Bronze statue of Charles Rennie Mackintosh seated on one of his own chairs, Elliot Street, Glasgow

Joel's Guide · Glasgow

A Guide to Finnieston

Meet Finnieston's most famous local: Charles Rennie Mackintosh, perched on one of his own chairs on Elliot Street. Within ten days of his unveiling, Glaswegians had given him a traffic cone hat.

The Finnieston Crane on the River Clyde
The Finnieston CranePhoto: Euan Nelson, CC BY-SA 2.0
The SEC Armadillo and OVO Hydro
The SEC Armadillo and OVO HydroPhoto: dun_deagh, CC BY-SA 2.0

Welcome to Finnieston

Finnieston is Glasgow's best square mile for eating and drinking, wedged between the city centre and the West End, with Kelvingrove Park on one side and the River Clyde on the other.

Most of what you'll want sits along one stretch of Argyle Street, roughly from Elderslie Street west to Kelvinhaugh Street, plus the far end of Sauchiehall Street. You can walk the whole strip in about ten minutes.

The Finnieston Crane on the riverbank is the neighbourhood's landmark. Next to it sit the SEC Armadillo and the OVO Hydro, so the streets fill up before and after concerts and conferences.

Getting around

Finnieston is best on foot; almost everything in this guide is within a 15-minute walk.

OptionWhereGood for
TrainExhibition Centre station, by the SECGlasgow Central in 3 minutes; the Argyle line east and west
WalkArgyle St east into townCity centre in 20 to 25 minutes
TaxiBook an Uber or a GlasGo private hire car; skip the black cabs, which cost a lot moreLate nights; expect queues after big Hydro shows
BusFlat £2 single on any First or McGill's bus; pay by card on board. To the airport, the 500 Express runs every 10 to 15 minutes, 24 hours, or take the 77 from Sauchiehall StreetThe airport, and anywhere the train doesn't go
CarParking for more than 2 hours is nearly impossible between 8am and 12pm. The only car parks are at the SEC (£6 for an hour, £12 for up to 12 hours) and the Sikh templeShort stays; spaces are tight on event nights

On concert nights at the OVO Hydro, Argyle Street and Exhibition Centre station get very busy before and after shows. Book restaurants early or eat after the crowds have gone in.

Eat

Finnieston's strength is Scottish seafood and chef-led neighbourhood restaurants, almost all within a few doors of each other on Argyle Street. Book ahead for dinner, especially Thursday to Saturday and on Hydro nights.

For something more casual, Strip Joint (956 Argyle St) does good-value pizza and The 78 (10 to 14 Kelvinhaugh St) is a fully vegan pub kitchen. For a quick, cheap lunch, there's a baked potato counter inside the post office. Piece (1056 Argyle St) makes sandwiches to order, and El Jefe's (1170 Argyle St) does Mexican.

Many of the bars in the Drink section serve good food too, so they're worth a look for a relaxed meal: Big Slope for a cut-above pub menu, Lebowskis for burgers and wings, plus Kelvingrove Café and the Islay Inn.

Brunch and coffee

Weekend brunch is a Finnieston ritual; arrive before 10:30 or expect to queue.

Drink

Finnieston has everything from a traditional pub to serious cocktails, all close enough for an easy crawl. Most bars close at midnight on weeknights and 1am at weekends.

Tips: order at the bar, as table service is rare in pubs, and tipping at the bar isn't expected.

Live music: the Highland Triangle

Three traditional whisky pubs within a few minutes' walk of each other on Argyle Street are known to regulars as the Highland Triangle. All three host trad folk sessions, so you can hop between them on a weekend night.

PubAddressMusic
The Ben Nevis1147 Argyle StInformal folk sessions by the fire
The Islay Inn1256 to 1260 Argyle StFolk session every weekend
The Park Bar1202 Argyle StLive trad music and ceilidhs on Friday and Saturday nights; small, so arrive early

Sessions are informal and times change, so check each pub's social pages before you go. For bigger gigs, see SWG3 and the OVO Hydro.

See and do

Two of Glasgow's best free museums are a short walk away, and Kelvingrove Park is the neighbourhood's back garden.

A good half-day loop: Kelvingrove Museum in the morning, lunch on Argyle Street, then the riverside walk to the Riverside Museum and back past the crane.

Practical information