There are lots of bars in the city centre. However if, like me, you like to be able to have a conversation on a Friday or Saturday night and not have to scream at the top of your lungs, not many of them are any good. The Old Hairdressers is a breath of fresh air in this environment with its stripped back aesthetics, relaxed environment and great music played at a sensible volume.
Tucked away down Renfield Lane, directly across the street from Stereo, it’s kind of hard to believe that you’re only half a block from central station. The space has had very little done to it from its previous incarnation as, unsurprisingly, a hairdressers. The walls are for the most part unpainted, bulbs with no shades hang from the ceilings, and only the bare beams of what was once a wall separate the main seating area from the bar itself. All of the tables and chairs seem to have been reclaimed from anywhere possible. Nothing matches which, in itself, gives the bar a style all of its own.
For such a threadbare space, it’s incredible cosy, comfortable, and it’s one of those great bears where you’re just entirely left to your own devices. The place has a surprisingly diverse crowd with everyone from the hippest hipsters to the after work crowd and, on a Saturday evening, fills up with university students and 30-somethings looking for a quiet drink. It all lends itself to a great convivial atmosphere without the showboating and strained machismo that comes with so many other city centre pubs.
The Old Hairdressers is just a bar, with no food on offer (looking for something to eat, head across the road to Stereo for some excellent vegetarian fare) and a pretty well stocked one for the size. Draught beers are all around £3 a pint, and they always have Joker IPA on tap, as well as Williams Draught and a couple of more standard lagers. They also have wine by the glass and a really nice selection of whiskies if that’s your tipple.
I have absolutely no hesitation in saying that The Old Hairdressers is one of my favourite pubs in Glasgow. It’s not for everyone, particularly if you prefer your Saturday night watering holes noisy, but if your tastes align with mine then I’m certain you’ll have a great time here.
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