The best pubs in Glasgow have been celebrated in the latest Good Beer Guide

Run by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), the guide surveys thousands of the best pubs across the UK, and is considered the definitive beer drinker's handbook. 

The Good Beer Guide 2024 has just been released, with almost a thousand new pubs featuring.

Across Scotland, 306 pubs and 154 breweries are highlighted in the guide.

Among them, seven new pubs from Glasgow have been named on the list, out of the 38 in the Greater Glasgow and the Clyde Valley area which get a mention. 

However, its release comes at a difficult time for pubs and breweries in Scotland, in the midst of a cost of living crisis where bills and costs are going up.

Eleven breweries have closed in Scotland in the last year, with three of those in Glasgow, three in Edinburgh, three in the Loch Lomond Stirling and the Trossachs, and one each in the Borders and Tayside. 

Read more: Scotland craft brewers go bust amid rising production costs

CAMRA Chairman Nik Antona said: “The last few years have been an incredibly difficult time for the industry, and we need more support than ever before to keep our nation’s pubs and breweries open and thriving.

"I’d encourage everyone to use this year’s Guide to visit the very best pubs and breweries across the UK and support them for generations to come.”

Here are a selection of the best pubs in Glasgow which have been singled out in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide 2024. 

Babbity Bowster

The Herald:

Named after a Scottish dance, Babbity Bowster can be found tucked down Blackfriars Street in the Merchant City.

The Guide praises the "unique" pub's cafe´-style room, serving beers from Scottish breweries, and its "fine meals" at the restaurant upstairs.

The Ben Nevis

The Herald:

The Ben Nevis in Argyle Street, Finnieston, gets a mention for its large selection of malt whiskies, "precariously perched on sloping shelves". 

There is live Scottish folk music and an intimate atmosphere at this pub, which has a feature bar. 

Bon Accord

The Herald:

Described as one of the "pioneers" of the real ale scene in Glasgow, Bon Accord in North Street, Charing Cross, won local CAMRA pub of the year in 2023.

The guide praises the wide choice of quality ales, and its owner who is "passionate" about whisky, serving more than 400 varieties.

Curlers Rest

The Herald:

Curlers Rest in Byres Road, Hillhead, gets its name from its past of serving players at a local curling pond.

Originally converted from two 18th century cottages, it is now a Nicholson's pub. The guide notes this pub's range of Scottish real ales and world beers. 

The Doublet

The Herald:

A corner tenement pub in Park Road, Woodlands, The Doublet is described as a "friendly locals' bar" which offers the opportunity for good conversation.  

Real ales and malt whisky are a speciality at this pub, whose proximity to The Stand comedy club means comedians are often spotted enjoying a pint after a show. 

The Drum and Monkey

The Herald:

Found in a former bank, The Drum and Monkey stands out with its "opulent marble" and wood-panelled interior and ornate ceilings.

The large P-shaped bar in this St Vincent Street pub offers a "variety of different styles". 

The Griffin

The Herald:

Run by the Isle of Skye brewery, The Griffin is found in a B-listed building in Bath Street.

The guide notes the pub's island bar, original features, and selection of Skye beers on offer from the handpumps.

The Horse Shoe

The Herald:

The famous Horse Shoe bar in Drury Street is recognised by CAMRA as having a nationally important historic pub interior - including Scotland's longest bar.

The characterful Victorian pub, decorated with horse sculptures, is praised for its real ales from a wide selection of breweries. 

The Laurieston

The Herald:

Punters receive a warm welcome from this "warm unpretentious, characterful" corner bar in Bridge Street, Tradeston, that has "remained unchanged for decades".

The guide notes the walls covered in vintage photographs, mirrors and memorabilia, and the pies served from a 1970s counter-top display unit.

The Pot Still

The Herald:

Described as a "classic city-centre bar", The Pot Still in Hope Street is recognised as "one of Scotland’s leading whisky pubs," with a collection of around 750 malts.

Here you can also find beers not often seen in Glasgow, and occasionally pop superstar Ed Sheeran, who held an MTV EMAs afterparty there in 2014.

Scotia Bar

The Herald: Scotia Bar, Stockwell street, Glasgow. Photograph by Colin Mearns.

Scotia Bar in Stockwell Street is one of a number of pubs which claims to be the oldest in Glasgow, having opened its doors in 1792.

The guide praises its "timbered frontage", wood panelling, dark wooden benches and low ceilings.

It also notes the pub has been a firm fixture on the folk music scene for decades, with the likes of Hamish Imlach and Billy Connolly performing here. 

The State 

The Herald:

The State bar in Holland Street is a regular CAMRA award winner, known for its blues jam sessions which have been running for 18 years. 

It features a wide and changing selection of cask ales and beers "rarely seen in Glasgow", served from its traditional island bar.  

The pub also hosts the longest running comedy club in Glasgow, with the likes of Frankie Boyle, Kevin Bridges and Jerry Sadowitz taking to the stage here. 

Tennent's 

The Herald:

Another of Glasgow's oldest pubs is Tennent's in Byres Road, Hillhead, at more than 130 years old.

With its wide selection of real ales, this pub has been listed in the Good Beer Guide for more than 25 years. 

Three Judges 

The Herald:

"For over 30 years this traditional corner pub has brought the best new real ales to Glasgow from all over Britain," says the Real Ale Guide.

There is also an "everchanging" selection of ciders at this awardwinning watering hall in Dumbarton Road, Partick. 

For the full list of Scottish pubs and to order The Good Beer Guide 2024, visit the CAMRA website