The Griffin Bar

I do like The Griffin — it’s just a shame it’s a bit of a walk out of the city centre. However, it’s slap bang across the road from the King’s Theatre and just round the corner from Nanakusa, so there are plenty of excuses to be in the area.
Inside, it’s beautiful. It’s over a century old and it’s all wood and stained glass, just lovely. It looks like it should be an old man’s pub but it’s always lively and jumping and it’s much more fun than that. Your main problem is likely to be getting a seat as it seems to be busy from the minute the city centre offices empty out and even busier on evenings when there’s something on at the King’s Theatre. There’s a second bar through the back which is more of a lounge bar affair, probably a comfier place to sit if you’re getting food. And they have a decent sized function room through the back of that which you can hire out for parties and the like.
I believe it’s now run by the people who originally had The Universal (ah, Universal, how much I still miss you, sob) and the bar menu is similar to what they used to have there, including the Glasgow Salad (it’s just chips) and the dry sense of humour (they advertise «Good Food, Average Service»). The food is good bar food with a surprisingly wide choice on the menu. There’s a big selection of stuff behind the bar too and it’s all pretty decently priced. The staff are good fun and the atmosphere is lovely. It’s one of my favourite pubs in Glasgow, definitely.

Good place for meeting and eating but lack of attention to the toilets seriously let’s the place down.

Busy. Busy! Busybusybusy!
That’s your first impression of The Griffin. I hadn’t been in for years. And I mean, years. The amount of years that makes you sit down and wonder what you’ve done with your life, the amount of years that would make small children point at you and call you an antique.
I digress.
The point, if there ever was one, is that The Griffin was a damn fine, if busy pub when I used to frequent it on a regular basis. Not much has changed. I’d imagine if you get a seat or a comfy place to stand, your mileage may vary, but it was just too busy for me.
Maybe I’m old. Well, I know I am, but you know what I mean.
It’s still got a good selection of beers, ales and other such things, and the staff were quick and courteous. I can’t fault a bar for being busy, it’s a sign of goodness, I would say.
Put it this way, I will be back a lot sooner this time. I have the taste now, see. And the pointy elbows of bar doom…

Been in this place a couple of times and twice in the last 2 weeks. 1 Friday it was mobbed and the next it was not too bad although tables were booked. Mixed crowd young and old which is nice to see
Close by to most of my usual haunts. So when doing a pub crawl of sorts, we stumble in here and then on our merry way after having our fill.
Reminds me of The Halt on woodlands road with the shape of the bar. Décor is nothing too spectacular but I am not one to fuss much about that. It does well what it needs to do. Serve decent drink. Not had the food there in a long time so will need to stop by and try that side of things.
Price wise it was nothing too expensive run of the mill I think. Not 100% due to being in ’rounds’.
Nice wee place, will be back again.

Great pub, great food and great drinks combined with friendly staff and friendly locals who drink here. Worth the visit when in Glasgow.

I have been to the Griffin bar on a few occasions on nights out or popped in when there has been entertainment on like comedy. The bar server good drinks with a wide selection the only negative is that sign outside with stupid sayings that could be seen offensive to others.

Great bar for either the last or first of the night. It wasn’t very busy for 9.30 on a Friday so plenty of seats and time for a bit of banter with the staff. Not sure what the beer selection is like, I stuck to Staropramen, more because I couldn’t be bothered thinking about options than because of my love for it.
It’s a good solid old bar that doesn’t try to be anything else, so manages to do what it does with aplomb. Not sure I’d bring the other half for a cozy glass of wine but a good place for a small group touring the delights of this end of town.

The Griffin — it’s kinda bonkers. I only really visit at the weekend and often the atmosphere is erm, ‘village party’ so to say. But it is a proper nice pub, with lots of nice old wood furnishings decent range of beers and whiskys etc. Everyone always seems to be fully enjoying themselves when I’ve visited.
The demographic is huge; young uns’, old uns’, neds, theater types, locals and their dogs. The tunes blasted out are also as varied as the punters, ranging from One Direction to Madonna to Metallica.
You’ll certainly never feel out of place in The Griffin, it really is a pub for everybody. Fun, unpretentious and always rather boozy.

