After living in Glasgow for nine months, I thought it would be good to start off with my favourite bars, restaurants and cafes in this vibrant city. Although I still have a few on my list to visit, I feel like I got to know the city enough to make this little guide. If you haven't planned a trip to Glasgow, I hope it will tempt you!
For lunch or a sweet treat
I've been to Cup Tea Lounge on Renfield Street a few times and I seem to love it more with every visit. The Victorian interior (with original tiled features) is so stunning that you will want to get on Instagram immediately! Although it feels very decadent, the prices are surprisingly affordable. This combination, along with the delicious food makes this an extremely popular venue for a bite to eat. If you're visiting on a weekend I'd suggest that you book a table.
Usually I'm quite decisive when looking at a menu, but Cup makes it a lot harder to choose! There are SIXTEEN different flavours of cupcakes and an even bigger selection of teas. I also really like the variety of sandwiches and toasties that are full of flavour. Just don't ask me which one to go for!
For casual drinks
Hillhead Bookclub in the West End is another impressive looking venue. It was originally a cinema, built in 1913 and it has maintained it's beautiful ceiling. I love the mixture of vintage furniture and the games area where you can play ping pong and retro computer games. Whenever I've visited this bar, there's always been a great atmosphere and good tunes thanks to their DJ talent. One night here that is still on my to-do list is Lady Balls Bingo, hosted by hilarious drag queens with a prize of £500. It's on at 9pm on the fourth Wednesday of every month. As for the drinks, they are known for their tasty cocktails. The majority of them are £6 - and a couple of mojito drinks are just £3! Cocktail drinking without the spending guilt is a pretty ideal night to me!
For Dinner
The Burger Quarter in the central location of St Vincent street will spoil you for choice if you're craving a yummy burger. You'll find Bread Meats Bread, Handmade Burger Co, Five Guys, and Gourmet Burger Kitchen (plus Byron is a couple of blocks away!) Everyone has their own favourites but mine personally is Handmade Burger Co because they have such a large variety of quality burgers and it's a nice restaurant too (pictured below). Some of of my friends prefer Bread Meats Bread though and I do love their caramelised sweet potato fries. You're most likely to wait in a queue for a table there so it's better to go elsewhere if you're absolutely starving!
For a big night out
I'm sure most Glaswegians will agree that if you're planning a big night out, Bath street is the perfect place to go. Lots of people rate Hummingbird and Bar Bloc as their favourites. I really like the lesser known Saint Judes which is a colourful and stylish bar that was fully revamped a year ago. If you're after delicious cocktails, you won't be disappointed.
Bath street also has some fab clubs with excellent DJs. I love Bamboo and Kushion which both have more than one room so you have a choice of music genres. These clubs mostly attract students, but I don't let that put me off because the music is THAT good!
Bath street also has some fab clubs with excellent DJs. I love Bamboo and Kushion which both have more than one room so you have a choice of music genres. These clubs mostly attract students, but I don't let that put me off because the music is THAT good!
For gay bars/clubs
Anyone who knows me, knows I love gay bars (despite being straight! It's all about the fun atmosphere). Merchant City is the area you should head to (in the centre of the city, where I used to live.) Polo Lounge is the biggest gay venue in Scotland. It has a spacious bar on the ground level and a couple of different rooms in the basement to suit a range of music tastes. Throughout the whole week there are drinks available for £1.50 so you can't argue with that! I also like Katie's Bar on John street, but most of my favourite nights in Glasgow have been at AXM. If you're a fan of RuPaul's Drag Race, you need to book tickets to see some of the show's most popular queens there. The local queens are amazing too, and you can see every Thursday at Trigger.
For somewhere fancy
It doesn't get much fancier than The Corinthian in Glasgow, which is in the central location of Ingram street (my favourite street!) I've been lucky enough to go there twice - for a work night out and a press event. Both times I was blown away by the lavish interiors of the different rooms. There are five floors which include bars, conference rooms, a club and a casino. My favourite that I've discovered is The Flying Scotsman room (see below). I also really loved the music on a Saturday night which was well mixed chart music on the first floor and retro music on another floor. If you have enough cash to splash I would seriously recommend The Corinthian.
I hope you liked the sound of my selection and let me know if you have any other favourite venues in Glasgow.
