What a fun spot on lively Ashton Lane! Offering inside and outside seating, there is a spot for…read moreeveryone. The outside deck is lovely and has its own bar. Guinness runs abundantly and they even allowed me to have a Snakebite - after the bartender made fun of me - a lot!! It was great and so was the service!

On charming Ashton Lane in the swish west end of Glasgow is this classic little Irish pub…read more Evenings will inevitably find this place absolutely stowed with students and the after-work crowd alike. If you manage to get seating here, guard it with your life--especially if it's in one of the cozy booths. There's regular live music of the Irish folk variety, and the atmosphere tends to get extremely lively. Just as nice is to come here during the down times and appreciate the authentic Irish vibe while have a good long chat with a friendly stranger over a very well pulled pint of Guiness. There's a beer garden for sunny days, and a thoughtful amount of outdoor standing room for smokers in the evenings. Be careful, though - when things get a little too lively the bouncers do not have a sense of humor. One wrong turn and you're out. So just settle in to whatever real estate you can grab and enjoy the raucous and cheerful atmosphere.

We visited the Ubiquitous Chip on the very last night of out 12-nights visit to Scotland...we…read morewanted something definitively Scottish, with excellent food and drink options, and not too stuffy for an upscale spot to eat. That's exactly what we got. We walked to the Chip after visiting the relatively nearby Kelvingrove Museum. It's in a not-too-touristy area with tons of nearby restaurant options and hidden in a little alley (or "close") off Byres Road. There are multiple "venues" within Ubiquitous Chip - 2 bars (The Corner and The Wee...) We ended up at the Wee ahead of our reservation time, and the bartender guided us well with a dram after asking for something he thought was great that we'd have a more difficult time getting back in the States. (Ledaig). Both bars were pretty packed, so we wandered back and forth between the 2 until a spot finally opened at the Wee Pub. Our reservation was for the main dining room (not the Brasserie). There was a lot for us to enjoy as vegetarians. We rolled our own tasting menu with a plate of Scottish cheeses (typically a dessert item on Scottish menus, but we stand by the legitimacy of cheese for dinner). All 5 cheeses were vegetarian (ie no rennet) and served with a nice chutney and 2 different types of in-house-made crackers. It was delightful. We also had the BBQ Carrots dish...it's two carrot chunks, soft-cooked, charred on the outside, served on a delicious bed of sauces with a lovely Indian curry vibe. We got a salad with honey mustard dressing, fennel and shaved celery...it was very fresh and a nice counterpoint to the cheese and carrots. We also got potatoes, which were topped with creme fresh and light herbs. The potatoes were a little dry and light on flavor, but dipped in the creme and also in the leftover sauce from the carrots dish, they did the job. Service was stellar and friendly. Dining in the main restaurant makes you feel like you're outside. There are live plants everywhere, and a ceiling made up of windows like a greenhouse. You can see the brasserie, the more casual restaurant, on the second level (though, honestly, the main restaurant didn't feel unnecessarily stuffy like some fine dining restaurants. This was the perfect place for us to have a final meal in Scotland with plenty of food, drink and friendly service that left the perfect taste in our mouths.

Very cool setting. This place has several different rooms including bars, dining, etc. We dined…read moreat the upstairs garden and missed the opportunity to go to the rooftop because it had closed. The upstairs may look simple in some photos but it has a skylight throughout and you can view the greenery of the main dining floor below. Such a unique setting. If we had energy, we would have gone to the bars. The food included traditional Scottish eats along with modern items like tacos (which we skipped because we come from the land of great Mexican food.) Fav was the trio of traditional "spreads". One was meat, one was carrot, one was potato. You could never guess by description or photo but it was great since I was looking for traditional Irish food. It was farther from our hotel but worth the recommendation by our concierge. A bottle of rose for us was 30 pounds. Easy. Service was only okay for us. Food and atmosphere stood out.

Be lucky if u get served only locals get priority . Stood…read moreright at bar after 20min got ignored with someone they knew he got his pint I walked out. Its also very loud the locals behind should complain or ask for a rent reduction cos this place is not what u think it is.

Went in to listen to a few songs and a pint. Very welcoming and old school rock music. Wish there…read morewas food so I could stay longer but then I probably wouldn't have gotten a seat.

