Where to Brunch in Glasgow's Southside

I love to treat myself to brunch in a wee café. I used to work from home pre-Covid, and would take myself out once a week with my laptop for a nice coffee and a bite to eat. That all stopped obviously during the pandemic, and I'm slowing getting back out there again! It's been a while since I've worked from a coffee shop, but I've been enjoying brunch with the kids every so often. 

This weekend we visited The Brunch Club in Giffnock for the first time (used to be BRGR), along with Dawn and her daughter. They don't take bookings, and so we did have a little bit of a wait (understandable as we needed a table for 5). I wasn't blown away by my choice of smashed avo (avocado, red onion, garlic, fresh cherry tomatoes, balsamic glaze, poached egg & sourdough toast; £9) although I did enjoy the halloumi that I added (£2.50). My son felt his waffles were a bit dry (waffles with Nutella and fruit; £9.50) but Dawn loved her plate (Alba which was veggie haggis, poached eggs, truffle hollandaise, crispy kale and sourdough toast; £9.50) and the girls enjoyed their pancakes and Nutella. I'll try something else next time... tacos perhaps! Dawn had a virgin Bloody Mary, and it looked ace (I sadly didn't photograph it!). 

It's been a while since I've written a review of a restaurant or café... when the kids were little they tended to love most things and a lot of the restaurants got 5 stars when they were asked to rate them!! Whereas now, my son at nearly 13 years old and my daughter at 11 have opinions! Their favourite meal is steak & chips (we had a fab dinner in York at the start of the summer holidays at Cut & Craft, I'd recommend it if you're in the area... as would they!!), and when we're brunching they're all about pancakes and Nutella.

Anyway, back to brunch...

Our hands down favourite is Bramble, opposite Queens Park at 924 Pollokshaws Road. Similar to The Brunch Club, they are walk in only. So if we're headed here of a weekend I try and go for them opening (Sat 9am, Sun 9.30am). When Bramble was in Giffnock we queued for an hour once to get a table, and that wasn't fun with two hungry kids in tow! Most items on the menu I love, the vegan flatbread (sweetcorn fritters, salsa, pineapple chutney and mayo on a soft flatbread; £9.50) is a favourite as well as the pulled pork tacos (which isn't on the menu anymore *sad face*). The kids tend to order pancakes with Nutella and strawberries (£9.50, or £6.50 for a small portion).

Last on my list, for now, is Café Strange Brew. Again, as with the others, this café is walk in only. I was here with Evie (they're dog friendly) for breakfast a few months ago and didn't have to wait too long for a table. I love the presentation of the dishes here, my yoghurt and granola came with little edible flowers... so pretty! 

If it's just coffee that I'm headed out for, then I do love Grain & Grind. (My son is obsessed with their sausage rolls and brownies!) I love their coffee, and even have a bag in Verity for my Moka Pot.

What's your favourite spot for brunch?

{Review: cake, coffee & snuggles!}

I was very kindly invited along to try some of the cakes at Snuggle Muffin, Glasgow City Centre's newest cupcakery and coffee house. Any mention of cake & I'm in!!

Snuggle Muffin have been catering for weddings & parties for four years now providing amazing looking dessert tables that look too good to eat!! This is the first cafe that the brand have opened & they've been at their George Street premise for just 6 weeks.

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From the name (which I love btw, so cute!), I had expected the interior to be cosy & kitsch but I have to say I was a little disappointed. I didn't get a snuggly vibe, at least not straight away. I'm guessing though that it must cost a fortune to set up a business like this. There's a kitchen to kit out (all the cakes, desserts & sandwiches are made on-site) plus shop front and I'm sure that with time the interior of the cafe itself will change & improve. I've been told that there are new display fridges coming soon for the drinks & sandwiches which will allow for the existing cabinets to be filled purely with cake....yum!!

Anyway, the customer service & cakes more than make up for it. Juliane, the owner, was absolutely lovely & brought us a selection of cupcakes to try as well as tea & coffee. You can tell from talking to her that she is very passionate about what she does and she spoke really enthusiastically about the brand.

There was a wide selection of different cupcakes...here's what we had to try (from top left, going clockwise):

• Pink Champagne, with a dusting of pink luster (the sponge was pink too!)
• 24 Carat, in its gold cupcake case
• Chocolate Temptation
• Red Velvet, sprinkled in tiny little love hearts!

They all looked beautiful...

My guest, a man!! *winks* (more on him later I'm sure), & I rated the cakes in the exact same order! Our favourite was the carrot cake (loving the name of this one too!) - it was lovely & moist. Followed by the red velvet, pink champagne & chocolate temptation.

I sometimes find that the cake to icing ratio isn't great with cupcakes & bakers like to put way too much icing on for aesthetic purposes and the cakes end up being far too sickly sweet. These were perfect, just the right amount I'd say. The sponge was also lovely, although we did find the Chocolate Temptation a little dry hence why it came last in our list.

