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Disappointment of the week with Real Ale Ray
on the Pub Forum
Detail Pages
The Laurieston Bar, Tradeston, Glasgow
Glasgow
G5 9HU
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 8½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve C left this review about The Laurieston Bar
The right hand-side of the Laurieston is an L-shaped lounge bar with tartan carpet and banquettes along the front and right walls. Service is available from the small bar counter, but the main bar area is in the left where it curves around to make a J-shaped public bar. Banquettes run around the walls and there is plenty of tat up, including many photos of the locals, I imagine past and present. There was background music playing and the television was showing Racing TV. On the end of the bar a solitary hand pump stands in between standard keg fonts. Another two hand pumps are hidden around the back, and I would have missed them if I hadn’t needed the toilet. All three cask beers were from Fyne Ales, Castle Black, Hylander and Hurricane Jack. On the end of the bar is a pie heating cabinet, which I think is as far as the hot food stretches. The grill covered distorted windows make the pub look less than welcoming, but the 1970s interior and friendly welcome soon made me feel at home. This is a decent pub well worth a visit, just remember to take some notes and coins because plastic isn’t accepted here.
On 24th November 2022
- rating: 8
[User has posted 5229 recommendations about 5197 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about The Laurieston Bar
A 60s timewarp; outside, inside and the general atmosphere. Situated in a somewhat ropey area on the wrong side of the Clyde (the walk there was pretty eye-opening) the exterior looks almost untouched since it was built. The entrance porch gives way to U shaped interior divided with a small knock-through present, everything meets round the back via a long formica-topped island bar. The right side lounge has dark wood panelling, red fabric banquettes, tartan carpet, wood boxed ceiling, retro smoked lampshades, glass and wood bar divider as well as furniture that also looks original. A piece of modernity is the statement piece of art 'cherry picker'. The left side is a bit more public bar but still very characterful. Even much of the furniture is genuine period stuff, the place has clearly been looked-after. Packed both evenings we tried to visit (first time round we were turned away as it was full!) with an enjoyably mixed crowd. Three cask ales spread around the bar, all from Fyne. I went for the Highlander (NBSS 2.5) and Jarl (4.5) as well as a disappointing McEwan’s 80/- on keg - musty, I think it was well-past its bedtime. Cash only in here, which I thoroughly enjoyed. A pair of friendly oldies run the place alongside a lad who I think is their son; an affable bunch who were great for a chat and it’s well-worth making sure you do this one soon whilst they are still running it. 8.5
On 7th March 2022
- rating: 8
[User has posted 5072 recommendations about 5055 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Laurieston Bar
An absolute must visit.In a most unpromising area,this street corner boozer has a classic Glasgow exterior and looks as rough as you like.However inside it's an unspoiled gem with heritage features everywhere.It retains a two room layout,a public bar to the left and a smaller carpeted lounge to the right,both connected by a rear corridor to the loos.
The public bar has a U shaped servery topped off by a wooden surround.Seating is fitted benches in red leather or traditional wooden chairs,the formica tables have two decks,no doubt to store shorts and water below,with pints on top so that you had a lot of ammunition after last orders was called in the days of short licensing hours.
The high windows have long drapes which are drawn shut after dark giving a cosy atmosphere.Sports flatscreens are on mute ,great decision to maintain conversation as the lifeblood of this public bar.
The lounge is more plush but no less atmospheric has it's own bar access.
Three real ales were offered all from Fyne Jarl (NBSS 3.5),Avalanche (Not quite right but changed without fuss) and Hurricane Jack.
I stayed for quite a few pints,it's an easy place to settle and the bar staff are friendly ,informative and efficient.The spirits measures are traditional gills so a double here is more like a modern day treble !Great boozer,this is what working class pubs were like in the 60's,the cash only notice seemed fittingly appropriate.
On 6th March 2022
- rating: 9
[User has posted 2727 recommendations about 2727 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about The Laurieston Bar
This historic pub is well worth a visit, it is a well supported locals pub and is very welcoming. We popped in on a Tuesday afternoon and found it difficult to leave as we were chatting to the owner and his son behind the bar, and a few of the locals.