The Paisley Arts Centre is another little gem of a venue hidden with in the generally run down…read morePaisley area. This building is a beautiful converted church and has a cozy, intimate atmosphere inside. At the Arts Centre you can see all sorts of music, drama and comedy. I fell in love with the place after going to see a musician friend play a set in the café/bar area. It was just him, a stool, a mic and an acoustic guitar. This area is tiny with stone walls and wooden floors and can only fit about 30 people but it created the perfect atmosphere for an acoustic gig. The Arts Centre also runs regular classes and workshops in drama and music and can also be hired as a venue for private functions.

I am writing this review based on years-ago previous experience and I assure any reader I fully…read moreintend to review/update it if/when I go back. As a concert venue or theatre or the like I find this place to be absolutley perfect. It has all the facilities you would want and I have never been disappointed when attending. It's also a great place to sit outside of on a sunny day. As anything else I find it is overpopulated by the pretentious. It seems to draw a lot of pseudo-West End (Glasgow) types who do nothing but talk nonsense. Real nonsense, Not just your average boozer banter but genuine made-up rubbish.

Given the choice in Paisley, this place is epic! Owned by the same people that own the Saporito…read moreCafe on Gauze Street and founders of the once great Tuckerbox on Bridge Street, it's far classier than Hamish's Hoose which it replaces. I went in for Christmas lunch with work. Now, Christmas lunch is a notoriously bad affair in most restaurants and it started in a familiar fashion with either pate, soup or prawns, but actuall m pate was nice. I plumped for one of the two pizza's on the menu, it came out and was massive. And it got bigger, m wedge of chocolate at the end was also humungous. In short, I was bested. The food was ver decent for a wine bar in Paisley. Rumour has it the are opening a dedicated restaurant too in the town......

A quick lunch with the wee cuz in between her Clients. I had never been to Saporito befor but had…read moreheard good things about it Firsly the decor Wow I remember these premises as an Old Man type of Pub now it is a very welcoming trendy Restaurant and Bar. As we were short on time we deceided to go for the Quick Byte Lunch Menu £4.95 for a main Course we both opted for Chicken Caesar Salad, I had a St. Mungo Beer from Draught and the wee Cuz had a Birra Moretti Shandy, I thought that they had a good selection of Draught Beers. The certainly did not skimp on the Salad it had loads of Chicken, beautifully cooked with a slight Barbecue flavour, not the sauce type barbecue, plenty of Romaine Lettuce Parmesan in abundance and a very creamy Ceasar Dressing. I have never had the wee cuz finish a meal before me I thought she had dropped it that is how tasty it was. I believe they do amean Pizza will have to go back and trythem and see.

The Judges, as I call it, because dropping one word is cool and saves time, is always a "must stop"…read moredestination when I'm in the West End. I even admit to cheating on Sub Crawls to head here instead of the closer Dolphin. It's one of the best, if not THE best real ale pubs in the city - it has an ever revolving array of guest ales, as well as a damn fine selection of regular ones. They offer 2 pint takeaway cartons, which may be the single greatest thing in a pub anywhere! The decor is best described as traditional and authentic, and it's always, ALWAYS busy. Here's a wee list: You Won't: - Be able to get served in less than 5 minutes from enterting - Find a table at first glance - Be able to swing a cat On the plus side, You Will: - Have a great pint, expertly pulled or poured. - Be able to ask the staff for advice on each ale on tap - Soak up the amazing atmosphere - Be able to look at the magic wee Glasgow tenement decoration on the wall with proper lights in it and everything - want to come back again and again and again. If you haven't been, why not? Go! Jump the subway to Kelvin Hall and knock yourself out. Not literally, that would hurt...

The Subcrawl on Saturday gave me the opportunity for yet another first ever visit to another…read moreseemingly Glasgow institution that thus far I have avoided. The Three Judges on Dumbarton road is a place that I have always been interested in going to but have never actually made it through the front door. On Saturday over 1/2 way through the crawl I finally entered and was very pleasantly surprised. It is a large place with loads of tables and a long bar. It looks very traditional in terms of style, but I would not call it an "old mans" pub in the normal sense. It is actually is pretty modern in some ways in terms of the various beers it has on offer. I went with one that I have had many times before (Sierra Nevada - bottle) and as always it was excellent. I think in the future I will venture back to try some of the many draught options that they have in stock. Interesting pub, great variety of beers options and well worth a look. 4 stars.

This is a lovely theatre in the West End of Glasgow. The decor is beautiful as it is a former…read morechurch, and the theatre attracts both musicians and theatre productions, from Rick Astley to Shakespeare! They also hold comedy nights and are affliated with the bar and restaurant which are attached to the theatre. I would recommend this as a venue, providing you are interested in the act!

