Oran Mor is beautiful. I think that has to be said first. The church has been beautifully redesigned into multiple venues for drinking and seeing shows. If you can manage it, find a person to let you into the event room upstairs. The ceiling has been painted by 'Lanark' author Alasdair Gray. It is still a work in progress, but dear lord is it amazing, and mark my words it is gonna be a major Glasgow attraction in the future. That said, as a younger person, the place runs a bit old. During the day it is nice, the whisky selection is good and separated nicely into regions. Also it can work as a place to go after Ashton Lane closes because you really want to keep drinking and can't be bothered to a) take a cab to town, or b) really really can't be bothered with Viper. But if you are under 40, know that the only people your age might just be the bar staff. On another note, 'A Play, A Pie, and A Pint,' which runs off and on throughout the year downstairs, is f-ing awesome! Alls ya'll should be supporting inexpensive arts like this, especially when they are so much fun. And dudes, pie and pint--nuff said. read more

I wish I could give this place 5 stars for the ambience and service & 3 for everything else. The space itself is in a converted cathedral and is really cool. It still has stained glass windows and the bar area is really nice. Everyone on staff was incredibly nice (People Make Glasgow!) and attentive throughout our meal. All of that aside, we stopped here for lunch and it was a mistake. I ordered the sausage and mashed potatoes (bangers and mash?) and my girlfriend had the mac and cheese. While my meal was okay, it certainly wasn't great. I went a little overboard on the sausage and mashed potatoes during our UK trip ordering it at almost every other place, and this was certainly the worst. That being said, I would not call it bad - just not good. The mac and cheese, however, was bad. It was really under seasoned and generally unsatisfying. One might say, who orders mac and cheese in Glasgow, but then why put it on the menu? All in all, the space itself is really cool and apparently they have live music that is fun. My recommendation is to check it out for drinks, but get food somewhere else. read more

It's a church, it's a bar, it's a restaurant, it's an I don't know what...but it's pretty incredible. Let me just apologize for my friend who walked up to the bar and asked the tender "what scotch do you have"...it's his first day in Scotland. read more

This is a popular and lively bar that I've been to quite often over the last four years. One of my go-to pubs in glasgow because it has a great selection of whisky. I have also been to a number of gigs in the Venue downstairs, which is a perfect size for a venue - not too small and not too large! It seems equally great for indie-rock gigs (The New Pornographers have been my highlight) and folk gigs (The Ross Ainslie and Jarlath Henderson Band brought the house down in January 2013, I was in the front row!). It also hosts A Play, A Pie and a Pint at lunchtimes, where I once met Scottish makar Liz Lochhead! The bar upstairs is a long, huge room but has lots of nooks and crannies, and retains enough features of the church to give it character, whilst having been updated with lots of artsy things - including Alasdair Gray's famous murals. There are other paintings on the walls too, and quirky lighting here and there. Oran Mor offers both bar food, and has a Brasserie (which I haven't t tried) as well. Overall, this is a good pub on Byres road, better than anywhere on Ashton Lane. A good place for a night out, for pre-night-out drinks, to meet and catch up with friends, or to visit the venue downstairs. read more

Ah, the Oran Mor. I have many a fond memory of the Oran Mor. When people ask "Where were you the night of London 2012 opening ceremony?" I can just be like "The Oran Mor!". You can understand why people love the Oran Mor. It doesn't matter where you're from, you can be assured you will have a nice evening in here. The reason I like it is because of the mixed crowd. Young and old flock here and it's a wonderful place for a date. Especially when you can have a nice wee walk through Kelvingrove park afterwards for a cheeky wee winch. Or is that just me? So if you're looking for somewhere to go with a beau, the Oran Mor is the place for you! read more