Juliane also brought us some chocolate fudge cake with a raspberry mousse heart in the middle that runs through the whole cake. It was amazing! Still trying to figure out how she makes it!! Definitely recommend you try this one! 

Our tea (for me) and coffee (for him) each came with a gourmet marshmallow on the side. I could have happily eaten more of this delightful chewy mallow. Was yum!!

I'm not a coffee drinker but I'm told the coffee was surprisingly sweet, rich & delicious to the last drop. The tea (breakfast tea by teapigs) was nice & the teapot was a decent size - I had at least two full cups, maybe 3.

As you can imagine, we struggled to eat all the cake but we were given a little container of the leftover chocolate fudge cake to take away with us. The people we shared it with also loved it. You know I'm a sucker for packaging, well the Snuggle Muffin takeaway coffee cups & boxes are really cute!! 

The sandwiches that we spotted in the display cabinets looked delicious - I'm just gutted that my office isn't nearer as the cafe would be great for a work day lunch (I only get a 30 min break...boo!). 

I thought the food & drinks were reasonably priced too.

The pancakes & waffles took my fancy too, as well as the milkshakes...next time perhaps :-)

We received complimentary cakes and tea/coffee in exchange for an honest review.

Snuggle Muffin

120 George Street

Glasgow

G1 1RF

Tel: 0141 553 1100

{Fabulous Finds: Glasgow Southside Cafes & Restaurants}

Here's the lowdown on my favourite cafes and restaurants in Glasgow's Southside (in no particular order!)...

iKafe (Nithsdale Road, Pollokshields)

I was a regular at the iKafe for a number of years... however I'm not there as frequently as I used to (I was there at least once a week!). iKafe is great for coffee & cake (highly recommend the pecan pie), a nice lunch (there is a massive selection of sandwiches, wraps & baguettes) or a casual dinner. Great for with kids too - they made a pesto pasta especially for my toddler when we were there and he would recommend the cakes also!

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La Tea Doh (Nithsdale Road, Pollokshields)

On the same stretch as iKafe, La Tea Doh is a great wee deli. I've sat in the window a couple of times and had a nice cup of tea and watched the world go by. They do great paninis too - yum! Not really pram-friendly though as it's just small - don't think there would be space for my double buggy!

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Gusto & Relish (Pollokshaws Road)

I've been to Gusto & Relish a few times, once for one of their themed evenings for Glasgow Beer Week with my good friend Becky and they're great for lunch too. On another note, Becky also currently has her photographic prints displayed on the walls and they're for sale at £20 each (including the frame!).

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The Bungo (Nithsdale Road, Strathbungo)

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The Bungo has just recently opened and I went there with Becky for dinner a few weeks ago. I loved it  - such a great atmosphere and the food was amazing. Can highly recommend the Hendricks and Cucumber too! The interior feels quite industrial which I liked, and I loved the mood lighting (might be a bit dark for some people in the restaurant). I'll definitely be going back.

Ian Brown Food & Drink (Eastwoodmains Road, Clarkston)

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I went here in December for lunch with friends to celebrate Becky's 30th birthday. It had been recommended by another friend, and I'm so glad we went. The food was superb, service was great, and again, I'll definitely returning for another visit. The restaurant interior has been done in collaboration with Paul Hodgkiss and the woodwork is just beautiful. 

eat cafe (Shawlands)

This is my favourite place at the moment. I love it here. I can't put my finger on it, but I just have a good feeling about this place. It's ideal for kiddies - lots of space. Again, toddler can highly recommend the cake! Everyone was really friendly and helpful, despite my son being a cheeky monkey and introducing himself to every person in there (embarrassed!). It also looks lovely at night because of all the fairy lights.... I love fairy lights. There is also the eat deli in Clarkston which I've been to a few times, but it's not so great for with the little ones as there is less space for my big double buggy.

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Biscuit Cafe (Skirving Street, Shawlands)

Biscuit is another regular haunt of ours. Whilst we're there I try and pop into Paper Plane and Butterfly Kisses which are across the street. Biscuit have a lunch deal which I normally have where you can have a bowl of their hearty soup plus a half sandwich of your choice (from a selection). Food has always been good (except for once I had a fruit salad with yoghurt which I wasn't all that impressed with) and I can highly recommend their burger - yum!

The Giffnock Ivy (Fenwick Road, Giffnock)

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Friends and I went to The Giffnock Ivy for dinner last year and I thoroughly enjoyed our meal and the service was also great. To be honest I can't actually remember what I had to eat, but please be reassured that that does not mean it wasn't up to much. It was lovely and I do want to go back, I've just not had the reason or opportunity. I was designated driver too, so can't blame my rubbish memory on the wine.... just baby brain I guess!!