Brel in Glasgow City

The Brel in Ashton Lane in Glasgow is a place that strikes you first and foremost for its atmosphere. Located in one of the most particular streets of the city, it offers a welcoming and refined environment, perfect for a relaxing evening in company. Prices are average, especially considering the area. Overall the experience is worth it.

Very good experience and great food and service.

Visited on fondue night with the intention of having the cheese fondue. Nobody came to take our food or drinks order for 15 minutes - eventually we were told the fondue had sold out in the last 5 minutes! As big fans of Wallace and Gromit this was quite the punch in the gut! After the fondue disappointment we were told to pick another meal in the next few minutes as the kitchen was closing in 5 minutes. Understandably fed up, we ended up leaving and finding food elsewhere 😔🫕❌ The seating area was nice and cosy with a pleasant ambiance but the inside smelt like feet - possibly the smell of the fondue which we missed out on? 🧀😓

What a Major disappointment that was. First visit was OKish, got sat outside no drink service ( have to go to the bar alone ) ordered two chicken and waffles and the food was lukewarm , soggy AND smelly chicken with a stale waffle. Turn up a second time, as the place looks kind of cosy, they tell us they don't have enough staff to serve us food. Third time's the charm with us turning up and the whole place smelling like foul urine, we wait to get seated outside , just in case it was the bar that smelled so , but no, something has gone really wrong at the shop to smell like that, we could not even order so we had a formal look at the menu and left ( 12/10/2024) . That third time will be our last time and would suggest viewers to avoid until the management picks up the slack. The area is full of great alternatives to visit.

Lovely lunch date, friendly staff

Good outside garden space at the back.drinks were good noticed they have deals for students

We had an okay lunch here. Cold but it was a Monday and the place fairly empty. Nothing special but not bad. Unfortunately we had to leave in a hurry. Some muscles brought to a.table (four tables away) were so fishy that we couldn't stand it. The stink spread through the whole conservatory, the inside bit and even up to the toilets. No escape so we rushed our main, skipped dessert and escaped. Won't be back in case someone else has muscles

Used to love Brel but it's gone way downhill. Food is rubbish, over-priced, as are the drink options. Service very lacking and it's kind of dirty in the restaurant. Won't be back.

I love the beer options here and I like the vibe of the place but dear lord the staff are always so absolutely miserable. I'm really not one to complain as I've worked many hospitality jobs and I know it's not always the nicest place to work but honestly I've been here many times and have never felt any warmth from the bar staff.

Very wet so never really got to sample the beer garden. Service with a smile though and thank you to the lovely Hunky Jesus bouncer guy for the blessing, but my hair still got wet. Will be back x

Denied entry for wearing a sombrero

Photo sur le net ne représente pas le bar en lui même. Mais ce n’est clairement pas le plus grave. Étant un amoureux de la bière belge je commande un Orval.(son prix est bien trop élevé ceci dit) Bière brassée avec savoir parce des moines trappistes. Et on me l’a servie dans un verre non adapté à celui-ci. Cela m’aurait déjà choqué pour une autre bière, mais un Orval ne se sert UNIQUEMENT dans un verre à Orval. Je trouve que proposer des bières comme cela à la carte est superbe mais il en est de la responsabilité du bar de le faire correctement. Je déconseille donc de s’y rendre par respect des traditions et du respect.

Have been going to Brel for nearly 25 years. It's changed a lot in those years. Atmosphere is very good and they've developed the beer garden really well over those years. My wife and I ate here before a gig and it was nice to see it so busy. However the food itself was tiny. Ridiculously so. Should you be a normal sized human then you'd really need two mains. Service was OK and would go back for a drink and nostalgia but will eat in a proper restaurant.

Been a couple times before but first time taking my wife we had a light lunch ,I had chicken skeres my wife had mac n cheese really good ,and we had 3 drinks each good choice on draft and great strong Belgium beers also my wife had cocktails, it was busy but that didn't stop the great service 😊😊

Serice was nice but had booked a table and they didn’t know half the party was ready here. Food was delicious however staff didn’t not advise well on portion sizes so overspent too much.