I think i have a new west end bar to become a regular in! Popped in here for some noms after the electric gardens not quite knowing what to expect as ive heard many a story from here and their impressive display of whiskies. As you walk in your greeted by a security guard who directs you towards where you need to go and you enter the bar/restaurant area. We were seated by a lovely australian girl with plenty of banter and a really lovely nature. After perusing the menu we opted for seasonal vegetables, haggis balls with honey and mustard dip and steamed mussels in a white wine and garlic cream sauce. The food was delicious. The haggis balls had a nice deep flavour with a touch of spice, crispty on the outside and the dip wasnt too strong on the mustard which can often happen. The veg was delicious as well and consisted of tenderstem broccoli, lvoely whole carrots and gren beans tossed in butter but not saturdated. Then we come to the best part which was the mussels, they come in the shell so its a little messy but a nice touch is that they give you warm lemon water for your fingers. We got 4 bread rolls (2 white, 2 Brown/grained) and some butter. The mussels were well cooked, the sauce itself was delicious and well balanced. Id deinetely go here for food again. When asked for drink our server was happy to please but the choice is just too vast to be remembered so she suggested to get the best view we order from the bar but gave us the choice. I went for a mosey and my first expression was wow. so many whiskies with things i didnt even know existed like highland park loki and freya blend. This is coupled with the usual fare o fbeer, cider and some rums too. I went for a lovely little rum i believe was called diplomatico which was a nice wee surprise but it is first and foremost a whiskey bar. Great place id be happy to go to again! read more

Good service, good food (I think the empty plates we left says more than I could) and an awesome pub atmosphere. Would love to come back for a gig, but doubt my time here would allow for it. Would definitely come back for play, pint and a pie. read more

I keep having to bring family and friends here when they visit me for the novelty of drinking in an old church. I had a toasty once and wasn't impressed. Saying that I've only ever been to the bar part. read more

Went to Oran Mor for a bar lunch for the first time with a couple of mates, their 4-year old and her male "friend". I figured the bar menu would be not bad for vegetarians, and it is amongst my favourite bars in Glasgow so it was an easy choice. A slight mark down was they had no play-things for young kids there. I was surprised by that, I thought a place like Oran Mor would cater better for children, especially considering they offer child-friendly portions. One of the couple went to get some. It didn't really matter because the kids would find something else to do anyway. The menu (remember it was only the bar menu) was ok, very traditional ie slightly boring to me. A couple of us went for the Cullen Skink and I went for the Beef Burger for the main, as did the kids. I was hoping mine would be way, way bigger than theirs. The Cullen skink came, and it was really nice. I like mine to be thick - not your trendy creamy foamy stuff - and with a decent amount of actual solid fish in it, and it pretty much came up to the mark. The burger was of a basic type but good too, it was quite large, it kept together, as did the roll, the homemade relish was tasty but not overpowering, and the side-order of chips was crisp and light. The kids by this time had noticed the size of my portion and so I became "Piggy" for the rest of the lunch, they reminded me of this loudly and often! The main issue I had with the meal was the service, but only of the drinks, it was a little stiff but the food came easily enough. 3 drinks though had to be retrieved from the bar during the course of the meal, 2 soft drinks and a tea, it seemed like there was a little bit of a miscommunication between the bar and the waiting staff. Therefore it's a three for me. read more

Despite coming here loads of times, I always feel a bit meh about Oran Mor. I've only really ever been to the bar before, so I can't comment on the theatre/club area downstairs (I've heard it's pretty good though). Oran Mor is almost always mobbed, no matter what night it is. A lot of this is due to the fact it's the only place in the West End open until 3am. I think this is the reason everything is pretty expensive, even for a West End bar I find it quite overpriced (usually I'm a good few drinks in when I come here so I don't usually cause a fuss at this point!). As a bar, it's open plan with a lot of seats....despite that, you'll struggle to get a table as it's so busy. Atmosphere is always good but, classic busy pub, lots of background chat. One thing I've never really enjoyed here is the service, always find it a bit rude, staff look like they can't be bothered serving you. (Again, this is probably due to the time of night I'm in here, not many sober souls around!). This is a decent bar to head to when 12am hits and you want to keep going. But it's the only time I'll head in here, when there's nowhere else to go. read more

