CAFES: THE WEE PLACES
In association with
GLASGOW
Laboratorio Espresso 93 West Nile Street, City Centre (Map 6: E3, 48) 0141 353 1111, laboratorioespresso.com | £6.50 (lunch)
This contemporary Milanese-style coffee bar has been a port of call for connoisseurs of fine coffee and Italianate treats since 2013. The trim glass façade reveals a small interior with only two tables and some barseating, given space with a lofty woodenslat roof and clean minimal design. Coffee rules supreme, with an a-frame board announcing rotating guest filters from the likes of Five Elephant and The Barn (Berlin), as well as a house espresso blend from English roasting stalwart Has Bean. Espresso and Aeropress are both delivered with scientific precision so expect velvetysmooth flat whites and well-balanced long blacks. Rustic Italian sandwiches from Eusebi Deli let quality ingredients sing, and there’s daily cakes and treats such as cannoli biscotti and affogato. Good for takeaway, and a great spot to sit and enjoy the city – if you can get a seat. + One of the city’s best coffee spots - Sandwiches and seats are limited
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My Home Bakery
59 Hyndland Street, West End (Map 9A: A3, 4) | Closed Sun/Mon | £3 (takeaway set lunch)
It is advisable to arrive at My Home Bakery on a very empty stomach, as the only possible natural reaction to the display of freshly baked goodies is an irresistible urge to eat everything in sight. Start your day with a pastry and a coffee from their revolutionary WiFi-operated machine, or pop in at lunch for a £3 soup and sandwich combo, with the possible addition of a cake for an extra pound – a reasonable and satisfying alternative to a supermarket meal deal. The staff are extremely generous with their time and are more than happy to help with the impossible task of choosing from the cake selection, highlights of which include the rich chocolate volcano and the delicately
sweet rhubarb and custard tart. + That homely freshly baked taste - Choosing between the cakes
Peña 5 Eton Lane, West End (Map 9A: E2, 68), penaglasgow.co.uk | Closed Sun | £4.50 (lunch)
It would be very easy to walk past Peña without realising what you have missed, although it would be a deep shame to do so, as the compact cabin-like café that sits tucked inconspicuously down Eton Lane is an unlikely yet charming coffee spot. For the most part Peña focus their considerable energies on two principal areas – coffee and toasties. The hot sandwich varieties range from the traditional such as the Big Cheese, with red onion added to the obvious main ingredient, to the slightly more sophisticated such as the Aubi One with feta, aubergine, coriander and lemon hummus, to the surprising with the Banana Man mixing bananas with peanut butter and nutella. If you like your cafés low key and quirky, with excellent coffee, then a visit to Peña is a must. + Offers something different - Not a very accessible building
Piece 100 Miller Street, Merchant City (Map 7: A2) 0141 248 1210, pieceglasgow.com | Sat/Sun | £4.50 (set lunch)
Piece’s city centre takeaway spot – no seats – has all the class and sandwich know-how of the West End original, with some canny details unique to this site. The blackboard displays most of the Piece gamut including classics such as the chicken ole (manchego, chorizo and salsa) and a vibrant, crunchy bahn mi. Alternatively, one can choose two ‘small pieces’ from an exciting, changing daily range – such as properly spicy pulled pork, nicely rugged beef and cambozola cheese. All the meats, sauces et al are prepared at Piece’s Ibrox kitchen and that
homemade freshness comes through, right down to the crunch of the coleslaw or the sweetness of the peppers. Two soups and a few cakes, including their insatiably popular brownie, are on the counter, too. + Brilliant service - Takeaway only
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Riverhill Coffee Bar
24 Gordon Street, City Centre (Map 6: E4, 98) 0141 204 4762, riverhillcafe.com/ coffee-bar | £Daily special c. £5 (hot dish or hot sandwich) (set lunch)
Just seconds from Central Station, Riverhill Coffee Bar is tiny but packed with delights. The exposed brick walls provide a backdrop for a counter that bursts with colour, where sweet treats are artfully presented, such as the rainbow teacake, multi-coloured sponges topped with skittles. In the Tuscan panzanella, spinach and tomatoes are tossed with crumbling croutons, slices of mozzarella, and infused with garlic and basil pesto. The Mexican-inspired chicken ciabatta mixes smoked cheese and chorizo with coriander – full bodied and fresh. Equally good for coffee and cake, the tahini brownie offers an umami edge to a traditionally indulgent sweet. At lunchtime there is a palpable buzz that makes the customers feel like a community, and with just ten covers inside you need to be sharp to nab one – but if you manage it the window seats offer high-density people watching. + The anticipation of standing in the queue - Only a lucky few sit
