Rab Ha's

An old-school survivor in the trendy Merchant City, offering bar, restaurant and hotel.

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While places open and close with alarming speed in the Merchant City, Rab Ha’s is a survivor. This hotel-pub-restaurant has changed hands several times in the past 25+ years – and wavered up and downmarket – but it’s always stuck doggedly to a no-nonsense Scottish theme. Hearty, fair-value meals here include excellent beer-battered fish with chunky chips, a generous steak and ale pie and, naturally, haggis (original or veggie) with neeps and tatties. The kitchen occasionally gets a little more creative – the Christmas menu last year had venison with a redcurrant and port sauce, and shellfish linguini – but generally, it’s pub grub in a part of town where an all-day breakfast (for seven quid) is a rare sighting. The dining room has limited opening times but the bar – which serves food all day from noon (12.30 Sunday) – is a comfortable option, with a decent range of beers.

• High point: Excellent fish and chips
• Low point: Murky basement dining room
• Notable dish: Beer-battered haddock with chips, mushy peas and tartare sauce