Came for a seated gig in the downstairs bit. The seats are HELLA UNCOMFY. Luckily, there was a free one next to me so I could spread out to relieve my numb ass. Honestly, invest in some better seats and your customers would be so much happier. Friendly staff at the bar, and a great show - good sound. read more

Love this place on a summers day, the outside is a little sunny spot, great for people watching and you are alot more likely to find a seat than any beer garden on Ashton Lane. Outside is 5 star, lovely place to stop for a beer. Inside the pub is 3 star - not been to the brasserie bit so cant comment on that. Inside is huge, but always busy, and have never been able to get a seat. I dont find the crowd as friendly as other places close by. Maybe it's the older crowd, the fight for service and seating or the collective christian guilt from drinking in an old house of god.... but it just feels a bit off in here. Having said that I'll always bring visitors here cos it's a great place to show them and stop for 1. More than 1? Probably not. read more

I was here for the We Are Scientist gig a few weeks ago. I've been to a fair few venues across the city and this was place ok. Not sure what the beer cost but I nearly died when I was charged £2.95 for a pint of coke, might as well have gotten beer although that might have cost gold ingot, who knows. I'm not sure if this was because of the venue or the crowd but the atmosphere was fairly subdued. I've been in a crowd surge for another WAS at ABC and fallen over but there was nothing like that at Oran Mor. Again not sure if it was the venue or the laid back crowd but I managed to get on the barrier in the middle and hold Keith up for a whole song. Obviously that part was great and I really enjoyed the gig, but how much the venue added to my experience I don't know. Not a lot of character in this part of Oran Mor and the ceiling are so low it makes the place incredibly hot even when the crowd weren't rowdy. I guess you don't go to a gig because of the venue, however, if I was asked here to see an up and coming band I wouldn't exactly be thrilled it was here. read more

We only decided to continue drinking here because it was the only place we could think of that was still open at 2AM. It was PACKED with Uni students and the floors were so covered in spilled booze that my shoes literally stuck to the floor. Getting a drink is really hard and finding a decent bathroom is even more difficult. Every time one of us went to the bathroom it reeked of fresh vomit - gross! The staff seemed really overwhelmed so cleaning the bathrooms was certainly not high on their priorities list. If you're in need of a late night spot to drink and your expecations are drastically low - this is your place. If you're a Uni student and looking to be drunk with your peers - this is your place. I can't say that I'd never go back but hopefully it's not a regular stop. read more

Been here on several occasions for food, drinks and gigs. Quite simply : Lovely traditional pub for drinkies has a good relaxed atmosphere music in bar not too loud -you don't have to shout to make yourself heard :) ! For eats, usual pubby menu nice but average. But best of all, a great venue for live music downstairs. It's intimate and has a great vibe. Oh and I have always found the staff really friendly too- always a bonus ! read more

When I first moved to Glasgow about 13 years ago this place was just a boarded-up husk of a building for years and years so I still feel slightly confused that I can go into it... It's a decent gig venue - not great bar selection downstairs but it's got a good atmosphere and I've seen a variety of gigs, from hip hop to metal, and they all had decent sound and there's enough space that you can move about and not feel like you're trapped in a sweatbox which is nice :-) The bar upstairs (in the actual churchy bit) is really pretty and I was in on Sunday with a mate of mine who is a whisky fanatic and he was impressed with the bartender's knowledge - decent prices too for the quality. I find it a relaxing spot to sit about and chat or read my book and it's a laid-back crowd, tends towards the older, so it's an excellent place to have a nice sit-down and a dram! read more

The Oran Mor is a cracking place over in the West End that grabs your attention before you even walk in. it is a converted Church with a suitably impressive interior, and a predictably more expensive price list. Bands play downstairs, and recently I went to see Silversun Pickups which was brilliant. It was a blistering hot sunny day and before the gig started I had a few drinks outside in the patio area. Being outside in the seated area during the summertime was almost good enough to make me start smoking. The music venue was unbearably warm, even warmer than outside somehow. The quality of the food reflects the price and the drinks are also pretty expensive, but I like to consider the price of a hassle-free environment is bundled in with the price. A lot of comedy gigs are housed in here as well and I have been to a few. It's a good venue and a really nice place that I love going to (when I can afford to) when I am over that way. Recommended. read more

