Inn Deep, Hillhead, Glasgow

Official site of Inn Deep - www.inndeep.com

Official site of Inn Deep - www.inndeep.com

Tucked into a couple of arches under a bridge over the River Kelvin, this is a pretty cool little bar run by the excellent William Bros brewery. Double doors from the riverside path take you into the first arch which has a concrete floor and, as you might expect, an impressive stone vaulted ceiling. The servery runs along most of the left hand wall in this arch and has a chunky modern wood block counter with nineteen keg and cask taps on the bar back which is set into the stonework in the side of the arch and has a large pump clip collection at one end. Broad high wooden benches run along the opposite wall serving a few high tables, but I found this a pretty uncomfortable spot and couldn't really settle down easily. Moving through the rear, you can find your way through to the second arch which has two rows of comfier seating neatly arranged from front to back. Unfortunately, despite the heavy snow outside, this arch was packed when I arrived so I had to make do with the less comfortable arch where a TV screen was showing a Brazilian league football match for no obvious reason. Other TV screens list the full beer range, which is so extensive that it's worth while pausing on entry just to give yourself a bit of time to figure out your options. Retro pop music played throughout my visit and I think I saw some board games piled up in one corner. There were three cask ales available on this visit - Siren Suspended in Wheat, Wild Beer Co Cottage Industry and Five Points Green Hop. I opted for the latter, having been a bit disappointed not to find a Williams Bros ale, and was even more disappointed when I received a pretty rank half pint. Perhaps a better choice would've been one of the sixteen keg beers on the bar back or one of many others from the fonts on the bar. Unbelievably, despite the sub zero temperatures and continual heavy snowfall outside, the barman asked me if I wanted a plastic glass so I could take my drink outside. This place seemed like it could be a real winner, with its pleasant riverside location and affiliation with one of Scotland's top brewers, but this visit didn't really work for me, with the uncomfortable seating, weird service and terrible beer all counting against it. I'd be inclined to give it another go though, perhaps in the summer when it's easier to make the most of the pub's fine setting.