The Pioneer

Feature by Ruth Marsh | 22 Jul 2010

The Pioneer certainly lives up to its name, bravely pitching itself in the comparative no-man’s land between buzzing Charing Cross and the bar-heavy part of Argyle St.

Its inauspicious entrance (spot the neon sign on a dusty old porch under a small hotel) might make you wonder if its worth the trek off the beaten booze track, but step over the threshold and you’ll heave a sigh of relief. With cosy red booths, bright lighting and exposed tiles on the friendly side of industrial chic, cheery staff and a lengthy bar with a wide choice continental lagers (including Estrella on draft) this is a dream catching-up-with-friends-without-screaming-over-the-music-and-getting-an-elbow-in-your-face venue.

The food menu is similarly maverick, straying comfortably away from your usual pub grub. The beetroot and mackerel pate, served with a pile of avocado, was a salty and earthy mix and an almost indecent shade of scarlet. The other starter of harissa-grilled chicken with preserved lemon couscous was a mini-meal I could happily have wolfed down four times over. For mains, if you see Southern Fried rabbit on the menu, you have to order Southern fried rabbit, right? It came like a massively mutated chicken drummer, with thick skin-on chips and enough garlic aioli to mop up the (slightly dry, but very tasty) bunny leg. The Italian sausages on stewed bacon and lentils were heartiness personified and other menu items like braised oxtail suggest that The Pioneer will come into its own in the winter months – a perfect spot for warming up after a frosty walk through nearby Kelvingrove Park.

It was comfortably quiet on the night we visited and with quirky, quality food all under a tenner it’s worth setting out for.



Dinner for two £30 exc. Drinks The Pioneer, 140 Elderslie St, Glasgow, G3 Tel: 0141 332 1830