The Knowhere Guide

Eating and Drinking in Bathgate, Lothian*

Bathgate, Lothian Pubs, Cafes, Coffee Shops and Restaurants

Food

• The Kaim Park is the best eating place in Bathgate. It is excellent value for money and is in really pleasant grounds. The staff are really freindly too.
• The Steelyard Cafe is an excellent Sunday lunch place - fabby ice creams!!!!
• For a nice pub meal at reasonable prices try The Torphichen Inn, in the historical village of Torphichen about 3 miles north west of Bathgate. Kaimpark also does a good job and has a nice sunroom.
• Go to Dino's....Eat Devil Burgers....and Burn babee burn
• mince pie
• steak pie
• fish
• haggis

Pubs

• Best pub, has to be the Westport. No other one epitomises old man than it, the best jukebox (The Jam Greatest Hits), friendly bar staff, ancient carpet and one man and his dog. Perfect.
• the james young and the balbairdie are the best
• Bathgate Inn aka Barrs, knocked down and rebuilt now the Engine Room.
• Bathgate Bowling Club
• Newlands is the up and coming place in Bathgate with a fantastic atmosphere. This atmosphere is thanks to the owners, Ted and Lorraine, who make everyone who walks through the door welcome. Newlands is a family rund karaoke bar which is great fun at the weekends and the drink is cheap too. If you're looking for a fun night out, then you should really check out Newlands!!! Have fun!!!
• The dreadnaught not only has a great rock club but also is a great pub with a lively and relaxed atmosphere in the lounge and the bar.
• v bar in jarvey street is a good pub with a fresh look and an edinbourgh feel to it,with great food and music it must be the venue to go to in bathgate,and its such a refreshing feeling getting a clean toilet in a bathgate pub.
• The Railway Tavern aka Steinspub has reopened after a complete renovation.
• A think Steinspub aka the Railway Tavern has re-opened after an extensive renovation.
• The Volunteer, recently reborn as V-bar, is shaping up as the pub to be seen in
• What happened to the Commercial??? I used to lodge there in 1974 & the barmaids and waitresses were VERY friendly to this lonely Englishman!!!!
• The Masos Arms, a double's only £1.70
• the comment on the masons arms is not true,it has live entertainment over the weekend including karaoke live bands and solo acts. the masons also has the best pint of lager in bathgate as it has won the best pint award for the seciond year running. also if the pub was that bad why is it always bursting at the seams at the weekend. the staff are very friendly and outgoing,so why not pop in and have a look for yourself. THE MASONS ARMS BEST PUB IN BATHGATE.
• The Engine Room, Central Point and The Masons are the pubs for 'the Younger looking people'. The others are for conversations about the war and black and white T.V.
• About the remark on the masons arms back in aug 1998 which is so much out of date. The masons is one of the cleanest i know with the best pint of lager in the town, how else would it have one the best pint award for the past 2 years running, and with live entertainment and fun karaoke where else could you go for a great night out with your friends. The masons also has a big screan for all you big sports fans and a very large cocktail list. Monday till saturday during the hours of 1200 to 1430 there is the opertunity to take advantage of the top quality bar lunch at a very cheap price, so come along and have a bit of banter with thr regulars and staff.
• The Glenmavis Tavern (Smith.s) is a pub with quite a few charachters and the beer is probably the cheapest in Bathgate.It also tastes not too bad either!
• Apart from the Engine Room, the James Young, Fergies, Smiths, Glenmavis Tavern...etc.....
• central point on the main drag has decent entertainment for pre clubbers most weekends or if you are more of a darts and a pint man try the railway tavern a couple of doors along... just dont use the toilets!!
• The James Young has opened recently, but beware- you may not fit in at the weekend unless you are a fashion victim. TheWestport can be alright sometimes as long as you can put up with probably the most nosey barstaff about. You know who you are!
• The star inn aka Brannans had a wee fire on friday 30/6/00. On saturday 1/7/00 all that was left was an excavator on a pile of rubble. check out the courier on 5 july
• Brannans bar has been closed for at least 6 months
• It must be just a "Cool" play on the KN....KNowhere Guide that the "Informed" people talking about The Dreadnought Hotel add a "K" to it's name. I hope that is the reason, otherwise they are in sad shape. I am a long way from there (NJUSA)and still know there isn't a "K" in its name......unless the Owner's have changed it recently. Love and Peace, Jim Kelly
• I really like the Masons and the Fair Way bar. The MAsons is really busy at the weekend but its really good fun. The Fair Way is better for a quiet drink.
• The Dreadnought is the place for me, good atmosphere and afterwards you'll find me rounf the back at the disco. It's also cheaper than Room at the Top
• Masons is not that bad a pub; indeed, it's a good pub during the week, especially if you're looking for somewhere a bit on the quiet side. The Volunteer Arms is a good pub, especially in terms of the gab. A lot of the people who drink there are "regulars" whose football allegiance is all too fairly obvious, but the conversation is usually good and varied and the bar staff are sound. The pint of "Guiness" there is one of the best, if not the best, in Bathgate. In terms of traditional Scottish/Irish music, then by far the best pub in Bathgate is The Livery, especially on a Sunday. The pub also sells a very good pint of "Belhaven Best". A new pub is being built; due to be called "The Engine Room". It will be on the site of what used to be called "Barrs". All going well, given who is going to run the bar, it could be a very good pub in the town. Bathgate has a number of middling pubs, but there can be little argument that one of the worst must be the "New Royal Bar" - not good for a whole host of reasons, try it and find out why!
• I have to admit that the Masons has deteriorated. I was there less than a week ago, on Aug 8, 1998, and the place was filthy. I am a "Bathgate Bairn" who grew up on Athol Terrace (Glenmavis for those who don't know)and now lives in Woodbury, NJ, USA. I used to take pride in taking American friends of mine to the Masons but I cant do that now. Try going across the street from the Masons Arms. Jim Kelly
• Best = Branans (friendly bar staff & good beer). Worst = Masons Arms (takes an aeon to get served).

Cafes and Coffee Shops

• There are more cafes than a horse can **** in Bathgate!!!
• The Steelyard Cafe is very good and has nice luch type food. The best chipie is Valentes - across from the Steelyard. Dillons does an excellent Pizza and great burgers and they are open till 1am - you can stagger out of the Dreadknought and straight in for some munchies.

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Credits

Last updated: 2006-11-01