Kinda torn on this place. Downstairs is a great gig venue and spent some excellent nights listening to some great bands. I also had the pleasure of a stint at they're play, pie and a pint which was great fun and a genius idea by whoever came up with that concept. But what about the upstairs bar? OOFT! Popped in on Friday night and its all just gone silly. Its loud, uncomfortably busy and full of stupidly drunk morons who've quite clearly headed out on the lash straight from work and this is the last place open in which to make a complete drunken idiot of themselves whilst trying to chat someone up in much the same condition as themselves. Don't get me wrong, that bit is very amusing if your in for a wee drink and find people watching highly entertaining, you'll experience some sights and dramas I can tell you. All in all am a little confused at how to mark this. Downstairs: 4 Stars Upstairs bar: 2 Stars Will meet you half way... But lets not go to The Oran Mor read more

It's hit and miss here, though more often a hit. Pros: ideal location to meet up before heading cityward, generally excellent service, above average food, and it's patronage of music and theatre. Cons: tends to be either too busy or too quiet, not particularly cheap. Generally, if a group of four or more want to meet for a few drinks or a pre-theatre meal it's one of the better choices, but it's not the place for a relaxed tête-à tête. read more

I ate here during the day, and then came back for the pub that evening. The food was very good, I had the haggis Bonn bonns they were great. For my main I had the sausage and was not disappointed. We sat for trivia, which we won last place! As for the bar, it's great, busy, reasonable drinks, and friendly people and staff. read more

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A great beast that sits at the corner of Byres Road and Great Western Road, beckoning you in with it's late licence. "Come on, have another drink...just one more!", and that, ladies and jellyspoons is the most common reason I end up in here. More recently though, I've been in during the week during the day a little more often, and it's quite good then actually, if what you are looking for is somewhere to read a book/paper and have a quiet pint or two. I've often found any problems I've had with this place are down to the clientele. Friday and Saturday nights, and it's packed full of 'yah' types...and that can get a bit annoying. As a pub, it's okay - reasonably priced, plenty of room (except those Friday and Saturday nights), so-so food, and a good range of malts. For me, more so than anything, it's a pub of convenience - 3 minute walk from my flat, quiet during the day, late opening hours and decent prices. To describe Oran Mor in one word, I would simply go for that: convenient. read more

My friends live down the street so naturally we came out to have some drinks when I visited. Coming form the states it was one of the most unique venues I've been into. Beautiful bar. Love the halo up top. It was a school night so it wasn't too crowded or loud so we could hear ourselves without having to raise our voices. I didn't try the food, but we enjoyed our time there. read more

First class atmosphere and music venue. It's a great mix of clientele as well, split between the classic 'old man pub' vibe and many younger types. They have layout inside, a nice warm feel, and a great bar with fantastic whisky. It's moderately expensive for the area but I think it's well worth having a pint or a dram inside. P.S. I've never been, but their Play a Pie and Pint deal has been running really well for a while. read more

The downstairs venue is good for gigs - I've seen amazing gigs by Tom Vek, Patrick Wolf, Ladytron, Gruff Rhys, Tune Yards and Wild Beasts here, to name a few.Just remember that gigs start very sharp indeed and end 10-ish. It's also an upmarket restaurant and a bar - NOT suitable for getting wrecked in and a bit of a posh rugger kind of place - though the auditorium above painted by famous Scottish writer and artist Alasdair Grey is amazing. read more

This is a pub located in an old church. The atmosphere is relaxed and the food is top notch. The Steak and Ale Pie and Fish and Chips were superb. read more

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Hard to decide between outdoor seating during the day and sitting in a church to drink. They carry 5 different flavors of Bulmers cider but no St. Mungo, almost sacrilegious in Glasgow eh? read more

