The Griffin, Glasgow

Called in Saturday 31st of January very big pub but more bare than pub like a lot of Glasgow pubs with very big bars more bar area then there is for drinking another room at the back of it had the shock of my life it was full of Nun,s all very drunk and singing. All going to the sound of music sing a long at the near by theater. Well worth a visit would call back

The original pub (called the Kings Arms) stood here from 1865 until it was demolished and rebuilt in 1903. The current name reflects a previous owner who ran the pub during the 60’s and 70’s when the pub was expanded into the 3 bars that we see today. Each bar has its own identity, the main bar being called the Griffin Bar, the smaller adjoining Griffiny Lounge and the Griffinette which unfortunately I didn’t know about at the time but I gather it is more of a dining area. The main Griffin Bar has a long horseshoe shaped interior, tiled floors, frosted patterned windows and a strip of ornate green tiling in the corner snug. Personalised mirrors and pictures of people (No idea who they are all are) adorn the walls. There are many original features that will be of interest to fans of heritage pubs however some, like the windows and bar counter, have apparently been replaced hence the pub falls short of being part of the CAMRA historic interior inventory. The smaller Griffin Lounge is a later addition and is found through an open doorway to one side of the main bar although it does have its own road entrance. It is a far more basic bar and certainly not as eyecatching as the main bar but still not without its own merits. A piano can be found in one corner and a few black & white pictures of various celebrities hang on the wall nearby. There are a couple of flat screen TV’s in the main bar and a further screen in the Lounge bar. Piped 60’s/70’s soul music was being palyed on my visit which included a few interesting seldom heard (in my book) classics - Wigan’s Ovation Skiing In the Snow anyone? The pub’s sense of humour is apparent and includes a quirky sandwich board outside with an ongoing assortment of cryptic messages that baffle many a passer by. The biggest disappointment was the ales with just Deuchars (commonplace around Glasgow’s pubs) and Greene King Abbott (which was off). The Deuchars was reasonably priced at £3. The food selection was quite basic but sufficient and reasonably priced at around £7/8 for main courses. It was quiet for my early evening visit but can apparently get very busy at peak times and is popular with theatre goers (the Kings Theatre is opposite). The pub is certainly worth seeking out but really needs a better ale choice to make it one of the City’s essential stops.