The Boswell

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

Called a country club, but in fact nestled among some of the grander sandstone tenements and private mansions of Glasgow's Southside, the Boswell Hotel offers a traditional local pub with oak panelling and cosy snugs, and also a modern bistro. The menu bridges the gap between the two spaces, offering lasagne, fish and chips and the ubiquitous burger, together with more elegant salmon and chicken dishes and a selection of steaks. Pucks of golf ball-sized, deep-fried haggis are served simply with a sweet onion jam, while a Thai fish-cake is subtly flavoured with chilli and coriander and given a tangy drizzle of lime. Among the mains, a tender confit of duck leg, soused in a sticky-sweet balsamic reduction, is teamed with complementary fluffy mash and sweet red cabbage. The hotel has recently come under new ownership and a new head chef is set to start as we go to press. But thankfully, the jovial new landlord and cheery waiting staff are in keeping with the friendly local pub vibe that filters through to the dining area from the bar.

• High point: Larger-than-life landlord
• Low point: Unambitious menu