14 pound for double rum, Captain Morgan. Need I say more

Nice place for a short stopover. I would have preferred a slightly less noisy atmosphere, a little less sugar on my waffle fingers and for my coffee to be served at the same time. The waitress was very pleasant, like all the Scottish people we met throughout our stay!

Great place to eat, some great deals on certain days too

Not great, driving so I ordered a latte which was not particularly warm. Asked to change for a hot one, still too difficult, nearly warm, give up.

Don’t bother!!! They gave us the wrong wine and patronised us about the price. They knew they gave us a different wine than the one ordered,it was the end of stock or whatever, we didn’t notice till we were thinking about getting another. My seat was so low down I couldn’t see into my pot of mussels,it was ridiculous. The mussels were fantastic ,onion rings over done,we were given 2 glasses of red and the bill amended. Maybe it’s freshers?I don’t know but the music was ridiculously loud, we couldn’t hear a thing we were saying to each other,it was really horrid,I like music but you could have been in a club. This place used to be mixed ages,and they are driving away older customers. We won’t be back.

We found this place by accident and would definitely come back for more food and a great selection of Belgian beer! Really nice garden at the back (but book on a sunny day)... Friendly staff and nice atmosphere! I forgot to take photos as I was too excited to see a nice pot of Moules Marinières!!

A solid choice to spend some time and enjoy a great bite to eat. Surprisingly small choice of Belgian beers though, which does disappoint slightly. Still, an easy fix I hope, and I'll be back for fondue or moules fries before long, I'm sure

What a find this was. With a range of table options and delicious food, we highly recommend this restaurant which is nicely out of the bustle of the city, yet close to the Kelvingrove Museum and University Cloisters.

I love Brel. Moules Frites every time with the delicious soda bread for mopping up the sauce. Also love their selection of beers taking me back to my visit to Brussels and Bruges. Very nice indoor and outdoor seating with option to hire a firepit. Great beer garden.

Couple of cocktails and a beer. Great table service

We went last night (6 of us) and our food for what we got was overpriced and really not worth it. The only thing vaguely worth the money was the mac and cheese. A hugely overpriced sharing plate for £29 (mainly consisting of onion rings with four dry ribs, a couple of chicken skewers, two dry bits of soda bread and a small ramekin of mac and cheese), a semi decent risotto, ribs for £24 which my son said were good but for the price there were not enough of them, a poutine for £13 on a really small plate and three desserts. We had one round of drinks (three soft, a pint and a half of beer and one alcohol free Guinness) and two coffees (hilariously £4.20 for an espresso) and the bill with the ‘optional’ service charge came to just over £170. They added two cocktails to the bill so just as well I checked before paying also. Price was after they were removed. I don’t think we will be returning any time soon! Service staff were nice and friendly though.

Went for lunch for a birthday. Staff were efficient and friendly. Food is extremely overpriced, £13.25 for 3 prawns?! £15 for a veggie chicken burger with less than a handful of fries just all thrown onto a tiny sideplate. Fish tacos for £11 with the teeniest bit of fish and salad leaves also just thrown onto a plate with some small dry wraps. The food in this place has gone way downhill - maybe since being taken over they don't care about quality which is a shame as this place used to be really lovely. Rather than this place I'd go to Paesano, The Parlour, Ramen Dayo, Ka Pao, Naked Soup, The Gardner.

Beautiful place and the meal is delicious. You should go there without hesitation. ❤️

Nice surroundings, lovely atmosphere sitting in the sun. Bar service a bit slow, but good day had by all

Really disappointing tacos 🌮. They forgot to heat the tortilla. And the Risoto seemed like paste. The only more or less good thing is the Clams

They have a card only policy no cash. My pet hate. Nice location and lovely beer garden but I'll not be back here while they won't take cash

Athmosphere was great but when we were there it was quite busy and the service was slow.

Been going for a long time but decided to book a table for my 30th birthday. I was running late so I tried to call to ask to hold the table for longer but was answered by the answering machine and no chance to speak to the staff. I arrived 30 minutes late, which I apologised for and was 100% my fault, only to be told they gave the table away and that's the way the booking system works. Never booking a table again

A curious place. International food. If you are looking for something typical of Scotland, this is not the place, but everything you order is delicious.

