Gin71

Gin71 opened in 2014 as Glasgow's first dedicated gin bar, and it still leads the category in the city centre. It sits inside De Quincy House on the corner of Renfield Street and West Regent Street, a Victorian building whose ornate plasterwork and tall windows do as much work as the back bar. What's On Glasgow and DesignMyNight both credit it as the venue that put a proper gin list on the map here.

The pitch is simple and the execution is deep. Expect over 100 gins, homemade tonics, and a staff that can match a botanical profile to your taste rather than just pouring the brand you recognise. The Skinny lists it among the city's go-to gin rooms. If you came for craft beer or a late club night, look elsewhere. If you want to actually learn the difference between two London Drys side by side, this is the bench.

The room trades on its Victorian bones, with high ceilings, period detailing, and warm low light that makes it feel grander than its footprint. It is more intimate than the building's scale suggests, so it can feel full on a busy Saturday. The crowd skews toward after-work groups early and date-night pairs as the evening runs on, a pattern regulars note across the city-centre gin spots.

Start with a gin and tonic built to order, where the staff pair a gin to one of the house tonics rather than defaulting to the rail. The list runs past 100 bottles, so flights are the smart move if you want to compare styles in one sitting. Gin71 makes its own tonics, which is the detail that separates it from a standard cocktail bar pouring from a gun.

Beyond the G and T, the cocktail list leans gin-forward, from Negronis to seasonal builds that show off the back bar. Ask for a recommendation by flavour, citrus-led, floral, or spiced, and let the bar steer you. There is a second Gin71 within the Cup Tea Lounge group in the city, but the Renfield Street room is the original and the one to seek out.

Planning a Glasgow gin crawl? Read our best bars for gin lovers and our best bars in UK cities for 2026. Staying central? See Glasgow cocktail bars or our city centre guide.