Glasgow has become a city where coffee culture thrives. Wander through its neighbourhoods and you’ll find that each corner of the city has its own café to represent the area’s personality, from laid-back brunch spots to wee espresso bars and takeaway cafes beside local parks.
A new generation of Glasgow cafes have become creative hubs and local living rooms for the community. In the West End, you might sip your cortado surrounded by students and writers, notebooks open beside laptops. In the Southside, family-run cafés spill out onto pavements with dogs snoozing under tables. In the East End, pared-back roasteries now showcase single-origin beans while playing music at weekends. Glasgow’s standards are high when it comes to coffee, alongside the cakes, matcha, hot chocolate, pastries and brunch dishes that comes with it.
Take a tour of 12 neighbourhood cafes that represent the local coffee scene.
9. Cafe Salmagundi
A Mount Florida cafe serving speciality coffee like Sipi Falls and Guadalupe Zaju, both from Thomsons Coffee, on filter. For lunch, order a kimchi toastie with a side of celeriac and pistachio soup or maybe cauliflower and cumin fritters with hummus, tzatziki, pomegranate jewels and pickled onions, topped with a perfect poached egg. 1007 Cathcart Road, G42 9XJ | supplied
10. Outlier
A community-focused cafe and bakery. Try an espresso by the Good Coffee Cartel - alongside popular sandwiches like their chicken Parmo with bacon, Béchamel, Loch Arthur cheddar, Parmesan, spring onion, chives, spicy tomato sauce on house ciabatta. From the bakery, ask for a rhubarb galette or cardamon bun. 38 London Rd, G1 5NB. | Outlier
11. Ottoman Coffeehouse
Imran Akhtar is the co-owner of the Ottoman Coffeehouse, along with his brother Irfan. It sits behind the former Glasgow Society for Musicians and what was the Shah Noor Indian restaurant on Berkeley Street. A beautiful room with high ceilings, ornate light fittings, comfy sofas, chess sets, furnishings bought from the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, portraits of Sultans. After being initially used for private functions it emerged as a community coffeehouse serving Yemani coffee, Turkish roast, Ottoman teas, espresso and chai. 73 Berkeley Street, G3 7DX. | Ottoman Coffeehouse
12. Big Bear Bakery
Sourdough, pastries, sandwiches, much in-demand celebration cakes and great coffee. Ian and Dominique Pedriani set up their family-run bakery in 2007 and since 2018 they’ve been operating from a wildly popular shop in Battlefield every weekend. They also have a location in Partick. Order cream cheese cinnamon buns, empire biscuits and pastel de nata. 54 Sinclair Drive, Glasgow G42 9PY. | Big Bear Bakery