I like it here. But portion sizes on the small side. Quality great though.

Good food, great beer, and outside dining in a fab beer garden.

First and last visit. Food was dire, over priced as was the drink service was slow until they want the table back. There's no atmosphere

Best mussels with chips in town!

Enjoyed every aspect of eating out here and I also enjoyed the vegan burger. My friend had moulds with gf bread

Tripped over this place by accident. Will definitely be back. Not much to see from outside but go in you won't be disappointed.

Great food! Really slow service though.

Situated in Ashton Lane in the University district. Considered by many as the coolest street in Glasgow for restaurants and bars. I attended a birthday lunch. I am uncertain how to describe the interior style. Tiled walls, looking original with wooden strips and panels. Seating is like a bar rather than a restaurant. Staff were attentive and responsive. Lunch was a buffet. E.g. chicken skewers, pulled pork in burger brioche buns, fries. Nicely presented and V tasty. Recommended.

We have been before and took friends there yesterday. They were busy and their solution was to reduce portion size. That was bad enough but we were a table of four and one of the main meals did not appear. We complained but although there was a constant flow of meals from the kitchen it took half an hour to get the fourth meal. We were very disappointed. Normally I would withhold the tip for bad service but the service charge is on the bill so you can’t voice your displeasure that way.

Mia was amazing she was polite and casual all in the same we asked her what she would pick if she were her as customers and she said espresso martinis but we were full of cocktails from our recent adventures so she offered us Glasgow’s own glass-wee-gins and it was amasin my new favourite! Well done mia!!!!

Camembert and mussels were amazing. Rest of the food wasn’t great tbh. Definitely order the moules frites! Staff were absolutely amazing!! French guy with shaved head (Luca maybe) and the girl with red hair in pigtails - both of them served our table and they were amazing. When I complained about the food that’s wasn’t great, the manager was very understanding and took it off the bill - she explained there was a problem in the kitchen and apologised profusely. Although some of the food wasn’t great, the overall experience was a good one - mistakes happen but it’s how they’re resolved that is the measure of a business. Shout out to Maria as well - she was brill 💚

Best beer garden in Glasgow. Huge shout out to the manager who let a group of 20+ people come in without a booking to help us progress our pub crawl. Really accommodating and a credit to the bar!

Amazing space and really good atmosphere

There was 8 of us that attended Brel for Father’s Day. 5 adults and 3 kids. We have been coming to Brel for years and this was by far the worst experience to date and prob won’t return because of it. Me and my niece shared the fillet steak Sunday roast fondue, when it arrived the meat and vedge was cold, we also asked for the steak to be cooked medium rare, however, id say it was cooked more to medium . We chose to ignore this and carry on eating it as the gravy was piping hot so that helped warm it up. When my brother and dad’s fillet steak fondue arrived theirs was also cold and so was the veg, they were not happy about this, understandably so. We advised the waiter that took our order that they weren’t happy with it. The waitress came over and took their plates and cutlery away and brought a new plate, which she slammed down on the table in a mood. Everyone at our table noticed this and it was very rude and uncalled for. My dad did go and speak to her about this to make her aware that it was very ignorant and he didn’t appreciate it. I was sitting at the table nearest the bar in the upstairs area, with the kids, and then noticed and heard that they were quite openly talking about us. One of the girl waitresses said that we just loved to complain and the guy waitress agreed and said I know they do. Absolutely shocking, if you are going to talk about customers at least be smart about it and not let them notice. The final straw was when their freshly cooked fondue arrived at the table, they had to wait a few minutes to be given fresh cutlery as the previous cutlery was removed. When the waiter entered the bar area for the cutlery one of the female waitresses started talking again about our party making it very obvious and completely unaware that I was watching and listening and even used a swear word in her comment about us. I did speak to the manager and my brother did as well. He did apologise and adjusted the bill fairly. from our bill. He did deal with the situation promptly and professionally but the customer service from the other staff was terrible. Not one member of staff serving with a smile. All look like they are rushed off their feet, cheeky and unprofessional. Disappointed as I have always loved Brel, to me the food wasn’t the issue, it was the staff and the bad customer service. Needs addressed urgently as you won’t just loose us as customers you will loose a whole lot more. A disappointing Father’s Day.

