Bon Accord

Bon AccordBon Accord
Bon AccordBon Accord
Bar, Eatery

153 North Street
Glasgow, Scotland, G3 7DA
United Kingdom

+44 (0)141 248 4427 | map
bonaccordweb.co.uk
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.3
Reviews:
13
Ratings:
14
pDev:
9.53%
View: Place Reviews
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Rated: 4.04 by PhillyStyle from Georgia

Aug 19, 2018
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Reviewed by SaCkErZ9 from South Carolina

4.46/5  rDev +3.7%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.75 | food: 4.5
This bar has the local Scottish feel I was looking for. We stopped in for dinner after walking the 1/2 mile to get here. The walk was rather pleasant so no worries there. I did a little research beforehand to make sure they had some options for my wife, who is a notoriously picky eater (she says its because she doesn't like anything), and they had some option for her.

She chose the vegetarian Yorkshire pudding. She wasn't able to finish it all so I ate the last half of her dish. It was really great. The gravy was thick and rich and quite tasty with the onions and mushroom. The vegetarian sausage was unique in that it didn't have the typical sausage link fell to it: it was essentially fried bread shaped like sausage and tasting like it as well. The potatoes were spot on.

I chose the 8oz sirloin cooked medium rare. It arrive almost well done but I chose to eat it anyway. It had some good flavor but if it was cooked properly it would have been great. Nice fries went with it and a small salad. Overall, very tasty. Great selection of real ales and a ton of whiskys, neither of which I was able to partake :(
Aug 07, 2017
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Reviewed by captaincoffee from Virginia

4.39/5  rDev +2.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.75 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.25 | food: 3.75
Classic place and a must visit for cask and whisky fans. Hundreds of bottles of scotch and 10 very well kept cask offerings, including a couple GBBF gold medal winners. Haven't found a better kept cask selection yet in Glasgow (this isn't London). Staff was friendly and willing to talk beer and scotch aplenty...although I was there at a very quiet time. Close enough to walk from the train station if the weather isn't too bad. Food was regular pub fare, but price was reasonable.
Nov 24, 2015
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Reviewed by jmdrpi from Pennsylvania

4.34/5  rDev +0.9%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 5 | selection: 4
stopped here for a few pints. we tried to order dinner, but the kitchen had closed (it was 8:00pm). this place lived up to expectation as they had about 10 beers on cask, good variety. we happened to be sitting next to the owner and he introduced himself and welcomed us to Scotland and set us up with some good whisky to try along side our beers. the bartenders were also friendly to chat with.
Apr 24, 2015
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Reviewed by GRBrew from Michigan

3.39/5  rDev -21.2%
vibe: 5 | quality: 3 | service: 4 | selection: 2.5
This turned out to be the place my wife and I drank at for two straight nights. Mostly because it was close to our hotel. The beer selection was your standard cask selection with nothing really exceptional. I eventually switched to drinking whisky and eventually a chimay bottle. The bartenders are very friendly. They were more than happy to pick out whisky's for me to try. The atmosphere is very friendly and the people were great to talk with. We didn't try the food but I can say the prices were some of the cheapest I saw on my trip. You decide if this is a good or bad thing.
Oct 04, 2011
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Reviewed by Jugs_McGhee from Colorado

4.28/5  rDev -0.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
Ten cask ales, which are switched regularly (and quickly). Decent prices, excellent selection, bad location. I had the craic with a regular of ten years, who emphasized the owner's wife runs the kitchen.

Great food (especially the soup), good service, decent bathroom. The locals and the bar staff were more than willing to give directions to other bars and off-licenses.

This bar has a wholesome feel, like every regular is part of the family. The location prevents it from being an A+.

Any beer fan would love this pub.
Mar 08, 2011
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Reviewed by Zimbo from Scotland

4.2/5  rDev -2.3%
vibe: 3 | quality: 5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4
In general I agree with much of what has been said about this pub from other reviews. It may no longer be the king of the Glasgow real ale scene as it once was but it could be considered to be a contender today. However, if you ever experienced the Bon Accord over twenty years ago then it would be impossible not to appreciate how its reputation was so richly deserved. It was really the only pub in Glasgow to cater for the discerning beer drinker during the early days of CAMRA and when I first drank there it regularily served the full range of beers from Belhaven, Lorimer and Clark/Caledonian and Maclay as well as well selected brews from Marston, Ind Coope and Taylor among others.

