Cafe / Restaurant – Page 6 – Curious Bystander

The Week Ahead – Not much travel but we still have COP26 here in Glasgow / New Bakery – Lilys Bakes; Superb!

As I am still under the weather due to a recent surgery, there is not much travel (I had to cancel several trips), but we still have many things to look at both in the arts and in Glasgow, Scotland, and the UK

If you have not been under a rock, COP26 is still here until Friday, and I will put some more shots of the proceedings during the week. Like below, where a protest with Greta Thunberg was happening on the weekend:

Also, we’ve a new bakery here call Lily Bakes Cakes, they are in the West End and are completely lethal! Honestly, they are sickening in a good way, and though I am not sure if I posted before, due to the fact that they are only open to the public for 2 days, they usually have a queue outside!

A queue for cakes; brilliant I say! Here’s what they did for Halloween – to die for:

Bread meets Bread, West End, Glasgow – Another vegan Burger. . .

This is an interesting spot, as whenever I have walked past it in the past (a good many times), there were always quite a few people inside. I despair, as the burger, ambiance, music were definitely not my scene – though the service was outstanding.

*Bread Meats Bread, Great Western Road, Glasgow*

I don’t know much, but when the three students next to me only ordered tap water, and all three shared a bowl of chips, I sorta got that it would be expensive – it was. £9.00 for a Vegan Burger, but you have to THEN pay more for the chips / fries, what ever they are called nowadays.

Sorry, it seems to me that at every other place I’ve been to recently, the chips are included with the burger. In addition, with my tea (merely a cup), the bill would have approached £15.00; but they conveniently (for me) forgot to charge me for it.

Another “plant” based burger

The other two things that had me, were:

The burger was not beans, falafel, etc – It looked just like real meat; but it also tasted like real meat – as in real meat that had been undercooked.
The bowl of chips contained old and slightly cold chips – Hey, this is NOT that difficult to do correctly – Up your game!

Would I go again? Probably never; not tasty, overpriced, and lastly, as you can see in the entrance shot above, slightly cold as one of the two doors was always open.

2/5

The Thornwood Bar, Glasgow – Worth a Shout

I remember this place, The Thornwood, from a LONG time ago; a story involving a friend, who having been desperate for a pint, was “accidentally” shoved (and presumably lost much of his beer!) by a local inside here, who apparently didn’t take to any “outsiders” drinking in his local.

Lovely late Lunch – A vegan Falafel Burger

My, times have changed, as much has in this area of Thornwood, located on the extreme west of Glasgow’s West End.

This area over the past few years has now become an area filled with more and more cafes, pizza places, bicycle shops, etc – for the ever expanding West End, and for the continuing development southerly, on the River Clyde.

I tried the vegan burger, made from Falafel – brilliant; does what it says on the tin, along with a breakfast tea.

5/5

Week Ahead – UK’s use of Cafe’s & another new Cafe in Glasgow’s West End

Just when you thought it was not possible for more cafe’s to open in Glasgow, they do!

Please go to this link, where the brilliant Statista gives some very pertinent information about the incessant increase in the use of cafe’s in the UK.

As you can tell, with the exception of 2020 (for some reason!), the people who used cafe’s for both drinking and eating increased almost yearly from 2015 to 2019.

Saying that, a new place has opened up here, to satisfy this demand. Bauhaus, took over a place, Siempre, that years ago was a bike repair / cafe’ combination – it was very useful for myself.

Now, they not only have a substantial back beer garden, but also a very practical and stunning brunch menu (from 10 – 14).

Various shots inside Bauhaus, Partick, West End, Glasgow

Please try the 2x buns (black) for £8.50; stunning.

English Trip – Leamington Spa – Interesting and Posh

After a recent trip to Warwick in England, I decided to go to the nearby town of Leamington Spa, another town in this region that appears to be not too short of dosh, as we say.

I was only there for over a day, but decided to go for a quick walk mainly in the middle of the town, near the Spa (though I am not sure if they actually have any water in it) and through their delightful riverside gardens.

I was impressed!

It always seems to me, that the English have a certain flair for this type of thing – a garden, water, benches, et al.

Whilst there, decided to take a tea & cake in one of these types of old Victorian / Edwardian tea rooms, that in this case has been restored.

