The Belle

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The 2011/12 edition of The List's Eating & Drinking Guide is out now – only £5.95 (+p&p).

This review is taken from the current (2011) edition.

One of this cosy West End bar’s few weak spots since opening in 2007 has hitherto been its lack of food, but that’s gladly been corrected with the launch of daytime light bites which, all proving successful, will be extended to a fuller selection of hot food served into evening times as well. Like the Belle itself, the menu is small but well formed. The mainstay is freshly prepared ciabattas topped with meats roasted or cooked in-house and hand-made chutneys and relishes – choices range from roast beef with horseradish mayo and plum tomato to coca-cola ham with cheese and home-made hummus with roast vegetables. The soup of the day can include a hearty pea and ham served with a door-stopper wedge of bread; home-made cake and coffee will set you back a mere £2.20, while cups of the black stuff on their own remain only 99p. The combination of an impressive suite of draught pints – Anchor Steam, Brooklyn Lager, Krusovice, Amstel and more, a weekly malt whisky deal, a roaring open fire and the Belle’s snug dimensions add up to a packed and atmospheric pub most nights of the week.

• High point: Big windows keep the bar bright in the daytime
• Low point: Limited menu

1. cardinalfang, Cessnock – 10 November 2011, 2:35amThe BelleReport

I feel that personally, the jury is still out on the Belle. On the one hand it really is a genuinely pleasant wee pub- probably the best feature is the open fire- highly welcomed in Glasgow’s endless nuclear winter. The decor is traditional (in the good sense) and reminiscent of Uisge Beatha on Woodlands before it was completely ruined by renovation. On the other hand, my visit to the Belle was marred by the discovery that the cheapest pint was £3.60. Make of that what you will. In addition the promising ambience of the pub was totally ruined by the bar staff playing loud chart music through their sound system. It would be difficult to think of two things, unsuitable music and extortionate prices, more likely to ruin a visit to a pub.