Scotland Pubs / Bars National
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Horse Shoe Bar (Glasgow)
by dollydoo12 ----Location---- It's very central, only a couple of minutes walk from central station, the nearest bus stop is on Bothwell Street, again only a couple of minutes walk. It is situated in a very dark and dingy wee alleyway which after a few drinks can be hard to find if you forget which alleyway! It's not to scary to walk down as the ... bouncers always stand at the door and the streets not that long. It's across from the stripping joint Platinum Lace which some people may find off putting but it doesn't seem to make any difference to the clientelle who frequent the bar. ---Clientelle---- When I visit the horseshoe i alway make a beeline for upstairs, downstairs is slighlty rougher but upstairs tends to be filled with pleasant people all who are looking for a wee sing song. Variety of people out to have a good time. ----Prices---- Drinks are average for glasgow around £2.30 for spirits and £2.90 for a beer. The food is excellent and very reasonably priced, most main courses are around £5. ----Atmosphere---- Bacause the upstairs area is purely kareoke 7 nights a week the atmosphere is always great, The horseshoe is known as the best karoke venue in Glasgow and because of this people who go are usually good singers or parties in to have a good experience. Everyone is there to enjoy themselves and the common interest in singing means that people often begin conversations with other people in the bar. Can sometimes smell like cabbage, this may be to do with the kitchen but it can be quite offputting. ----Staff---- Staff are polite and well presented. Kareoke presenters are good but they ought to update to a more modern system such as karafun, would save them a lot of hassle changing discs and would make the whole process a lot quicker. Read the complete review |
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Johnny Foxes Pub Restaurant (Inverness)
by jeffjen On a recent trip to Inverness, we were attending a concert as part of our visit and were meeting up with friends. As I had never been to Inverness previously, I had no idea about the pubs or restaurants there, but a friend of mine who had visited Inverness earlier this year suggested Johnny Foxes Pub Restaurant as a good meeting place. ... She informed us it was a nice pub with a good atmosphere, which also served meals and was easy to find on the banks of the River Ness. ~~Johnny Foxes ~~ Situated on Bank Street which runs along the banks of the River Ness, Johnny Foxes can't be missed when driving or walking across the central bridge over the river which is right opposite the pub. However, we were approaching the pub on foot, a ten minute walk from our guest house along Ness Walk, which is a lovely stroll along the banks of the river into the city centre and we still found it easily enough. If you follow the walk along the river, then you can't miss it. We visited Johnny Foxes twice during our stay in Inverness and on both occasions it was an enjoyable experience. The bar is partially hidden from the road as it is set down some steps from the pathway above, although the name is clearly visible from above. Adjoining Johnny Foxes is 'The Den' wine bar and club which also can be accessed from inside Johnny Foxes bar area. ~~ Who is Johnny Fox? ~~ I do enjoy finding out where pubs got their name from and I was interested to discover the story behind Johnny Foxes. Johnny Fox was a notorious poacher who lived in the hills of County Wicklow above Dublin with his wife and 11 children. Johnny's skills at poaching were matched by his wife's cooking skills, which were said to be the envy of many, with fresh Salmon and Trout, as well as Venison, Pheasant and Grouse with batches of home-baked Soda Bread, washed down with poteen or stout at many of the feasts they held. An evening at Johnny Foxes was not complete without a Ceilidh as he loved to entertain, either by playing his fiddle or telling poaching tales but sadly, one night whilst out poaching, Johnny's reign of fun and freedom came to an abrupt end when he was caught by the gamekeeper and sent to jail, where with the help of friends, he feigned his own death whilst awaiting trial. Indeed his wake was the last Ceilidh of Johnny Foxes to be held in Ireland. As the tears rolled down the faces of the mourners, they turned to tears of joy when up popped Johnny's head above the coffin, a smile on his face and the words on his lips..."Pass me my jug and my fiddle for I'll be a thirst for a Guinness". Johnny and his family then fled Ireland and took up residence on the banks of the river in Inverness, where he caught many a fine Salmon. ~~ My visits to Johnny Foxes ~~ Our first visit was on a mild July evening and as we walked down the steps to the bar, I noticed some picnic-style tables and benches along the patio area outside the entrance, which is where we decided to sit after buying a drink inside. Although it was a mild evening, there were also some overhead heaters which were turned on and which kept the outside area a pleasant place to sit late into the evening when it got a little chilly. Although the inside of the pub restaurant was really nice and cosy, we