By David King

We might be getting the good weather for now, but Glasgow isn’t known for its luck of the draw when it comes to toasty weather. But when the skies are grey and we have a long day ahead, sometimes a nice brew is all we need to get us through the day.

Whether you’re a Starbucks or a Costa kind of guy/gal, sometimes we could all do with a change of scenery as well as supporting the wee independent stores we might not have had the pleasure of trying out before.

Purrple Cat Café:
2 Trongate
Monday- Sunday 9:30am - 8:30pm.
0141 552 6429
purrplecatcafe.com

It’s the internet, and we would be remiss to not include at least one reference to cats when we have the chance. The Purrple Cat Café is situated in the shadow of Tollbooth Steeple at Glasgow Cross and is just purrfect for those that want to chill with toebeans abound and not just coffee beans. Be mindful though, it is very popular and usually needs advance booking to get inside.

Papercup Coffee Company
603 Great Western Rd
Monday- Friday 8:30-6pm Saturday and Sunday 9am-5:30am.
07719 454376
papercupcoffee.co.uk

Papercup describe themselves as “unpretentious” and that “it’s simple but a bit different.” Is the west end pretentious? Comments below! With their claim of roasting all their own beans just around the corner from the café and being in control of your taste sensation from start to finish, this little outwardly trendy and inwardly rustic coffee shop maybe deserves a wee look.

Short Long Black
501 Victoria Rd
Monday- Friday 8am-5pm Saturday and Sundays open at 9am and 10am.

SLB has carved themselves quite the name in just a year of trading in the highly competitive southside scene. Utilising established, independent, Scottish coffee roasters - Thomsons, the still fairly new kid on the block has already developed a reputation for great tasting hits of caffeine.
Oh, and they’re dog friendly.

The Steamie Coffee Roasters
1024 Argyle St
Monday- Friday 8am-6pm Saturday 9am-6pm Sunday 9am-5pm
07821 544449

*steamie - A communal wash house. “it would have been the talk of the steamie”
This wee example for those of us not familiar with Scots fits well with the very rustic and incredibly cosy Steamie in the West End. With decor set up in such a way that the server is not behind a counter and a mishmash of seats and tables that only add to the feeling of corporate freedom. The talk of the Steamie will be the Steamie itself on your first visit.


Black Pine Coffee Co.
518 Great Western Rd
Monday- Friday 8:30am-5pm Saturday and Sundays open at 9am and 10am
blackpinecoffee.com

Black Pine is another West End joint vying for your attention and manages to pull off stylish and minimalist without feeling too sterile. Apparently, they do an amazing Vegan Haggis Roll on occasions. With dogs allowed in, how could you not be ready for the day ahead after popping in here?

East Coffee Company
354 Duke St
Monday to Friday 7:30am-5:30am Saturday opens at 8:30 and Sunday 8:30-5pm

East has only been on the block since January 2018, and if you didn’t know it was there you would likely walk right past the unassuming exterior. But step inside this eastern gem and be greeted with a homely setting, and impressive food. Who said West Enders have to monopoly on style?

Tchai Ovna House of Tea
42 Otago Lane
Monday- Sunday 11am-11pm
0141 357 4524
tchaiovna.com

Ok, this one’s a bit of a cheat. Tchai Ovna as the name suggests is a tea house rather than a coffee shop. But I think it deserves to be in here for no other reason than that, all the rest on this list will get you going in the morning, whereas Tchai can bring you back down after a hard days work. By far the latest opening on the list, even if you get held back at the office you can still catch a cuppa instead of hitting rush hour traffic. With a cosy front-room feel, where would you rather be?