Drinking Establishments

[shuggz]

10 hours ago, Bialystock said:

Whereabouts on George Street was the The Cragshannoch?

Post by me 2149 ...meant to reply to your message but messed it up.

[GTG_03]

On 17/10/2023 at 09:20, Melanius Mullarkay said:

Whiter in Elgin.  Used to be some joint. Narrowest tables in Britain. Just the width of a pint tumbler. Pegasus upstairs for your underage drinking/disco needs at school. 

I still go in the whiter sometimes. Cash only, barmaid has stubble. Top establishment.

[Leith Green]

2 hours ago, scottsdad said:

Really enjoying this thread, but in the interests of balance... What drinking establishments have you been to that were awful? And why? 

I grew up in Gilmerton, and in the 80s we learned to drink in a windowless dump called The Dykes. 

We thought it was a good laugh as teenagers, but looking back it was full of petty criminals, drug dealers and underage drinkers.

There was a pool table that you could only use if the hard men were away.

Saw the beginnings of real drug violence there when a couple of dealers came in for a pint with both arms broken.......

Police couldn't do anything back then.

I pass through now on way to my guitar teachers place - it got pulled down a few years back and it's now a Dominos pizza place. Progress, eh?

[Central Belt Caley]

3 hours ago, scottsdad said:

Really enjoying this thread, but in the interests of balance... What drinking establishments have you been to that were awful? And why? 

Dragged into the Ibrox bar in Benidorm on my brother in laws stag do. Interesting place with an interesting choice of music to say the least 

[carpetmonster]

The B&B we stayed at in Blackpool on a mate’s stag had a bar, of sorts, with a big sign - seriously about A5 size - with ‘out of date Quavers 10p’ behind it. I wasn’t expecting Gleneagles but that seemed a bit unnecessarily desolate. 

[Zen Archer (Raconteur)]

30 minutes ago, Leith Green said:

Saw the beginnings of real drug violence there when a couple of dealers came in for a pint with both arms broken.......

'Right son, you're taking me for a shite...'

[AnderooMFC]

Personally not one for drinking alone in pubs. I prefer to hide my quiet alcoholism on my couch with a bottle of vodka...*ahem*. Best places I like are ones which suit my music; Solid Rock, Rufus T's or Bannerman's in Edinburgh. What would have been my local got set on fire earlier this year, I had never been in it in the 7 years I've lived here anyway. No idea what the nearest one is now, might actually be Club 100 beside Fir Park lol.

First time in the Laurieston was last week when I used their premises for relief in the midst of queing for a gig at the Academy. Gig buddy says the guy is very friendly and always lets people in. If there is anything changed after it's sold I hope it's a wider toilet area. Shame it was cash only as I'dve loved to pay them back with a wee JD before heading back out in the rain.

Worst ones? Any "trendy" aiming bar that tries to be a club without a dancefloor and plays crap DJ 'choooons', usually rammed with folk and a 20min wait to get noticed while there's a que 2 deep at the bar. Oh, and the wee pub my dad took me to on my 18th that he used to drink in and his dad used to drink in and looked and smelled like it.

[Lyle Lanley]

1 hour ago, Leith Green said:

I grew up in Gilmerton, and in the 80s we learned to drink in a windowless dump called The Dykes. 

We thought it was a good laugh as teenagers, but looking back it was full of petty criminals, drug dealers and underage drinkers.

There was a pool table that you could only use if the hard men were away.

Saw the beginnings of real drug violence there when a couple of dealers came in for a pint with both arms broken.......

Police couldn't do anything back then.

I pass through now on way to my guitar teachers place - it got pulled down a few years back and it's now a Dominos pizza place. Progress, eh?

Been in the Gilmerton Miners myself a few times. Great place. 

[Leith Green]

6 hours ago, Lyle Lanley said:

Been in the Gilmerton Miners myself a few times. Great place. 

Yeah, we used to go there after pubs shut for the "disco" and a late drink.

