Celtic Pub - Glasgow

Shocking service from two female bar staff at this bar. They are rude, unfriendly and think it is ok to shout and swear at customers when they point out they have got an order wrong. I will never be back and I would not recommend this bar to anyone. Their are plenty of nicer bars which are cheaper and friendlier in the area. Avoid at all cost.

They've undoubtedly one of the city's best selections of whisky, with innumerable bottles towering over the bar like its mountain namesake in the Highlands. If whisky isn't your thing, they've few decent beers on draught and wines/spirits galore. It made for an interesting place to go for a drink towards the end of an evening, with the bar made with what looked like reclaimed materials and exposed stone everywhere. The most bizarre element was finding a taxidermied bird encased in the toilet door whether this was supposed to help signify ladies or gents I don't know; either way I apparently went in the wrong loo...twice. Oops. What really made the evening though was the motley crew of musicians sat round one of the tables, who burst into a folksy ditty and you immediately felt the traditional Scottish factor massively increase whether this is a regular thing or a one off I'm not sure, but it was a charming spectacle.

The Ben Nevis is, I think, the kind of pub people expect to find themselves in when they visit Scotland. There's a few reasons for that, and while I'm sure there's just something to the atmosphere that's impossible to quantify, these are the things that I think give it at least part of its charm. 1. The whisky. They have a huge selection and they're easily the best place to come for whisky in Finnieston, although most of the bars around here have a few bottles on offer. They staff are very knowledgeable about it, without being snobbish or pushy, and at quieter times are happy to make recommendations and to chat to you about their favourites. 2. It's small. Not in a cramped way but in a cosy way. You can sometimes struggle for a table but it's the kind of place where you feel OK about sharing tables with strangers. The regulars are friendly and are happy for you to pull up a chair 3. When there's music it's fiddles, usually being played by those friendly regulars. I saw an accordion there once but usually it's fiddles being played and being played well they tend to get involved with the Celtic Connections music festival. 4. It's dog friendly. There's usually one or two dogs running around and the staff are happy to provide a bowl of water for them. So there you have it. Finnieston might be getting awfully fashionable but if that's not your scene it still has one of the least hipster ish, most traditional whisky pubs in Glasgow and it's a pub that's well worth checking out.

I'm so glad I finally made my way in to this wee pub. One of my boyfriends favourites in the area, I'm surprised we'd not been in prior to this visit. Walking up to the pub, I'm always quite put off by the amount of people that hang right outside the door to smoke (if not directly in the doorway) which is probably why I've never been in with friends before. Today was different, as it was a Saturday, around lunch time- still early for most party animals to still be in their beds wishing away Friday nights feelings. We walked in and were able to grab a cider right away from the most amazing lady bartender. She reminded me of someone or seemed a bit familiar, but I couldn't place her at all. She was sincere and friendly, warm and welcoming. I love this wee pub even more because of her. Anyway, again, noting that the city is quite small (gets smaller the longer I live here), we were also greeted by one of my boyfriends co-workers who was here enjoying a drink with her husband before they headed across the street for lunch. I quite like meeting people he knows through work/football, etc out and about at pubs I've never been to. I get to hear about what they get in to at work/on the football pitch and the stories are quite hilarious...especially with a few drinks. But I digress... This pub is quite cozy and warm feeling and I like that it's more of a quite bar (at this time of the day anyway), where you can sit and enjoy someone's company without having to shout at them. I can honestly see why this is one of my boyfriends favourite pubs and after just one visit, I can tell you it's not one of mine as well.

Ok, so although I'm American, my Ancesters are from Scotland and I'm taking ownership. Coming from American to trace down my ancestry, I'm looking for as much Scottish life as I can soak up. Someone locally suggested we come to the Ben Nevis. One of the best decisions we made. Great service, good drinks and fantastic local musicians. I kind of felt adopted by everyone for the hour we stayed. I would definitely recommend!