Friendly and fast service, we stayed at the Fraser across the street and this was delightful! Quite possibly the most delicious hot chocolate I've had, and we kept coming back. I've tried the banana fosters french toast and the avocado toast, and both were mouth watering. I'll be dreaming about these breakfasts! read more

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The best breakfast we have had since we have been in the UK. Food was excellent. Service by Ann Marie was exceptional. Her friendly attitude and kind nature really made this a great experience. The restaurant is clean and homey. Love the wood and really feels like a wonderful place to sit and have a bite. Thanks for a great time. Love from some Texans! read more

This place was a great experience. The staff members were extremely friendly, and the service was phenomenal. The breakfast was very flavorful. I truly enjoyed my experience here. read more

Café Gandolfi - Full Scottish Breakfast - Seafood Near Me - Glasgow, GLG

We stopped in Glasgow for lunch while traveling, and due to the reviews and the charm of this cafe we chose to eat here. The staff were friendly and the food was good but not great, the cafe is charming. What bothered us however was that literally as we were reading the menu and about to order, the waiter took it from us and replaced it the exact same menu but with higher prices. No explanation. If you're going to gouge tourists maybe don't be quite so blatant about it. We felt it was quite rude. Don't recommend for that reason. read more

Went here for the fish and chips (Gandolfi) but the pick up fish and chips place closed during Covid. This place is the parent company known as Cafe Gandolfi. A sit down restaurant dishing out the same delishous food with elegance. Really great selection of food and this is where I tried my first Haggis. Delicious is not the best way to describe such a well balanced traditional dish. So tasty. Everything we tried was tasty and I will go back to Scotland just for this place. read more

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Wonderful breakfast. My daughter and I each had an eggs Benedict, hers with smoked salmon, mine with bacon. The eggs were poached perfectly. I was concerned when the plate was first brought out because the hoolandaise sauce was so yellow then I realized it was because three yolks were intensely yellow. Restaurant is a farm to fork si that's probably why. Beautiful read more

Cullen skink. Completely at a loss for what this might be? So was I. Turns out it's a Scottish fish soup and it's mighty tasty. Creamy with big hunks of white fish and potatoes (if you enjoy New England clam chowder you'll probably like this), I credit Cafe Gandolfi for helping me discover it. read more

Café Gandolfi - Seafood Near Me - Glasgow, GLG

Wonderful restaurant with great food and an ambiance of rich history. We popped in for a light dinner as we were jet lagged from our flight over. Our selections included: Smoked Chicken Caesar Salad, Peet Smoked salmon appetizer and a house salad. The Caesar had a lovey blend of smoked chicken with anchovy's and eggs. The salmon was delightful. The house salad was full of yummy surprises. The revolving door and the photos that surround the interior have a nice history behind them. The staff were very hospitable. Stop in for a great assortment of flavors. read more

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One of the best restaurants in Glasgow with a unique style and fantastic food. The atmosphere is so good in good beautiful cafe. I love it! read more

How things change - when it first opened many years ago I thought that the 'rustic driftwood' style of furnishings in Gandolfi was rather pretentious, but now it feels like an old friend welcoming you in. Gandolfi is great for good Scottish fayre well-prepared and presented with style as an evening date, and equally good to drop in of a morning for some great coffee and scones. Always welcoming and friendly, you'll soon feel right at home here. read more

After having it on my "To Eat" list for a good while, last night I finally made it along here with my cousin, before a gig at the O2 Academy, and it was most lovely! I had a quick swatch of the menu before we went (obviously) and immediately spotted at least 4/5 things I would love to shove directly into my face. Luckily, my cousin always gets the same thing every time she goes here, so she recommended the spaghetti with prawns and smoked haddock. Now, I flipping LOVE smoked haddock and this was sooooo deliciously soft and tasty, and the dish overall was very good indeed. The prawns were also cooked really well and everything went with the creamy saffron sauce they were cooked in. I totally loved the inside of Café Gandolfi as well, I thought the woody effect they've got going on was really cool, and to be honest I was quite sad that we had to rush off to the gig, instead of chilling out for a bit (*cough*and having dessert*cough*.) The staff were really nice and attentive as well, which is always a bonus! I'm told that their breakfasts are very delicious indeed, so I'll need to pop back at some point for that, as well as the other loads of things on the menu I wanted yesterday. (Hellooooo pastrami with sourdough!) Gandolfi Fish, imma comin' for you next! read more

Café Gandolfi - Spaghetti with prawns, smoked haddock and saffron - Seafood Near Me - Glasgow, GLG