Whilst there, I’d a conversation with the barista, and found out that I may have know his mother, as she also had gone to yooni in Glasgow – Wow!

We left back to our car, via a bridge over the river, with a late 70s(?) café that had both a good view, but may have still have been closed due to the lockdown

Café Swiss – another café in Glasgow, and one to be avoided . . .

Sorry, but does there or will there, ever be an end to the café madness that has swept around the UK and Scotland the last few years?

If it does end, may Café Swiss be the first casualty.

Excuse me, but to charge £16 for a tea, one piece of Spelt toast with Avocado (or Avo or smashed Avo – I forget?) and a miniature size mini-cheesecake is simply out of order. I did leave a quid tip, as the service was excellent – fast, friendly, and no rush; though at times, I was the only poor soul here.

Which is not surprising with these prices.

Not recommended, though I did sit outside a few weeks ago in the Sun; though at the time, I didn’t really fathom why it was just so easy to find a spare seat, now I know.

The Week Ahead – Various and Bagel Mania on Byres Road, West End, Glasgow

Another week, and the weather here in Scotland has started to be less rainy and colder; only 3 degrees (high 30s Fahrenheit) last night.

And a question was put to me this week at work, where are the decent places to get a sandwich? A good one! If you wish to go to Marks, or Tesco – fine, but what about the old school sandwich shops, where they made them up whilst you waited.

I suggested Bagel Mania, on Byres road, that while is not technically a sandwich shop, does do custom made bagels, with a variety of differing flavours. The queue is always there, out on the pavement, and my own Breakfast Bagel (eggs and brown sauce) was made incredibly quick, and tasted as it should.

Bagel Mania, Byres Road, West End, Glasgow

Recommended.

In addition, will do more from my recent trip the Warwick and Leamington Spa, and start to show some more street art / murals, from around Glasgow.

Germany – Apfelwein in Frankfurt

I’ve been here before in order to watch the World Cup in 2006, where I only had a few of these (in cans), but they still blew my head off!

For this latest trip, we went to Kannonesteppel, on the Textorstrasse, which seemed to be a mecca for Apfelwein enthusiasts, as there were other of these types of pub / restaurants here.

First of all, the Apfelwein is served here in something called a Bembel; that’s the pitcher that you see here (above).

Secondly, it was a bit more flat than before and less strong (though similar to a British Scrumpy).

Finally, I was told that it is only about 4 -5 percent alcohol, and I was mixing it with mineral water so that I could stand upright at the end of the night! This combined with the schnitzel and “Frankfurter Grüne Sosse” made this meal divine. I loved it, and the hof that was packed with punters loved it too!

Please go here and see for yourself.

Week Ahead / Cafe’ Francoise, West End, Glasgow (again)

This week, will look back at some previous trips I’ve made in the last few years as I am simply “tripped out” at present; Thailand, USA, Hong Kong, and various visits around Blighty will be presented. Will also look at more places in Glasgow and delve into a bit more of the arts, food, etc.

But first, I don’t know how many times I’ve reviewed Cafe’ Francoise here in Glasgow, but recall one time when the breakfast was simply dreadful (the poach eggs were literally like rocks!)

Have to report that it is now improved and is worth the hat tip.

My favourite, and something that I almost always order, is there Huevos Rancheros, complete with avocado and chips.

This time, I sat outside on the pavement fronting Byres Road and all functioned quite well.

Glasgow Photo of the Week / Naked Soup, Café, West End, Glasgow –

River Kelvin footbridge to Kelvin walkway

Interesting to note, that the trees and other “shrubbery” have seemed to increase in size the last few years? Or is it me? Or . . . is it that we more or less had a drought the last few months, and when the rains finally came the roots had increased, and the subsequent growth is maxed out? Don’t know, but it looked quite green and lush.

Afterwards, walked back to Byres Road, and after a quick left, right, finally decided to go to Naked Soup, that I had seen the last few weeks, with tables on the pavement later in the evening.

Thought this was strange, so after ordering a pint (they had one draft beer, the delightful Loch Fyne lager, and had a cooler full of other world beers in a bottle), was told that they’ve been renovated / changed a few months ago, and now serve the soup only until 3.30pm, with the remaining opening time to 9 or 10 for serving drinks, etc.

Hallelujah! We need more of these type of café’s / bistros / places to get a pint but are not a pub herein Glasgow. Long may it be so!