Last Update: 17th March 2025
There's really good coffee to be found in Glasgow, but it's not always the easiest to track down.
By "good" coffee I mean speciality cafes with good equipment, good beans and, perhaps most importantly, staff who know how to get the best out of these ingredients. Everywhere on this list serves delicious espresso drinks where you can easily taste the distinctive characteristics of the beans (no muddy, generic, super dark roasts here). This might sound like a low bar to clear, and for a speciality coffee place it absolutely is, but a lot of cafes do not try to do this (and that's fine by the way, it's just not what this post is about).
I pretty much exclusively drink black coffee - v60 pourovers at home and long black/americanos from cafes - so that's what I'm judging based on, and that seems like a good baseline to me.
I feel completely confident that you'll get a really good cup from anywhere on this list, but there are a few which just stick their nose out ahead of the pack for me personally which I've marked with the Top Pick label.
With all of that said I'm very much open to recommendations - I'm one guy, there are some places I simply haven't tried. Or they might be amazing and I just caught them on an a bad day, or a bad shot. If you feel strongly about anywhere in particular please do send me recommendations (email at the bottom of the page) and I'll be sure to check them out.
City Centre
A long time staple in the city's speciality coffee scene. It's a small space - maybe seating for around 12 people inside and the same again outside. The only reliable place I know of for *excellent* coffee in the heart of the city centre.
Fairly new on the scene. A spacious, shabby-but-stylish brunch/lunch cafe on the edge of the city centre. Loads of seats but good luck getting one, especially at the weekend.
Another newcomer, opening in early 2025. Nice comfortable space with records spinning and lots of stylish mid-century furniture. And, of course, great coffee. The city centre really lags behind other parts of the city in terms of really good spots, so good to have another one on the list.
West End
A new addition to this list since I first published it. Somehow despite walking past the place a hundred times I had just never happened to go in. That changed today, and the coffee was phenomenal - extremely flavourful and well balanced - truly one of the best I've had in recent memory. I'll be coming here again and again.
Hinba seems to be taking over the city, with cafes and collaborations popping up literally all over. This one on Dumbarton Road though is the one I've been to the most often, and the coffee has always impressed. Decent number of seats, and doesn't seem to get too busy.
One of my personal favourites. Tiny little cafe (bench seating for 10 maybe at a push? same again outside) perfectly located for Glasgow Uni. Lots of coffee preparations offered, including pourover if that's your thing. I could be totally wrong, but this has proper "very small independent business" vibes so I'm happy to support it.
Bright and airy little cafe with a decent retail selection as well as all the usual, I believe owned by Thomson coffee. Tucked away on a side street so it's easy to miss, but it's always busy so clearly popular with locals and regulars.
Cute little deli and provisions store in Partick. No seating to speak of. Personal and completely unrelated rant - years ago they used to do some of the best to-go food in the city (incredible hot sandwiches etc) but have massively pared that back in more recent years. Bring back the Bodega. 🙏
Really beautiful little cafe in the furthest reaches of Partick (Thornwood technically). Seating for 16 or so. You're probably not going here unless you have a reason to be in the area, but great to have such good coffee in this part of town.
South Side
Just round the corner from Frankie and Godshot, both of which I had been to many times, but somehow Verse remained a well kept secret to me for a long time. That recently changed and the coffee has been absolutely fantastic. A great little DIY space with amazing vegan bakes and a great retail offering of freshly roasted beans from a variety of roasters.
Bright, spacious cafe. Decent amount of seating. Great coffee. The roast their own beans too so a great place to stock up for home.
I almost didn't feel I should include this because the last couple of times I went the coffee cup and lid smelled so strongly of incense I could barely taste the coffee (they sell a lot of incense, perfumes etc in the attached shop). But ignoring that it's been one of my favourite shops in the city for a long time, and does consistently serve excellent coffee. There are a couple of seats inside but it's always extremely cramped, and they've converted the little alleyway next to the shop into some outdoor seating.
Definitely your best option if you're around Victoria Road, excellent coffee and lovely baked goods. They have a couple of locations pretty close to one another - this store, and a collaboration with a cafe called Patricia's at number 350.