laboratorio espresso table

Five Places for Coffee in Glasgow

If you’re in need of a good quality caffeine jolt in Glasgow city centre, look no further. The Glasgow coffee scene is pretty strong, and these are five of my favourite places to hit up for a coffee in Glasgow.

Laboratorio Espresso
labespr.tumblr.com

My absolute number one. Whenever anyone asks for a coffee recommendation in Glasgow, Laboratorio Espresso is my first suggestion. Laboratorio Espresso is a small Italian-inspired coffee shop located on West Regent Street, just behind Buchanan Street. They serve a curated selection of coffees and snacks (and teas, if your company is that way inclined), in a beautifully designed, minimalist environment. If it’s a nice day you can take a seat outside. You’ll find a small selection of pastries, cakes and sandwiches if you’re peckish. I would recommend a lemon cannoli to pair with your coffee of choice; I promise you won’t regret it.

laboratorio espresso table
laboratorio espresso latte
laboratorio espresso interior

Spitfire Espresso
www.spitfireespresso.com

Second on my list of recommendations would be Spitfire Espresso. Another excellent stop for a great cup of coffee, Spitfire is an independent cafe in Merchant City. They serve all-day breakfasts, sandwiches and a selection of cakes and treats too. The cafe is probably the biggest in terms of seating capacity, so a good one to rely on if you’re planning on having some food. The interior is vintage-inspired, sprinkled with some spitfire motifs. Really friendly staff and a great place to chill.

spitfire espresso coffee cake
spitfire espresso interior
spitfire espresso exterior

Papercup Coffee Company
www.papercupcoffee.co.uk

Papercup opened their doors in the city centre last year, and have their original cafe based on Great Western Road if you’re in the West. Papercup sits on High Street, slightly off the beaten track and just on the edge of Merchant City. The cafe is relatively small, yet perfectly sized and located. They serve an all-day menu of breakfast and lunch goodies – I can vouch for the avocado toast and (super indulgent) brioche french toast. And on top of a cracking menu is, of course, their very own small-batch roasted coffee.Winner winner. If you’re on a Glasgow coffee-drinking adventure, Papercup should not be missed.

papercup coffee cake

papercup coffee exterior

Gordon Street Coffee
www.gordonstcoffee.co.uk

Gordon Street Coffee is conveniently located beside Central Station, so very easy to find. It’s a fairly small coffee shop but has a huge outdoor seating area and you can usually grab a seat upstairs. Gordon Street roast their coffee in-house. Along with an extensive fresh coffee menu on offer, you can also expect cakes/pastries, sandwiches and hot food. They also cater to all my vegan friends with their vegan sausages, and they always tend to stock a vegan cake or two.  The coffee is fresh and the interior is quirky, and its location is ideal if you’re on the move.

gordon street coffee interior
gordon street coffee latte cake

Wilson Street Pantry
www.facebook.com/wilsonstreetpantry

Located on Wilson Street in Merchant City, Wilson Street Pantry is a sophisticated spot for a coffee and snack. They have an all-day menu covering breakfast, sandwiches and meat/cheese platters. And they have the all-important cake variety too. A great spot for good coffee and the perfectly Instagram-worthy breakfast.If you’re grabbing a takeaway coffee, you’ll be glad to know Wilson Street Pantry get a gold star for having full biodegradable takeaway cups. Be prepared to wait if you’re planning on sitting in, though. Wilson Street generally gets very busy, inside and out, so get there early.

wilson street pantry interior

All of the above places offer dairy-alternatives to milk, just as a general note. Honourable mentions go to It All Started Here coffee – a speciality stall who travel through markets/cafes in Glasgow. Gesso at Charing Cross is great. Riverhill Coffee is amazing with a great selection of sweet treats – it sits just across from Gordon St Coffee. And that wraps up my quick go-to list for coffee in the city centre! Hope you found somewhere new to check out. Thanks for reading.

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6 Comments

  1. Patrice Dalrymple

    Another super post and recommendations from you Sarah I always just feel like hopping into the city centre for a coffee after reading it . Keep it going . Patrice x

    • Sarah Martin

      Thank you Patrice! You should definitely come in for a coffee some time x

  2. Rafal

    Thank you Sarah for the recommendations! Enjoying the sun outside Spitfire Espresso, indeed a nice place to chill. Have a lovely Sunday 🙂

  3. Lisa

    Hello

    i think the best coffee shop in Glasgow is the Mr George Coffee at 57 Byres rd, West End!

    • Sarah Martin

      I’ll need to check that out! Thanks for the heads up Lisa.

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