Oran Mor - £3.40 - Pubs Near Me - Glasgow, GLG

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The place is a must-see in Glasgow, mainly due to the beautiful scenery, set up in an old church. The concert and dinner venue upstairs is perfect for private functions read more

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One side of the Oran Mor that has not been mentioned so far is the venue. Downstairs from the lovingly described bar, there is a space that has ben used for gigs, clubs and theatre. Home to the Play, a Pie and A Pint seaon- lunch time plays, aimed at an older audience- and regular hip gigs, it is a space that avoids the grubbiness of most clubs, with limited yet comfortable seating, a good sound system and a capacity of around five hundred. read more

Oran Mor - Pubs Near Me - Glasgow, GLG

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Jazz. Bebop, cool jazz, hard pop, model jazz. Free jazz, latin jazz, post bop and soul jazz. Smooth jazz, acid jazz, nu jazz and punk jazz. I have absolutely no idea what category Michael Deans Quintet , who play Oran Mor every Sunday from 4-7pm, come under. All I know is that as I watch the saxaphone, guitar, bass, drums and keyboard work their magic through the moody lighting of the whisky bar, with a gin and tonic in my hand, it really doesn't matter. read more

Very friendly pub with friendly staff. been going here for a few years now, great to start of your night and also great to have a few before heading home if you have already been out eating/drinking. Looks beautiful from the outside, I love anything that lights up and looks sparkly. My boss is a regular as well, the play, pie and pint was his favourite. read more

The Òran Mór is home to the finer things. As you would expect the drinks are not cheap but then if you want to sip in an award winning pub with a fantastic selection of wine and whisky then you will inevitably have to dig that wee bit deeper, but trust me it is definitely worth it. The crowd is a mixed bag, though it does lean more towards the middle aged and young professional with the occasional incongruous student dotted about for good measure. At lunch you can stop by and get A Play, A Pie and A Pint - doesn't really need explaining but it is worth checking out as you can catch some fairly progressive theatre. Unsurprisingly there is also a restaurant- the food is great and has a distinctly Scottish vibe - haggis, neaps and tatties are a must! The Òran Mór is also the only pub with a late licence in the West End with a 3am licence and makes a great night out if you do not want to brave the bedlam that is the city centre at the weekend. If this is your plan then get there before 11.30 as it is often mobbed and the bouncers close the door. There is a club at the weekends but it can be up to £8 on the door which is not cheap if you are only after a pint and a chat. It recently saw off both the Edinburgh Castle and Stirling Castle to pick up Scotland's Best Unique Venue accolade at the annual Scottish Event Awards. What more could you want? read more

I struggled to make my mind up between 3 or 4 stars. Okay, okay 4 it is and here is why. While I wouldn't meet someone here for a pint if I were stone cold sober, we do often end up here after closing time in most places in the West End. And it does get a little busier around the 12.15am mark. There are certain nights I categorically wouldn't go on as I can't be bothered battling my way through the Weekend Warriors to get a pint or a seat. It is a beautiful building and the bar has a nice stoney feel to it. You can usually find a couple of pipers in the corner or a guy with a guitat for some impromtu live music every so often which give it a nice homey feel. A huge beer garden outside makes this place pretty busy on a sunny day, but take heed that it is right beside Byres and Great Western Road, so you may be breathing in more than the second hand smoke of your pal! A good staple for the West End's late night drinking and a very good place to bring someone from out of town as it looks and feels like it belongs. read more

Just ignore the local "Celebs" and you'll be just fine. Oran Mor isn't the first place I'd frequent on Byres Rd, but it certainly has an aura of warmth about it. Its emporium of hangouts draw you in for a gander, with the whisky bar glowing at it's core. If a night of Talisker swigging doesn't wet your whistle then there's a restaurant, wedding venue, theater, beer garden or club to entertain - all nestled within this old Kelvinside Parish Church. As I said earlier, it's not usually my first port of call. I find the abundance of self congratulatory thespian/media types hanging out in the bar mildly unsettling. But I've learned to brush this minor prejudice aside because I love to frequent The Play, Pie and Pint at lunch times and I feel right at home chomping on a fried egg sandwiches in the bar on Sunday morning with good friends. :-) read more

