BAR OF THE F RTNIGHT
IN ASSOCIATION WITH SAN MIGUEL
/// ‘Ji!p.
THE ARAGON
131 Byres Rd
Glasgow
0141 332 3252
Mon-Thu liam-llpm; Fri/Sat llam-midnight; Sun 12.30-llpm
Byres Rd has been at the centre of the whirlwind re-gentrification of Glasgow's West End. As property prices reach altitudes at which most people's brains haemorrhage, old men's pubs that were dying a decade ago have been snapped up, refitted and reinvented as self consciously stylish restaurants, while unloved church and school buildings are transmogrified into the cocktail bar/club/cinema/bespoke tailor/DNA profiling uber-bars of tomorrow.
Yet halfway down this street, at the very heart of all this sweatily nervous trend-chasing, stands The Aragon, a pub that has remained largely unaltered for over 30 years, offering a robust and traditional welcome. A handsome burgundy facade with flower baskets and bowed windows is augmented with pavement seating during the summer.
The cosy interior plays host to a typically eclectic mix of West End characters, with locals, students, lecturers and tourists pressing to the bar, which, fortunately, has an equally eclectic range of drinks, from designer beers to real ales and including a short wine list. Food is served from opening until 8pm daily, offering staples such as sandwiches, jacket potatoes, lasagne and chilli, with people usually either relieved or mortified to hear that chips are not on the menu. Football is part of The Aragon's lifeblood and the three TVs, showing any game available, are watched avidly by regulars. A Fantasy Football League is held every season and is hugely popular, as is the infamous Tuesday night quiz, which features some of the toughest questions and biggest prize payouts in Glasgow.
AND DRINK
— ENJUYYUURSELF r RESPONSIBLY
CERVEZA DE PASION