The State Bar, Glasgow

7 real ales served from an ornate old style island bar. Has a live venue area.

The State Bar is one of Glasgow’s more notable and esteemed pubs with a long standing reputation for its ales. The interior is a single room with high ceilings sprouting a few fans and long dangly lamps. The centerpiece of the pub is eyecatching oval island bar with a quote bearing half canopy held up by pencil columns and a rack of dangling tankards. The front section is fairly basic with stools and standard pub furnishing whilst the rear has a slightly more opuklent feel with some leather armchairs. Throw in a few barrels, pendulum clocks, McKeowans etched windows and a sprinkling of original features and it all adds up to a fine traditional pub interior. Of the ales, there were 7 available on my visit; Herok & Howells Festival Ale, Kelburn Gold Hops, Fyne Avalanche, Caledonian 80/-, Houston Killenan, Deuchars IPA and Stewart Edinburgh No 3. Prices were quite reasonable and quality was good. If there is any downside to the selection it is that they are all local (i.e. Scottish) beers so whilst we southern beer tourists may relish the prospect of working our way through them, to the locals it may be a case of same old same old. The pub has strong theatre connections which can be evidenced by the copious pictures of theatre celebrities and posters mixed in amongst the film stars, brewery mirrors and sundry old pics of town. There is a regular live music programme and long standing comedy club that is held on the first floor. This is certainly one I would seek out again for a return visit.