The Regent

There's almost nothing to complain about at this slightly out of the way pub. The friendly and attentive staff offer excellent service and despite the small bar area, grabbing a quick pint is never difficult even on the busiest of nights. Their selection of lager and constantly rotating real ales is impressive, asserting their claim to be the first CAMRA listed gay pub in Scotland. A small food menu disappoints slightly, but the quality of what's on offer makes up for the numerous grease-laden pub lunches I've subjected my body to elsewhere. The semi-recent addition of free Wi-Fi for punters is a nice extra, but solitary computer users in a pub on a Friday night do seem a bit out of place. Go surf gaydar at home, boys! The crowd is not dominated by any one LGBT group: perhaps a bit more blokey than most, but everyone seems to be welcome. The pumping tunes typical to a gay bar are nowhere to be found, replaced by decent 'real' music at a reasonable volume. In The Regent chatting with mates takes precedent over cruising for a quick weekend shag - a nice change of pace from the typical scenester drama. I only wish I lived nearer so this could be my local. [Mat Kladney]