The Belle

 Having been rated the number one pub in Glasgow by Timeout Magazine, ‘The Belle’ on Great Western Road seemed an essential visit. The small old school pub in the heart of the west end provided a warm, cosy atmosphere. An open fire provides most of the light in what is a dimly lit pub- in a positive way as this adds to the setting.

The crowd in the bar was a far more sophisticated bunch than you would expect in some of ‘The Belle’s’ neighbouring pubs such as Kitty O’Shea’s and Coopers. Despite there being a few young students in attendance, the crowd seemed mostly to be made up of professionals and more elderly people, hence why I invited my friend Jack. None of us really know how old he is but he was certainly a good device to bridge the social gap between us and ‘The Belle’s’ regular customers.

I chose to buy the first round and I must say, despite the wholesome atmosphere present within the pub, 17 pounds for a Guinness and two craft lagers (the only regular beer they sell on tap is Amstel- which is mid) did not greatly impress me. I spent around £17 in Lidl on the same night on shopping that will keep me alive for the best part of a week. Clearly the writers of TimeOut magazine get a better SAAS payment than most.

 The pricing, although premium, did not define what was still a good experience. The bar was totally full and we were lucky to arrive when we did to snatch a table, there is also a small outdoor seating area on the street which always seems to be full, no matter the weather. The bar is clearly incredibly popular with its target audience, it just happens to be the case that this is not primarily students.

Give ‘The Belle’ a visit if you are in the West End. (and have a fairly sizeable overdraft)