I may seem a little harsh only giving 3 stars but I didn't feel I got the whole sparkle horse experience. The place and staff seem nice, the decor freshened up from it's days of the old man Dowanhill pub. The place was buzzing when we arrived and we found the rest of the Yelp crew settled in the wee corner that became ours for the majority of the night. I never got to the bar so not sure what else was on offer, my man kindly did the bars trips for me. If I'm not sure what they have I'll go for a long vodka and that's exactly what I got. They weren't too bad, a little limey but overall good, so I had 3. I'm not sure of prices, I know I never got change from my tenners and I've heard from other people that drinks are a little steep. I didn't take in as much as the place was getting darker and darker as the night went on. I felt there was no need to dim the lights so much. I know it's to create an atmosphere but I do like to see. I did like the added touch of the charity shop picture of the week in the toilets. It gave a wee description beside the painting telling you about it and the artist. I think it should also say what charity shop it came from too, I think that would be a nice touch. The music was a bit eh... aye, em well different?! Not my taste, but hey each to their own. It was a good atmosphere but then I was in a good crowd. I would like to come back and try their food menu. I could smell good things from their kitchen as it hadn't long closed when we arrived. From their posters they look very active as well with quiz nights and also a knitting evening, which sounds very interesting. It even has it's own facebook page. They also cater for baby discos so encouraging for parents to do something a little different. I think this place will do well and hopefully on my next visit I'll raise them 3 stars up a notch or 2. read more

The Sparkle Horse - Yelpers on the Unofficial Yelp Event kicking off at The Sparkle Horse. - Pubs Near Me - Glasgow, GLG

Although I live only a few blocks from this pub, it took a CMYE invite to the Monday night quiz to get me to visit. I still remember it as the Dowanhill when it wasn't that attractive as a pub so maybe that's why I'd been avoiding it. What was I thinking? Hip, casual atmosphere, good beer on tap, and great food that's way above the average standard of pub grub. We both had the baked haddock, which I was expecting to be some slightly tarted-up variant of the usual fish & chips, but it turned out to be a visual delight as well as tasty, and provided the perfect fuel to fire up the brain cells for the quiz ahead. We did have to wait a while for it to arrive, but the place was pretty packed so that wasn't a surprise, and they were very apologetic about the delay. It was definitely worth the wait, although if I hadn't been so hungry I might have taken more time so savour the taste instead of hoovering it up. I thought the prices were pretty reasonable too. If you like a pub atmosphere and good quality nosh, you could do a lot worse than Sparkle Horse. Although it was our first time tackling what is said to be Glasgow's toughest pub quiz, our team the Sparkle Dorks were victorious over the regulars (although it was a close call!), which means we'll need to return next Monday to defend our title. Oh dear; I'm not good with Tuesday hangovers... Finally, a bit of trivia - I remember reading somewhere that towards the end of its former life as the Dowanhill Bar, they discovered a hidden room deep in the bowels of the place with its own entrance where some guy had been living for years unbeknownst to the bar staff. I can't remember where I read this and haven't been able to find anything online to back it up, so it may have to go down as urban legend for the moment. But if anyone knows more about this story do please let me know! read more

The Sparkle Horse - Baked haddock nomnomnom - Pubs Near Me - Glasgow, GLG

Unfortunately there are no unicorns here. Sparkle Horse is tucked away around the corner off of Dumbarton Road and Byers Road, and is a lovely, busy pub with great food! Some of the pubs on Dumbarton Road can be a bit crazy to say the least; Sparkle Horse is much more chill. I finally tried the food and I was not disappointed! As far as service goes, I have had mixed experiences, sometimes very slow or not particularly friendly (simply "what's your order"), but generally never bad service either. My last trip I had the steak pie and chips and salsa. If I had known the steak pie was going to be so large, I would have just gotten the pie! It all tasted amazing, but I just couldn't eat it all! The tortilla chips are made in house and are quite nice (flour tortilla chips, not maize tortilla chips). The salsa is more like a pico de gallo and not too spicy, but you can tell it is fresh so I am not really complaining! The bar is fully loaded, so connoisseurs of all kinds should be able to find something to drink. If you are super hungry get the steak pie. Yum! read more

The Sparkle Horse - Steak Pie! Yum! - Pubs Near Me - Glasgow, GLG

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For a gay bar it was rather underwhelming. But the music was good - sometimes they even play albums in their entirety - and the staff were very friendly. Originally established in 1912 I know for a fact it's run by a German couple now so was surprised there wasn't more German beer - however they do have Glasgow's own version in the form of West so maybe that's the compromise.The choice of spirits was good - vodka, gin, whisky and rum all represented. And there is also a range of wine covering all the main categories - red, white and the inbetween one. They have done a refurb which looks great, particularly the red seats. There's no tellies or fruit machines anymore but they do provide entertainment in the form of a regular baby quiz. Handily situated just up the road from Superdrug on Dumbarton Road and less than a mile from the motorway which takes you to Glasgow Airport, Edinburgh and Braehead. read more

