• Added: 18th of September 2008
• Area: Glasgow
• Category: Cafes and Coffee Shops

Glasgow G13 9HT

chrismac said
A little bit different
This is a tiny, bustling cafe on the busy Hyndland Road in Glasgow West End. In the evenings and weekends it can be a bit of a squeeze to get a seat, but if you turn up when its quiet and secure one of the booths framed in unusual carved wood, its a delightful spot. In summer, there are seats outside and they through open the front windows to let a cool breeze through. The music is sometimes a little loud and dodgy radio stuff, which is a bit of a draw back. But the coffee is decent and the staff are friendly. Hot drinks come with a piece of tablet (a Scottish confectionary like fudge). We once forgot and ordering a huge muffin as well (didn't know whether to climb it or eat it), so left with quite a sugar rush.

• Added: 14th of September 2008
• Area: Belfast
• Category: Restaurants

Belfast BT9 7EW

chrismac said
good coffee, comfy sofas
This is a large, two storey cafe with a very relaxed ambience and friendly staff. One of the definite plus points is many sofas, so you can really slumpf with a cuppa and a book or a friend. My tip is to sit upstairs at the back of the building, for the best people watching vantage point and away from the noise of the coffee grinder. It has a varied menu of hot and cold drinks, and also snacks and food, not the cheapest place, but OK. They used to have the occasional performance, someone sitting in the corner playing a guitar on a rainy Saturday afternoon, I'm not sure if this still happens.

• Added: 14th of September 2008
• Area: Belfast
• Category: Cafes and Coffee Shops

Belfast BT9 5AJ
028 90201201

chrismac said
trendy cafe
This used to be a nice, scruffy, quirky sort of place where you always met someone you know and the staff know your order. But was done up some years ago and the chain has grown, and its lost quite a bit of its character and charm. Worn sofas have been replaced with fixed leather seats, bright lights and mirrors, so you can hardly have a coffee without looking at yourself. The coffee is award-winning, very very good, so its probably still worth a visit. The food is fine, but its a little over-priced.s The biscuits and cakes are sweet and tasty.

• Added: 14th of September 2008
• Area: Belfast
• Category: Restaurants

Belfast BT9 5AJ
028 9066 8100

chrismac said
Contemporary twist on Indian food
As soon as you step in the door, its clear this is not your typical Indian restaurant - much as we like them. The decor is brightly coloured and trendy. The food too is upmarket, contemporary Indian. Its very tasty, rich and fresh and should quench the hungriest of appetites. As the name would suggest, the spices are a key theme and every dish is fragrant and flavourful, not just hot. I have always found the staff to be attentive and friendly. It's slightly more expensive than your average Indian restaurant, but the lunch time two course meal is just as plentiful for £5.95.

• Added: 14th of September 2008
• Area: Belfast
• Category: Restaurants

Belfast BT2 7HE

chrismac said
Very good Indian food
This place boasts the title of Ireland's first Balti House, and its been going for 20 years on the same site near Belfast city centre. It used to be a vegetarian place upstairs and feed allcomers upstairs. Now, though it serves the full menu throughout, good vege dishes remain a speciality. Everything is really good, tasty more northern than southern Indian food and quantities plentiful (the aforementioned balti dishes are particularly large. The naan bread is pretty good, and also the matter paneer. It's also very good value. It surprises me how quiet it can be sometimes, but you will have no probably have difficulty finding a table.

• Added: 14th of September 2008
• Area: Blackfriars
• Category: Cafes and Coffee Shops

London SE1 9TG
020 7401 5020

chrismac said
Nice food in a nice setting
If you get a seat by floor to ceiling window onto the Thames and grassy area outside the gallery, this is a lovely place for a spot of lunch and a bit of people watching. The coffee and pastries are OK. The lunch menu is shortish, but often has something interesting and surprising on it, bringing favours from all over. There are both 'light bites' which are big enough for lunch, or full mains. I have alway enjoyed it and never been disappointed. Plus you are close to the main Turbine Hall and can take a stroll in the gallery after you've eaten.

• Added: 14th of September 2008
• Area: Southwark
• Category: Cafes and Coffee Shops

London SE1 8TW
020 7261 0456

chrismac said
great cakes
I used to walk passed this bakery/confectioner on my way to and from work, peering in longingly at the delicious cakes in the window, like a 19th century street urchin. And it looks like just that kind of shop too, on the corner or a cobbled street, with little panes of glass and everything beautifully presented and tied up in ribbon. The cakes are very very good, and there's a huge variety. They also produce various breads, scones, pastries and sweets. At lunch, there's often a queue out the door for sandwiches and salads - a small menu that changes daily. It's not cheap, but they use excellent ingredients and you can really tell.

• Added: 14th of September 2008
• Area: Southwark
• Category: Restaurants

London SE1 8DA
020 7620 6191

chrismac said
tasty and interesting food
This is three outlets in one - a deli and cafe kind of place, a posher restaurant and a relaxed bar, all under railway arches, making for arched ceilings and intersting decor. In the deli, the bread is amazing and the three-salad plate of freshly prepared turkish foods are delicious and good value (I worked my way pretty much down the whole counter!). They also do takeaway and various interesting Turkish groceries. I have also eaten in the restaurant, which was good, but not that much better than the cheaper venues next door, and the bar. In summer, you can sit outside in a pretty pedestrian street. All three are open all day and into the evening, and the cafe is usually quiet and peaceful then.

• Added: 14th of September 2008
• Area: Glasgow
• Category: Bars and Pubs

Glasgow G2 4SQ
0141 221 7711

chrismac said
relaxed eating and drinking with unusual decor
The Butterfly and Pig is lovely and mismatched but in a trendy kind of way. Everything is heavy wood and sumptious old-fashioned sofas, with great fabric wallpaper, it makes you feel like you have stepped back in time leaving your worries firmly in the present. It attracts a lively crowd who don't take themselves too seriously and always tends to be pretty full, which is a good sign, but can leave you without a seat. Prices are reasonable. Monday night they run an original pub quiz, in fact the format varies from week to week, but its good fun and a bit more interesting than your standard 'what's the capital of...'. With a restaurant and a club, all your evening entertainment needs are under the one roof.

• Added: 14th of September 2008
• Area: Glasgow
• Category: Bars and Pubs

Glasgow G2 4AB

chrismac said
Bargain food and nice atmosphere
This is the kind of bar where lots of different types seem to feel at home. The staff are great, often quirky and funny. It's interesting without being pretentious. The food is definitely better than your average pub grub, with a mix of Scottish, Mexican and standard dishes, including several vegetarian options. They serve lunches and dinners for the same price, all between £6 and £8 for plentiful portions. They sometimes have live music and of courses, there's all the usual things, like good beer, football, music, passable toilets. A good place for visitors to Glasgow and local alike to know about or stumble upon.