A friend of mine works at the Kings Theatre across the road from this pub, so I often find myself in here.
A light hearted place to build up some Dutch courage before the panto (I haven’t missed one in the last 5 years) or just some pre-​show food and drink or some apres-​show beverages.
The interior of the pub is split into 3 sections. The main bar, which can get crowded on a Saturday night, especially just after a show kicks out across the road. A back bar, which is a little quieter and a further room, The Griffiny, right at the back which is usually used for functions. All 3 rooms are decorated in much the same way. Warm, inviting woods and brass. Old school pub colours.
Food is cheerful pub standard, the bar’s sense of humour carrying through into the menu with ‘Glasgow salad’ otherwise known as a plate of chips. All good and fairly cheap, think somewhere in the £5 — £8 range for a main course
The drinks are high standard, with Tennents sitting next to Staropramen and Deuchars IPA. They also have a decent selection of spirits and usually have a malt-​o-​the-​month on for £3.00.
If you’ve been to a show at the Kings, don’t be surprised to find some of the cast and crew in this bar afterwards.

The Griffin is my all time favourite pub. My home away from home. Before I moved to London, I would frequent this fantatic pub with friends and colleagues regularly. Wether it be for a midweek lunch, after work drinks or a Sunday curer, you cant beat the Griffin. The atmosphere is great, as is the music. The food is real, good pub grub, fantastic portions, cooked fresh. I have never had a bad meal in the Griffin and I would guess I have eaten there over 100 times! But the thing that makes me keep going back is the staff. Led by the master in command, Bobsy, the staff are a great bunch who always make you feel at home.

I was in here to see a show as part of the Glasgow Comedy Festival. I had a drink at the bar when I first went in and got the impression that it was a bit of an old man’s pub that it was slowly morphing out of that .
There are three parts to the bar, with the comedy being in the rear function room. The room was full to capacity and the heat was almost unbearable. If that’s what it’s like in March, I dread to think how hot it could get in a good summer!
It was fairly quiet when I went into the show, but by the time I came out and hour and a half later, the pub was packed to the rafters and it was virtually impossible to get a seat.
All in all, it seems like a nice pub where you wouldn’t get any hassle if you were on your own and it’s not too pricey.

Ich hab’ zwar keine Ahnung, davon aber dafür eine jede Menge zur Verfügung. Ein bischen Teile ich nun hier mit euch. Zur dunklen Jahreszeit, wenn sich ausser Schotten, Meuchelmördern und Projektverlorenen in fremden Städten niemand mehr auf die Strassen wagt, dann ist es genau die richtige Zeit für diese Bar. Weil, ihr erinnert euch vielleicht an den Anfang des Satzes, es draußen dunkel ist. Drinnen dafür umso heller. Energiesparleuchten vermasseln definitiv den Eindruck, den die Überreste des Jugendstils noch schinden könnten. Auch am Tresen schindet man sich nicht wirklich.
Sofort als Menschen ohne gebürtige Zugehörigkeit zum Standort identifiziert, dauert die Bedienung genauso lang wie bei allen anderen auch. Das Bier ist gut, die Auswahl auch, das Publikum eher ein, als heimisch.
Preise sind auch ok und das ganze ist ziemlich geerdet. No Cocktail oder so.
Einfach nur straight forward.
Rülps.

Servicing the city centre population and the theatre buffs for decades, the Griffin is a Glasgow institution.
Spread out over two rooms, this bar has a great reputation and a great atmosphere. It’s usually heaving during the evenings but I get the impression it’s more serene during the day.
For looking like a traditional pub it’s quite trendy, and its low key appeal is popular with local celebrities as much as it is with youngsters. It is given a humble nod by Iain Banks in his novel Espidair Street, and is well known by theatre goers the country over.
I’ve been in here on many a good night — for birthdays where my mates have been allowed to take up the whole room, to post theatre drinks where we have stumbled upon a brass band crammed into the small space! But my newest favourite thing about the Griffin is the cryptic, ironic jokes that have been appearing on their sandwich board outside pub recently. I passed by the other day and it simply said «Semi’s?» (Google it if you’re baffled by the meaning, I’m too bashful to explain). Shows the staff have a good sense of humour anyway. Whatever the weather, the Griffin delivers!

