With a firm commitment to The Glasgow Writer, I began with a recommendation to Singl-End (not a typo) in Merchant City from a friend. And I’m glad because I had never noticed it before I went looking for it. Not that it’s hidden away, but just because I wasn’t too familiar with the Italian Centre. Situated on John street, on the left-hand side of a Tryptych of businesses; the other two being Katie’s Bar and Osteria, it’s not immediately obvious that it’s a café. But is it a good writing spot?
The Vibe
Upon entering, I was impressed by the height of the place and the large arches with exposed stone that give the place a regal edge. It was also the perfect amount of busy for me. At around 50% capacity, there was enough noise to create an atmosphere but not be distracting. There are not many tables, but they do have the main “hall”, an upstairs mezzanine, a conservatory, and outdoor seating both out front and at the rear as part of the Italian Centre’s inner plaza so it has a surprising amount of depth. There was a real mix of elegance and comfort here.
The Staff
They were more than happy for me to sit and work on my laptop, going so far as to take that into consideration by asking me if I would like to sit out in the conservatory area where it was a little quieter. With all ordering and payment done via an app, my contact with staff was kept to a minimum, but when they dropped off my order they were happy to chat and never made me feel like I was inconveniencing them by doing so.
The Food
Good! It’s always difficult to go wrong with poached eggs on some sourdough. But yeah. Food and coffee were solid! Thoroughly enjoyed it and actually have been back since 🙂
The featured image was actually taken from TripAdvisor. I will take more photos of my own from now on! Thanks for reading. Do you have any Glasgow recommendations for food? Where are your favourite spots in the city? Let me know! Until next week – Richard
Richard Mooney 