Good atmosphere, inconsistent food quality for the price. Like the beer selection. A couple of grumpy staff experiences. Hope they're treated well.

Great food. Particularly recommend hot sweet ribs, fired squid, mussels. Yum! Great vibe. Great food. Lots of beer options. Great service.

I went to the bar & asked for a disaranno sour. The barman proceeded to say in a rude tone that it was an amaretto sour they served. I said ok. My friend then proceeded to ask for a half pint of peroni & the barman rudely stated ‘moretti’. He then continued to serve us and said this would be our last drink that he would serve us. This was the first drink me & my friend had bought at this establishment & I will not be returning. In general he was rude & condescending.

Not only did they contact me before the meal to give me extra information about my #disability access needs, but the food, music, atmosphere and drinks were amazing. Easily my favourite place to eat in Glasgow amongst very stiff competition.

I came here after work at 8pm for dinner with my partner and friends. The food was okay - we had the raclette (it took a while to heat up the cheese) and it tasted fine. The atmosphere wasn't great. It was really noisy and we struggled to have a conversation. I've previously had a great meal here during the daytime but I probably won't come back at this time again.

Canny beat a fire pit outside ken

Best beer garden in the west end!

Was in today enquiring about a large booking in mid June, Dan couldn’t have been more helpful, super friendly, thanks BREL / Dan. 😊

Amazing food, great cocktails and lovely atmosphere. Really beautiful decor. Dog friendly and gluten free options. Bethany was really friendly and helpful and provided a lovely experience!

Lovely wee drink after a walk round the West end on a Sunday. Could have sat all evening if the last Underground wasn't at 6pm!

Took my Canadian family and what a disappointment. Waited 45 mins for food, order prawns with chill sauce they came with eyes and legs no biggie but were undercooked. Onions rings all you could taste was grease. Burger was burnt and bacon so pink just put us all off. The only redeeming quality was the server and the mussels. Would definitely give this a miss, for a drink might be good but the food NOT.

Came here for drinks our son had booked outside seating that had fire pit we were given marshmallows to toast nice touch,procecco included to ,great atmosphere

Quirky place with a buzz! Good Serbia good choice of food ...

This was our 1st visit to Brel and it didn't disappoint. Excellent service and drinks are decent value, not overly expensive.

Came to Brel today for lunch. 3 adults and a beautiful just one year old baby girl. They made us so welcome and the food was great as usual. The staff just make this place that bit more special.

Brel is a Glasgow institution. Found in the studenty West End, and nestled in it's beating heat, Ashton Lane, it's just one of those solid boozers that serves great food in a great atmosphere. As part of a day out, playing at tourists by taking the Open Top Bus Tour, we got off at Byers Road and headed round to the old haunt for lunch. Oh, how I just love it in here. We were a huge group of adults and children, and they accommodated us wonderfully. The cider was cold and crisp, and the food was excellent and I was ready to park up for the rest of the afternoon. Oh, the memories of being young, free and single! Just writing about Brel makes me long for it. It's that good. Verdict: 10/10 ​Gluten free marked on the menu so it's a simple ordering process; the staff are knowledgable; and the whole place is just easy and relaxed, and wonderful. Take. Me. Back.

Great place for a drink and food. Great atmosphere. Definitely go again.

Absolutely gorgeous spot. Lots of tables inside and outside - we sat outside and it was lovely and warm, lots of gorgeous leaves and string lights. The firepits are wonderful too, they keep you warm while you have a drink. Bartender was really charasmatic and happy to chat with me while he made cocktails up, wonderful spot!

First visit, suggested by friends and family. Food was lovely, service was first class, drinks in particular soft drinks were overpriced to say the least, otherwise no real complaints.

Went here on st Patrick’s day. Was pleasantly surprised we could use our it is on voucher this day. Loved the food. The staff were very helpful and the value for money was fantastic. Something really different for us and we really enjoyed it. Would recommend and return for sure.