My favorite place near city centre. I am from the US and I stumbled upon it. I came here for my birthday and then a year later with a friend. The quail eggs and Scottish salmon are to die for. read more

I was recently traveling in Glasgow, Scotland and dined at a restaurant I had read about in a CultureTrip article "24 hours in Glasgow". Though the Scottish are well-known for their friendly nature, I was still pleasantly taken away by the warmth I experienced inside this restaurant. I dined the Café at about 5 in the afternoon and was welcomed by multiple employees. Above knowing the menu, the employees offered me a cookbook to read (that contained a history of the restaurant) and a local newspaper. They were interested in where I was from, what I was doing in Scotland, and how I was enjoying it. The food was superb, but the warmth of the interior and energy of the employees are what will cause me to return. I paid the equivalent of $35 for the late lunch/early dinner, but felt the experience made the cost well worth it. Fabulous, LOCAL food. I highly recommend this establishment! Afterwards, walk to the Glasgow Cathedral and Cemetery. read more

Café Gandolfi - Hattie classic dish w/ cookbook provided by the restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Glasgow, GLG

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Five is us traveling and every one would say this was the best. The place is beautiful and staff very accommodating. The Cullen Skink was the best we have eaten. The scallops were unbelievable and the portion magnificent. My companions fussed: the smoked sea trout was fantastic. I had a surprise, the Arbroath Smokies were unbelievable, tomato sauce, Parmesan cheese, great smoked flavor. read more

I headed here for brunch on a sunny Saturday morning. It was really busy; however we luckily managed to get a table at 11.30am, which we had to give back at 1pm. I have eaten in Café Gandolif a good few times, however I had never been for brunch. The brunch menu is pretty extensive ranging from a full Scottish fry up to a variety of French toasts, pancakes and eggs done in every which way you can imagine!! I opted for Eggs Florentine on a toasted muffin, with the hollandaise sauce on the side. I always feel there can be too much sauce on the plate, and I just like a small amount as it can be quite heavy. This was a really tasty dish, and my eggs were cooked perfectly. My friend opted for the full cooked breakfast. It did state on the menu this could take up to 30mins to prepare, and it did. We did hate him for this, as hanger was beginning to strike!! However I managed to steal a bit of his black pudding and sausage, which were really good, so well worth the wait! Will defo be back to sample more of the brunch menu for sure! read more

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Cafe Gandolfi (and bar gandolfi) is one of my favourite places in Glasgow. They serve traditional Scottish fayre of the highest quality. It's not cheap but fresh, seasonal ingredients aren't cheap. Last one we had dinner here we shared Arbroath smokies to start & then had the chicken kiev and the pastrami open sandwich. The time before that we had the white pudding starter and then a pork chop special and fish special. It's all delicious whatever you choose! Nice, relaxed setting so you don't need to dress up if you don't want to. read more

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Never had Haggis, heard horrible things about it, but figured when in Glasgow... The traditional Haggis was absolutely delicious. Loved the neeps (like mashed sweet potatoes, but actually a turnip called a swede). Go, eat, enjoy! read more

Café Gandolfi - Seafood Near Me - Glasgow, GLG

This is really cool place which offers traditional Scottish meal. My partner and I wanted to trying something really Scottish since we are visiting here, so our friend took us here. Café Gandolfi is one of her favourite place. I don't think if we as visitor will just find this place so easy. It located actually not that far from the city center. We did just walk to this place, I think it took quite awhile but it was great to look around. The place wasn't so full when we got here, our friend did make a reservation anyway, so we got our table quite soon. Like I said early we wanted to try something Scottish. Originally, I wanted to try out Haggis, since I haven't tried it before. But my partner did order that, so I asked our waitress to recommend something to me. Since there were couple other choices know the menu. I forgot the name of the dish I ordered now. But I really like it. I also tried couple bite from the Haggis. Well, it wasn't everybody thing. I like it, it was just a bit dry to me. I guess that's just how is it. I also like how the place looks, it quite a nice place. We enjoyed the dinner and were glad that our friend took us here. After we left the place, I noticed that there was another shop next by also got Gandolfi in the name and it looked like a place just for seafood. I love seafood, probably will visit it next time when I visit Glasgow again. read more

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OH MY we wandered here for some drinks and dessert. Cozy ambience, amazing service and delicious food. We would def come back here to try more of the the rest of the menu. read more

