Slàinte: 39 of Scotland's Best Bars and Pubs

Pub Time

They can be big or small, but a good Scottish pub will always have great beer and a warm welcome. The lighting will be low or extremely high and there will probably be a lot of wood and leather – crack open these doors and you’ll see what we mean…

The Allison Arms
720 Pollokshaws Rd, Glasgow
The Southside’s liveliest pub – expect an enviable selection of malts and beers, a cracking atmosphere and at least one dog.

The Arlington
130 Woodlands Rd, Glasgow
Ignore the lump of sandstone rumoured to be the Stone of Destiny and enjoy The Arlington’s cool vibes and excellent music.

Athletic Arms
1-3 Angle Park Ter, Edinburgh
Aka ‘the Diggers’, this is a smashing, wedge-shaped bar with a cosy lounge in the back, great cask ales, and a comically long yet extremely affordable whisky list. Oh, and great pies.

Bellfield Brewery
46 Stanley Pl, Edinburgh
Tucked away in the residential gap between Abbeyhill and Meadowbank, this award-winning beer garden and taproom isn’t one you’d just happen across, but once you know it’s there you’ll keep returning. First-class beers, loads of space, and a rotating roster of pop-up food vendors.

Bennets Bar
8 Leven St, Edinburgh
One of Edinburgh’s prettiest ‘old man pubs’, this historic venue features gorgeous original features, maps in the tables (!) and a knockout malt selection.

The Blue Blazer
2 Spittal St, Edinburgh
The dark wood decor and cosy nooks of this two-room pub have stayed steadfast for decades. But why change perfection? This place has great beers, and even better vibes.

The Bow Bar
80 West Bow, Edinburgh
An Old Town classic, The Bow Bar offers great pints and whisky options (there’s over 300 single malts behind the gleaming bar) in a lovely cosy environment.

George IV Bar
54 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh
A bumper space with some of the best chips in town and a truly impressive collection of pub mirrors, the George IV is an ideal spot for a bit of people-watching, or for convening your pals for a Christmas catch-up.

The Hug and Pint
171 Great Western Rd, Glasgow
As well as being among Glasgow’s finest small gig venues, this is a prime spot for chilling with a beer and delicious vegan food.

Athletic Arms. Image courtesy of Athletic Arms.

Inn Deep
445 Great Western Rd, Glasgow
A buzzy craft ale pub with a knockout riverside view, Inn Deep, nestled under Kelvinbridge, is a West End favourite.

Koelschip Yard
686-688 Pollokshaws Rd, Glasgow
You’ll be hard-pressed to find a better selection of indie beers anywhere in Glasgow. One for craft beer connoisseurs.

The Laurieston
58 Bridge St, Glasgow
From outside: an uninspiring beer den. Inside: a 1960s time capsule and one of the cosiest pubs in town.

Newbarns Taproom
13 Jane St, Edinburgh
This place is timeless, in that it opened about two years ago but feels like it’s been here forever. The home base of the excellent Newbarns Brewery serves a suite of super-fresh lagers and ales brewed on site, along with enormous bags of Swedish crisps.

Old Pal
28 West Maitland St, Edinburgh
One of the newest bars on the block, Old Pal are already bringing the goods in the form of a stellar drinks selection, friendly staff and a creative food menu. The Old Pal Croque will knock your socks off, and their Christmas menu looks like a banger.

Phoenix Bar
103 Nethergate, Dundee
An excellent pub with classic features and some fun idiosyncrasies (massive stained glass windows, pint mugs filled with chips).

The Pot Still
154 Hope St, Glasgow
Home to some excellent pies, a bumper whisky list, and one of the best pints of Guinness in the city centre, The Pot Still is an ideal place to celebrate the end of your Christmas shopping.

Speedwell Bar
165-167 Perth Rd, Dundee
A beautifully-preserved Edwardian pub with doilies on the tables, great beers on the bar, and legitimately historic toilets. Seriously, check out these toilets. Five stars.

The State
148-148A Holland St, Glasgow
With a huge bar to prop up and a pleasing sense that we aren’t trying to reinvent the wheel, The State is just a lovely place to hang out. The platonic ideal of a pub.

Stockbridge Tap
2-6 Raeburn Pl, Edinburgh
After powering around the Stockbridge shops for Christmas presents, take a break at the Tap. A large and well-curated beer list, cosy seating nooks and some outrageously large mirrors await.

