Editorial
The 8 best hidden gem bars in Glasgow run from a Van Gogh speakeasy hidden under Merchant City to a Partick bar that doubles as a record shop. We read each for the menu first and the room second: how the list is built, the house pour, and the one drink to order. These are the under the radar rooms our editors send you to when the big names get loud. Find the door, and the rest follows.
Four rooms reward the search, from an unmarked speakeasy to a gin specialist in the old town.
The rest lean local, the bars regulars keep for themselves across the West End and the city centre.
For a hidden Glasgow night, start at The Absent Ear for the city's best kept cocktail room, then carry on to The Pot Still for a dram off the back wall. Lebowski's and The Record Factory keep the West End loose, while Gin71 and The Spiritualist hold the centre. Book the speakeasy, then let the neighbourhood lead.
Priya Nair is barsforKings' senior cocktail editor and a former Punch contributor. She reads a bar by its menu first: how the list is built, the house spirits, and the one drink worth ordering.