Really nice location but their pricing is more than a bit OTT even for Ashton Lane. Service wasn’t the quickest either.

Starters were average. Olives were dry and unappealing. My main course was brought to the table at same time as my starter ?? Fondu was hard to eat as light underneath constantly went out. Bread/potatoes/brocolli/chorizo etc not wonderful. Staff not attentive and food poor. Couldnt hear each other speak for a group shouting at each other. Not impressed. Wont return.

Food was barely OK, not impressive, as average as it can be. Service was nice and efficient. Their location within Ashton lane, the nice garden & indoor service area are the highlight here I would say, very cozy and welcoming loved my table and they are dogs friendly.

Crap no Bloody Marys... looks awright apart fay that... no BQin fur this place in the near future AA tell ye! 🫢 Ummm I'm a tad confused...

Great bar=restaurant. Staff are great, food fantastic and venue is very relaxing with both indoor and outdoor eating areas. Well worth a visit.

Nice staff and atmosphere. Big portions. Good food.

Burgers where nothing special and there wasn't alot of chips with them but the chocolate fruit board was amazing, pricy at 17£.

Have wanted to eat here for years when in Glasgow but just never managed to. Delighted to have lunch here on Friday with the friend I was visiting. Food & service absolutely excellent, very good value for money, & the place just has a lovely feel to it. Definitely on my 'to do' list for a return visit, & best wishes to the young man who dealt with our bill, when he comes to Aberdeen later in the year to start his medical training.

Really good food and drinks at decent prices. Only 2 staff working a lot of tables so quick considering!

Bring blankets, but not your appetite! Dined here for the new Sunday roast for two, but literally had to ask the server if another plate was coming. The temp inside was Baltic, but they did provide blankets -- and the fondue gravy also provided have warmth. The portion was small, and the meat cool, and it tasted like the potatoes had been cooked from frozen.

Cute interior and beer garden- but the worst service ever!! Took us 30 mins to get drinks and for our food order to be taken and even longer to receive any food…. The food is mediocre and very small portions for the price. Been here 3 times and disappointed each time but this was by far the worst! It also took an extortionate amount of time for us to get the bill and pay even after asking multiple times. There are much better to places to go in the west end. Do not recommend!

Cold food. 25 mins for drinks to appear, BOTH rounds. Ridiculously expensive. Incorrect bill. Staff weren’t great. There are far better places around here to go. And of course the automatically added ‘discretionary service charge’ added on top of the ridiculous prices. JUST DON’T.

Utterly disappointed with cold food and slow service. Grey chicken and a freezing cold egg. Replacement took 20 mins to arrive but the bill took 1!

A lovely meal but the place was freezing! I asked for inside instead of outside as I thought it would be warm, but I was wrong. A bit disappointing eating dinner with your jacket and scarf on!

Staff were friendly but service at the bar was so so slow and £6 for a Guiness was a sting.

I was here on the evening of tuesday the 6th of febuary and ive Never been soo thoroughly pleased with a belgian restaurant. The food was delcicious and beautifully presented, the selection of drinks was impressive and the outside seating section was beautiful. My only complaint would be i would much prefer the extra cold Heineken rather than the silver available. However the highlight of the visit was by far our server, i think her name was Sophia. She was incredibly helpful and knew the menu like the back of her hand. She excelled in satisfying every request we had and did so with a look of joy on her face. She truly was the golden standard of waitresses and I really hope I have the pleasure to be served by her again.

Nice Sunday evening meal with family. Lovely choices of food on offer. Varied menu and a nice range of drinks on offer. Reasonably priced. Only draw back was the staff were quite young and a bit all over the place. We had to ask for things a few times as they had forgot to bring them or forgot to do them.

Went to Brel for a birthday meal and had a great time. Seated in the terrace and although the weather was not the best the heaters, food & atmosphere made up for this. Kids loved it and Coco had a great time as well.

