Just a couple of minutes’ walk from Central Station, the Horse Shoe is a Victorian classic that has clung on to its basic looks – which may explain some of the rough edges. It’s an old-fashioned drinking den of the best sort, with a never-ending island bar, mirrors, a tiled floor, Chinese vases and even a horse sculpture above the gantry. Aside from bog-standard bar tipples, there are cask ales from big-name Scottish breweries including Harviestoun, Deuchars and Stewarts, plus a modest list of single malts. Food is as cheap as chips, and unbeatable fixed-price lunches are served in the dining room – although it’s hard to beat a pie and a pint at the bar. There’s football on flatscreen TVs and crazy karaoke every night in the upstairs lounge, but this boozer remains hard-nosed Glaswegian to the core.