The Sparkle Horse - Pubs Near Me - Glasgow, GLG

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I didn't know The Sparkle Horse existed until earlier this year (I've not really explored Partick too much) and finally had a chance to go this Saturday as part of the Yelpers Got Mad Skillz colouring in event - which was a fantastic laugh! Briony C. had kindly reserved some tables in the rear area of The Sparkle Horse for us excited Yelpers, and the staff had very kindly reserved the entire back area of the pub for us. When I arrived I got a Diet Coke (£2) and settled in for an afternoon of colouring! Around 3pm I was pretty peckish since I hadn't had lunch and opted to pig out on the 2 veggie courses for £9.50 menu. I (without realising) ordered a total cheese fest of mozzarella sticks to start followed by the halloumi salad main. The mozzarella sticks were truly a thing of beauty. Four gigantic and perfectly gooey mozza sticks with a lovely tomato salsa to dip in, and by the end of my starter I was thoroughly questioning my decision of two courses! The halloumi salad was...meh. The halloumi itself was perfect, slightly salty with a nice crisp outside. The honey mustard dressing was pretty standard it was just the actual salad part that felt a bit of a let down. It was your standard italian salad leaves with some red onion, cucumber and cherry tomatoes thrown in - overall not very exciting as a follow up to the incredible starter. I also had a glass of the house rosé, but wasn't a big fan. Next time I'll opt for a pricier one I think! While I wasn't loving all my food and drink choices, I still really loved my experience at The Sparkle Horse as a whole. The staff we super friendly and polite. The whole atmosphere of the pub was pretty laid back it made me wish I lived close enough to visit all the time! They've got lots of board games to play and have lots of night time activities on the go. I'd like to go back for another lazy weekend pub visit, particularly if it was sunny as it has some nice tables outside! I'll just need to remember my colouring in! read more

The Sparkle Horse - Mozzarella sticks - Pubs Near Me - Glasgow, GLG

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Sparkle Horse you really really took me by surprise! We had a cheeky wee day off on holiday yesterday and we sort of stumbled into the Sparkle Horse for lunch a bit by accident. We had the dog with us, we happened to be passing and I had seen a few people say it was mutt friendly so decided to give it a try. First thoughts were a standard pub setting and I expected some decent pub grub, instead I got an amazingly tasty meal. For starters we had very good mozzarella sticks with a tomato salsa and lots of salad. The sticks were huge, bulging with cheese and tasted really fresh. Plus the salsa was more like a lovely homemade chopped tomato salad. First course got a huge tick, but the best was yet to come. I bloooody loved my main! It was pork loin, stuffed with black pudding and wrapped in a Parma ham. It came on a bed of mash with a creamy sauce. It was fan-flipping-tastic!! It was all cooked to perfection, really tasty and without doubt one of my favourite dishes eating out this year. They set the bar really high and for me the food is way beyond any standard pub option you would normally get. They have West on tap, they were friendly to Rogue (the dug) and were also nice to the humans to. I honestly can't recommend this place enough. I think I am late to the party in discovering this hidden gem, but I will for sure be be back to try more of the menu. (Ohhhhh and forgot to mention it's cheap!!) Gallop your way to the Sparkle Horse right now. You will not be disappointed! read more

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I knew I was wrong about The Sparkle Horse (see my earlier 3-star review of shame) but I needed to make the return visit. I really didn't mean for that to take a year and a half, and for that I would like to apologise profusely to the Sparkle Horse ... there's just so many places in Glasgow to visit! I hoofed it along (I promise this review won't turn into a horse-pun fest) on a Monday night for the hardest pub quiz in Glasgow with a squad of Yelpers. We got there early to get a table and ordered some food - two courses for £12. As I mentioned in my earlier review, I wasn't a fan of the beef burger, so this time I opted for the mozzarella sticks followed by a chicken burger. The food arrived pretty quickly - which was good, as I was starving. The mozzarella sticks were some of the nicest I've ever had, properly gooey and delicious. And a really generous portion of four massive sticks. It does come with BBQ sauce which I loathe but you get a tomato sauce and mayo on your table, so you can dunk into something else. The chicken burger was excellent. A deliciously grilled fillet of chicken which tasted almost like it had a teriyaki sauce on it, the brioche bun was super soft and warm and it came with a good portion of chips on the side. For a simple burger, this was simply delicious and really impressive. The pub itself has really come into its own since I last visited. It has the casual vibe of city centre pubs like The Flying Duck and Stereo, with just a little dinge to make you feel comfortable but not dirty. Staff are super friendly and helpful, and there's a top selection of drinks which are reasonably priced. The quiz really is pretty damn hard - there were loads of questions on Scottish history which I had no chance of answering. Thankfully we had an awesome team who managed to bring in the win - getting us a £50 bar tab for our next visit. The quiz starts around 7.30pm but you'll probably want to arrive a bit earlier than that to get a table, and you can expect to be there until 11pm close. read more