A much better establishment 

[gannonball]

I stay in Stirling and just about every sizeable pub is a fucking Greene King now sadly.

I like the Curly coo as I'm a bit of an introvert and a whisky drinker but just about all my friends understandably aren't a fan of it, it's not a pub to spend the day in with your mates. Settle inn is still decent but again not a pub to watch the football in etc.

If I'm in Edinburgh will always stop for a few at the Guilford arms but again it's not a 'local' type place. When I lived up in Aberdeen i used to like the howf, dark basement type pub but not been in for years now. As for Glasgow I don't usually have go to as such these days but tbh there's quite a lot you can go in and feel a bit of a buzz. 

[Florentine_Pogen]

11 hours ago, Leith Green said:

I grew up in Gilmerton, and in the 80s we learned to drink in a windowless dump called The Dykes. 

We thought it was a good laugh as teenagers, but looking back it was full of petty criminals, drug dealers and underage drinkers.

There was a pool table that you could only use if the hard men were away.

Saw the beginnings of real drug violence there when a couple of dealers came in for a pint with both arms broken.......

Police couldn't do anything back then.

I pass through now on way to my guitar teachers place - it got pulled down a few years back and it's now a Dominos pizza place. Progress, eh?

I'm from Moredun, went to Libby and my formative drinking was done in The Robins Nest, The Rob Roy and The Ferniehill Inn. Only the first of these survives today.

No pubs around where I live now unless you count The Waverley at Southouse as a pub.

The Abbey at Newington is the place to be.

[scottsdad]

When I lived in Wales I liked the Cwm and Llantwit Workment's Hall. Cheap booze, snooker and pool table, food was OK. The wife wasn't keen, mainly because of the line on the floor 6 feet from the bar that women weren't allowed to cross, or the room with the arcade machines that women weren't allowed in. This was 2004. 

There was a pub in Tonypandy that was rotten though. Wish I could remember the name of it. The food - chicken curry, with naan brad and a big dollop of (unasked for) mushy peas. The pints were warm, the floor sticky. The wife refused to drink anything not in a bottle, it looked so manky. I only had a couple of pints and was sick for most of the night. 

[Sherrif John Bunnell]

12 hours ago, GTG_03 said:

I still go in the whiter sometimes. Cash only, barmaid has stubble. Top establishment.

Is the Whiter the White Horse? If it is, I always make sure I pop in for a pint to break up the the trek from the train station to the bus station when heading that way for Nairn away games.

A reassuringly old school boozer and one of the few places you can still get a pint for less than £4. I also enjoy seeing the large FTP graffiti that has been on the wall of the gents for years. I assume it's a Banksy.

[MEADOWXI]

When back in Irvine almost every establishment I used to drink in is gone,

Crown, Kings, Attic, Ruby Tuesday, Amandas, Eglinton.

Fortunately Porthead & Turf fight on as decent pubs.

Eglinton completely rebuilt as a soulless Belhaven and a Wetherspoon stuck on the end of Mall shopping centre have most of the town business.

In Aberdeen first regulars were the Pittodrie (still a decent pub on all but match days - just too busy) and the Marischal (it was closed and became the first and original Brewdog pub and is still that.

Regular of Wilsons strange mix of folk, decent beer, always has sport on and live music at weekends, and still one of cheapest in city centre.

A gone bad memory of Aberdeen is the East Neuk, one of only two pubs I have ever not finished my pint and left as it was undrinkable.

Other bad memory and never revisited was Coopers, only realised how rough it was when meeting someone there and as I walked in someone took a run at me and kicked me in the side of the head. After it was all calmed my assailant apologised as he thought I was someone else. I have never gone back there.

I can proudly claim to have drunk in every bar in Aberdeen city centre, and a wee bit further that has been open in the last 2 decades and can issue a review of any of them, from Peep Peeps to Masada to Rowan Tree to Broadsword and beyond, we all need a hobby or two.

