in comparison to other bars. This unique bar is a great start to a pub crawl.

Reservation: No reservations needed in our case

Busy: It was not very busy and we could easily get a spot on a Friday (although we arrived late)

Sights nearby: George Square, city council

Restaurants/Bars nearby: Molly Malone's, The Pot Still, The Ardnamurchan, Fern Coffee Bar, The Devil's Roast, The Horseshoe Bar

The Devil's Roast

A very cool place we encountered is The Devil's Roast. It has a very ancient vibe which makes this coffee bar even cooler. The coffee was very good (I did not take it, but my friend did), and the croissants and pains au chocolat were so tasteful. You can take a seat here or go for takeaway. 

Reservation: No reservations needed in our case

Busy: It was pretty quiet, but we also passed by and then it was more crowded. 

Sights nearby: George Square, city council

Restaurants/Bars nearby: Molly Malone's, The Pot Still, The Ardnamurchan, Fern Coffee Bar, The Last Book Store, The Horseshoe Bar

Cafe Gandolfi

For a lovely classic Scottish breakfast, Cafe Gandolfi is a great option. They have some very good options, and the food was terrific. The service was very friendly and helpful. This was probably my favourite breakfast place in Glasgow, as the food is great and the atmosphere relaxed.

Reservation: No reservations needed in our case

Busy: It was pretty crowded

Sights nearby: Not really, but Glasgow Cathedral is not too far

Restaurants/Bars nearby: O Neill's

The Horseshoe Bar

One of the most prominent bars in Glasgow is The Horseshoe Bar, which is very cool. It has a really large bar, where you can walk all around. The beer selection is good; they have several screens to watch sports (mostly football). Because of the huge bar, every corner of the place feels like sitting in a bar, which is a great pub to have some lovely pints. 

Reservation: No reservations needed 

Busy: It was pretty quiet, but it can be crowded

Sights nearby: George Square, city council

Restaurants/Bars nearby: Molly Malone's, The Pot Still, The Ardnamurchan, Fern Coffee Bar, The Last Book Store, The Devil's Roast

The Bon Accord

The Bon Accord is a pub in a pretty random location. It has some good food, and the staff is extremely friendly. We sat here to have a couple of pints and some good food. It is a lovely place to do both, but you can also do one of the two. This is a pub where the crowd are mostly locals. 

Reservation: No reservations needed 

Busy: It was pretty quiet.

Sights nearby: -

Restaurants/Bars nearby: Non of the ones I visited

O'Neills Merchant Square

This may not be the best place in Glasgow, but you will have good fun. This is a bar you should go to after you've already had a couple of drinks. The bar is very big, so it does not feel crowded even though there are a lot of people. I prefer if it is a bit more compact. There are also some very big screens.

Reservation: No reservations needed 

Busy: It was pretty busy, but there was a lot of space as it is a very large open space

Sights nearby: Not really, but Glasgow Cathedral is not too far

Restaurants/Bars nearby: Cafe Gandolfi

The Pot Still

The Pot Still may be my favourite bar in Glasgow. It is mostly a whisky bar, and we did a whisky tasting. We got a lady at our table who explained everything, including tasting six non-famous whiskies. If you do not book a tasting, you can choose from thousands of whiskies and several beers. This is a unique place you should absolutely go to. 

Reservation: No reservations needed, except when you want to book a whisky tasting

Busy: It was pretty busy, but you will find a spot, at least to stand. 

Sights nearby: George Square, city council

Restaurants/Bars nearby: Molly Malone's, The Horseshoe Bar, The Ardnamurchan, Fern Coffee Bar, The Last Book Store, The Devil's Roast

The Ardnamurchan

If you want some traditional food from Scotland in a bit fancier way, The Ardnamurchan is the perfect place. They have some absolute classics, and in a very tasty way. Some options were salmon and haggis, and they were both absolutely fantastic. The service is friendly, so enjoy your time here. 

Reservation: No reservations needed for us, but sometimes it may be necessary.

Busy: It was a nice amount of people. 

Sights nearby: George Square, city council

Restaurants/Bars nearby: Molly Malone's, The Horseshoe Bar, The Pot Still, Fern Coffee Bar, The Last Book Store, The Devil's Roast

The Scotia Bar

Another one of my favourite pubs is a local favourite. This atmosphere is unique, and the service is very fun and sweet. The bar has some tables and a large bar. You will find almost exclusively locals, and they are happy to talk to you. This is a great place to have a couple of tasty pints!

Reservation: No reservations needed 

Busy: It has a nice crowd, as it should be in a pub.

Sights nearby: River Clyde

Restaurants/Bars nearby: Non of the ones I visited

Fern Coffee Bar

Fern Coffee Bar is a relaxed place to grab a coffee or a sandwich. We had a takeaway sandwich, and those were extremely tasteful. We had Italian sandwiches with tomato and mozzarella, and they were heated, which made them even better. The service from behind the counter was also great.

Reservation: No reservations needed for us, but sometimes it may be necessary.

Busy: It was a nice amount of people. 

Sights nearby: George Square, city council

Restaurants/Bars nearby: Molly Malone's, The Horseshoe Bar, The Pot Still, The Last Book Store, The Devil's Roast, The Ardnamurchan

Molly Malone's

Of course, you are in Scotland, but that does not mean you cannot visit an Irish pub. However, it also serves fantastic haggis bon bons, which is not really Irish :). The bar is very nice and the service is very friendly. The beer selection is also very good, and the bar has some screens.

Reservation: No reservations needed for us

Busy: It was quiet, but it could be crowded

Sights nearby: George Square, city council

Restaurants/Bars nearby: Fern Coffee Bar, The Pot Still, The Last Book Store, The Devil's Roast, The Ardnamurchan, The Horseshoe Bar

South

South is not a touristic area, and there is not too much to do south of the river Clyde. It is different if you are a football fan, as both stadiums of the big clubs, Celtic FC and Glasgow Rangers, are on this side, so to visit a game, you have to be on this side.

Louden Tavern (at Ibrox Stadium)

There are two Louden Taverns, but this is the one close to Ibrox. This is a great place to go before and after the match of Glasgow Rangers. You can stay inside or outside, and it looked like almost the whole stadium was there. The atmosphere was electric as everyone was in blue; even the colours of the pub have those. Make sure you are not a Celtic fan when you enter this pub. This bar is mostly interesting when Glasgow Rangers plays a game, especially when they play at home. For the rest it may be closed during the week.

Reservation: I do not think you can make a reservation.

Busy: The bar can be very crowded. I recommend going early because otherwise there will be a queue before the match and after the match as well. When they play away it can be crowded during the game.

Sights nearby: Ibrox Stadium

Restaurants/Bars nearby: None really, but the other Louden Tavern is not too far

Louden Tavern (in South)

There is another Louden Tavern, 15 minutes by foot from Ibrox. This one is way smaller than the other, but it makes it more popular with the locals. The bar was playing live music, and they were playing songs of Glasgow Rangers. There are some good beers. Although it is further from the stadium, do not show up here as a Celtic fan.

Reservation: I do not think you can make a reservation.

Busy: The bar can be very crowded on a game day.

Sights nearby: Ibrox Stadium is not too far.

Restaurants/Bars nearby: None really, but the other Louden Tavern is not too far.

For more information about Scotland, check out: