Located in Eglinton Toll, The Star Bar has stood the test of time, serving up Glasgow’s cheapest three-course lunch in a historic setting. We caught up with regular Tony and manager Andrea for a bar-side blether.

Interview by Devon McCole | Photos by Karen Gordon

The Star Bar on Eglinton Street is housed in one of the most iconic buildings around Govanhill, occupying the ground floor of a tenement built in 1892. This legendary pub has stood the test of time and witnessed many changes in the neighbourhood over the decades.

The Star Bar sits on Eglinton Toll, but the area was formerly known as St Andrews Cross; a cross-shaped road junction that was used by several local bus routes – and at one point, trams. You can still see the words ‘St Andrews Cross’ carved into the exterior. The name is thought by some to reference the fact that the junction’s shape resembles that of the Scottish saltire. However once the separating fence was erected in 1946, the cross no longer operated and so the area became more known as Eglinton Toll.

It was once an industrious area that once had a cinema and a power station as well as a bus depot. And it was a popular point for drivers to swap shifts, with many bus drivers and other working class clientele drinking there.

Nowadays Eglinton Toll is quieter. The cinema, power station and bus depot have all gone, but the unique looking tenement, reminiscent of the Flatiron Building in New York, has remained a permanent fixture on Eglinton Street.

The pub itself is also known for serving up the cheapest 3-course lunch in the city. There are different options available but for just £4 (cash) you can have a meal that includes soup, followed by Scotch pie with chips, peas and gray and a bowl of creamed rice to finish.

We caught up with regular Tony and manager Andrea for a bar-side blether.

Tony: I've been coming here for over 50 years. I moved to Govanhill in 1972, it was the first pub I came to. There's always been good clientele here. It's a brilliant mix of people. This place has the best deal you can get too… It was a pound when I started coming here, and you used to get a drink with your dinner then.

Andrea: There used to be six or eight of them coming in for dinner and a drink. Out of this picture, Tony's the only one left. The rest have passed away. When The Unique [a much loved café on Allison St] was closed, they'd come here. A lot of people who come here are well into their 80s.

T: I come for my dinner and to read my paper. There used to be groups of taxi drivers at one table. When The Unique wasn’t open, they came here, ‘cause the two places had the cheap 3-course lunch deal. I was a shipyard man, but a lot of the taxi drivers came in here from there.

A: They all knew everybody. This is Tony right at the back of the picture. Here's Willy Hale, Alec, Peter, and Murray – all gone now. They used to come and banter. Even though his pals are gone, Tony still banters with everyone… During the pandemic, Tony would call to check on me. Even though he has family, he would just phone me to see how I was doing.

T: It was very isolating during the pandemic since I live by myself, so I’d call and see how she was doing. There was one time I phoned her up on the bus to put my fish on because I was running late. She said “Do you know where I am right now, Tony?” She was lying on a beach somewhere.

A: It's good banter. Pubs are all about banter and enjoying each other's company. Some pubs just take your money and there’s no chat, but not here.

T: I remember there was a guy, I told him my fish was salmon, mind that Andrea? He thought I was getting special treatment because my fish was massive, you see, so I started winding him up. I said “Oh aye, it’s salmon.” He believed me.

A: Remember your brother-in-law when he came in?

T: Oh aye. He was very well brought up and asked Andrea for tartar sauce with his fish. She said, "Where the f**k do you think you are? The Ritz!" He couldn't believe it.

A: Oh aye, It's definitely the customers that have kept me here for 45 years. I left for a few weeks to work for the airlines years ago, hated it, and came back. My bosses Paul and Giovanna are amazing. I worked with Giovanna for years, her behind the bar and me waitressing, we just worked so well together. She retired after the pandemic. Paul runs the place now and I'm the manager.

T: There's no nonsense here. It's as simple as that.

A: We get a mixture of people, and it's good. Most of my customers are elderly, but it's a community. We have a band on Saturdays, and it's great. We also do karaoke on Fridays. We're starting to get more artsy people. They're amazing. When I say time to go, they go, when I ask them not to block a door or sit somewhere they move. They're more than welcome.

T: Aye, she's worked here for years, Andrea. She was a dolly bird then, when she started. You used to fight to get dates with her and all that. She's quite posh now because her daughter's a schoolteacher.

A: Well, I've had to grow up here. I refuse service when necessary, and my regulars respect me. It runs well. People love it here. People pass by for years before coming in, but when they do, they love it. I like to think we run a tight pub. I've been here since I was 15. In some pubs, staff are part-timers, but here, it's a community. Everybody gets treated the same.

T: The place hasn't changed much. Every few years, they change the wallpaper and sometimes, when they feel like it, maybe the carpet.

A: My customers are here rain, hail, or snow. I've seen many people come and go, but once they make this a regular spot, they're here forever. Regular customers’ grandkids come in now. We brought customers in with a three-course lunch deal. I can't charge too much for meals because people won't pay for it here. We keep prices reasonable, around 4 or 5 pounds.

This place is all I know. I've given my life to it. Everyone knows everyone here. I reserve tables for groups if they call ahead so they can sit together. I try to make people feel welcome. I'm not looking to be a millionaire. I love my job. As long as I get a holiday now and then, I'm happy. People ask how we're so busy. I tell them it's because we have a great community.