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Beer of the Week (w/e 27th April 2025) with Thuck Phat
on the Pub Forum
Detail Pages
Curlers Rest, Hillhead, Glasgow
Glasgow
G12 8SH
Pub Type
Nicholsons (Mitchells & Butlers)Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6½ of 10) see review guidelines
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about Curlers Rest
A Nicholson's pub, although not obviously branded as such from the road. Surprisingly large, if dark, interior that stretches so way back but which was quite full so I didn't explore the place properly. Four of the five handpumps were in use, offering Stewart's 80/- and Backing Blue, the 'house' pale ale from St Austell and Wye Valley HPA.
On 20th April 2025
- rating: 6
[User has posted 8679 recommendations about 8678 pubs]
Will Larter left this review about Curlers Rest
By this stage of our Glasgow pub research trip the pubs were beginning to fill up with a Friday afternoon crowd, meaning that impressions were coloured by the difficulty of reaching the bar, and the impact of the noise. Beer selection was from four out of five hand pumps, with one being the St Austell beer that is brewed for Nicholsons, plus Wye Valley HPA (presumably picked up on the way from Cornwall?) and two from Edinburgh's Stewart Brewing. I went for the latter's 80/-, although I've been finding it a bit of a hit and miss beer on this trip. This one was ok (NBSS 3), but at £5.60 a pint it was not a patch on the much better one I had the day before at Diggers in Edinburgh where it was £4 and NBSS 4.
On 30th March 2025
- rating: 6
[User has posted 4273 recommendations about 3935 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about Curlers Rest
A revelation.Operated by Nicholsons so I expected to find a bar with Doom Bar,Nicholsons Pale Ale and St Austell Tribute but instead none of these dull options but handpumps offering North Brewing Sputnik (NBSS 4),Moor Stout,Broughton Hopo Proper IPA (all these ales 5%) together with Stewart 80/- and Jack Back (NBSS 3.5).The interior is interesting too with a low ceiling,sections by the front windows,bar to the rear right and a couple of sections away from the rear bar.Some tables will be reserved with a time,there is food from a Nicholsons menu with a median main £15 but it felt more of a Friday evening boozer than a food led pub.I liked it and with that ale line up I would suggest this is a must visit when in the West End. We were on a crawl but stayed for two pints each given the quality of the range.
On 25th March 2023
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2936 recommendations about 2936 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about Curlers Rest
We popped in here around lunchtime and found that the bar area was so poorly lit that we struggled to read the pump clips. They had five pumps with three beers on, which were Doombar, Stewart Jack Black and Stewart 80/- these were the same two beers in Tennant's across the road. So I went for the Stewart 80/- again, which was ok, but unfortunately cost 40 pence more per pint. We managed to find our way to a table and read their food menu, which looked interesting and well priced, but how could you see what you were eating!
On 29th October 2021
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3645 recommendations about 3645 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about Curlers Rest
This is a deceptively large pub with a bit of a gastro feel to it, on a busy street close to Hillhead station. The pub has a smart and somewhat homely lounge-cum-dining room feel with a spacious wide seating area to the front where lots of tables and chairs and a few comfy banquettes can be found along with the occasional sofa in the odd nook here and there. The seating area gives way to the bar which eventually appears along the right hand wall with a check tile floored area around it, a smart dark wood counter and part tile, part bare brick bar back embellished with plain mirrors and tonnes of pump clips. The rear seating area opposite the bar and beyond has a lot of standard tables and chairs, some curved benches, more sofas and a few high stools but feels a bit dark and empty compared to the much cosier front lounge space. The dim lighting comes courtesy of some old fashioned standard lamps and in combination with the high wood panelled walls painted in plain shades and featureless decor comprising mainly of promotional blackboards, it all feels a little drab and dreary. A staircase in the middle of the room leads up to a first floor bar which I didn't explore and there was pop music playing in the background throughout my visit. A stack of board games was perched on the end of the bar and it felt like most people in here had come for food, so it wasn't the ideal place to stop off for a drink.
With such a gastro feel, I wasn't expecting too much of interest at the bar, so was pleased to find Caledonian Deuchars IPA, Oakham JHB, Adnams & Yeastie Boys Whittle, Skinners Porthleven and Stewart Jack Black all available on cask. There were plenty of disinterested bar staff milling around doing nothing, one of whom finally served me a decent pint of the Jack Black which I enjoyed before heading off to a nearby curry house.
I think the stand out feature here is this pub's ale range, which seems to favour well respected UK breweries, but I wasn't so impressed with the service nor the feel of the pub which left me a bit cold aside perhaps from the nice front area. It's certainly a good bet for an interesting pint in the Hillhead area but didn't do enough to make me want to head back out this way again.
On 6th May 2018
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3350 recommendations about 3350 pubs]