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The Sparkle Horse is one of the best pubs in the West End, just behind Kelvinhall Subway in Partick. Warm, welcoming with very friendly staff. It's been my local and one of the things I'll miss most about living in the West End. A cozy wee bar with a great atmosphere, decent selection of beer (West beer on draught) and good music but without being intrusive - overall pretty cool without being frightfully hipsterish. I've eaten here with friends quite a few times now and every time the food has been great. Particularly worth a mention is the chicken stuffed with black pudding - prob my favourite thing on the menu. And then there's the macaroni cheese - properly made with a good dod of wholegrain mustard. There's also a £5 menu on Tuesday and Wednesday evening, which in pretty amazing value. Check it out, you'll probably find me propping up the bar if I'm at this end of town. read more

The Sparkle Horse - Home of the Partick Swayze! - Pubs Near Me - Glasgow, GLG

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I was in here only a couple of days after they opened to check out the place. I used to live a mere hop, skip & a jump away from the old Dowanhill pub but never went in as well, I wasn't old nor a man, haha! The Sparkle Horse (named after a band if you're wondering) on first impressions comes across as a friendly, non-poncey, fresh alternative to the myriad of faceless/poncey/expensive/studenty pubs in the West End. It reminds me of Stereo/The 78/Mono and I say that as a compliment as I very much love these places. I know two of the guys that own this pub I must say but that doesn't make me biased (one is an ex-boyfriend!) as I don't work that way, ya dig? Craig used to be bar manager in Cafe Gandolfi & Steven (formerly of the band Bis) also worked in the Cafe Gandolfi & I know how much pub 'research' these guys would have done (If that's what you call it...haha!) into making TSH a pub they would want to drink, eat & hang about with friends in. It makes for a more down-to-earth pub, if that makes sense? It doesn't feel like another generic West End pub/bar & I get the feeling they actually CARE about the bar staff they hire & the people they serve. I was in here after a Crimbo lunch with work friends & we were just here for the booze but the menu did look very appetising indeed; I spotted Steak & Krusovice pie & also some vegan dishes for those that way inclined. We spotted the Hendricks gin served with tonic & cucumber (the way it should be) also on the other side of the wee food menu & I can honestly say it was so so good. From now on I want ALL my G&T's to be like this! I heard that night we actually drunk them almost completely out of Hendricks, oops. Sorry. West beer on tap & a few other interesting, tasty looking beers too & also a Prosecco that is apparently fantastic. If you'e ever in the Partick/end of Byres Road vicinity then just pop onto Dowanhill Street (behind Kelvinhall subway) and check out this wee sparkly equine gem. read more

How is this my first visit to this wonderful pub? It's close enough to where I live it could easily be my local, in fact, yes, I've just decided. Screw you Oran Mor, Sparkle Horse all the way!! (only kidding Oran Mor, I still like you!). Clare and I popped in prior to a recent Yelp event that she was attending, the main aim was to get some lunch and chill out for a bit. We arrived about 12.30 and it was pretty quiet so, after ordering drinks, we checked out the specials board (some good options) and the menu (more good options). I'll be honest, I hadn't really read any reviews so I wasn't sure what to expect so between that, and my gurgling tummy, I opted for the safe option, cheeseburger and chips - Clare went for the Mac and Cheese which looked pretty tasty! When the food arrived, promptly, I have to admit it looked great, and no soggy lettuce or watery tomato nonsense, hurray! Just a lightly toasted bun, a thick and chunky handmade burger covered in slowly melting, dripped, cheese. The chips were pretty bog standard chunky chips but sometimes it's good to keep things simple and tasty. And it was. The chips were good, and the burger was delicious. Definitely a freshly made pattie, it crumbled a little with each bite and was a massive hunk of meat to devour, which I duly did (always try and leave a clean plate, it's polite!). Only downside was the cheese seemed to disappear and the roll was a bit dry, ketchup helped but made the bread was a little stale? Not sure, it wasn't enough to stop me wolfing it down. I love the decor (the creepy print of the girl sitting in a darkened room a particularly favourite, and no, not just because of boobs) and it's got a very relaxed, old fashioned pub feel to it. The music isn't blaring away, the staff are super friendly, and the prices on the cheap side of reasonable for the West End. Ohh and they have a good range of ales, beers and other beverages, I'd say most bases are covered. So, a local bar that is pretty cheap, friendly, relaxed and does (as I've not looked at the other reviews) dependably good food. WIN! read more