[GTG_03]

1 hour ago, Sherrif John Bunnell said:

Is the Whiter the White Horse? If it is, I always make sure I pop in for a pint to break up the the trek from the train station to the bus station when heading that way for Nairn away games.

A reassuringly old school boozer and one of the few places you can still get a pint for less than £4. I also enjoy seeing the large FTP graffiti that has been on the wall of the gents for years. I assume it's a Banksy.

Yes. It has a decent jukebox too and the barmaids are spot on. It can get busy enough at the weekends so there's life in the old horse yet. 

The Vic just across the road is decent too. 

 

[Leith Green]

2 hours ago, gannonball said:

I stay in Stirling and just about every sizeable pub is a fucking Greene King now sadly.

I like the Curly coo as I'm a bit of an introvert and a whisky drinker but just about all my friends understandably aren't a fan of it, it's not a pub to spend the day in with your mates. Settle inn is still decent but again not a pub to watch the football in etc.

If I'm in Edinburgh will always stop for a few at the Guilford arms but again it's not a 'local' type place. When I lived up in Aberdeen i used to like the howf, dark basement type pub but not been in for years now. As for Glasgow I don't usually have go to as such these days but tbh there's quite a lot you can go in and feel a bit of a buzz. 

I like the Guildford, good pub always busy - a slightly older crowd which suits me, and dead handy if you are off up town for something - but your right, its got quite a "transient" clientele.

2 hours ago, Florentine_Pogen said:

I'm from Moredun, went to Libby and my formative drinking was done in The Robins Nest, The Rob Roy and The Ferniehill Inn. Only the first of these survives today.

No pubs around where I live now unless you count The Waverley at Southouse as a pub.

The Abbey at Newington is the place to be.

Captains Cabin round from you was still operating when I lived in Gilmerton, as was the Libby Inn, Gardners - all gone now.

i have heard decent things about the Abbey recently, must give it a shot. 

My local is The Argyle, which really is a proper pub - good mixed crowd, friendly with wide age groups (students up to pensioners). I can pop in there any night and there will be someone I know, neighbours etc in.

They do a lot of stuff in the downstairs function room, small gigs, comedy, monthly Northern Soul nights etc.

[Central Belt Caley]

1 hour ago, MEADOWXI said:

I can proudly claim to have drunk in every bar in Aberdeen city centre, and a wee bit further that has been open in the last 2 decades and can issue a review of any of them, from Peep Peeps to Masada to Rowan Tree to Broadsword and beyond, we all need a hobby or two.

Is Peep Peeps the pub from the infamous YouTube video about “hard pubs”? 

[Craig fae the Vale]

17 hours ago, scottsdad said:

Really enjoying this thread, but in the interests of balance... What drinking establishments have you been to that were awful? And why? 

Walkabout is a true hovel.

[invergowrie arab]

I've run the numbers and here is the complete list of good pubs in Scotland.

Lewis - Cross Inn

Skye - Carbost Inn, Am Praban at Eilean Iarmain

Achiltibuie - Am Fuaran

Glencoe - The Clachaig 

Inverness (ish)  - Castle Tavern, Dores Inn. I actually like Hootenannys but probably objectively not good 

Aberdeen - The Grill

Angus - Market Arms - Montrose, Glen Clova Hotel 

Dundee - The Phoenix, Mennies, Art Bar

Perth - The Old Ship

Edinburgh - The Abbey, Jingling Geordie, Sandy Bells, The Thistle Bar, Guildford Arms,World's End, Bow Bar, 

Glasgow - Pot Still, Bon Accord, Lismore, Tennant,  Allison Arms, Heraghtys, Laurieston, 

That's it. 

 

[philpy]

3 hours ago, Florentine_Pogen said:

I'm from Moredun, went to Libby and my formative drinking was done in The Robins Nest, The Rob Roy and The Ferniehill Inn. Only the first of these survives today.

No pubs around where I live now unless you count The Waverley at Southouse as a pub.

The Abbey at Newington is the place to be.

I was in the "jolly farmer" once. Once was enough....