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Ratings and reviews

RATINGS
Food
Service
Value
Atmosphere

Details

CUISINES
Cafe, British, Scottish
Special Diets
Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options, Gluten Free Options
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Brunch
View all details
meals, features
Reviews (152)
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152 results
Traveller rating
53
58
16
11
14
Traveller type
Time of year
LanguageEnglish
Traveller rating
53
58
16
11
14
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Reviewed 3 February 2024

First time visit for breakfast. Ordered teo full breakfasts with poached eggs. The egg was hard and not the way a poached egg should be. The bacon was tough, the black pudding, mushrooms, potato scone and toast was good. Excellent coffee. Your poached eggs do...need to improve along with the quality of bacon. I actually put the left overs in a napkin to take home for my dogs but left it on the table. Disappointed…More

Date of visit: February 2024
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 31 December 2023

The staff and food are excellent, but………..could the staff be supplied with a casual ‘uniform’ (eg. sweatshirt / polo shirt with a logo) rather than the street clothes they arrive in. A ‘uniform’ would give a more professional look, and allow customers to identify staff...easily. Nothing stuffy which could make staff feel uncomfortable, just a basic professional look for the place.More

Date of visit: December 2023
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 5 November 2023

This modest cafe by the pond in Rouken Glen Park used to be an actual boathouse. It now offers simple, homemade food at a reasonable price, with cheerful and friendly service. The decor is not elegant, but it's a great place for a light bite...after a walk in the beautiful park.More

Date of visit: November 2023
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Reviewed 4 November 2023

Very impressed by this busy cafe in lovely Rouken Glen Park. It was very busy but nevertheless we were seated and served very quickly. The staff were super and it was obvious how much repeat business they do. We had soup and sandwiches. Very tasty...and excellent value for money.More

Date of visit: November 2023
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Reviewed 25 October 2023

I’m a regular for coffee and scone, but most of the many and varied customers are there for a late breakfast or lunch, most of which looks very nice. I go there because the coffee and scone suit my needs, but it’s the staff who...keep me coming back, they are so genuinely friendly and very customer focused, irrespective of the age, gender, physical ability or anything really - they are good with everything.More

Date of visit: October 2023
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Reviewed 25 July 2023

We recently had a family get together at the duck pond Rouken Glen Park and decided to have lunch in The Boathouse. There were 7 of us in the party and though the place was really busy it was not long till they found a...table for us. Right from the start the staff were more than helpful showing patience as we decided what we were having to eat. Having three kids in our party meant that this took a wee bit longer. The food and drink did not take long to be served up to us and we all enjoyed what we had on our plates. My photo does not do justice to the meal I had, as there is a space on the plate, but there was a bowl of chips on the side and both were first class. The macaroni is among the best I have tasted. Overall and excellent visit, will definitely be popping in on our next visit. 10 out of 10 to both food and staff.More

Date of visit: July 2023
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Reviewed 10 July 2023

Phoned the restaurant ahead as we had an 83 yr old man out with us. He had not long had a hip operation done and was slowly getting back on his feet. Can we bring a dog in, I asked… no was the reply, ok,...can you sit outside undercover I asked, yes, get it as a take away and eat it undercover at the restaurant….. great! As the rain came pouring down we made our way to the restaurant… looked for an outside undercover part…. Nothing there. There was seats and tables outside but not undercover….. went into the restaurant and spoke to a young man, told him I had phoned ahead blah blah! We don’t have undercovered outside… doh! I know that but like I said…. I phoned ahead! Are you sure you phoned here 🧐🧐🧐 eh yes, 100% I did. A lady who had joined the conversation said, nope sorry, we don’t…… I said..yes! You don’t do outside undercover, I get that now… now my problem was…. I phoned ahead, got an elderly an elderly gentleman ready to go out, an elderly gentleman that was so looking forward to going out for lunch, getting some fresh air and chatting to his family. The blank look I got from the staff members was laughable! Not an apology, not a let me find out who took the call, nothing!! Meanwhile the poor gentleman and my husband standing in the pouring rain getting wetter and wetter…… so I stormed out the door, got them into the car, went to Morrison’s and had a good Auld made up sandwich, coffee and a bun to make at home. The time and effort to get this elderly gent ready…. Well , I won’t go into that but I am shocked at the blank looks from the staff….. The staff need to take heed of what the caller is saying and be very clear to the information given out but most of all, let the staff who dealing with the complaint… deal better with customers, don’t look like a deer in a head lamp!!More

Date of visit: July 2023
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Reviewed 15 May 2023 via mobile