I am writing to express my deep concern about the unprofessional behavior of a female door steward at your establishment on 9th of December at approximately 2015. Upon approaching your venue, I was immediately met by a female door steward who was vaping directly in the doorway. This act was not only unprofessional and disrespectful, but it also created an unpleasant and potentially harmful environment for myself and other patrons. Vaping indoors, particularly in a doorway where customers must pass through, is a serious health hazard. Many people, including myself, are sensitive to secondhand smoke and fumes, and exposure can trigger allergies, respiratory issues, and other health problems. Additionally, vaping in a public space is a violation of many local ordinances and sets a negative example for other patrons. Beyond the vaping, the door steward's attitude and tone were extremely off-putting and unacceptable. The manner in which she interacted with myself and other patrons was dismissive, rude, and created a hostile atmosphere. This behavior is completely unbecoming of someone representing your establishment and significantly detracted from the overall experience. The combined issues of vaping in the doorway and unprofessional conduct left me feeling unwelcome, disrespected, and hesitant to enter your establishment. As a potential customer, this experience was deeply disappointing and concerning.

Warm greeting from front of house and wide drinks selection reminded me of happier times on bar crawls in the early 2000s. While most of the team were friendly, one rolled her eyeballs constantly following reasonable requests (for a spoon), service was chaotic and confused (had to enquire more than once both for my beer and 7 YO son's chips). Having dined well in an old sister establishment (Jacques) before COVID, overall food simply did not meet expectations. While crispy potatoes were moreish, both cheese mini-fondues were served in broken dishes and my 7YO son's mussels contained far too much cream and salt. Apart from an urgent deep clean of the upstairs toilets, service needs to run more slickly, smoothly and with a smile. Finally, if you allow accompanied children, please adapt more of your items to meet their requirements (my son is very low maintenance). Finally, although reluctant to leave adverse feedback, management urgently needs to raise its game given prime location and increasingly intense competition during the current cost of living crisis...and that's even with current deals and voucher offerings.

Se come bien, el sitio es bonito y el personal amable, pero es demasiado caro para el producto que ofrece.

A quiet night and very very cold but the kind barmaid took us to the fire.

French onion soup without cheese is a criminal offense and it is occurring here every day

Surprisingly quiet on a Thurs - even if it is Jan. Nice outdoor drinks though. Thank you.

Booked lunch with Itison deal. Great deal on paper but based on 'old' menu (as told by manager)Small print states certain meals require extra supplement. This would be okay if the deal actually stated the correct menu supplement. Our mains should not have had a supplement. We were being quoted an extra £8 then £10 each for our mains, neither same as the voucher. Not much to expect the voucher to match what the deal is. Not great and also waited an hour on good.

Beautiful restaurant. Could have done with some heating a little chilly. Our food was lovely. House wine nice but pricey

I was excited about the idea of this place .. cosy and bright . Food was major disappointment .. Fondue sauce was ok but components were cold and the sauce wasn't hot enough to cook the meat .... Basically four of us two drinks . Lots of bread to dip in sauce ... And chewy cold meat for dipping in gravy .. Cold sticky toffee puddings 176quid !!!!

Went with my partner for a meal, two members of staff repeatedly passed us at the door while we waited to be seen and seated for food and were also chatting at the bar whilst we waited. Unfortunately a few members of staff came across rude and we were made to feel like we were hassle to them. Ordered two macaroni cheese dishes, that came with a very poor and brown side salad with no dressing, and a side of chips. The macaroni came to our table within 10 minutes however both were cold and had to be sent back, the chips were also undercooked and this was two macaroni cheese dishes and a side of chips for £43. Would not recommend, would not return. And there was no apology given for the cold food for which we paid full price.

Food and drink were good as I expected. But the outside space was too cold due to wind, there was no heater and no more blanket.

Came for the £15 Prosecco and s’mores deal! Worth every penny for a nice cozy seat at the fire. Staff were helpful to keep our fire lit. Very enjoyable experience. Round the corner from the subway too

the place is really very nice. I asked for a green tea and when the waitress (a tall blonde girl) came and I told her that my cup was dirty she took it and left without apologizing. Very rude and annoyed. she also rolled her eyes as if the mistake was mine. Never again

Cozy place. Warm atmosphere. Good. Friendly service.