5.0Mandy McMillan
Delicious Sunday roast. Nice organic Merlot. Dog friendly
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CH
Before you go
- Chef / owner
- Fergus McVicar named as owner of Chinaski's when DRAM Scotland reported him opening The Berkeley Suite next door (2011). Current ownership not independently confirmed beyond that press.
- Opened
- 2006
- Style
- Bourbon / whisky bar and gastropub named after Bukowski's Henry Chinaski; literary memorabilia, low-signage Charing Cross frontage, comfort-food dining and outdoor seating beside the M8.
- Setting
- Charing Cross / North Street, between city centre and West End, facing the M8. Grand high-ceilinged room with olive/grey walls, cornices, exposed stone and a mirrored bar (Difford's); Bukowski portraits and book jackets on the walls (Time Out, Difford's).
- Awards
- Scotland's best new bar — Theme magazine, May 2006 (MCA Insight citing The Times 27/5/06)
- Known for
- Large bourbon and American whisky selection (Difford's ~76; Time Out ~80 whiskies), Compact multi-tiered beer garden / covered heated rear terrace by the M8, Signless or low-key exterior that is easy to miss, Adjoining sister late-night venue The Berkeley Suite (from 2011)
- Signature dishes
- Burgers (Time Out 2014 called the Chinaski's burger among Glasgow's best), Pizzas, pastas, pie and other comfort dishes (Difford's Guide), Small plates / sharing options noted in later diner write-ups (e.g. lamb small plate, mac and cheese)
- Good for
- Drinks and bourbon / whisky browsing, Casual gastropub meals (burgers, pizza, pie), Pre-club drinks before The Berkeley Suite, Outdoor seating in warmer weather
- Dietary
- The Skinny (2006) noted quite a few vegetarian options on the early menu; later diner comments mention vegan pizza — confirm current dietary marking on the live menu.
- Kids
- Venue minimum age listed as 18 on Booked.it / Licklist — treat as adult-oriented bar; confirm before visiting with children.
- Dress code
- Smart / casual (Booked.it / Licklist).
- Outdoor seating
- Yes — Compact multi-tiered beer garden / covered and heated rear veranda and small yard by the M8 (Time Out, Difford's, Glasgow Times). CAMRA lists a garden facility.
- Drinks
- Bourbon bar focus from opening (The Skinny). Difford's: ~76 bourbons and American whiskies, ten draught beers including Belhaven, dozen wines by the glass. Time Out: ~80 whiskies plus beers, wines and spirits. Cocktails also feature (CAMRA; diner comments).
- Noise / pace
- Dark, discreet bar atmosphere; weekends busier with pre-club traffic for The Berkeley Suite (Time Out). Glasgow Times notes resident DJs including Alan Hushpuppy, Craig Moog and Larry Dee.
- Getting there
- Charing Cross (Glasgow) rail about 200 m / roughly a five-minute walk (CAMRA; Booked.it). St George's Cross subway about 650 m (CAMRA). Close to bus routes including First 3 and 77 within about 60 m (CAMRA). About five minutes' walk from a Sauchiehall Street taxi rank; King's Theatre about ten minutes' walk (Booked.it).
- Parking
- Some on-street parking nearby (Booked.it / Licklist venue notes).
- Also by them
- The Berkeley Suite (next door / adjoining) — late-night bar-club opened by Fergus McVicar in 2011 in a former 1940s ballroom (DRAM Scotland; Time Out)
- Also
- Google / claim phone 0141 221 0061 matches Difford's and CAMRA; chinaskisglasgow.com also lists 0141 4733 101 — prefer 0141 221 0061 unless the venue confirms otherwise.; Claimed website http://www.chinaskis.co.uk/ no longer serves Chinaski's content (redirects to unrelated gambling pages as of research); use chinaskisglasgow.com or email chinaskisnorth@gmail.com / info@chinaskis.co.uk (CAMRA).; The Skinny 2006 listing used 157 North Street; current listings unanimously use 239 North Street, G3 7DL — same Charing Cross strip.; The Skinny noted 'strong lineage (The Variety)' at opening; The Variety on Sauchiehall Street is a separate pub and later changed hands.; Instagram handle on the Google claim: chinaskisglasgow
Glasgow restaurant
Chinaskis
4.5(707 reviews)
££Opens in 16 hours
Opening hours
- Monday: 12:00 PM – 12:00 AM
- Tuesday: 12:00 PM – 12:00 AM
- Wednesday: 12:00 PM – 12:00 AM
- Thursday: 12:00 PM – 12:00 AM
- Friday: 12:00 PM – 1:00 AM
- Saturday: 12:00 PM – 1:00 AM
- Sunday: 12:00 PM – 12:00 AM
Overview
Chinaski's is a bourbon-and-whisky bar and gastropub at 239 North Street, Charing Cross, on the strip between the city centre and the West End beside the M8. It takes its name from Henry Chinaski, Charles Bukowski's autobiographical alter ego; Time Out and Difford's Guide both note framed Bukowski memorabilia and a deliberately low-key, often signless frontage that is easy to walk past. The Skinny reviewed it as newly opening in March 2006; a September 2016 Glasgow Times column said it had opened ten years earlier. In May 2006 licensed-trade magazine Theme named it Scotland's best new bar (reported via MCA Insight citing The Times). DRAM Scotland named Fergus McVicar as owner when he opened sister late-night bar-club The Berkeley Suite next door in 2011. Difford's Guide lists about 76 bourbons and American whiskies, ten draught beers including Belhaven, and a comfort-food menu of pizzas, pastas, pie and burgers; Time Out (2014) highlighted a large whisky selection and called the burger among Glasgow's best. CAMRA lists hours as noon–midnight Sun–Thu and noon–1am Fri–Sat, lunch and evening meals, and a garden. Charing Cross rail station is about 200 m away; St George's Cross subway about 650 m. The listed website chinaskis.co.uk no longer serves the venue (it redirects elsewhere); a live contact page at chinaskisglasgow.com gives 239 North Street and chinaskisnorth@gmail.com.
Reviews
4.0Meaghan Jones
The staff were accommodating and helpful, the atmosphere warm and cosy, and the food flavourful and well presented. I had a Bloody Mary and it was PERFECT for my palate. Small tables made it difficult to accommodate the drinks and plates for the three of us, and the venue wasn’t well-signed making it difficult to locate initially, but it added to the exclusiveness of it. I’d recommend heading in at least once when you’re in Glasgow.
Read on Google Maps4.0Margaret Stirling
Outside tables a bit tight, especially for oldies. Food was delicious but was a bit cool and had to be returned to heat up. Re service, no-one came to ask us how our meal was or if we wanted anything else. We had to keep going to the bar to order extra drinks, water, coffee etc. The restaurant difficult to find as no nameplate on the front of the building. Even a restaurant name on the outside menu would have been a clue.
Read on Google Maps4.0Liz W
Food very tasty. Lovely relaxing vibe in this pub & service excellent
Read on Google Maps4.0Louise McBlain
We ordered too much food. Lamb small plate was our favourite, delicious. Padron peppers, skin on fries were also lovely. Unfortunately the fish tacos were a let down, the fish was nice however something in the filling wasn’t pleasant so the taco’s weren’t eaten, (previously these had been delicious). Overall a lovely evening and would still return to try again.
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