The State Bar, Glasgow

The State is a very traditional and ornate pub with a central oval island serving counter that supports standard keg alongside Birra Moretti and seven hand pumps. During a recent midweek evening visit five were in operation drawing Swanney Brewery’s Island Hopping, Oakham’s Green Devil and Citra, Stewart Brewing’s State Number 3 and Ossett’s Jet. I went for the Swanney which was OK for a very weak session beer. Around this island counter is standard furniture in the left rear, banquettes in the right rear and beer shelves and banquettes across the front. The service was friendly and I enjoyed my visit, so I think this place is worth going out of the way for.

This pub had its interior ripped out in the 1960s, but it has been restored to a certain extent in recent years and received an accolade from Camra for it. The magnificent bar counter has seven hand pumps with five beers on at the time of my visit. The Almasty Green was inevitably hazy and sweet, and the Ossett Leviathan Rising, a West Coast IPA, was more like an English best bitter, but both were in very good nick (NBSS 3.5 on average). Worth the walk out from the centre.