Big Slope

This review appears in the The List's Eating & Drinking Guide 2008 – in the shops now or buy online.

Occupying a basement near Kelvingrove Park, this Alpine-themed bar is the closest Glasgow gets to après-ski. Black leather booths nestle under wooden panels depicting snow scenes, while antlers decorate the walls. Students and office workers snap up tables from lunchtime, while evenings have an even more sociable vibe. While you don't need ski boots or salopettes to enjoy Big Slope, a skier's appetite might come in handy. The menu ranges from all-day sandwiches to substantial main courses. The beef tomato, buffalo mozzarella and red onion salad – a generous plate of fresh ingredients – comes drizzled with green pesto, while a zingy yellow pepper and celery soup tastes packed with vitamin C. Italian classics, such as spaghetti with minced pork and beef meatballs, sit alongside alongside traditional Scottish fare that includes smoked haddock with poached egg, in which the fish's saltiness is offset by a creamy hollandaise and crispy chipped potatoes. Puddings such as an extremely gooey chocolate brownie stuffed full of chocolate chunks, or sticky toffee pudding with a scrumptious light sponge, may well make you wish you were skiing home afterwards to work them off.

• High point: Quality gastropub cooking
• Low point: Service can veer off-piste