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Before you go

Opened
2013
Style
Underground Merchant City LGBTQ+ bar — drinks, drag, karaoke, DJs and Showbar Sundays
Setting
Merchant City basement bar on John Street
Known for
LGBTQ+ nightlife, Showbar Sundays, Drink deals, Drag and live entertainment
Good for
Night out with friends, Drag / entertainment, Group bookings, Celebrations / free function hire
Prices
Mon–Wed selected spirits £3.95 / doubles £5.50; inexpensive Google price level
Reservations
Walk-ins often fine
Booking
Limited bookings up to a month ahead; Sundays walk-in only for Showbar Sundays; do not book via contact form
Deposit / cancel
£5 pp deposit redeemable on the night; 48h cancellation for refund
Book online
Open booking page
Dietary
Not a full restaurant focus; event-night snacks/light bites — check on the night for dietary needs
Groups
Bookings for groups up to 20 (home) / up to 40 (reservations page); free function hire for celebrations
Dress code
Casual
Drinks
Beers, spirits, alcohol-free options; midweek spirit deals Mon–Wed
Getting there
About 5 minutes' walk from Glasgow Queen Street station (QueerHub)
Also
Proudly LGBTQ+ venue since July 2013; Showbar Sundays: doors 2pm, tributes from 4pm, no bookings; Katie's Klub loyalty: 10 points per £1 spent (1p per point); Instagram @katiesbarglasgow__; DesignMyNight historically linked Nancy Clench / Milk site — treat as older context

Glasgow restaurant

Katie's Bar Glasgow

4.3(528 reviews)
£Opens in 17 hours

Address

17 John St, Glasgow G1 1HP, UK

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Opening hours

  • Monday: 3:00 PM – 12:00 AM
  • Tuesday: 3:00 PM – 12:00 AM
  • Wednesday: 3:00 PM – 12:00 AM
  • Thursday: 3:00 PM – 12:00 AM
  • Friday: 12:30 PM – 1:00 AM
  • Saturday: 12:30 PM – 1:00 AM
  • Sunday: 3:00 PM – 12:00 AM

Overview

Katie's Bar is an underground LGBTQ+ basement bar at 17 John Street in Glasgow's Merchant City, open since July 2013. The venue leans on drinks, drag and live entertainment — Showbar Sundays, karaoke, DJs and special events — more than a full restaurant menu. Official pages describe snacks and light bites on event nights rather than a published food menu. Hours on the site are Mon–Thu 3pm–midnight, Fri–Sat noon–1am, and Sun 2pm–midnight. Book a limited number of tables up to a month ahead (home page says up to 20 guests; reservations page says groups up to 40) with a £5-per-person deposit redeemable on the night and 48 hours' notice to cancel for a refund. Sundays are walk-in only for Showbar Sundays (doors 2pm, tributes from 4pm). Midweek drink deals include selected spirits at £3.95 / doubles £5.50 Mon–Wed. The bar sits between Osteria and Singl-end on John Street, about a five-minute walk from Glasgow Queen Street station. Free function hire is offered for celebrations. Instagram @katiesbarglasgow__, Facebook and TikTok match the same brand.

Reviews

5.0Derek Rollberg

My husband and I went to Katie’s bar on our last night in Scotland. We were staying about 45 mins outside of Glasgow and happened upon this place at opening time. We were told to come back in a few hours when it would be busier to catch the drag karaoke show. We were not disappointed! The drinks were poured fairly, the karaoke was fun and lively, and we made some new friends along the way. The night at Katie’s bar inspired us to put our plans into motion to move to Scotland. Great venue! Highly recommend!

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3.0Travel and living in France

If you are looking for something a bit different, Katie's Bar in John Street maybe the place for you. Going down from street level into a surprisingly large vaulted area. There are pool tables on the right hand side as you go in. There is a good variety of beers and at reasonable prices. It was quite empty when I visited but began filling up when the karaoke started.

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5.0Annette

Great bar, very reasonable prices. Was there early Saturday lunchtime and it was pretty quiet so quick service and loads of seats to choose from!! Will definitely go back 😊

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1.0Mena Kitsune

It's pretty dingy Goss bar with prices too high, and you've to sit through a man telling you all night about gay sex and abusing people. It's honestly the worst place I've been to and so common

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5.0Julie Wolfe

First visit here and I had a great time. The venue is super cool and they had a decent selection of drinks Will definitely be back!!

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Visitor comments

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