The Sparkle Horse - Cheeseburger FTW - Pubs Near Me - Glasgow, GLG

After having visited multiple times now (not having been before the Yelp Trick or Trivia Quiz, shock horror!) in various states of sober/drunk - mostly sober I must say! - I think it's official. I love The Sparkle Horse. When I mention it to people who haven't been, they tend to think it's some sort of shiny disco palace and while it certainly isn't that (how cool would that be though??) it is no less lovely. Because lovely is exactly what it is. I always think it says something when you can happily go to a pub sober and not feel like you're missing out, or feel in any way uncomfortable/wish you were drinking. I just enjoy being there, it's a proper pub with nothing fancy-schmancy about it, but it's also not an old, run-down place as a lot of "pub" pubs tend to be. It always feels cosy and snug, which can sometimes be a danger if you manage to snag a particularly comfy seat - if only pub-napping was acceptable! They have West on draught which is fab, and often another offering besides St Mungo for those who like to try different things. The staff are friendly and efficient, plus they still let me come here after I was a *quite* drunk at the Subcrawl and insulted them by requesting Apple Sourz (they don't sell Apple Sourz but were quite happy to provide some peach schnapps instead!) so they're definitely on my list of "good peeps". I haven't had a main course here as yet, definitely something I need to try after seeing all the glorious photos, but the food I have had has been totally great. The lovely Pammi G ordered some tortilla chips at the Yelp quiz which were fresh and tasty, not just your average Dorito-style chips but what I would deem to be "proper" tortilla chips - I have no idea if that's what proper is, but I'm going with it. Last night I had their chocolate brownie with ice cream (after stuffing my face at Dumpling Monkey) and it really was so good! It was perfectly gooey without being a big mess, very chocolatey without being overpowering and a decent size as well! In fact, I think I need to stick Sparkle Horse on my dessert list (and some others) after this! They also allow dogs in which is great, especially when you are dog-less but love dogs like me and the bf. As with many other establishments, the only complaint about my lovely Sparkle Horse (heehee) is that I don't live near it - though I would probably be quite skint if I did because I'd never be out of the place! read more

The Sparkle Horse - Warm chocolate brownie with ice cream, perfectly gooey! - Pubs Near Me - Glasgow, GLG

Since my initial review, spurred on my a food recommendation by a fellow Yelper, I've been back for more, more, more! I can wholeheartedly recommend the fish pie - a very generous deep-filled dish of locally-sourced chunky mixed fish (at least salmon, white, yellow) full to the brim, topped with a layer of mash. Excellent value. Can't recommend enough. My friend Nicky had the free-range chicken with Stornoway black pudding on mustard mash - she enjoyed it but said it could have done with more black pudding. Super-friendly staff, good beer, epic food. My new favourite west end bar. read more

The Sparkle Horse - £5 Tuesday/Wednesday menu: Butterfly chicken with black pudding, bacon and mustard mash - Pubs Near Me - Glasgow, GLG

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I realised on today's visit that I'd been going in here for more years than I care to remember. Yes, I may look like I'm a sprightly young fresh-into-college young chap, but I'm not. I'm creaky, old, grumpy, and I make that "ugggggh" noise every time I get out of a chair. That means I used to visit here before it was The Sparkle Horse. The people that inhabited that dark, dingy, dreary, dilapidated old wreck of a pub would be horrified about this place. And that, friends, is a good thing. The Sparkle Horse is bright, fresh, pleasant to be in and an all round Good Thing. They welcome all and sundry, even a squad of insane Yelpers with colouring pencils, paper and the vague impression that the should know better. They welcome you all with a smile, a cheery word and the promise of alcohol. The beers they serve are nice and cold. On this occasion, I had some food too., Some of the nicest, biggest, chewiest, meltiest, most gorgeous mozzarella sticks in the city. Served with salad (which I didn't touch, because as we all know, I view salad with the same disdain that a cat views... well, pretty much everything) and a chunky salsa perfect for dipping and scooping, these are glorious. - I heartily recommend that anyone and everyone try them. Unless you're lactose intolerant, then it's probably not a good idea. Much better than the McDonalds equivalent Mozzarella dippers, which I asked for at the bar by accident, belying a slight addiction problem to McDs, Oh how we laughed. Well, I laughed, mainly to hide my awkwardness. This is my thing. But I digress. One thing I noticed that I really liked was the gents toilets had baby changing facilities in them, something of a rarity. Well done, Sparkle Horse peeps! There's loads of things going on at The Sparkle Horse, and I get the feeling it could well become a firm favourite of mine way out there in the West End. read more

The Sparkle Horse - Pubs Near Me - Glasgow, GLG

So it seems I'm a little late to the sparkle horse party an I don't understand why! What a great bar hidden off Dumbarton road. If you haven't been yet don't waste any more time and go....now! We accidentally stumbled across it when looking for a parking space. we were actually on route to Hyde bar for lunch. We decided just to eat here so for starters we shared mozzarella sticks and they were massive and so fresh. Mains I went for the Mac and cheese with garlic bread. It's had just the enough cheese and the garlic bread was toasted. Unfortunately I was driving however they seem so lots of beers including west on tap It was a Tuesday afternoon and the place was a little quiet but the service was real good. I will be back at a busier time for drinks. read more