My guy and I ventured to Paisley Town Hall to see Admiral Fallow. A great band from Glasgow. We…read morewere really excited for the night and what a building to see a concert in. This place is gorgeous and quite grand and the acoustics were great! There were two bar areas to get a drink or ten and they were pretty reasonable for what you got. I was quite full from dinner and drinks before the show, so I let my belly settle for a while and let my guy do the drinking. The show was great and any staff we ran in to were helpful and friendly. It looked like there was balcony seating, but since this was a standing room only gig, we were down near the stage like a bunch of super fans. I'd come back for sure the next time there's a band playing that we like!

I was at the Paisley Town Hall last night for my kid sisters Spring Concert. She has been playing…read morethe violin for a couple of years now and it was really nice to go and see her play. I'm not going to lie; her and the other kids were pretty awful. Thirty 12 year olds playing stringed instruments badly is a bit of an assault on your ears! My sister was playing in the main theatre of the town hall and it is a nice theatre with the usual red velveteen seats and a lovely ornate ceiling with massive chandeliers and of course there is a stage. The town hall is a popular venue for weddings and I recently got to see some of the function rooms on a tour with a friend of mine who is getting married next year. Her fiancé wasn't able to go with her so apparently my bridesmaid duties include being a surrogate husband to be! All of the function rooms are lovely with the similar beautiful coloured ceiling as the theatre and gorgeous elaborate arches over the doors and windows. One room has big French windows which lead out onto a long balcony with stunning views off the Paisley Abbey and its grounds. From the outside the town hall is a very nice looking building too and was built during Victorian times and appears to have changed little from how it would have looked then. Certain parts of the town hall are looking a little bit worn but all in all I think this is a venue definitely worth considering if your ever having some sort of function or event.

A friend was heading here last night for a birthday party so the Mr and I decided to gatecrash it…read morewith her. The pros: It has a decent sized beer garden - rules are: bring your glasses back inside; only open until 10; keep your tops oan. It has THE absolute most amazing light fittings I've ever seen - literally cherubs hanging from the ceiling holding bunches of grapes (with light inside). Completely trashy but I totally want one! If you spot one (particularly of a standard lamp variety), please let me know ! It has a raised seating section - this is where the party was (complete with dj/karaoke which was actually great fun). Granny Gibbs is full of the tackiest collection of decorative ornaments I've ever seen - from a gigantic fish on the wall & a collection of old teapots, to huge carved heads finishing off the bannisters. Everything here should be just awful and not work, but for some reason everything fits together and is actually quite charming. Cons: Very limited selection of beer on tap: tennents or heinneken were about the best on offer. The gents loo was pretty big - but now looking quite tired and in need of a refurb. The person serving was of the disinterested, don't care, don't want to be there variety. Not exactly friendly, but not particularly nasty either. Broadly speaking, it's not somewhere I'd frequent very often, but I'd be cool with going to another function here.

Best place to be on a Wednesday evening 4-7pm. The 2 man band is excellent playing great songs to…read moresing along and dance to. Talented locals are invited to get up and sing. I have been going there every Wednesday for a few months now and have gotten to know some of the regulars who are so wlecoming and friendly that when my mum was unwell I felt comfortable enough to turn up on my own and was met with friendly invitations to join some of the regulars. Wouldn't miss a Wednesday at this great Glasgow pub

An excellent find in Helensburgh, and one of the best tapas restaurants to be found in Scotland…read moreIMHO. There was only one server on duty, but he coped admirably with the increasing numbers who arrived during a Monday lunchtime. The portions are large enough to satisfy the appetite, the menu is quite extensive, and the prices are reasonable. Lunchtime price was £16.45 for three tapas. I had Paella Verduras, Champinones con Huevo, and Calamares a la Anadluza. Herself had Tortilla Espanola, Boquerones en Vinagre, and Vieiras (Scallops - which had a £4 supplement). All delicious, and with such a good range of dishes to choose from, I'm sure we'll be making the trip 'doon the watter' again soon.

Greated by surly Joe , shown to a table with nowhere to hang our coats , kitchen door was open…read moreassume to help cool the chef ,not so good for the freezing customers in the draft Joe and to top it all off one hour for six tapas dishes ,,come on six small plates can't be that difficult ,, in a nutshell overpriced and over rated but if you do decide to go take a jumper