150 years old.. but nothing can take a toll on charming shipbuilders’ pub
There are some Scottish institutions even older than Pub Spy, dear reader.
And one of them nestles in Kinning Park, a testament to the resilience of tradition.
The Old Toll Bar dates back to the 1870s, and to step inside is almost to step back to those dates of gaslighters and ragmen, men who built ships and drank the pay packet.
Only now, of course, there aren’t so many ships being built down here on the banks of the Clyde.
The Old Toll lies opposite two other Glasgow institutions – the Grand Ole Opry and La Fiorentina Italian restaurant. Like The Old Toll, the heyday for these joints might also lie in yesteryear but still they remain, turning a trade as the world changes around them. Walking with the dog up this end of Paisley Road West in search of a spot of dog-friendly lunchtime pub nosh, Pub Spy noticed how the air was filled with an alluring aroma, an international assault on the olfactory senses, with food being prepared in nearby Greek, Turkish and Indian cafes and takeaways, among the smattering of Rangers bars.
It was the perfect appetiser because, while The Old Toll has a lot going for it, food isn’t on the menu. Not even so much as a packet of pork scratchings. Treats on the bar for the dog, though, so no complaints from him. Instead, the server directed me next door to the Istanbul Turkish kebab house. And so it was that
Pub Spy settled down for an afternoon pint with one of the best chicken kebabs in the city.
When this wonderful old place was renovated in 2016, it was the end of a project to bring it back to its former glory, after successive owners had covered up some of its incredible original design.
Local lore has it that the old curves and carvings around the beautiful oak bar are the work of ship craftsmen, happy to carry out the work so long as the tonic wine kept flowing. Those big whisky barrels in the gantry are originals too – but the only spirits they hold now are perhaps those of the drinkers who came here when it was the turnpike on the Greenock to Glasgow road.
The ghosts of old industry are celebrated in the goldpainted script, old newspaper articles and photos strung around the mirrored bar, which celebrates its place in the changing history of the area.
And those candlesticks aren’t just for decoration – during our visit, the bar server was diligently scraping out caked wax, ready for the weekend.
It’s a haven for traditional live music sessions, comedy and quiz nights. They even held a Peaky Blinders-themed night at the turn of the year, when that old piano by the door got a going over.
The downside? It’s cash only. But then, when the men who built ships came for their drinks at the end of the day, there was no such thing as bank cards. Just think of it as part of the experience in one of the most authentic bars in the city.