Glasgow – Shilling Brewing Company
This is a well reviewed craft beer bar in Glasgow which has over twenty different beer options, so it seemed an ideal place to visit on my first evening in the city.
Well, absolutely! I felt that my decision to come here was justified with signage like this.
A staff member came over to welcome me as soon as I arrived, which was actually around one minute after they opened, and he was conversational and engaging. He explained the ordering process and waited for me to find the NHS Scotland app on my phone that I haven’t used in ages so that I could check-in. I’m not actually quite sure what the rules are and whether it’s necessary, but I just check-in when asked to.
The bar’s interior is bright and airy, another former bank conversion of which there seems to be several in central Glasgow. On the left is a projector screen showing the Untappd menu, but there is also a QR code on the menu to access the same information. I liked the range of higher seating and lower table seating, with everything being clean and comfortable.
A quite decadent bar design, all very on-trend.
The pizza preparation area. Customers are given one of those buzzer things to alert them to when their pizza is ready. I forgot I had it and was pleased nobody seemed to notice my look of shock when this bloody thing started buzzing around the table.
I ordered the mixed meat pizza which had pepperoni, ham and chorizo. It was excellent, a light base which had a crispness to it without being hard, with the toppings being tender and rich in flavour. Quite decadent, and the pizzas are all reasonably priced at between £7 and £8.
In the background are the three one thirds that I ordered, the Kato Raspberry & Lychee Sour from Donkeystone Brewing, the Steeplejack from the Alphabet Brewing Company and the Chew Chew from Fallen Brewing. They were all very drinkable, although nothing of particular note that I feel the need to mention here (for anyone interested, my Untappd account is at https://untappd.com/user/julwhite). The beer menu was well balanced though, with most beer styles being represented.
The cellar and the former bank vault doors are still in place. I thought at first it was nice that they’d kept them, but they realistically probably didn’t have a great deal of choice in the matter given how heavy and bulky they are. They’re a nice design feature as well.
Overall, I very much liked this bar with its friendly welcome, helpful staff and clean environment. Lots of different beers, affordable and decadent pizza, comfortable surroundings and somewhere that I’d happily go again. Definitely a credit to the hospitality industry.
