The drinks list, the soundtrack and the decor are pretty standard at Variety Bar, but the people drinking here make it stand out from the crowd.

The Venue
Variety Bar is a small world of its own. The bar has a retro look but you’d be hard pushed to know if it’s been like this for the past four decades (probably not), or if its been decorated last week (also, probably not).

There are TV screens (no sports, though), a fish tank and sixties lampshades delivering red/orange light that gives the feeling that everything is gold. There is some real fake gold, too. Everything looks a bit DIY. The space is furnished with black tables, small benches seating two persons and a couple of very large semi-circular padded booths, also covered in black. Overall, Variety Bar has seen better days but the roughness around the edges adds to its personality.

The Atmosphere
There is a great dance soundtrack to Variety Bar, delivered by the DJ. The poor fella has to do the job looking at the street, rather than at the crowd, because the booth is facing this way.

The crowd is truly varied: you will find older folks who are young at heart with long hair and beards, tattooed young men, mean-looking women and many other examples of Glasgow’s pub going population. The place is unpretentious and non judgmental on all levels, but you are better not stepping in here looking like a stuck up glamourpuss as the regulars won’t like it one bit.

The Drink
Is Variety Bar varied in its drink selection? Not really. The list of beers is good with Red Stripe, San Miguel, Furstenberg, Budvar, McEwans Export, Kronenberg and others available. Regular spirits, liqueurs and a few bottles of wine are also available.

The Last Word
You may never have seen such a varied group of people gathered in the same room. The main reason to visit Variety Bar is to people watch.

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