The Sparkle Horse - Pubs Near Me - Glasgow, GLG

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I met a couple of girlfriends recently just prior to New Year and loved the vibe of the place . It seemed to be a real hangout for local people and dog friendly too boot . I tried out their Wifi whilst awaiting their arrival with a pint of West in the other hand . The wheat bear was delicious so much so , that when the girls arrived I had another . We moved on to the designated eating area , I do recommend booking as it can become busy . I tried the mozzarella sticks which were good and had the halloumi salad which was fair . Perhaps a double dose of cheese was too much and in future will remember to choose better . The gals enjoyed their veggie nosh which was the main reason for choosing the Sparkle Horse . Will definitely go back and might even try the quiz night sometime . read more

The Sparkle Horse - Gantry - Pubs Near Me - Glasgow, GLG

My first time visiting the well recommended Sparkle Horse and it was on Black Friday, last Friday before Christmas. It was heaving! And roasting! But so was probably every bar that night :D I got a good feeling from it though. The drinks were reasonable and it had a very friendly atmosphere...or maybe that was the two bottles of wine! It has a good lay out, with plenty of seating around the place but still standing tables for those in the centre. A good night had despite the melting heat, will definitely be back :) read more

The Sparkle Horse - House red - Pubs Near Me - Glasgow, GLG

Others are going to disagree with me here and maybe I am wrong, but I just find The Sparkle Horse a bit dull. Good points? Well, the food is good and they have a good selection of beers on tap. It's a decent sized space and a welcoming, comfortable place to sit. The staff are pretty great too. There's a pub quiz on Mondays (got to love a good pub quiz) but it's run by the regular teams who take it in turns to come up with the questions. The result is that sometimes it's impossibly difficult and sometimes it's surprisingly easy, just depending on who's turn it is. I just find it a bit pricey compared to other options in the area and it doesn't really seem to do much beyond what those other options offer. It's a nice enough pub, but nothing outstanding. Others must certainly see something in it that I don't though, because everyone else seems to love it. Maybe I'll figure it out eventually. read more

The Sparkle Horse - Sparkle Horse: Home of the Partick Swayze - Pubs Near Me - Glasgow, GLG

This is the type of pub you would love to have near you. I am seriously jealous of the people of Dowanhill. Something which is not new. This area is one of the more lovely bits of Glasgow and is often missed. The Sparkle Horse is one of those little West End Treasures that needs to be searched out (why does this name make me think of Bronies?). Wandered down here on the directions of Chris D to have a pint and a gibber with fellow Yelpers. Pints on offer included the regular T-Beers and such but they did have West's St Mungo. I normally never drink this pint. I have found it pretty disappointing when you have it outside of Templeton's homage to the Doge's Palace. But here is the weird thing. It was bloody good. Almost made me feel like I was in a certain East End German beerhall without the late night inhabitants of Bridgeton awaiting me on my walk back to the Station. So, thumbs up for the Cellar man. Halfway waiting for Chris to appear, I asked the folks at the bar if food was still on. Ordering food at a pub after 6 is probably not a good idea. Top quality chefs tend to stop pub food service after 5pm. But the barman said, "sure we have food on". I had headed out without dinner and the menu looked really good. It was nice and short. In my mind, this means they are doing a few items well rather than a lot of things poorly. One Burger ordered and it came in roughly fifteen minutes. OK, so to start, it was plain that this was a homemade burger patty. Yeah, that is good. The ketchup was made fresh and the chips were hand cut. Even better. The burger itself was a great mix and loosely packed like a really roadside cafe. It reminded me of a place I know in Northern Ontario. Great burgers served in the middle of nowhere. When I drove from the prairies to Toronto I would make plans to stop there on the way. Pull my little car in amongst the hulking 18-Wheelers to eat one of the best burgers served along the Trans-Canada Highway. This definitely was in that category. It was slightly smaller, the Northern Ontario burger was the size of a side plate. The Sparkle Horse burger just as well prepared and exceptionally tasty. I would have liked a slice of tomato and maybe some lettuce that would fit into the bun. But the main meaty constituent made up for this. This is in the Top Glagow burger title running. BTW - Chris never showed. Good thing, he may have wanted some of this burger. read more

Love this place. When my pal told me about this joint I was like, "eh?" - had never heard of it. That is in fact because it has just popped up on the west end's pub radar. I'm pretty sure Sparklehorse is an indie band from days of yore (the 90s). This pub has definitely got the indie vibe going on. For example: - We don't need to reupholster the red leather booths - they're retro. - A lick of black paint will create that too-cool-for-school ambiance - nae effort, maximum IMPACT. - We mugged yer nan to adorn every corner with her chipped porcelain ornaments. - We can keep the ale taps - because young, hip men like to take on the persona of old men, who are the real hip daddies of Glasgow. Needless to say, my badass, budget hipster self loved and lapped up all of the above. Great atmosphere, good fun, good selection of beers and whisky, mixed age group so it's not an exclusive uder 30s club like a lot of bars in Glasgow can be, lovely staff. Irregardless of age and tastes, most people could feel at home here. After only being amongst us a few months, it's already got some personal touches, the best of which include: - Quiz nights. - Charity Shop Picture of The Month. - THE PARTICK SWAYZE COCKTAIL (for more info on its origins, ask the staff). With good music being piped out and a reputation for keeping Partick's charity shops in business, you can't complain. It sparkles, it shines, and livens up a fairly quiet street. read more