decided to sit outside purely because with our weather being the way it is, the chance to do this doesn't come along very often! We spent a pleasant evening sat outside, enjoying chatting to friends with a couple of drinks. Although the pub became quite busy as it was a Friday evening, there wasn't any rowdy groups and the atmosphere was friendly and welcoming at all times. The drink prices were a little higher than we usually pay, with a small glass of white wine costing £4.40 and a pint of beer (Belhaven Best) was over £3, but the service was good and the staff very friendly and welcoming. A large range of drinks are available with the usual shorts, an extensive wine list and a range of bottled and draught lagers and beers, with one of Scotland's champion beers: Black Isle Yellowhammer, served here at £3.40 per pint. As well as the alcoholic drinks, there are plenty of soft drinks and a good range of coffees and cupcakes. The following day we visited Johnny Foxes again around lunchtime for something to eat prior to meeting up again with friends a little later to attend the concert. Being a Saturday lunchtime it was quite busy, just as you would expect given its location which is only a minute's walk from the busy shops and so there were a mixture of folk out for a drink or lunch and shoppers stopping off for a drink or a bite to eat. There were no tables available outside the pub and inside seemed just as busy, although we were lucky as just as we walked in, some people were leaving from a cosy window booth and so we got a table right away. The inside of Johnny Foxes is spacious, yet cosy, with stone floors and wooden tables as well as window booths and large barrels scattered around to use as tables to stand your drinks upon. Large arched wooden church-style doors and wooden arches across the bar which stands in the centre, all makes for a very warm old fashioned and slightly gothic feel. An old cooking range and fire place stands out on one wall and overall I really liked the interior of Johnny Foxes. There were also plenty of toilets and they were spotlessly clean. There are both lunch and dinner menus at Johnny Foxes and we opted for sandwiches from the lunch menu. I chose a honey roast ham & truckle cheddar panini which was £4.95 and added chips which cost a further £1.95. My partner chose North Atlantic prawns in marie rose sauce on bloomer bread which cost £5.25 and also added chips. The sandwiches were nice and filling and the portions of chips were generous, although this is slightly more than we would usually pay on average for a sandwich with chips. The dinner menu was quite varied and extensive and some dishes appeared a little more expensive than what I consider to be average prices for pub grub, but there were also some which seemed quite reasonable, such as oven baked lasagne served with garlic bread and salad for just £6.95. We didn't wait long for our meals and cannot fault the service or food quality, so overall there was nothing to complain about and judging by the amount of customers, Johnny Foxes seems to be a very popular place to visit. The bar staff were very welcoming and chatted to us whilst serving drinks which I appreciated and it all added to the friendly atmosphere. Later on when our friends arrived, we bagged a couple of the outside tables again and enjoyed a couple of drinks in the sunshine before the sky began to darken in preparation for what became the drenching of my life later that evening at the concert, which was held outdoors at the neaby Northern Meeting Park! It was only the fact we were soaked to the skin by the end of concert that prevented us from making a further return to Johnny Foxes, as the intention had been to meet up there again after the concert. However we were all looking like drowned rats at this point and everyone instead returned to their hotels and guest houses to dry off. If you find yourself in Inverness then I can highly recommend a visit to Johnny Foxes. Its interior is cosy and welcoming and the friendly service we received means that if we return again to Inverness, I won't hesitate to visit again. Some of the prices may be a little higher than average but the atmosphere and service more than make up for this, so Johnny Foxes still gets top marks from me. Read the complete review |
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The Tolbooth Tavern (Edinburgh)
by wigglylittleworm Finding a place to eat out as a family on the Royal Mile was proving to be a bit of a challenge. It was not the lack of eating establishments which was the problem it was the fact that our group was composed of fussy eaters aged between 13 and 82. While some of us are curry fiends my great aunt still moans about the Indian restaurant we ... took her to several years ago and my nephew thinks that KFC is gourmet cuisine. We wanted somewhere relaxed and informal where we would not feel out of place dressed casually, the kids were welcome and we would have some privacy to sit back and chat. When we came across the Tolbooth Tavern it seemed to tick all of those boxes, the fact that it was so quiet when every other restaurant and café was mobbed maybe should have set off some alarms but by that point we were just so glad to be able to sit down