Roast 1299 Argyle Street, West End (Map 9B: C1, 11) 0141 334 1413, roastglasgow. com | £6.50 (lunch)
This small unobtrusive café has a niche of its own – the cold sandwiches and hot breakfasts are quick, filling takeaways, but the star attractions are the roasted hot meals and sliders. The pulled pork and brisket beef are slow-cooked and warming, with the piri-piri chicken and steak cooked to order, plus other daily specials featuring. The highlight is the tender roast cheesesteak, Philadelphiastyle, served in a crisp ciabatta, but if you can’t decide between the hot dishes then a sampler of three choices, coming in little brioche buns, is more than a satisfying compromise. It’s not perhaps the first choice of place to visit for vegetarians, but there is a tasty goat’s cheese, tomato, chilli chutney and roast peppers variant, too. As you’d imagine, trade is busiest at weekday lunchtimes and for weekend brunches, where the dozen or so seats soon fill up. + Satisfying sandwiches - Lunchtime rush can mean delays in getting your fill
Roots and Fruits 455–457 Great Western Road, West End (Map 9A: F2, 65) 0141 339 3077, rootsfruitsandflowers.com | £8.50 (lunch)
Roots and Fruits: healthy, hearty food at the deli-café at Kelvinbridge
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An institution for food lovers, families, and students alike, this deli-cum-café boasts a variety of dishes that reflect a strong commitment to cater for vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free diets. The counter is stocked with enough salads, soups and paninis to suit almost anyone. A Thai salmon fishcake is packed with flavour, while the Korean pork belly ciabatta is lifted by kimchi crackling and crunchy beansprouts. Leave room for one of the many sweet treats – a blueberry and almond tart is especially chewy and moreish. Glasgow-based Charlie Mills provides hand-roasted coffee, while the fridges are stocked with natural, additive-free soft drinks and fruit juices. Once you’ve finished eating, make sure to wander round the shelves and peruse
CAFES: WEE PLACES ✱ Cottonrake A West End classic pretty much as soon as it opened, with artisan-baked breads, tarts and sandwiches of striking quality. ✱ My Home Bakery In a small corner unit on Hyndland Street, My Home Bakery produces a mouthwatering selection of soups, sandwiches, pastries, cakes, and breads. ✱ Riverhill Coffee Bar A contemporary bar with a few seats, serving up delicious snacks, cakes and coffee. ✱ Smile Café Authentic Italian savouries and cakes in a teensy neighbourhood joint close to the Botanics. the selection of organic goods, from Ottolenghi-inspired spices to loaves from nearby Tapa. Pop next door to their adjoining greengrocer for all things fruit and veg. + Lots of options available for special dieters - Too much choice
Roscoe’s Deli Bar 23 Clarence Drive, West End (Map 9A: A1, off) 0141 334 2263 | £7 (lunch)
A quaint little place offering catering for special events and a modest range of Italian-inspired deli treats for those passing by or looking for a quick stopoff for coffee and cake. The tiny interior has a contemporary vintage feel with wooden surfaces and beautifully handdrawn boards making this a cosy place to revive. Pick and mix your own deli items to create a light lunch, or opt for one of Roscoe’s suggested salad or sandwiches offering classic Italian flavour combinations. Vegetarians are treated to an extensive menu of antipasti (peppadew peppers, grilled aubergine, herb-infused olives) while carnivores can sample fine cold meats including melt-in-the-mouth pastrami and prosciutto. Shelves are stocked with artisan breads, chutneys and other dry goods. + Informative and passionate staff - A bit cramped
Salt Delicatessen 23 Byres Road, West End (Map 9A: B3, 22) 0141 258 7272, saltdeli.co.uk | Closed Sun | £6 (lunch)
Most customers will be in for a takeaway at this specialist deli squeezed in among Byres Road’s thriving café scene. But if you’re lucky enough to seize one of two tables then it’s worth sitting in to try some of their faintly Spanish-inspired deli offerings and inventive sandwich combos. Order tapas-style and your choices will arrive on a platter ideal for sharing – succulent peppered pork loin, fluffy egg tortilla and homemade The List Eating & Drinking Guide 143
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12/04/2016 12:55