When I first heard tell of the Sparkle Horse I was a little bit worried that it was going to be so hipster it hurt, but thankfully that's not the case. What you get instead is a place where lots of really great things add up to an all round terrific bar. My most recent venture there was under the guise of Yelp Glasgow's latest 'Mad Skillz' session, this time colouring-in (awesome). The bar had reserved a good area for us up the back and it was great to have space to spread out. Although I've been in to the Sparkle Horse quite a few times since it opened it's doors this was the first occasion where I'd ordered any food from the menu and was super pleased with what was delivered to the table. I was going out for dinner later and didn't want to get too much so had opted for a portion of tortilla chips with salsa and some mozzarella sticks. To say the portions were generous is something of an understatement! The four huge, obviously freshly handmade, mozzarella sticks with salsa were super tasty, with an great crispy coating and plenty of oozing cheese in the middle. The tortilla were likewise freshly made and are perhaps the best I've had in the great city of Glasgow...... As to the drink selection, I think I've only ever partaken of a pint or two when at the Sparkle House and while the beer choice isn't stellar it is at least above average. I tend to opt of one of the West beers they have on tap, and I particularly like that I can get their wheat beer there. I've not heard complaints from any of my companions about the drinks they have ordered so I shall assume the other choices are also good!The staff are also one of the highlights, always friendly and helpful, with good service at both your table and the bar. The place seems to cater to a relatively diverse group of patrons and does so well, always busy without being horribly packed. But then who could resist a place that has the wonderfully gaudy 'Charity Shop Picture of the Moment' in the toilets..... read more

I came in here after Chris had called a visit (sorry Andrew, its partly my fault he never turned up!) and my immediate reaction was "... Spangly pony pub?!" I digress.... We trooped in and trotted (oh hahaha see what I did there?) up to the bar to see what there was on offer. West beers on tap and a great looking wine collection if you're not a beer drinker. I mistakenly ordered the Williams beer I could see peeping out of the fridge, to be told that it was a sample bottle and not for sale. The bar maid said that it clearly showed there was demand for it then. Yessum, I'm a sucker for Williams beers. There was then a moment where we also tried to order another beer that wasn't for sale... Don't tease us with such delicious beers! I "settled" for a pint of the West Hefeweizen instead, and ordered St Mungos for the rest of the crew. The interior is clean and with spangly / sparkly granite tables. We had a very pleasant Thursday evening in here, and it was a great meeting point with it's proximity to the subway / Partick train station for those who were coming from afar. I clearly need to try the food by Andrew's recommendation and I'll be back. And if I can have the Williams beer next time I'll add a star ;-) read more

First visit to the sparkle horse last night for a yelp newbies night. First of all what a fantastic name! We had an area reserved up at the back and it was a great venue. Away from the hustle of the main bar where we could chat easily. I loved the interior of the bar ... all black and red with a shabby chic style. We had table service for our drinks and nibbles which was great. I loved the charity shop picture of the month in the ladies loo's and i will definetly return to try out the patrick swayze advertised behind the bar. A great little gem in the west end and i managed to get parked easily outside -result :) read more

This is a great wee place in a great wee part of the west end. I went here the other night with a couple of yelpers on what should've been a pub crawl, but we ended up only going to two different places! The Sparkle Horse looks tiny from the outside, but inside it's actually quite a substantial inside. I thoroughly enjoyed the place! It doesn't have an overly high amount of beer, maybe 6 or 7, but otherwise the bar is fully stocked. The staff were lovely, the general ambience in the place is nice, and I'm keen to come back to try food as I noticed they have a food menu up! Not to mention that the yelpers aren't a bad bunch to spend a night drinking with! (Apart from those crazy ladies Angela and Elizabeth...) read more

I never thought I'd find a proper "local" smack bang in the middle of a city the size of Glasgow, but the Sparklehorse turns out to be exactly that. It's got the right mixture of cool and not taking itself too seriously, with friendly service, a great drinks selection and excellent food...what more could you ask for? Oh, maybe a buzzing pub quiz and various other events during the week! I go to the quiz most Mondays, drawn by the lure of tricksy questions coupled with a £75 bar tab up for grabs. The food deserves a special mention all of its own - the Spaklehorse have a small but perfectly formed menu with a good choice of veggie options and daily specials. And not only that, but there is a selection of meals available for £5/6 a plate during the week, so it's bargainous, too. read more

This is my local and it serves its purpose well. Great meetup place before heading out, food if you need it and I love the beers. A little dark but very comfy benches. read more

