93 W Nile St, Glasgow G1 2SH Most coffee shops these days fall into one of two categories when it comes to decor. The quirky, incomplete look that up-cycles old or used materials (or at least looks like it) that may or may not be comfortable or fit for purpose but are there because they look jarringly ‘cool’, or the ultra sleek, chic modern glass monolith that has so much chrome everywhere it looks like a tricked out spaceship. Laboratorio Espresso may not be massive but it definitely falls into the latter of these categories. Perhaps rather optimistically for a café in Scotland, there’s an almost even split of seating inside and out but this is probably more a reflection of how little space is available to them rather than their insistence people will enjoy their coffee al fresco. There’s a sort of primo level of excellence that is assumed of a place like this, highly polished in every sense of the word as you stare at your face in the shining contours of the Espresso machine whilst the barista conducts themselves with care and precision befitting a good cup of coffee, topped off with a biscotti by the side when served. This is exactly where Laboratorio Espresso wants to pitch itself, with its space that has won architectural awards and its coffee that is one of the largest ranges in Glasgow (three or four options on the filter menu at a time covering both single origin and blends) it wants to be the best of the best and oh so shiny and new and it’s succeeding in doing so. This force for contemporary coffee culture still has a respect for tradition that is evident with an Italian flavour to its pastries and deli menu a clear nod to coffee origins. I order an oat milk flat white of the Dear Green coffee and settle in to stare out at the city as the dim light of afternoon starts to turn towards evening and the warm, reflected glow from the spotless surfaces acts as a blanket to the chill setting into the rest of the city. It’s a shame I have to catch a plane in a couple of hours because, having found here, I’m in no rush to leave.
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24 Gordon St, Glasgow G1 3PU When it comes to the caffeine scene, Edinburgh perhaps has more of a name for third-wave coffee and Glasgow is sometimes unfairly ignored which seems a little absurd given that it has more than its fair share of great coffee shops (given the relative size of the city) as well as its own coffee festival to boot. Riverhill Coffee Bar is just a tiny part of this burgeoning coffee movement (so tiny that you might walk past it on more than one occasion before eventually realising where it is) but its central location and Dear Green coffee have meant that it is making quite a name for itself despite its small size. Squeezed in on Gordon Street, its narrow parameters mean you receive service on one side and sit on the other like a sort of glorified corridor where you can get coffee and cake, a cubby hole of delights, if you will. I sidle up for an oat-milk flat white and a dense and dark vegan brownie that compliment each other nicely as the rich sweetness of the baked good oozes through the lighter, fruity notes of the coffee to give a real sense of dancing perspectives of the coffee/chocolate divide, both sweet but in their own inimitable ways. Given how cold it can get in Glasgow in November, I’m ecstatic to find a soot where steamy chrome instruments and frothed milk all add to the clutter and ambience of the tightly packed yet efficiently managed space. It lends to an air of cosiness that is only enhanced by its central location where you can spot suits and tourists alike flit about whilst you nurse a hot drink. The low key nature of the spot itself makes lends to people watching as you feel unflustered in this hideaway state, a spy onto the world with the added bonus of a decent cup of coffee. 48 Clarendon Pl, Glasgow G20 7PZ The rain has returned by the next time we head out but I am unfazed by this 'dreich' drizzle as we head away from more rural locales and into the two big cities of Scotland. There is a Nirvana themed vegan cafe in Glasgow which is somewhat of a godsend for someone so ardently obsessed with the greatest grunge band to have ever existed as well as subsisting on an animal product-free diet like myself. To see the two combined is both a surreal and yet rather uplifting experience in which my lifestyle and musical choices are weirdly confirmed in the most niche and hipster way possible. It is almost as if the entire concept was designed around myself. Upon arrival, the aesthetic is built around the band's albums and live performances and I am delighted to see pun based food boards as I'd speculated there could be a few dishes like 'Smells Like Green Spinach', 'Grape Me' or 'Something Without Whey' on the menu. Alas, nothing quite as punny as I had put forward but still some solid efforts are in there and I opt for the BLTurnaround with a bacon replacement whilst staring at the ephemera on the walls. An absolute must for any vegan coffee lover or just fans of the band. I grab a dairy-less donut for the road and I'm slightly disappointed it doesn't come in a heart-shaped box but it sits next to me in the paper bag as we speed our way towards Edinburgh. |
AuthorThe Mean Bean Machine (Vincent Wood) ArchivesCategories |
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