The Boswell

This review appears in the The List's Eating & Drinking Guide 2009 – in the shops now or buy online.

A sleeping beauty of a place, The Boswell Hotel is somewhat hidden in the leafy streets of Langside, but still very accessible. This is a lovely Victorian mansion with a beer garden, traditional ale pub with oak panelling and cosy snugs and a modern, well-designed bistro partly housed in a spacious conservatory. With Hampden Park within staggering distance, it is popular with football lovers, reflected in a bistro menu which attempts to cater to its pub clientele with lasagne, fish and chips and the ever-present burger. But there is slightly more adventurous fare, too,– salmon, chicken dishes and a selection of steaks with sauces. The menu is a little old-fashioned, with a lot of fried foods on offer. A steak ordered medium rare came extremely well done, and did not include menu items tomato, mushrooms and onion rings,but came with over-cooked chips and some wilting undressed salad. The dessert was more promising with a fresh lemon cheesecake advertised as ‘Chef’s Own’, but it proved to be bought in. Service was intermittent as the waiters also worked at the bar. This comatose princess needs a management prince to kiss some culinary life and sophistication into this potentially lovely venue.

• High point: Cheap drinks at the bar
• Low point: Cremated fillet steak