Nice enough pub in a tricky part of town. I was a bit underwhelmed to be honest. I know the owners also run the fantasticaly kitsch and quirky 'Flying Duck' in town so was thinking the Sparkle Horse would be of a similar vein. But no, its a rather plain old pub in comparison, with black painted walls and proper pub style furnishings. Beer selection was ok, your usual Tenements (£3.50 hmmm bit pricey maybe, or a sign o' the times?) and West beers (which I find can be very much hit and miss). I hear the grub is good so will give it another shot next time I'm down this way..... read more

Despite looking like a hole in the wall, this place is surprisingly big on the inside, with plenty of seating to accommodate big groups, lone punters and everything else in between. I've been hearing the buzz about this joint for a while now and have been keen to get along and see what all the fuss is about. Despite not chowing down on any grub (which was one of the reasons I'd bookmarked it for a visit) I have to say that initial impressions were very positive (hence the 4 stars!). Ok so far the place is not 'outstanding!', it very much has 'local bar for chilled out local punters' written all over it. Think of it like a slightly less hipster Captains Rest. Drinks wise, well I'd have to agree with Rocco on the drinks front. Tennents just doesn't cut the mustard with me anymore, especially with the availability of Williams Bros lager in Glasgow. If I lived in this area, this would undoubtedly be my local watering hole. Much like the Wise Monkey, it's no great shakes in the looks department, but it wears the air of a big ass comfy couch or a pair of stupidly easy going pair of trainers. For the food and chilled out vibe, I shall return! read more

We were here last weekend at a function - my Dad's 70th Birthday party! It was great, the pub has a really nice atmosphere to it, and the staff were just lovely - friendly, pleasant, chatty and efficient. They even let my dad's pals sing a couple of songs :-) They also put a grand spread on - for me being vegan, there was some delicious bruschetta, and some great tortilla chips, hummus and a salsa dip, and the others had wee bacon rolls, sausage rolls, some sort of spicy vegetable bhaji type thing, and probably some other things that we can't now remember. Hey, it was a party! They've got a great selection of drinks too. We had our favourite - West Hefeweizen, and when we got too full or beer, we had a couple of delicious quality gins - two varieties of Williams Chase - apple, and clove, which rounded off the evening very elegantly. I'll definitely be back to the Sparkle Horse. Great down to earth pub, friendly staff, and plenty of tasty drinkables makes it a very inviting prospect. read more

It's a three star, did hover over a possible 2 star but thats overly harsh. Wandered down for a few drinks on Friday, slightly early doors so the place was really quiet, got a seat no bother and sent the boy up to the bar for beverages with the 'you know what I like' instruction - they didnt have much of that description. Bottle-wise the beer selection is pretty lacking and the spirits aren't amazing either (Kracken though mmmm) Didn't sample the wine menu so I'm reserving judgement on that. The pub it still a bit too 'old man' for my taste to be honest, the toilets are mega outdated with glass brick surrounding the cubicle doors i.e. people can see you pee. If they cant see you, you are pretty sure they are so you have the fear whilst peeing. Saving grace of this pub? The playlist. It was AWESOME!!! We pretty much owned every song they played which is always fun. Would possibly go back for food as it sounded amazing, and the quiz. read more

Decided on a mostly west end theme for yesterday's shenanigans and after hearing good things about the SH (west beer on tap and decent grub?! Sold!) we stumbled in here for eats after having tested out the Three Judges on the way. I went for a St. Mungos (love those beer mugs!) and a veggie burger cause I was in sore need of some serious stomach lining. Pretty substantial plateful to say the least! The burger itself was just a slightly souped up version of what I'd expect a veggie burger to be and the salsa on top was fantastic, actually made the burger for me to be honest. The pal plumped for the trout after a recommendation from the super lovely waitress and practically inhaled it, apparently it was ''Amazing''. It did look great, but I'm not a fan of trout so I can't comment further. She enjoyed it anyway. The staff we encountered were all lovely and a very cheery bunch and the cost for our beers and food was really reasonable, definitely somewhere I'll be back too, just a shame I didn't know about it when it could have been my local! Big thumbs up! read more

I'd never been to The Sparkle Horse until last weekend - it's really not what I expected. I was assuming it'd be one of those purposefully tacky, kitschy, hipstery kind of places but I couldn't be more wrong. It's only a few steps removed from being a dark old man's pub. But that's not necessarily a bad thing - it has a great atmosphere and was mega busy. The food is apparently great - I'll be back soon to try it. Maybe do the Monday pub quiz too..... ;) Oh, and for the childish amongst us, there are loads of ceramic horses kicking about to entertain yourself with! read more

A fine establishment. Hit the Monday Quiz in here which easily works its way into my (elite) top 10 in Glasgow. Well stocked bar, nice decor and a funky and chilled out vibe overall with dogs and bicycles. Very comfortable and welcoming. Food looked immense, where I will definitely be hitting there 2 for 1 night on Tues soon. Liked the witty 'Partick Swayze' drink (and got the scoop on the origin...) with the chalkboard displaying the remaining bar tabs for recent Quiz teams. Wee touches like that added some charm. Noticed the criticism raised elsewhere on repeating the same songs in a short space of time. In this instance though, it was Radiohead who are my favourite band. Had it been someone I don't like though, I would also have been annoyed. Bit of a gamble to not keep the music varied. Will be back for sure. read more

