Cafe
Photo: Arnaud 25 · Public domain

18 cafe places in Glasgow we have eaten in, sorted by editor score. All cuisines in Glasgow | Cafe across every city.

Glasgow's coffee scene roasts its own: Kember and Jones on Byres Road, Spitfire Espresso on Candleriggs, The Steamie in Finnieston and Grain and Grind on Battlefield Road all run their own beans. Laboratorio Espresso brings Italian-style precision to West Nile Street, and tiny Riverhill holds the ethical corner on Gordon Street. Two rooms carry bigger stories: The Mackintosh Tearooms recreate Charles Rennie Mackintosh's 1903 Willow Tea Rooms on Sauchiehall Street, and Milk Cafe on Victoria Road is a social enterprise run by refugee and migrant women.

Riverhill Coffee Bar ★ 4.4

££CafeCity Centre

Riverhill Coffee Bar is a tiny, ethical cafe on Gordon Street in Glasgow's city centre, pouring proper coffee and stacking generous sandwiches and cakes.

TipIt is small and busy at lunch, so grab a sandwich to take away if the handful of tables are full.

Kember and Jones ★ 4.3

££CafeWest End

Kember and Jones is a deli-cafe and bakery on Byres Road in Glasgow's West End, roasting its own coffee beside tarts, sourdough and cheese counters.

TipThe window seats overlooking Byres Road are the prize spots; the cake counter is the reason to queue.

Laboratorio Espresso ★ 4.4

££CafeCity Centre

Laboratorio Espresso is an Italian-style coffee bar on West Nile Street in Glasgow, pulling some of the city centre's best espresso in a snug room.

TipOrder at the counter and take a stool; it is a coffee-first room, not a laptop-all-day cafe.

Milk Cafe ★ 4.3

££CafeSouthside

Milk Cafe is a social-enterprise cafe on Victoria Road in Glasgow's Southside, run by refugee and migrant women serving brunch, bakes and Levantine plates.

TipProfits support the women who cook here, so the daily specials, often home-country dishes, are worth asking about.

The Mackintosh Tearooms ★ 4.2

£££CafeCity Centre

The Mackintosh Tearooms recreate Charles Rennie Mackintosh's 1903 Willow Tea Rooms on Sauchiehall Street in Glasgow, serving afternoon tea in his own design.

TipBook the Salon de Luxe upstairs for the full Mackintosh interior; downstairs is quicker for a pot of tea.

Tinderbox ★ 3.8

££CafeWest End

Tinderbox is a long-running espresso bar on the Byres Road corner in Glasgow's West End, a buzzy people-watching spot for coffee and cake since 1998.

TipThe upstairs window seats over the Byres Road and University Avenue junction are the best in the house.

Offshore ★ 3.8

£CafeWest End

Offshore is a relaxed, dog-friendly coffee shop on Gibson Street in Glasgow's West End, a student favourite for flat whites, vegan bakes and free wifi.

TipIt is a no-fuss study spot near the university; the vegan selection is bigger than most cafes on this street.

Meadow Road ★ 4.1

££CafeWest End

Meadow Road is a bright artisan coffee shop on Dumbarton Road in Glasgow's Partick, pouring speciality coffee alongside vegan-friendly brunch plates.

TipIt is a dog-friendly Partick corner spot; go for the weekend brunch and a pour-over rather than a quick takeaway.

Piece ★ 4.1

££CafeFinnieston

Piece is a speciality sandwich shop on Argyle Street in Glasgow's Finnieston, building overstuffed sandwiches to order alongside proper coffee since 2008.

TipThis is a lunch-run counter more than a sit-in cafe; the piled-high sandwiches are the whole point.

The Singl-end ★ 4.2

££CafeCity Centre

The Singl-end is a basement cafe and bakehouse in Garnethill, Glasgow, a big all-day brunch room with strong gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan options.

TipIt is a wide, accessible basement good for groups; the bakehouse counter is worth a look on the way out.

Spitfire Espresso ★ 4.2

££CafeMerchant City

Spitfire Espresso is a Merchant City coffee bar on Candleriggs in Glasgow, roasting its own beans and serving a full brunch in a bright, tiled room.

TipThe brunch menu runs all day, so it works as much for a late breakfast as a mid-morning flat white.

The Wilson Street Pantry ★ 4.1

££CafeMerchant City

The Wilson Street Pantry is an all-day brunch cafe and deli in Glasgow's Merchant City, serving breakfast, sandwiches and coffee seven days a week.

TipBrunch runs all day, every day, so it is a reliable late-morning bet when other kitchens have stopped.

The Steamie ★ 4.2

££CafeFinnieston

The Steamie is a coffee roaster and neighbourhood cafe on Argyle Street in Glasgow's Finnieston, a laid-back spot for filter coffee and cake.

TipIt roasts its own beans, so ask what is on filter that day and buy a bag on the way out.

Grain and Grind ★ 3.9

££CafeSouthside

Grain and Grind is a small-batch coffee roaster and cafe on Battlefield Road in Glasgow's Southside, one of a homegrown chain of neighbourhood coffee shops.

TipThis Battlefield branch is the original; the same roast turns up in their Strathbungo and Dennistoun cafes too.

Roots, Fruits and Flowers ★ 4.1

££CafeWest End

Roots, Fruits and Flowers is a wholefoods grocer, deli and cafe on Great Western Road in Glasgow's West End, an organic Kelvinbridge institution since 1980.

TipIt is a grocer, deli, florist and cafe in one; grab lunch upstairs then shop the wholefoods and veg below.

Milk Cafe ★ 4.3

££CafeSouthside

TipAsk about the daily home-country specials; profits support the women who cook and run the room.

The Singl-end ★ 4.2

££CafeCity Centre

The Singl-end is a big basement brunch room and bakehouse in Garnethill, Glasgow, cooking all-day plates with gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan options.

OrderThe big brunch plate, with strong gluten-free and vegan versions available.

The Wilson Street Pantry ★ 4.1

££CafeMerchant City

The Wilson Street Pantry is an all-day brunch cafe and deli in Glasgow's Merchant City, serving breakfast, sandwiches and coffee seven days a week.

OrderEggs and sourdough with a flat white; brunch runs all day, every day.

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