The main bar area had a 1960's Formica counter top along with some narrow Formica tables. Three ales on handpump, Fyne Ales Jarl and Highlander and Broughton Brewery Merlins Ale. The Fyne Ale was the best of the three, the owner kept giving us large samples of the McEwan's Export, McEwans 80/- along with Guinness, as he took a lot of pride in his beers.
On 2nd November 2021
- rating: 9
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Laurieston Bar
Located on the crossroads opposite Bridge Street subway station, this is a remarkable pub with an evocative, and somewhat uninviting, exterior and a quite magnificent, well preserved 1960's interior. The entrance porch gives you the option of heading left into the Public Bar or right into a smarter Lounge. The Public Bar has bare boards and runs in a roughly semi-circular shape with fixed seating around the perimeter. The windows all have heavy drapes, many of which were closed on a cold winter's afternoon and I noticed a TV was on, showing some dull daytime TV show. At such a quiet period of the day, the lounge seemed like the better option, so I turned left into a smart and comfortable space with some lovely dark wood panelling and a nice panelled section of bar counter. The bar seems to be older than the majority of fittings in the pub and has a pretty grand gantry, nice curved bar end, frosted partitioning screens and a hatch which was presumably once part of the jug and bottle operation. The walls have red anglypta uppers and are broken by frosted windows along the font of the pub, with a tile ceiling above. Tartan carpet covers most of the floor and red upholstered banquettes and smart chairs follow the perimeter of the room, with a few bell pushes still apparent behind some of the banquettes. The walls have been decorated with a variety of old photographs, including an incredible shot of a truck that spilt its load outside the pub in 1956, a sculpture of a woman covered in cherries, window sills full of books and files, a model ship, photo collages and a battered looking old juke box.
The barman here was extremely friendly, stopping for a good chat about the pubs of Glasgow and giving me a few recommendations as to where to head next (and where to avoid!). He poured me a lovely pint of Fyne Ales Highlander which was one of three ales available, but I was so busy chatting that I forgot to note the other options.
I thought this was a great pub which really conveys a great sense of history and gives a feel for what the pubs in this part of town must've been like 50 years ago. It's only a short hop over the river from the city centre and is well worth including on any itinerary for the good beer, warm welcome and remarkable interior. Quite comfortably my favourite pub in Glasgow and one I hope to return to in the future.
On 6th May 2018
- rating: 9
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Laurieston Bar
One of the least promising-looking, yet most rewarding, pubs you'll likely ever see. Rather faded single-storey 1960s exterior, but a fine unspoilt interior retaining a separate lounge and bar. The former is quite formal, with better seating but little decor, whilst the latter has more space and lots of memorabilia around the walls (including an interesting - if slightly alarming - display of newspaper obituaries for the numerous well-known musicians, actors and other celebrities who have passed on recently). Three real ales on handpump - Hurricane Jack and Cloud Burst from regular supplier Fyne Ales - and Horizon APA from LawMan Brewing. Had a good chat with the barman, one of the co-owners, and really enjoyed my stop here.
On 1st May 2016
- rating: 9
[User has posted 8086 recommendations about 8086 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
David Ross left this review about The Laurieston Bar
A basic, but old fashioned and quite attractive pub, which retains the now rare division between the public bar and a more female/couple friendly lounge. Both are served from the same wooden island bar, but separated by a partition. Hot pies are on sale and there is a good range of beers, including one real ale. Being across the road from Bridge Street Underground station, it’s a possible stopping off point on a subway pub crawl.
On 9th January 2012
- rating: 8
[User has posted 769 recommendations about 683 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Roger Button left this review about The Laurieston Bar
Listed on the CAMRA Inventory of Historic pub interiors. Pub was recently featured in the movie Young Adam. Convenient for O2 Academy.
On 10th August 2011
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 1239 recommendations about 1233 pubs]