I always thought the Griffin looked a bit tired and old-​man-​ish, but when I finally visited it, I quickly put it on my mental list of places to always go.
Situated close to the Kings Theatre, the Griffin is a stomping ground for those theatre types. Techies, front of house, actors, just about everyone goes to the Griffin.
Recently acquired by the man who brought us Universal Bar (on Sauchiehall Lane), Bobsy has managed to inflict his own touch on the place. It’s quirky, it’s cool.
The place is built like a huge horse-​shoe, with booths all around the perimeter. If you can’t find a place to sit right away, take a walk all the way around. It doesn’t look like it extends that far back, but it does, so have a wee gander. Go too far, though, and you’ll end up where you started!
Last time I was in, I got told a ghost story about the place. When the new owner took it over, they were taking pictures of the inside, just so they could get an idea of any decorating they may want to do. Later, when the pictures were developed, you can clearly see a hand on one of the pillars, as though someone was standing there leaning against it.
Spooky? Yes. But with the atmosphere in the Griffin being as laid-​back and friendly as it is, you can imagine that anything haunting the place must be having a great time as well.

I have never been in this pub, so I guess you’re wondering how on earth I can review it? Well, I just want mention something nobody else seems to have noticed which I find hilarious…
I pass by here everyday on the bus on my way to Uni and they always have a board outside, you know the ones that usually inform you of the soup of the day. Every single day without fail they have something silly written on their board and it makes me laugh. Last week they had «Sexy young chef» and when I passed a couple days later it was «Son of Subo.» Awesome.
So make sure you keep your eyes peeled if you’re passing by!

Taking tourists to the Griffin is always a worthwhile experience.
Firstly, they love the traditional pub frontage, with the elaborate design emphasising the fact this is one of the city’s oldest bars. They love the fact that it is spread over three grand rooms, with the traditional horseshoe-​shaped bar adding to the old fashioned, classical feel. And oh how they laugh when they discover the «Glasgow Salad» advertised on the menu is, in actual fact, a bowl of chips.
But apart from anything else, this is a bar worth introducing to anybody for the simple reason it is one of the best in the city centre.
Situated across from the King’s Theatre, it’s ideally placed for a night out in either Bath Street or Sauchiehall Street, particularly because it’s far enough away from the most popular stretches that you’re unlikely to be bothered by hen or stag party crowds.
Since coming under new ownership, the bar has been restored to its former glory and now offers perhaps the best pub food in the area, particularly in terms of the astonishing portion sizes.

Aww I love myself a wee drink at the Griffin! It’s one of Glasgow’s more classic and understated pubs. Simple pub décor, nice and warm, huge bar, and loads of cosy booths. It seems small at first glance but they use mirrors well to make it seem that little bit bigger while maintaining a homey vibe.
It isn’t necessarily the cheapest pub in the area, but it more than redeems itself in charm and good service. Being right across from the King’s Theatre, it attracts a good crowd. You can’t beat it for a quiet after dinner drink.
Lovely!

The Griffin is one of the nicest pubs in this part of town: just off Sauchiehall Street, it attracts a slightly more mature crowd, which makes it friendlier and more relaxed, even though it still gets fairly busy.
About five years ago, it was on the of the hipper bars in Glasgow: slightly old fashioned, but close enough to the theatres and Art School to atract a trendy crowd. Varius refits later, it doesn’t have the same cachet, but remains a good place for a pint and blather. The various entrances can be confusing, but it breaks the pub into a series of smaller rooms: this accounts for the intimate atmosphere. Fair prices and a warm welcome: another good Glasgow pub that escapes the madcap chaos of a night out on Sauchiehall Street.

In the heart of the theatre district of Glasgow, this is a great place to go for a pint before a show or to nip into afterwards.
Tucked in behind Sauchiehall Street, it can be easily missed.
Friendly staff, decent served beer and warm surroundings, The outside of the bar is gorgeous, however much of the original interior has been removed.

Spacious, relaxed and centrally located, the Griffin is pleasant place to grab a drink. I ate there with a friend when we visited Glasgow and were happy with the food. I wish I could be more specific but it was 11 years ago. I remember liking it though!

Being close to the Kings Theatre in Glasgow this pub is popular with pre and post theatre customers. It is a nice pub and is popular with students as a meeting place for a night out, in saying that some of these meetings end up staying here for the night.
Offers a good selection of drinks and has not bad prices.
The staff are friendly and the clientel are too.
Can get very busy but if in early should get a table, busyness fluctuates because of the close proximity of the theatre.