This is an excellent place to stop on a walk around Rouken Glen. The service is excellent and the staff are friendly. There is a good range of food available. We have had various dishes during our many visits and each time we have not...been disappointed. We'll worth stopping here.More

Date of visit: April 2023
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 24 October 2022 via mobile

I approached The Boathouse with my 3 year old, who had spotted the lit up shop front and declared he was hungry. Window was open, condiments outside. A young boy approached the window and we politely interacted. I asked what they sold, if they had...anything for a toddler to eat on the go. He explained they weren’t serving food as they were preparing to close, but pointed to the back wall with a small menu. No problem, could I grab a slice of banana loaf for him to eat on the way back to the car? There was no indication of an issue. It was a question not a demand. The boy walked away and a very angry young woman with a long pony tail took over, slammed about behind the counter then rammed a box in my hand and slammed the door in our face. I could not believe it. I called after her twice, asking for a fork but was completely ignored. I have absolutely no doubt she heard me. Anyone could have just told us you were closed. It would not have been an issue. Though I’m not sure it was even 6pm yet. I approached an open shop front and asked if and what I could get. There was no need to treat us like that. I’ve never experienced anything like it… I hope pony tail woman is ok, that kind of aggression towards someone standing with toddler, who has been nothing but polite is quite unnerving. Maybe a few deep calming breaths and a training session in customer service/ expectation management is what’s required. All the best pony tail woman… I hope you find some calm and kindness.More

Date of visit: October 2022
Helpful?4  
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Reviewed 4 January 2022 via mobile

Came here for lunch Friendly staff Good service Good we average and get pretty pricey Busy family feel Good for takeaway and sit in

Date of visit: January 2022
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Reviewed 1 January 2022

The staff in The Boathouse at Rouken Glen pond are young, friendly, efficient, professional, etc., which has to be a good start. It’s a busy place with many regulars, which can’t be bad, so why no pay it a visit, and enjoy the family friendly...atmosphere.More

Date of visit: December 2021
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Reviewed 5 October 2021

I had lunch here yesterday with a friend, I was really disappointed in the quality of food. The chicken and mushroom soup was odd looking and tasteless. Left most of it. Cakes look nice but very dense and difficult to digest. I have visited before,...it was nice so hoping this was a blip.More

Date of visit: October 2021
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Reviewed 18 September 2021

Excellent service and excellent food but I wanted to give a specific shout out to one of the waiters (a young man with short, dark hair - unfortunately I don't know his name). We were visiting for lunch yesterday (17th September) with a 96-year-old friend...who has difficulty walking very far. When we got up to leave, the waiter offered us the use of a different exit which meant our friend did not have so far to walk back to our car. I just wanted to thank him for seeing the situation, thinking outside the box and offering a solution which made life easier for our friend. Great to see such a high level of care and attention. Thank you!More

Date of visit: September 2021
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Reviewed 27 February 2021 via mobile

Great breakfast indoors or out. Been here for breakfast lots of times. You can walk for miles outside too. Burns the fry up off lol. Can meet lovely people here too. It's not too snoby.

Date of visit: February 2021
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Reviewed 29 September 2020

We ordered a vegetarian breakfast and were not told that they didn’t have any vegetarian sausages (we were given a lame excuse for not having them). A Friend went here 1 week ago and had the full Veg option. All we got was tomatoes, mushrooms,...vegetarian haggis, 2 triangular scones And small piece of sourdough bread (wife got 2 cold small pieces of white bread) the reconstituted scrambled egg was tasteless rubber. Cost was still too expensive £7.75 each (after I explained to waiter that cannot charge same as non-vegetarian option) Totally underwhelming experience. We didn’t finish our food even though we were very hungry. The cafe has gone downhill (not sure if its changed hands) Peppermint tea was ok but expensive. Coffee was fine. They don’t do baked potatoes anymore. For vegetarians it’s terrible options. For meat eaters it’s expensive options. They get people coming As not much option in the park.More

Date of visit: September 2020
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Questions & Answers
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Voyager292766
22 September 2019|
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Response from Iona M |
Yes, it does.
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ClarionAnn
19 March 2016|
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Response from 163weekend | Reviewed this property |
No dogs allowed inside the premises
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THE BOATHOUSE, Giffnock - Updated 2024 Restaurant Reviews, Photos & Phone Number - Tripadvisor

Frequently Asked Questions about The Boathouse

Yes, The Boathouse offers takeaway services.

The Boathouse is rated accordingly in the following categories by Tripadvisor travellers:
  • Food: 4
  • Service: 4
  • Value: 4
  • Atmosphere: 3.5