The Laurieston
CAMRA rates the interior three stars on its National Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors, meaning outstanding national historic importance, because the c.1960 scheme survived intact: horseshoe bar, suspended canopy, panelled ceiling and the original heated glass food cabinet still holding pies.
Why go
The Clancy family bought the place in 1982 and ran it for more than forty years before selling to a private investor, a deal Christie & Co concluded by March 2024 with the buyer stating the business would carry on as it had and a family member staying involved. Nothing about the room has been updated for the sake of updating: red vinyl armchairs, tartan curtains, custom red Formica tables, a wood-panelled gantry. Historic Environment Scotland lists the building at Category C, and the pub carries Asset of Community Value status. Three handpumps pour Fyne Ales, and Pellicle reported the bar shifting roughly 288 pints of Jarl a week, which is the number that matters for cask, since fast turnover is what keeps a 3.8% session ale tasting like it should.
Order this / avoid
- Order: Jarl off the handpump and a Scotch pie out of the McGee's heater beside the bar, with gravy and peas. Toasties and biscuits get handed out free to regulars and newcomers alike, per CAMRA's entry.1
- Avoid: turning up without cash. CAMRA's entry lists the bar as cash only, so draw money before you cross the river.
What locals & experts say
- CAMRA National Inventory (three-star): CAMRA lists the interior for
outstanding national historic importance,
a rare, fully intact c.1960 remodelling; the pub also appears in Scotland's True Heritage Pubs.1 - Pellicle (Robbie Armstrong, 2023): CAMRA's Stan Thompson told the magazine
You will not find a more genuine example of a friendly and inviting community pub anywhere in Glasgow,
and publican John Clancy summed up the door policy asWe treat everyone the same, there's no difference.
2 - Christie & Co (2024): the sale release confirming more than forty years of family ownership ending, with the incoming owner committing to keep the business as it was.3
- Local rec: Jeff's save, and his note below is the reason it sits at Hearth.
Good to know
- Timing: open daily from late morning, Sunday from lunchtime, closing around 11pm. Check the Maps pin for exact hours.
- Booking: walk-in. There is no table service ritual to learn, and no reservations to make.
- Getting there: directly opposite Bridge Street subway, one stop south of the river from the city center, so it is an easy addition to a Southside run.
- Screen credits: the bar has appeared in Young Adam (2003) and in Succession, which is the detail behind Jeff's note.
Jeff's take (his words)
- Note: "Iconic for atmosphere. Very glasgwegian. Multiple movies filmed here."
Verdict
could-visit — A heritage stop, not a destination. The room is one of a short national list CAMRA rates three stars for outstanding historic importance, and that is worth twenty minutes if a tour is passing Bridge Street. The glass does not back it up: three Fyne Ales handpumps that do not change, no rotating guest programme, and a kitchen that runs to Scotch pies from a heater. Jeff (first-hand, 2026-07-30): the beer is not good and does not change, it is there for decor and show. Under the primacy rule (RUBRIC_JEFFSCORE) a static drink list caps the rung regardless of the interior. For someone who cares about beer in Glasgow, Koelschip Yard is the send.