This place is beautiful, that I will never deny. A converted old church, it went through several owners during its renovation before it was finally completed and opened. And while it is a nice place to visit, I have a couple of issues with it. First of all, it's become so popular, that I can never find a seat. I always end up standing at the bar, and this particular visit, I couldn't even get a bar stool. This is all very surprising to me, of course, because the place wasn't really packed. I've seen it worse, actually, but not being able to get a seat? Ugh. Also, there's no music playing. I know we get so used to hearing music in the background in other places that we don't even notice it most of the time. But once you get to a place where there is no music, then you DO notice, and then it's just creepy. Other than that, Oran Mor is fine. The food is ok for the most part. I would HIGHLY recommend the cullen skink though. I've got to say it's the best I've ever had. A bit pricey and a bit pretentiouss, but still worth a visit. Especially in the summer when you can sit in the beer garden in front and watch the world go by. read more

This place is AWESOME! (Warning the following review was written by a septic and is aimed at other silly Americans) So my Scottish friend takes me here as I am looking for the most authentic serving of Hagus! She says this place is the bomb! And it WAS! So Oran Mor is located on the famous shopping district of Glasgow and is set in an old chuch. We sat in the buttressed area and were able to really enjoy the architecture. I ordered the Hagus, NIpps and Tatties. IT WAS A HEALTHY serving..and not what I would recommend after a long night of Tennents. But it was delicious, delicious enough for me to stuff myself to the point of absolute uncomfortability. Alsothe bar area is this wooden area that is closest to center front of the church with some really great stained glass. I would highly recommend this place to anyone. The service was HILARIOUS! They were super warm and friendly, even to a septic. I will never forget this place! GREAT FOOD! GREAT SERVICE! GREAT memories! read more

I attended "An evening with Ian Rankin" and it was an amazing event. The location itself was well chosen for a book presentation and it was easy to see and hear everything. read more

Oran Mor - Oran Mor at night - Pubs Near Me - Glasgow, GLG

While there are quite a few traditional Scottish pubs around the city, the Oran Mor is undoubtedly the best of the lot. Part of its charm is due to the fact it is a converted church, in an atmospheric location across from the Botanic Gardens. Inside it still looks like a church, the only difference is that there are tables and chairs, plus a big bar that has been put in the middle. Having a drink inside its dark, moody interior, it gives off that kind of eerie atmosphere that you would only get inside a church. And at night when the place gets busy, this gives it a whole different kind of good vibe. Unfortunately the drinks are on the expensive side though. A bit of a shame really. If only they were cheaper, I would be here all the time. read more

This restaurant/club is probably the first place my husband and I ate on our first trip to Glasgow. At the time, our friend who we were visiting was working there and recommended it--although we were slightly apprehensive. My husband can't remember what he had, but I had a lamb stew with potato dumplings. A very enjoyable start to our trip. Both the interior and exterior are quite interesting, because the inside is kind of dark and gothic, and the outside is very stoic and intense, so the laid back atmosphere during late lunch was very welcomed. read more

Is basically a church, really nice idea to turn an ex church in a pub, restaurant, wedding venue, theater and all the good bits and pieces they got here. I only went to the pub area, where to be honest the stale beer smell, and the big central bar makes you feel welcome, you're in Scotland for God's sake. A wide variety of beers on draught and bottle, a large variety of whisky's and whiskey's. And it looks that they got a menu for food as well. How ever, is a really good place for a "sunday at the church"... Cheers "by the way" ! read more

I was in Oran Mor recently for a gig. There was a wedding reception on, that you could just walk into, toilets really weren't that great, the venue had those stupid small dark steps that you don't see until it's too late. Really wasn't enamoured by the place, despite all that I've heard. read more