A Scottish magistrate once lost his ceremonial chain of office here after a drinking session that spiralled out of control. 🤫 Welcome to The Steps Bar, pub #10 on my Glasgow East City walking tour, and one of the most authentic old-school pub atmospheres left in the city.
🍺 The Steps Bar — 62 Glassford Street, Glasgow G1 1UP
Refitted in 1938, this place has held onto its original Art Deco look, and its name comes from the two tiny steps at the doorway. Walking through the entrance genuinely feels like stepping back in time to a pub that somehow seems like it’s never changed — the old bar walls, the tiny layout, and that quirky little staircase leave nowhere to hide. Look up and you’ll spot its stained-glass window depicting the RMS Queen Mary, the legendary ocean liner launched on the Clyde in 1934.
There’s no plush seating soaking up the sound, no huge dining areas — just conversations bouncing around the room, loud laughter, glasses clinking, and a proper pub energy that really stands out. I was lucky to be joined by Mr and Mrs Girl Drinks Guinness, squeezing in to talk through my travels and make sure I hadn’t missed any gems. I could have settled here for a much longer session — though I wouldn’t want to end up like that magistrate who, in 1998, lost his chain of office after one too many.
But we can’t be stopping when we’ve got a crawl to finish. 🏴
▶️ Watch the full Glasgow East City pub crawl route here: https://youtu.be/1VjTyz9FRAQ
🍻 This route is taken pub-by-pub from my bestselling Historic Pub Crawls book series. Subscribe and join me as I walk the world’s greatest historic pub routes — from Glasgow and Edinburgh to London, Dublin, Prague and New York.
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