Bar Gambrino

Impromptu Thursday dinner out + pizza craving + a desire to sample new places = trip to Bar Gambrino. The pizza did not disappoint, I ordered the roast vegetables (or something like that) — had a nice thin base and despite finishing the pizza off I wasn’t left with that overwhelmingly full feeling that you are often left with. I’m also more interested in the toppings/​centre part of the pizza than the crust and was pleased that not too much pizza surface area was wasted on a huge crust. We also shared a green salad which was delicioso. Reckon I’ll be back!

Since writing my previous review the Pizza has returned! It is no longer 2−4−1 but pizza with 2 toppings for £6.95. Still a good deal and very tasty. Same chairs unfortunately.

REWIND… Best. Pizza. In. Glasgow. Fact.
All day, all night its 2−4−1, yes that’s right, for a mere five Earth pounds you can be in pizza heaven. I popped in on a wet and miserable Tuesday night, it was soo fine I couldn’t resist going back… the next day! Oh lordy, someone stop me, I think I may have a terrible addiction.

What a great wee bar on Great Western Road?! Angela B and myself were going to be popping and be-​bopping along later at the Captains Rest and we thought about having something to eat before the gigness began.
I had orginally suggested another place but when I parked we noticed Bar Gambrino and thought why not try in here.
Menu — check!
Decent prices — check!
Beer for Angela — check!
Right we’re sorted!
The staff were lovely and were very accomodating. For a Wednesday it wasn’t too bad, not completely dead but a few were in and it had a good atmosphere. We were orignally waiting on my Ian to join us but he fell asleep, typical, so we went ahead and ordered.
I felt so guilty that they had a cracking deal of 2−4−1 pizzas but I don’t like the pizza. Eep! I know, I’m weird. Sorry Angela! Anyhoo I got super delicious black pudding fritters. I decided just to go for a starter instead of a main as I wasn’t that hungry. I’m glad I did as it was mighty filling.
Good banter and good food, I would definitely come back here.

This was my first visit to Bar Gambrino as myself and the Elizabeth F one were Captains Rest/​gig bound later that evening so we decided to pop in somewhere else nearby for some drinkage and eats, PURELY for Unilocal purposes, of course! (We’re such good Unilocalers)
I have to say I was very pleased with the service we received this very evening — it was a Wednesday evening so wasn’t expecting a pure heaving, pumping bar but this place was actually pretty healthy looking, patrons-​wise, for a Wednesday evening. Nowt worse than a bar you can barely even stand in, equally also a bar that is like a ghost town (cue tumbleweed).
As per usual I asked the (very friendly) barman what beers they had on draft and he recommended the Williams Bros. beer named simply Williams — hadn’t tried this one so thought jah, I’ll give that a whirl my man. Was NOT disappointed; very good beer indeed. Yum.
We told the barman we were in for food so asked if we could put drinks on the tab for later, not a problem. Then found a wee comfy seat and perused the menu. Didn’t realise this used to be a Republic Bier Halle, but you can tell by the amount of different beers/​drinks they still have on offer here, great selection. Then we got to the food. Now I noticed the pizza was 2−4-1so my eyes lit up with pizza joy but then it dawned on me that the Eliza one does not DO the pizzas :(Sad times. So after a wee while deciding what to go for (I changed my mind about 4 times!) I plumped for the Mexican Bean Burger, this was pretty mega and delicious as were the fries and coleslaw that accompanied it. NOM. Elizabeth had the Black Pudding Fritters and having only tried the pudding noir once before I really wanted a wee bite so she gave me a taste and DAMN! They were GOOOOOD. Blood!
Our waitress that evening was also very lovely (and patient!) and offered us more drinks when we’d nearly finished and was basically on da ball. Good job. I am so used to being ignored in bars/​restaurants that when I get an attentive waiter/​ess it does make me happy.
If in the area I would deffo come back here. Great beer, great staff and yummy food. YUS.

Bar Gambrino used to be a Bier Halle, and when it was it was my Go-​To Guy. I got a bit grumbly when it changed hands — I don’t like my delicate eating routine to be shaken up without consulation, you see.
When I finally caved and ventured in, I was, contrary to the other reviewers, bloody delighted that nothing had changed! Same décor, same booze on the bar, and virtually the same menu. They play ultra hip electro music at the weekends and spruce up the outdoor tables during the summer.
Yes, they could’ve made the most of the new management and given Bar Gambrino a makeover, but the Artist Formally Known As The Bier Halle is fine the way it is.
Pleasant atmosphere, fancy beers, good food — no complaints!

Its the Bier Halle but not the Bier hall if you see what i mean.
This place has changed name a good number of times since i moved to Glasgow, however it still feels and looks like the same place.
This recent change has again been in name alone and this time hardly even a jot else has altered…2−4 – 1 pizzas just like the bier halle, yes please!
A strange one this. Decent enough for some grub but as a watering hole, methinks not. Best giving the Lansdowne a try, its just around the corner and offers more vibe for about the same price.

No, it’s not Republic Bier Halle anymore, but really not much has changed other than the name.
The prices are still high, the pizzas are still the forefront of their menu, and they’re still running the same events.
And the service, if you’re not physically at the bar, is as paltry as it ever was.
I was disappointed. I thought surely if the Bier Halle had to be sold, then obviously something wasn’t working, and the new owners would change it up a bit to increase business.
Unfortunately not.
So, I see it as, the same place, different name, and I won’t even try to remember what the name is, because I’m sure it’ll change again soon.
Try it; a good selection of beers, but well overpriced.

Yes, it has changed. This is no longer Republic Bier Halle. Whot’d have known? Not me.
If memory service me correct, outside is no different — apart from lacking the Republic Bier Halle sign — while inside, it is exactly the same as before. Don’t get me wrong, this is nice.
It’s homey and comfy with nice leather benches and chairs kinda providing a booth theme even though they are not actually booths. While, the tables are a good size and made of nice dark wood which always seems shiny (maybe they’re keeping Mr Shine in business?). Some rather funky light fittings and uses of mirrors provide a harder, more modern edge which fits in very nicely.
However, the drinks are extortionate, the music very hit and miss and the place is usually pretty empty (even on a Saturday night around 11pm). This gives a very middle of the road impression for me personally, but maybe it’s right up your street.
Worth a nosey, even if it is just to see how much it’s not changed. I’m also taking bets on how long it’ll last if anyone’s interested? The odds aren’t good.

On the face of it, there are no real reasons as to why bars occupying this spot should fail. Situated in a student-​peppered stretch of Great Western Road, the premises are spacious and airy. while the outdoor seating pocket is perfect on a balmy day. Yet four reinventions in eight years tells its own story.
Firstly there was Oblomov, an Eastern European restaurant/​bar which slightly flattered to deceive, while replacement, Junkyard Dog, fared reasonably well before being put down and heading up to the kennel in sky. Republic Bier Halles, meanwhile, are Republic Bier Halles. People know what they’re getting; cheap pizzas and a staggering choice of beers, and while it gathered a steady following during its stint in the cursed spot, it was far from the success the organisation knows in its other Glasgow locations.
And now to Bar Gambrino. Surprisingly acquired by the owners of the Italian restaurant of the same name, situated across the road, the pub looks and feels much the same as it ever has. The décor is modern yet homely, while the beer garden remains as good a spot as anywhere in the West End to enjoy a beer in the sunshine.
However, just as Gambrino’s restaurant has gained a reputation for safe, no thrills Italian grub, its bar incarnation offers no surprises in a spot which perhaps craves a bit of originality.
It’s fine, but precedent would suggest fine is just not going to cut it in this neck of the woods.