Battlefield Rest

As a self-proclaimed avid foodie, I am always keen to experience the various, and sometimes hidden, restaurants in and around Glasgow, particularly those that aren’t in the city centre. Many a weekend has consisted of finding delectable little spots packed away in different areas of the southside. Having drove past ‘The Battlefield Rest’ many times, noticing how busy it always seems to be, I decided to take myself along for some late brunch with the girls.

This quaint little building was originally used as a resting and courting place for tram travelers – that’s tram travelers not time travellers. To quote a long term Battlefield resident: “It used to be a toilet!”

The restaurant is small but cosy - once inside your eyes are instantly scouring the high decorative ceiling, which eradicate all misconceptions of claustrophobia one may have from the outside looking in. The interior has been updated where necessary, but kept vintage chic with gorgeous artwork. The large windows are adorned with decorative lights allowing for a wonderfully intimate ambience.

For starters, I ordered a long time favourite of mine, the ‘Bruschetta Verdura’. This was a tasty start- the bread used wasn’t soggy by the time it reached us, which I find some restaurants can end up doing by drowning it in pesto sauce. This was crisp with mixed peppers, spinach and cherry tomatoes, complete with a gorgeous homemade pesto sauce on the side giving the dish that necessary twang to finish it off.

Service was cheerful and quick, although it was still pretty quiet at the time we went along. We were seated in the middle of the rest, across from the extensive and very Italian-esque bar. From our spot we could also admire head chef Darren Smith cooking up our delicious food through the open kitchen behind the bar.

If you’re like me, and have eyes bigger than your stomach, be careful not to order too much, as portions are generous to say the least. For mains my friend and I opted for the ‘half pizza and pasta’ to share. We split the ‘Pizza Mercato’ and ‘Rigatoni Piamonte’. The pizza was topped with oven roasted tomatoes, goats cheese, grilled meanzane, caramelised onions and pesto. Once more, their pesto was divine. However, the pizza was slighlty tough and the onions a little too caramelised for my liking – which resulted in me just taking them off. Other than those pernickety personal preferences, I finished it all.

Rigatoni is my favourite kind of pasta, and this specific dish consisted of a mix of ricotta, spinach, roasted peppers, sun dried tomatoes and red onion, all smothered in a delectable napoli sauce. I did worry that due to the pasta itself being very big, they might give me too much. However, I had nothing to worry about and the portion was presented in a cute square dish with just the right amount, rich in taste and also finished completely. 

Prices are very reasonable. There was three of us at our table and we all ordered main courses. We split the bill and it came to £12 per head, making the place excellent value for money.

All in all, a very enjoyable late lunch, and one that I would definitely recommend to any fan of Italian cuisine. With over twenty years experience, ‘The Battlefield Rest’ is a must try.

S.K.