Glasgow's best bars and pubs as chosen by the city's bartenders for top awards

The Absent Ear is one of the pubs in the running to be named the best in the city
-Credit:Contirbuted


The city's best bars and pubs have been selected by Glasgow's top bartenders and they need your help to vote for the overall winners of the Glasgow Bar Awards 2025.

With 150 nominees across 12 categories, featuring everything from locals and much-loved pubs to the trendiest bars and cocktail havens, this year’s nominees are a celebration of the best in Glasgow’s thriving bar scene.

Selected by bartenders across the city, the public and industry vote will see the ultimate winners crowned during a dazzling Bartender’s Ball this February.

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This year’s Glasgow Bar Awards has grown to include 12 categories, with exciting new additions such as Best Late Bar and Best Restaurant Bar, joining fan favorites like Best Cocktail and the coveted Best Bar.

The Best Pub nominees includes west end favorites Inn Deep and Òran Mór, the historic Old Toll Bar, and the ever-popular Pot Still, run by the Murphy family.

Meanwhile the Best Bar category sees recently opened Vodka Wodka Merchant City, the evolved Devil of Brooklyn, alongside iconic cocktail spots such as Kelvingrove Café, The Gate, and Absent Ear all named.

For the cocktail enthusiasts, creations like the Miller Street Slipper from Sebb’s, the Nitro Jazz from West Side Tavern, and the Steinbeck from The Last Bookstore highlight Glasgow’s mixology mastery.

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Don’t see your favourite? There’s still time to cast your vote! Nominations across all 12 categories remain open until midnight on Sunday, 2nd February 2025 and you can vote on the website.

The Old Toll Bar was named in the Best Pub list
The Old Toll Bar was named in the Best Pub list -Credit:Contributed

The 2025 Glasgow Bar Awards will culminate in the Bartender’s Ball , a night dedicated to honouring hospitality’s finest. Hosted at Saint Luke’s on Monday, 17th February 2025, this must-attend event for industry professionals features premium drinks, smoked barbecue classics from the Winged Ox, and live music and entertainment.

Organised by Backs! Hospitality, a community interest company founded by David Smillie and Alex Riches, proceeds from ticket sales will support initiatives for the next generation of bartending talent, including training, mentorship, and networking opportunities.

How to vote for the Glasgow Bartender Awards

The organisers said: "The long list has been announced and the winners will be determined through public and industry votes — so make your voice heard."

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Vote now: head to the website to vote for your fave now.

Voting deadline: Sunday, 2nd February 2025

The 2025 Long List

Top 15 Best Bars (in alphabetical order)

  1. Absent Ear

  2. Chinaskis

  3. Daddy Marmalades

  4. Devil of Brooklyn

  5. Jack’s Bar at Dakota Hotel

  6. Kelvingrove Café

  7. La Jupe

  8. Lunar

  9. Malo

  10. Moskito

  11. Red Sky Bar at Radisson Red

  12. Tabac

  13. The Gate

  14. The Locale

  15. Vodka Wodka (Merchant City)

Top 15 Best Pubs (in alphabetical order)

  1. Church on the Hill

  2. Dram

  3. Drygate

  4. Inn Deep

  5. Innis & Gunn West Nile Street

  6. Kitty O’Sheas

  7. Koelschip Yard

  8. Malone’s

  9. Old Toll Bar

  10. Òran Mór

  11. Pot Still

  12. Redmond’s of Dennistoun

  13. The Lismore

  14. The Palais Bar

  15. The Piper

Top 15 best restaurant bars (in alphabetical order)

  1. Bar Vini

  2. Bar Brett

  3. Crabshakk Botanics

  4. Derby Lane

  5. Five March

  6. Gaga

  7. Gaucho

  8. Porter & Rye

  9. Roya

  10. Sebb’s

  11. Sugo

  12. The Finnieston

  13. The Gannet

  14. Ubiquitous Chip

  15. West Side Tavern

Top 15 best drinks (in alphabetical order)

  1. Aphrodite - Devil Of Brooklyn

  2. Auld Lang Seine - La Jupe

  3. Chimichurri Margarita - Gaucho

  4. Grand Anju - Lunar

  5. Gimlet - Gaga

  6. Glass Tears - Tabac

  7. Jack Aitken - Jack’s Bar

  8. Miller Street Slipper - Sebb’s

  9. Nitro Jazz - West Side Tavern

  10. Pinyin Pastries - Daddy Marmalades

  11. Pisco Blank Canvas - Absent Ear

  12. Shepherd's Delight - The Gate

  13. Solero - The Social

  14. Space Ghetto - Saint Luke's

  15. Steinbeck - Last Bookstore

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