Which British city has the best pubs?

Here at Time Out, there are few things we enjoy more than a perfectly-poured pint at a properly good boozer. Which is why, this year, we took on the challenge of finding the best pubs these fair British Isles have to offer. Enlisting the help of our national pool of drinks experts, our editors sniffed out and hunted down the nation’s finest boozers for Time Out’s Best Pubs in the UK 2026.

While the full list reveals the impressive calibre of pubs found from tip to toe of the UK, from Manchester’s Peveril of the Peak (the top pub in the list) to London’s highest-ranking establishment the Old Nun’s Head, there was one city which contained more acclaimed pubs than anywhere else. 

The finest city in the land for high-quality pubs is, drumroll please... Glasgow. Three pubs in Scotland’s biggest metropolis made our 2026 list of the best in the UK – more than any other part of the country. 

The Doublet, a staple of the city’s West End since the 1960s, scored third place on our list. Its wood-pannelled interiors and stony facade might give the place a somewhat medieval vibe, but its ever-evolving programme of live music and its wide selection of brews make it anything but archaic. 

Ed Cunningham, Time Out UK’s news and features editor, had this to say about the Doublet: ‘Since the 1960s (and even after changing ownership a decade ago) it’s remained a constant amid an ever-changing West End, best-loved for its Scottish-brewed ale and whisky selection, live music and comedy lounge and, most of all, its cheery atmosphere. If you don’t spend the evening chatting to extraordinarily friendly strangers, you’re doing the Doublet wrong.’

The Doublet isn’t the only evidence of Glasgow’s enduring and impressive old-school boozers, either. The Laurieston, an institution which has remained practically unchanged since the ’60s, ranked eighth. Its Formica-topped tables and horseshoe-shaped bar truly are a blast from the past. 

If you thought that all of the Scottish city’s best boozers were of the vintage variety, though, think again, because the third Glaswegian entry on our list, coming in at number 17, was the Rose Reilly in Govanhill. Named after a Scottish striker who famously went to play abroad in the ’70s after the Scottish Football Association refused to recognise the women’s game, the pub is steeped in local history, despite having only opened its doors in 2023. Its hefty stack of board games and array of vintage pint glasses draw eclectic crowds of loyal locals. You can find Time Out’s guide to the top pubs in Glasgow here.

🍺 Check out our full list of the 22 best pubs in the UK in 2026.

Did you see that the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games will be one of the year’s great cultural events? Here's why.

Plus: two of the world’s most difficult hikes are in the UK.