The Ark is the ultimate fuss-free and wallet-friendly chill out pub in Glasgow, the proud owner of the city's biggest and quirkiest beergarden and a convenient next door neighbour to Strathclyde University making it something of a hotspot for Glasgow students.
Ark boasts the biggest suntrap of a beergarden in Glasgow.
The Venue
On first dropping into The Ark, we felt as if we'd been instantly thrown into one enormous mass hangout - with the comforting bumble of pub chatter amplifying from the impressively high ceilings, and with the spacious interior supporting a multitude of invitingly cosy seating areas. Possessing all of the necessary pub comforts, The Ark's furnishings include a large pool table, a games machine, a long narrow bar and a number of booths complete with rounded tables and leather chairs to sink into. The center of the pub is scattered with several wooden bar stools and tables, which are situated conveniently close to the bar and the big screen for every sporting enthusiast and avid pint-tipper in the city. In the upstairs seating area, we discovered an excellent location for people watching opposite the street facing windows, while our saunter outside revealed The Ark's beergarden to be in an impeccable spot for soaking up that sporadic Scottish sunshine. The newly refurbished beer garden boasts an outdoor pool table, some cool swingy chairs, several picnic benches, a quirky sprinkling of fairy lights and is topped off with an gigantic big screen – allowing you to enjoy those oh-so-precious rays without missing out on any killer goals or penalties.
A sociable haven of contemporary seating areas and infinite tabletops to rest your jars upon.
Clientele & Atmosphere
During our late afternoon visit, The Ark seemed to be overflowing with clusters of students chilling over bottles of wine and feasts of hearty pub grub. However, although it was evidently inhabited by an ample dose of the Glasgow student population, The Ark's reputation as a magnet for Glasgow’s devoted followers of sport was displayed through the proud positioning of the gigantic Sky Sports screen on the wall. All in all, the general atmosphere of The Ark was laid back and unpretentious, and that combined with its backdrop of indie and chart music makes for the perfect hangout spot with mates, for university socials or for a weekend pre-drinking fix.
The Ark is an infamous hangout for a diverse range of weejie-goers.
Food & Drink
Regularly spoiling the hungry bellies of Glasgow with its edible temptations, The Ark serves up a fresh selection of pub classics including – burgers, pizzas, sandwiches, pasta, breakfast options, vegetarian options and sharing platters. The bar seduces punters withits Sunday half price food deal, its classic beer and burger combo and its perfect lunch date of two meals for £6.50 as well as 2-4-1 deserts. We opted for the beer and burger deal, and were pleased with the results, tasty burgers, great buns, and the cold beers went down nicely in the beergarden.
No need to sweat over a homemade roast dinner. The Ark's Sunday food deal has it all covered.
Summary
Whether it’s a catch up with mates, a pint with the football, some pinch-yourself-cheap pub food or an ice cold drink in the sunshine - The Ark is a favourable choice if you’re looking for a chilled out and reliably cheap watering hole near Glasgow's City Center.