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This place is a Glasgow Insititution. Often it is tough to be an institution, There are many forces pulling on you when you get big. It can destroy what initially drew people to the place. These folks have managed to stick to a core love of the food that they prepare. They do a lot of things right. Fresh local ingredients and some astoundingly gorgeous imported ingredients when called for. But the main thing they do is that they keep the recipe simple and let the ingredients speak for themselves. You can kill something when you over-prepare or put too much in, I love it here - lovely setting, great staff and on top it all - excellent food. read more

John and I returned to Cafe Gandolfi for our 6-month-iversary night out a few weeks ago, despite John giving me a knowing look and mumbling "...was that not the scene of your birthday meal disaster?..." ...but I'm very happy to announce that it was anything but a disaster this time round! They managed to squeeze us in last minute on a Friday night (always book in advance - this place gets craaaaazy busy at the weekends), when we arrived and were seated it was literally a bit of a squeeze to get in to the table. We were flanked by two massive tables of people tipsily pouring wine and loudly telling anecdotes. The great thing about Gandolfi though is that this kind of atmosphere just adds to the experience! We ordered a stupidly expensive bottle of Greek red wine, which was possibly the best wine I've ever had (I forget the name but it was certainly tall, dark and handsome, like every good Greek should be) and ordered straight off the specials board for that evening. I had ricotta stuffed courgette flowers served with homemade chilli jam, while John went for black pudding, poached duck egg and asparagus. We still talk about these starters from time to time with glazed-over looks in our eyes and drool on our chins. For main I had the biggest bowl of spaghetti with pine nuts, red peppers and nuggets of soft Gorgonzola, while John splurged on the slow-cooked lamb shank, which cost £14 and damn well looked worth every penny. My spaghetti defeated me, however, and I had to leave almost half of it uneaten if i had any chance of fitting in a dessert. The waitress informed me as she cleared the table that you can order all the pastas in half portions (at half the price) for when you're feeling the squeeze (both in your purse and your belt). For dessert John had, what I can only describe as, a monolith of cheesecake, which he informed me, in between bites, was "mmmhmmmmmhhhhmmm" which I interpreted as "good, thanks". I, of course, went for the baklava. And it was everything I'd remembered it to be. Flaky, sticky, oozing with rose water and perfectly sweet against the sour Greek yoghurt. I still think about that dessert from time to time with glazed-over eyes and drool on my chin. Overall the service was cheerier, the food was more tasty, and the evening was much happier than my previous visit. All hail the baklava! read more

Café Gandolfi is a Glasgow culinary institution. It has been tantalizing the palates of Glaswegians and the like for 3 decades now. From the décor to the food, Café Gandolfi creates an unparalleled mix of humbled elegance. They use the best of fresh Scottish produce to create dishes of European panache. However, they do not falter with Scottish staples such as haggis, neeps and tatties, as well as black pudding. Scrumptious and delightful, I've never had a bad meal or experience here. Friends I have brought have also thoroughly enjoyed their experience at Café Gandolfi. The service was also attentive and friendly. Bottom line: delectable European cuisine using the best fresh Scottish ingredients, moderately priced and well worth the money, good service, and an intimate setting perfect for a friendly catch up or a night out with your loved one. Tip: They have a wine club (which I'm a member of) that puts on monthly tastings with tapas. It's normally £10-20 to participate. read more

Loved this place! Have heard about it but never actually been in so was about time I gave it a try. We popped in Saturday lunchtime and were quickly seated. We weren't overly hungry so just opted for light bites of Smoked Mackerel Pate with toast and a selection of cheese and oatcakes which were scrummy! They have a great wine selection and mixed with the lovely rustic ambience of the place its perfect to drop in and while away a rainy afternoon in Glasgow. Friendly, helpful staff and a great menu so next time I'll make a point of going along hungry and properly sample their delights. read more

I visit Cafe Gandolfi fairly regularly as i work nearby. It's a nice relaxed atmosphere with pleasant, knowledgeable staff. They serve 'hard to resist' fresh bread and butter when you arrive. At lunchtime, I enjoy the rocket and roasted pear salad - it comes with a choice of cheeses - I always choose the gorgonzola as I have soft spot for blue cheese and it is a lovely combination with the pear. In the evening, I have enjoyed the smoked haddie on a number of occasions which is consistently good. It is served on crushed potatoes and topped with a poached egg. I love the steak with blue cheese. It's the only place I have ever seen steak served this way - slices of blue cheese on the steak. Really, really nice. My only complaint is that I don't find a consistency with the way they serve the steak. I order medium and I have been served it cooked all the way through which I would consider to be well done and on other occasions, I have been served it much more rare than I would expect for a medium steak. This aside, it has always been really nice. You order your sides separately and I can recommend the tomato salad - three different types of tomato drizzled with olive oil. Desserts are good but not stand out for me - although I do enjoy the white chocolate and raspberry pot. They have a nice wine list - I also like the fact that with each of their specials, they recommend a wine to match. They also have their wines of the month which are chosen by the wine club. read more