It was my second time and it was also for a Yelp newbies night! This time I tried a glass of white wine (from my lovely Spain), the wine was good but not the best Alvariño I've ever tried. There were also nibbles (thanks to Briony and Yelp) and tortillas are my favourite! Really good for dipper! It's a cozy and warm place and it's a good option to stop by for some drinks and food in the West End! read more

Really wanted to like this new bar which has promoted itself as the Indie music fans watering hole of choice in the West end. However it was really poor when I went in. Music playing was awful. Why do bars like this play an entire album from one artist from start to finish? If you don't like the artist playing your in trouble. How hard can it be to play a mix? When I was in I stayed for a couple of hours and got constant Camera Obscura the whole time. Really? Felt like slitting my wrists. As I was considering leaving they started an entire album by an african musician playing terrible David Bowie covers. Dreadful. The staff where poor too. No chat, nothing. I sat with an empty glass at the bar while the bar server, manager and chef huddled giggling round a phone watching loud YouTube clips together. Had to ask to be served and felt I was interrupting their private fun. I'm only a customer after all, and it has to be said, the only one. Sorry Sparkle Horse, great name, but no sparkle in here for me and wont be back. read more

I really like the sparkle horse and have been coming here fairly regularly since December.. I hadn't reviewed it yet because I have no idea how. I've heard about but haven't witnessed their brilliant quiz on a Monday. I've eaten here once before and although it wasn't bad, it was nothing to write home about. They have West on tap (hefeweizen and mungos; my two favs), as well as Guinness (not extra cold which is brilliant), and good bottled beers including innis & gunn. They've got nice spirits including diplomatico rum and kraken, and their wines are pretty good two. So, it's not a place I get really excited about, but with its good playlists and nice wooden bar with sparkly lights, it is [** WARNING TERRIBLE PUN AHEAD**] the faithful steed of bars. When I need to chill after work or meet up with friends and have a decent conversation, I come here. Whether it's busy or not, the atmosphere is always good and so is the drink. What else do you really need? + it has a cool name. :D read more

First of all, what a fantastic name! I'm not sure if it's a reference to something that I'm missing but it's adorable whatever it means. I've only been in here once for a pint on a busy Friday night in September. We still got prompt table service even though we were just having drinks, which puts it in my good books right off the bat. I joined a table of a few friends who already had a tab going, and a waitress quickly and skillfully moved past the crowds heaving at the bar to take my order- pretty impressive! I got a pint of West4, which tasted exactly as it should and wasn't flat or stale like it can be! This is super important in my view as even some of the swankiest bars sometimes serve you a pint that tastes like..well, pish, for lack of a better term! They clearly have their priorities straight. While the decor could maybe use a revamp (black wallpaper? ehhhm) and I can't testify to how good the food is, the pints are right, it's not overly pricey, and the service is good. They've also got little tables outside even in the darker/colder months I believe, and when I was there they had (clean) ashtrays already set out, a nice touch for the smokers jumping out into the cold to get their nicotine fix (me, haha). They seem to have a pretty well stocked bar with a great selection of spirits and some fun cocktails (like the famed Partick Swayze which I've yet to try) and the pictures of regulars and staff all around the bar give it a really nice, local feel which I think Glasgow is missing in some of the more gentrified bars that have opened up! Looking forward to my next visit to the Sparkle Horse! read more

We had the perfect late lunch and pint of cider after tromping around all morning and early afternoon. I had the mozzarella sticks and pork belly and my friend had the vegan shepherd's pie and all were better than we hoped. The prices were very reasonable. We couldn't have asked for a friendlier or more comfortable oasis. read more

Nice pub with an outside seating area in the summer. Full of West End hipsters and the occasional Steampunk veteran, a great selection of wines, spirits and beers. You can happily play 'Spot the Man Bun' here all day and well into the night. One of the nicest bars at the bottom end of Byres Road. read more

I've fallen in love with this pub. It's not the cheapest for beer, but it's a warm, welcoming place with a small but superb menu, regularly changing specials and excellent taste in music. Monday night's quiz alternates between unexpectedly easy and eye-wateringly hard, and there are board games for quiet nights and kid-friendly weekends. It's the kind of pub you're genuinely sad to leave. read more

Formerly The Dowanhill, this bar has been taken over by Barney (formerly manager of Edinburgh's Bongo Club and Glasgow's Flying Duck) and Steve (from Bis). The chaps have wasted no time in introducing a great new range of drinks (including beers from Glasgow's WEST brewery) and also a small but perfectly formed food menu (created and cooked by a chef formerly employed at no less than Cafe Gondolfi). Should potentially be a great option for anybody in the Byres Rd area who wants an option for a pint/spot of dinner that doesn't involve G1 Hellzones (in Ashton Lane) or old man's boozers (on Dumbarton Road). read more