The Lansdowne

Hidden away in a basement on a leafy residential road near Kelvin Bridge, bar-kitchen The Lansdowne is one of Glasgow’s most reliable all-rounders. Expect good food, good beer, lots of televisions showing live sport, and a bright, airy conservatory which doubles as an exhibition space for local artists.

Deceptively roomy, the narrow entrance opens out into a larger bar area with a mezzanine beyond reserved for diners, with a staircase at the back leading up to a bright conservatory, which faces onto Lansdowne Crescent Lane behind. Owned by chain bar and pub operator MacLay Inns, the décor and furniture here isn’t the most inspired – exposed stonework, wooden floors, tartan-clad cocktail chairs, leather booths – but it’s smart and comfortable.

You’ll pay a little over the odds for a pint at The Lansdowne, but the selection of draughts is large – everything from WEST and Williams Bros to Innis and Gunn, Estrella and Peroni (plus a few rarities in the fridge, like Drygate and Brooklyn).

The food covers all the bases, whether you’re after something quick and plentiful such as a burger (in beef, chicken fillet or mushroom, courgette and goat’s cheese varieties), or haddock and chips. If it’s a more involved, sit-down meal you seek, try a starter of Cullen skink or Ardennes pâté with chorizo, followed by a main of Scottish salmon teriyaki or Scottish moules frites. The Lansdowne is a pleasant hangout by day or by night – just be wary of visiting when there are big matches on, because it can be packed.