United Kingdom

Glasgow

Nightlife

Drinks

Music 

Joshua Barr

Josh Barr is a proud Glaswegian and has worked in venues across the city for nearly two decades. His first foray into hospitality was with his dad—who owns numerous venues and bars including the famed Bier Halle—before going it alone with ventures West Side Tavern and The Locale.  

"I love Glasgow, I’m proud to call it my home and think it’s low key one of the coolest places in the world," he tells Trippin. "It’s in a sweet spot where it has most of the infrastructure of a big city but with the community and spirit of a much smaller place. I’m also truly proud to be apart of my city's amazing hospitality community. The scene in Glasgow has really flourished in the past few years."

 the best ways possible—a bar crawl. Starting in the south side, journeying through the city centre and finishing in the west end, Josh takes us across the city, passing some beautiful monuments and sights en route. Cheers!

Starting off our day in the south side, only a short walk from my front door we have Henry’s bar in Shawlands, the best new addition to the south side's bustling bar scene. We’re in for a Bloody Mary or a pint of lager with a daiquiri chaser depending on how hard the hangover is hitting. 

Strathbungo's been named one of the coolest neighbourhoods in the world recently, loads of good bakeries and coffee but some lovely bars too and possibly the best Guinness in Glasgow at MJ Heraghty.

After a pint of the black stuff we’re heading into the city centre to the world famous Bier Halle for the best pint of Lager in the city. My preference is Furstenberg and you have to compliment that with a bratwurst of course. 

On Sauchiehall street we’re stopping at probably my favourite restaurant Loon Fung, a Glasgow staple. I’ve been coming here since I was a kid and it’s always so consistent. Go for Dim Sum and the 3 way roast. 

Head to Charing Cross where you’ll find The Locale. We’re just stopping by to grab a marg and to chill in the beer garden. The Locale offers some great bar food to compliment its extensive drinks list and the djs are always on point. 

Next we’re heading over to the Finnieston area, another amazing neighbourhood flooded with great bars and restaurants. We’re stopping in for a cocktail at another Glasgow institution, Kelvingrove Cafe. They say don’t mess with the classics and these guys do them really well!

Finally we’re taking a stroll past the iconic Kelvingrove gallery towards West Side Tavern in Partick. On the route I’ll give an honourable mention to Mother India Cafe which is one of the best curry houses in Scotland for me. Arriving at West Side Tavern we’re grabbing a taptail, compounded and carbonated in house these are our signature drinks. The PALOMA is especially popular. If you’re still feeling peckish we can grab a pizza to share and enjoy the amazing atmosphere. 

If we’re still standing, my late night recommendations would be Berkeley Suite, a former dance hall turned underground club disguised as a Pawn Shop, for a late drink and a bit of a boogie. 

No trip to Glasgow would be complete without descending into the world famous Sub Club for some of the best electronic music Glasgow has to offer.

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Josh Barr’s Guide to a Great Glasgow Pub Crawl

Wuh Oh

Scottish producer, performer and composer Wuh Oh has been taking music seriously since he was just 10. Genre blending and wildly experimental, Wuh Oh doesn't attempt to fit his sound or aesthetic into any box. Glasgow has long been heralded as a city that raves and parties like no other, venues such as The Art School, Broadcast, and Stereo are spaces which before Covid brought the bustling art students and locals together on the dance floor. The city has a different beat of the drum compared to the rest of Scotland, something with Wuh Oh knows only too well.

Read below to see Wuh Oh's day to night guide for Glasgow, taking us to some of the best spots to both grab a bite and party.

First up is Tchai Ovna! This is a wee stone cabin where they serve yummy vegetarian food and about a hundred types of tea. This spot has such a cosy atmosphere, with its own little garden and even spots to sit on the floor if you fancy. It’s a lovely way to start your morning, alone with a book or with a few buddies.

Next let’s hit the park. On our few days of summer in Glasgow, it feels as if the whole city congregates in this park (primarily on the one big hill at the centre!) and the warm sense of community is always comforting. BBQs, tunes, booze and always at least one group practicing their tightrope walking between a couple of trees... It’s all there.

Now that we’ve lounged on the grass for a bit, we can move on to this magical place. It has hundreds of hand crafted characters and structures built from scrap wood and metal. A few times a day it all springs to life, performing wonderful, mechanised choreography to spooky music and a synchronised light show. It’s so very endearing, elegantly playing out little tales of the human experience within the eternal cycle of life and death.

We’ve got a bit of time left before dinner so let’s check out Mono. This independent venue is a homely creative hub with a cosy feeling of community and music in the air. As well as having a bar serving quality beer and tasty vegan food, there’s an incredible little record shop inside called Monorail Music that I could lose hours in. You never know what music, poetry or other performance is going to pop up on their little stage.


It’s dinner time and therefore time for the best pizza I’ve ever had! Constantly bustling with an excellent atmosphere, this place has a super simple menu of insanely good pizzas fired for what feels like seconds in their stone oven. The pizza is soupy at the centre and charred perfectly at the crust. I’m completely addicted.

I am a complete sucker for the novelty and outright gimmickry of crazy golf. This place has these in spades! Fore Play is the perfect way to start pre-drinks properly, drinking a few beers as you merrily whack your way around 18 holes. This course has you putting into a giant helper skelter traffic cone, blasting your ball round a loop de loop and many more tasks that grow increasingly and hilariously more impossible as the drinks start to take their toll.

Now it’s time to go ‘out out’! While the Barras is every returning Glasgow musician’s dream live show, Subby is the DJs’ dream set! This dark underground venue is an institution and is second to none for its energy in the wee hours. In another fun flooring feature, there are sub woofers built beneath the dance floor so that you can feel the bass from your feet to your face!

It’s 4am and we’re not going home without a bite! This little food van close to where I stay in the West End is an institution of its own. Maggie’s is an absolute lifesaver for post-club scran and the crown jewel of their menu is the infamous Scooby Snack. This beast is aptly titled as it features basically every element of the Scottish fried breakfast (bacon, egg, tatty scone, black pudding, square sausage) plus cheese and a beef patty, arranged precariously in a towering stack within the burger bun. No better food to munch on as you stumble happily home after the loveliest of days and the biggest of nights!

Sub Club

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