that we went inside anyway. The Tolbooth Tavern is a beautiful stone built building which dates back to 1591. It was originally used to collect tolls from visitors to the area and was also used as a prison and torture chamber before being turned into a pub in 1820. I love old Edinburgh because of the architecture and rich history, the tavern even has its own resident ghosts who thankfully let us dine in peace. Unfortunately the interior of the pub is stuck in a time warp but think 1970s instead of 1870s with dark beams, a ridiculously busy carpet and velvet covered bar stools. It took our eyes a few minutes to grow accustomed to the gloomy lighting after being out in the sun but after being herded to the upstairs seating area (kids are only allowed inside if they are eating and then only in the back of the pub) we settled onto comfortable wooden chairs. The menus were brought out immediately and were printed on a single sheet of A4 meaning there was not a lot of choice. We decided to skip the starters which ranged in price from £2.90 for soup of the day to £4.95 for smoked salmon with bread and salad and go straight to the main courses. There was not an enormous choice of main course either; there are six main courses with additional options of burgers or a filled baked potato and all cost under £10. Between us we managed to order most of what was on the menu with me opting for fish and chips, my sister went for steak pie, my nephew for macaroni cheese, my daughter chose the chicken burger and great aunt had the baked potato with baked beans and cheese. While we were waiting we sipped on our drinks. My great aunt is fond of different ciders but all were only available in large pint sized bottles and not half pint glasses so we shared a bottle of alcoholic ginger beer. The drinks selection was average which is a pity as I would have liked to have seen a better selection of whiskies given the location but at least the prices are reasonable for the area. The food was brought out after a short wait. My fish and chips looked great with a huge fish fillet. Unfortunately the fish was not cod and was a much blander fish; probably haddock, so was not brilliant and the chips were obviously not homemade. My sister adored her steak pie with huge chunks of beef in rich gravy topped with flaky puff pastry. My niece enjoyed the haggis, neeps and tatties but really you would have to try really hard to foul that dish up and the baked potato was huge and generously filled. The major disappointment of the meal was my nephew's macaroni which came without crispy cheese on top and was simply a collection of overcooked pasta in a pale yellow sauce. I had a taste of the macaroni and it was horrible, tasteless with gritty pieces of cheese floating in an insipid and watery sauce and making a mess of such a simple dish is unforgivable. When it came to ordering desserts there were only two options on the menu and those were sticky toffee pudding and a hot chocolate fudge cake both costing £3.95 and we each ordered one. The portions were enormous and the sticky toffee pudding was declared a hit by those who had it. My chocolate cake was very average, it had obviously been microwaved as there was a skin on the chocolate sauce and the cheap vanilla ice cream accompanying it was not great. The service was the one high point of our meal. There were two waitresses assigned to the upstairs area despite there only being around 10 tables and both were lovely, friendly, chatty and happy to take group photos for us. The Tolbooth tavern would certainly not be my first choice for eating out on the Royal Mile in future and it badly needs to be brought up to date with both the décor and menu needing a drastic overhaul. I would probably go there for a quick drink and to chat with friends in a relaxed atmosphere but would not choose to dine there again. Read the complete review |
Scotland Pub / Bar National |
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1 review Address: 167 Canongate / Pub / Bar National / Edinburgh EH8 8BN / Midlothian |
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4 reviews Pub / Bar National / Pub.74 Grassmarket, Edinburgh EH1 2JR. Tel = +44(0)131 225 4851. |
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Address: 5 Shorehead / Pub / Bar National / Stonehaven AB39 2JY / Aberdeenshire |
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4 reviews Pub / Bar National / 1 Back Wynd Aberdeen, Tel: +44(0)1224 646476. |
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Pub / Bar National / Castle Wynd, Stirling, FK8 1EG |
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11-13 Maxwell Pl, Stirling FK8 1JU. Tel: +44(0)1786 459901 |
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Address: 110-114 West George Street G2 1NF / Pub / Bar National / Glasgow |
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Address: Sheildinish / Pub / Bar National / Isle of Lewis HS2 9RA |
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1 review Address: 26 Bank Street / Pub / Bar National / Inverness / IV11 1QU |
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7 reviews Eskbank Toll. Dalkeith Midlothian EH22 3DY. Tel: 0131 663 7644 |
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