The rot set in when it was sold to a pub chain sometime in the early to mid 1990s. The new owners' attitude to this former mecca was pretty shameful turning it into a pretty soulless place by Bon Accord standards and the beer range dipped though the cellarman, whom I believe carries on today, continued to keep what he had in good condition. It was luckily sold on to an independent owner in 2001 and things have greatly improved since despite the emphasis now on whisky and other drinks instead of its original joyfullly narrow real ale focus.

There's usually about ten cask ales on tap these days and the range includes Scottish and English beers which are all well kept. Bar staff are reasonably friendly but it can get pretty hoochin'and heavy in the evening with people who are at best oblivious to cask ales. Prices can also be pretty dear as well but the range is much better than what the average Glasgow boozer might offer you.

On my most recent visit I had a single pint of Marston's Pedigree which I believe the Bon Accord has been serving for some twenty five years now. Could still taste that cox's apple in there too. Surely the best kept Pedigree outside of Englsnd.

In a nutshell, if you love real ale you will love this pub. Things change, it may no longer be the platonic ideal of what a Scottish real ale pub should be but it is a very good pub and it is still serving some truly excellent ale. That, and especially its history, demands respect from anyone who truly loves their beer and respects what this pubs means to committed real ale drinkers in Glasgow and Scotland in general.
Aug 21, 2010
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Reviewed by WhatANicePub from Scotland

3.55/5  rDev -17.4%
vibe: 2.5 | quality: 3 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4
The reviewer who complained that the pub's location is remote and inaccessible can blame the city council who smashed up the area to build a motorway through it in the 1960s. This was once part of the city centre.

Once inside, service is a problem because people crowd in front of the bar stopping you from getting to it. If you ever manage to get to the front, the bar staff are swift and attentive.

The food is decent pub food, not haute cuisine but can be ordered with complete confidence, and is excellent value for money - you can get a two course lunch for less than the price of two pints which is a good deal in anyone's language.

The Bon Accord has 8 or 10 handpumps, a lot by UK standards, with a constantly changing selection, though Theakston's Old Peculier, Caledonian Deuchars IPA and Marston's Pedigree are regulars that turn up over and over again. The others tend to be from UK micros. The beer buying policy is opaque, some people think they choose beers at random, so some real duffers can appear on the bar.

With so many handpumps, beer quality can sometimes be an issue, so be unafraid to return a pint if it's past its best, tired or sour. Prices are a few coins more than other Real Ale pubs in the city.

A good pub but it doesn't quite live up to its reputation and certainly isn't the best in town.
Jun 12, 2010
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Reviewed by kmacphail from Scotland

4.66/5  rDev +8.4%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 4 | selection: 5
My friend Kate had raved about this place so on my last trip to Glasgow I decided to see what the fuss was all about.

The bar looks quite small from the outside, however it is deceptive as it is quite long, a lot bigger than expected. Once your inside, you'll be hard pushed to get a seat, I was there on a Thursday evening and it was mobbed.

The selection of beers was good, 8-10 cask ale taps and a decent selection of bottled beers, however I did not even look at their bottled section due to the amount of brass taps present. The beer quality was also very good. The barmaids were friendly and informative; I particularly like that they asked what type of glass I wanted.

I highly recommend this bar, a bit busy, but that is a sign of it's selection and quality.
Jan 24, 2010
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Reviewed by Stephen63 from Scotland

4.14/5  rDev -3.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5
Here's a local's opinion on this place.

The Bon Accord is a legend in the Glasgow pub scene. It has been around for a long time although the decor has changed since I first encountered it as a student in the early 80s. Always been a real ale paradise with a great selection of cask beers. They have a few decent bottles also e.g. Chimay Blue at a fairly reasonable £3.00 a bottle.

It gets pretty busy at the weekends so be prepared to stand if you go on Friday or Saturday night. The ale selection rotates so there is usually something new to try.

The minor gripe about the Bon Accord it is slightly detached location. From the central bus station (Buchanan) or train stations (Central and Queen Street) you have a ~1-15 minute walk. In addition once you are there it's a decent hike to get to another reasonable drinking establishment. Unfortunately there are plenty of dire trendy places on nearby Sauchiehall Street which is the main thoroughfare around there. Having said that once you get to the Bon Accord you'd be hard pushed to leave the place.
Feb 06, 2007
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Reviewed by gueuzegeek from New Jersey

4.78/5  rDev +11.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5
I must admit, I decided to go here because of the reviews and I was not at all let down, so I would like to thank those who went before me.