At the Bar

Pubs are one thing, but bars… well, bars can be anything. Refurbed old drinking dens, experimental cocktail bars, dive bars, gig venues, working distilleries or party palaces covered in soft toys – here are some of our favourites…

Bramble
16A Queen St, Edinburgh
An Edinburgh institution, Bramble is a low-lit basement cocktail joint serving up inspired concoctions and great music. The same team run Lucky Liquor Co down the road at 39A Queen St, with a ground floor bar and near-level access from the street.

Chancho
7 Bernard St, Edinburgh
Tequila! This new agave-forward bar from the folk at Hey Palu (more on them shortly) is a real treat, with expertly-balanced cocktails and a summery vibe no matter what Leith is throwing at you outside.

Dragonfly
52 West Port, Edinburgh
Opulent gold-edged decor, a great location in the shadow of the castle, and some truly excellent cocktails mark out Dragonfly as a great spot if you’re looking to treat yourself. Go on, you’ve earned it.

Drygate Brewery
85 Drygate, Glasgow
The in-house bar of the eponymous brewery offers a great meeting spot, delicious beers, and a regular programme of live music and stand-up comedy.

The Gate
251 Gallowgate, Glasgow
Just across the road from the Barrowland Ballroom, The Gate is a delight which opens up exciting new frontiers in ‘meeting for a drink before the gig’. Get a brilliant cocktail, monitor the Barras queue from the window, live it up.

Hey Palu
49 Bread St, Edinburgh
Fantastic Italian cocktail bar and perennial topper of ‘best cocktails scotland 2024’-type lists, Hey Palu is brilliant. The bartenders are experts, the vibes are wonderful, the nibbles are amazing and the drinks are hard to fault.

Leith Depot
138-142 Leith Walk, Edinburgh
Three reasons to visit the Depot: 1) Their epic and successful holdout against property developers. 2) Their excellent new gig room. 3) The lovely, charming bar itself with great food, lovely pints and outside seating for those crisp, dry winter afternoons.

LUNAR
72 Nithsdale Rd, Glasgow
Natural wines, fantastic cocktails, a terrific shade of green on the walls – LUNAR is a delightful Southside cocktail bar.

Mono
12 Kings Court, King St, Glasgow
The beating heart of Trongate’s creative hub, Mono offers a chill atmosphere, ace vegan food, and the occasional gig – plus record shop Monorail Music.

Nauticus
142 Duke St, Edinburgh
Many have tried to marry the vibe of a venerable old pub with the invention of a modern bar, but Nauticus are among the very best. Crisp pints, brilliant cocktails, a warming whisky or a very fancy pie – they can do it all.

Paradise Palms. Image courtesy of Paradise Palms.

Nice N Sleazy
421 Sauchiehall St, Glasgow
Live music and raucous club nights in the basement. An extremely long list of White Russian variants at the bar. Pizza if you get hungry. What more could you want?

The Old Hairdresser's
27 Renfield Ln, Glasgow
Artists, assemble! The Old Hairdresser's is a very, very cool two-level bar with an extremely cosy and arty vibe, and a regular calendar of gigs, comedy shows and club nights.

Paradise Palms
41 Lothian St, Edinburgh
With varied DJ and cabaret nights, plus decor that suggests a gay disco on a neon-lit desert island, Palms is a firm favourite.

Pickles
60 Broughton St, Edinburgh
What says ‘I am in the holiday spirit’ quite like a cheeseboard? Pickles craft some of the best charcuterie and deli boards in town, with a great wine selection running alongside.

Port Of Leith Distillery
11 Whisky Quay, Edinburgh
On the top floor of the monolithic nine-storey distillery is an amazing bar with a well-crafted cocktail list, small plates and panoramic views.

Starbar
1 Northumberland Pl, Edinburgh
Lovely New York dive bar vibes here. The best jukebox in Edinburgh – no question – and a smart wee beer garden at the back.

Stereo
22-28 Renfield Ln, Glasgow
Situated inside a Mackintosh masterwork, this bright, lively bar is a must for lovers of veggie food, tidy beers and live music.

Strip Joint
956A Argyle St, Glasgow
Your classic bar-meets-record-store, Strip Joint is a bumper meeting spot ahead of gigs at SWG3 or the Hydro, and the record shop does offer the possibility of doing some of your Christmas shopping then *immediately* toasting your success.

Tabac
10 Mitchell Ln, Glasgow
Fresh from celebrating their 10th birthday, Tabac offers a slice of cocktail cool in the heart of Glasgow.

The Ventoux
2 Brougham St, Edinburgh
Fish tanks, bikes on the walls, a huge range of German bottled beers behind the bar – The Ventoux is a super-cool bar at the heart of Tollcross. For a similar vibe in Leith, check out its sibling, The Tourmalet (25 Buchanan St).