Top 10 Late Night Spots - Glasgow

The Arches

Glasgow’s biggest and best known club. This music, art and theatre venue is more versatile than the room in the Virtual Insanity video, and there isn’t a twat with a silly hat on. Set in massive subterranean caverns, and with hugely successful flagship nights regularly boasting the world’s best DJ talent, the Arches is one of the few places in the UK to experience clubbing as a genuine event.

The Sub Club

Still going strong despite being older than many of the people who go there, ‘The Sub’ was voted the 10th best club in the world by Resident Advisor in 2008. Across the nation Sunday nights signify ironing shirts, Top Gear and pre-work misery, in Glasgow they mean Optimo. Running since 1997, Optimo remains the benchmark for weekly club nights everywhere.

Art School

It’s easy to find a cheap night out in Glasgow during the week, but harder to find a decent one. Thursdays at The Vic has long been the best option. Electro downstairs, Hip-hop upstairs, £1 a pint. It’s not complicated, but it’s very effective. Afterwards, follow the dregs down Woodlands Road and you’ll probably end up at a party.

Noodle Bar

Leave your dignity at the door and let your eyes overrule your stomach. At 3am this place feels like the Wild West, except with Chinese food. Be advised, this is not a good place to bring your new best friend. The combination of drunken binge eating and strip lighting has put the brakes on many a fledgling romance.

Variety Bar

There are plenty of bars on Sauchiehall St vying for your attention but Variety is a standout. Boasting cosy decor and a fish tank that hasn’t been cleaned since 1996, it has an ingenious knack of seeming just right whether busy or quiet. Doesn’t sound remarkable? It plays excellent music and I once met an interesting Belgian in there.

Ben Nevis

Imagine an alcohol library. Nice idea, no? This friendly local bar is as close as it gets, with approximately 23,421 varieties of whisky served. All sorts are welcome, and all sorts come. Despite being no bigger than a living room, on certain nights there is live, and lively, Celtic music.

Ashton Lane

“I dunno, I wanna feel like I’ve gone out, but without, like, going out, you know?” Sadly people like this exist and need to be taken to Ashton Lane, where there are enough bars to suit all tastes of hustle and bustle. Drink promos abound during the week and food is available in the majority of places.

Cathouse

Another Glasgow stalwart, the Cathouse has provided a focal point for the city’s rockers since 1990. Cheap, sweaty and loud, the Cathouse ticks all the right boxes for the guitar-minded weegie. With regular gigs downstairs augmented by a nightclub upstairs, there is ample space for the eclectic music and equally varied clientele to mix together perfectly.

Buff Club

Tucked away behind the hurricane of fake-tan, curry sauce and vomit that is Sauchiehall St, the understated Buff Club continues to be one of Glasgow’s best loved nightspots. Mixing consistent and danceable music with arguably the friendliest crowd in the city, the Buff Club never raises a heckle during pre night out planning.

King Tut's

There are plenty of good gig venues in Glasgow, but King Tuts remains the best. The list of bands to have graced this intimate basement setting reads like a who’s who of modern rock. Pulp, Beck and The Strokes all made their Scottish debuts here in front of the notoriously enthusiastic Glasgow crowds.