Mobile bar hire company Spin and Shake has ranked the best and worst Wetherspoons in the UK, with three Scottish sites making the lists. The Caley Picture House in Edinburgh was named the fourth best-rated, while the Black Bear in Glasgow and the Sir Walter Scott in Edinburgh Airport featured among the 10 lowest-rated.
How the rankings were compiled
The company examined Google reviews for all open Wetherspoons sites with at least 100 reviews. Each ranking was based on the exact average rating rather than a rounded score. The analysis covered locations across Lloyds No.1 bars, Wetherspoons hotels, and pubs in airports, railway stations and holiday parks. The average pub rating across the portfolio was 4.04 stars.
Best-rated Scottish site: The Caley Picture House
The Caley Picture House on Lothian Road in Edinburgh took fourth place with an average 4.39 rating based on 7,861 reviews. Reviewers praised its art-deco style venue, with one calling it "the best looking Wetherspoons I've ever been in!" Another review said: "Couldn't visit Edinburgh without checking out a spoons. As the name suggests it was an old picture house with décor to match. Everything you expect from the well known chain. Had an art deco vibe."
The building dates back to 1923 and originally operated as a cinema and concert venue. It closed in 1984, became a discothèque in 1986, and has been a Wetherspoons since 2016. Past performers at the venue included AC/DC, Queen and Rory Gallagher.
Lowest-rated Scottish sites
The Black Bear in Glasgow was ranked among the lowest-rated with a 3.5-star average from 117 Google reviews. Located on Hamilton Road, the former Beefeater received one-star reviews mentioning "rude" or "unhelpful staff," with one April 2026 review stating: "Food lukewarm, left under heated lamps too long." The pub traces its roots to the 19th century and takes its name from a traditional Scottish pipe march of unknown composition. It was converted from a Beefeater steakhouse in December 2025.
The Sir Walter Scott in Edinburgh Airport ranked sixth-lowest with a 3.58-star average from 1,620 reviews. Complaints focused on food described as "cold" or "poor," with one January 2026 review saying: "Cooked breakfast was cold dry and tasteless."
The best-rated Wetherspoons overall was Walham Green in Fulham, London, with 4.60 stars from 474 reviews. The worst-rated was The Emersons Green in Bristol, with 2.79 stars from 313 reviews. Wetherspoons has been approached for comment on the rankings.
