Glasgow’s best speakeasy bars

This has to be first on our list, as the city’s self-declared original Speakeasy. The late-night drinking den offers booth tables separated by glass screens, making it popular for dates. Cocktails take centre stage on the drinks menu, with individual servings priced at a very reasonable £6.50 and pitchers at £14. Sip on classics like a French Martini, Old Fashioned, Pina Colada and Woo Woo, or opt for something a little different, like the Fruitella (bacardi raspberry, cointreau, raspberry and lime), Venom (JJ Whitley, soco, blue WKD and orange) and the Peachy Lady (Gordon’s white peach, triple sec, peach purée and lemon). Drink a couple of these and you’ve practically covered your five-a-day.

Named after Vincent van Gogh’s missing body part, The Absent Ear is Glasgow’s newest addition to the speakeasy bar genre. Its 2021 launch was delayed by the pandemic restrictions, but since opening it has seriously piqued locals’ interest. The Merchant City-based establishment is found in a basement, but in true speakeasy style, accessing it requires a little detective work. Once inside, you’ll find red velvet booth seating, bucket seats, brick effect walls and an art deco sofa on stilts. Menus are on old artist pallets and Van Gogh paintings in a nod to its muse, and the drinks list includes a Vincent ManGogh cocktail. Nevertheless, The Absent Ear shouldn’t be mistaken as a theme bar. It is, however, a work of art, with some of the most interesting and imaginative beverages in the city.

Finnieston is fast becoming to Glasgow what Hoxton is to London. And it’s at the heart of this super-cool district that you’ll find AFS. That’s if you can find AFS. Like any serious speakeasy, entrance is granted by knocking on the door after 5pm. Enter down a staircase and into a bygone era. Here you can enjoy live jazz, illicit cocktails and all the glamour of a century past with contemporary finishes. There’s a definite NYC theme going on, with chequered flooring, neon lighting, a stage, multi-level sandwiches, Empire State sized burgers and (Bross) bagels to order.

Right in the city centre, with its own beer garden, Chinaski’s is an intimate candlelit bar, paying homage to the writer, Charles Bukowski. The bar’s menu is seasonal and sustainable, meaning it changes frequently, providing regulars with frequent surprises. But as a guide to the kind of food you can expect, past dishes have included Korean lettuce tacos, Ayrshire ham on Bavarian bakehouse rye and root veg salad. Cocktails are a mix of the classic faves (this is a great place to get a straight-up margarita) and unusual creations like the Aperol-based Paper Plane, an Aviation (Star of Bombay, lemon Briottet Violette and maraschino), or the Rain or Shine (Sagatiba, St Germain, Campari, grapefruit and lime).