I do not want to take much time repeating the things I read before going, so I will just add that this place is great--it is very roomy, yet still feels like a pub rather than just some modern restaurant.

The beer selection was outstanding. If I can find my notes, I may edit this to include the ones we tried. I think it was the White Monk that I really enjoyed, but I forget the brewer.

They had a vegetarian sausage that made me really happy. Nice flavors in it. My friends also enjoyed their selections.

The service was spectacular and the Cellarman (Russel, I believe) was full of great information and even let us sample a bit of what was coming up next, since we would not be around to try it.

You must visit the bathrooms here and check out the toilets. I do not want to ruin it, but they are definitely not what you would expect in a traditional looking pub.

I too went to three judges and was not as impressed. We also went to a place called the Aragon (I cannot find it in here) and really enjoyed that as well. I will probably beerfly that one in a bit if I can find the info needed to add an establishment!!
Mar 11, 2005
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Reviewed by foamer from Virginia

4.78/5  rDev +11.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 5
This was recommended to me both in person, in my CAMRA guide, and from reading the reviews here so I had to visit. The atmosphere was wonderful and friendly and it seemed to be popular with a lot of locals and being Glasgow it doesn't take much to strike up a conversation about pretty much anything. It's a brighter pub than most which means you're not straining to see the person across the table from you and tables are easy to find, even on a Saturday night, as the seating area is very deep. Probably two to three times more than the Three Judges (another wonderful Glasgow pub).

The quality was high as all beers were fresh and served at the proper temperature.

The service was prompt, and effecient and friendly, and didn't mind filling an order of four half pints each of something different. They'd even give them to you in a order that made sure that you wouldn't confuse any of them.

There were ten casks going when I was there and that is the normal from what I gather. Scottish micros were well represented with offerings from Caledonian, Black Isle, Belhaven, Isle of Arran and Inveralmond, with a couple of offerings from south of the border. They also had a Christmas ale on cask for the season.

All in all this is a fabulous pub which should not be missed. One word of warning, on a Saturday night it does tend to be popular with the younger Tennent lager drinking crowd. But I imagine it is quite a quiet pub during the week. Even with the Saturday crowd, the 4.5 for atmosphere still stands.
Dec 19, 2004
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Reviewed by francisweizen from Washington

4.78/5  rDev +11.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 5
Hands down the best pub I visited whilst on a two-day-stint in Glasgow! The atmosphere is lovely. Dark wood, old cask-tap-handles/clips in the ceiling, a big, old, dark wooden bar and some lovely mis-matched old tables and chairs. The perfect "boozer" atmosphere if you ask me. The quality of the beer here is phenomenal. This place always has 8-10 cask ales on offer, and they breeze through them so quick that they just refer to them by a number on their constantly changing chalk board! "A pint of church end grave diggers mild, please....oh, right, sorry, a pint of #6 please!" Service is awesome. A great old guy poured our pints and made lovely conversation, even telling us where to hit up in Edinburgh for some fresh real ale. The locals were also very awesome and made loads of friendly conversation. This place is also dog friendly, and there were quite a few dogs in the pub when I was here, lending to this pubs quaint, charming atmosphere. I'm not sure how the food is here, or if they even do any, as we visited quite early in the day (about noon). So yeah, a bit of an old mans bar, but one of the best boozers in all of Scotland, methinks. A can't miss real-ale pub in Glasgow!
Nov 18, 2004
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Reviewed by Clembo1957 from England

4.36/5  rDev +1.4%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5
The Bon Accord is my favorite pub in Glasgow and indeed Scotland! It's a fair walk from Central Station but The Bon Accord is worth the effort. Up to 10 real ales are normally on service. My recent visit was lucky to coincide with one of the pubs beer festivals.

Atmosphere is excellent, staff are friendly and the beer is superb. The pub has been serving real ale for thirty years and has a long serving cellar man who has been there nearly as long. The beer range is excellent and include beers from Ossian, Argyle, Kelham Island and Orkney Breweries amongst others, the beer selection is constantly changing. The Bon Accord is well worth a visit if in Glasgow.
Mar 20, 2004
Bon Accord in Glasgow, GB6, United Kingdom
Place rating: 4.3 out of 5 with 14 ratings