We came here for Weekend Breakfast and it was fabulous. I had the eggs Alba which is salmon benedict. My husband had the full scottish breakfast with stornoway black pudding. We got my daughter the French toast brioche which looked decadent! Very wonderful breakfast. The atmosphere is beautiful and reminds me a bit of Jelly Hill with all the handmade tables and chairs. The only sad thing was they didn't have soya for lattes. read more

I had dinner last Saturday there with some friends. The staff was really helpful and the place it's really charming. The meal was good, but nothing that sorprises me or that I hadn't tasted before. So for me it's expensive meal and also they were to slow to server us the meal and to bring us the bill based on the meal. Hope you find this helpful! read more

I went here with a friend from Glasgow I met on the megabus. I told him I never had haggis in my life, he said I got just the place to take you. So we ended up going here and I tried the haggis. I was blown away for what haggis is I didn't think it would be great but it was one of the better foods I think I have ever eaten, so don't dismiss it because it sounds disgusting. I even tried haggis at other places after to compare nothing came close. I can't wait to come back to Glasgow to try this haggis again! read more

Café Gandolfi - Haggis with neeps & tatties. - Seafood Near Me - Glasgow, GLG

"Great atmosphere, service and very tasty, but nothing out of the ordinary" We had a good dining experience at Cafe Gandolfi last night. As soon as we entered the atmosphere hit us - It was warm, casual and vibrant and the staff attentive and friendly. All great so far, now bring on the food and drink. I opted for the sausage and bean cassoulet to start and my wife chose the seafood tapas - Both were extremely tasty to get us in the mood, although the mussels were a tad gritty. The mains came, harissa chicken with couscous and crab linguine. Again, both were extremely tasty & perfectly cooked and I have every confidence that every dish on the menu would meet the same standard. Overall we had a good dining experience, but it's nothing you can't get cheaper in any of the growing number of "gastro" pubs sprouting all around. So will we be back? Maybe, but there are plenty of others to try first... Visited April 2012 3 of 5 stars Value 4 of 5 stars Atmosphere 4 of 5 stars Service 3 of 5 stars Food read more

I went to Café Gandolfi with my family on our first day in Glasgow (while visiting from New York), on the recommendation of a Glaswegian friend. It was just the place for us. They coped really well with the three kids (aged 4-10) we had in our care, and offered half-serves just for them. The adult menu was fantastic, with a range of Scottish, traditional and comfort food. The coffee was The Best. As soon as we left, I wanted to get back here as soon as possible. Highly Recommended! read more

Café Gandolfi - Lunch - coffee already finished! - Seafood Near Me - Glasgow, GLG

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This was the best meal I had in a three week visit to the UK. We had an early dinner and had seating right away. Beautiful restaurant with very friendly and helpful staff. We oreded all over the menu and shared. Everything was great! The Cullen skink was delicious. The Scottish cheese board had 4 very generous portions of cheese served with oat cakes. We also had the smoked mackerel pâté, Abroath Smokie and an order of macaroni and cheese. We had some Scottish ales and desserts and all for a reasonable price. We picked up the cookbook on the way out. Now I have to find smoked halibut in Toronto! I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Cafe Gandolfi as a great place to explore Scotish food. read more

This place is wonderful. Decent, well curated wine list. I had the chicken, it was fantastic. My boyfriend had the scallops on special and they were perfectly seared and a creamy texture (so good). read more

Went here for breakfast. We had a bagel 'special' - avacado, poached egg and smoked salmon (replaced with bacon as per my specification since I love bacon and avacado together) and french toast with maple syrup and berries. The bagel was fresh and the eggs were cooked well, runny enough to be pleasant but not enough to be a nuisance. The french toast was a nice thick slice. The cafe is a nice place to sit, full of natural wood, and has nice staff. We both enjoyed breakfast. Only thing wrong with it was, as my partner declared, 'it's breakfast. the least exciting meal of the day'. Based on the strength of Cafe Gandolfi's breakfast, we'd definitely go back for a more exciting meal of the day. read more

Great inventive and varied menu. Great food and service. We ordered lentil dhal, arugula salad with pear and pecorino cheese with some drinks. We were happy with everything read more

I'd like to consider Cafe Gandolfi a completely separate entity from Gandolfi Fish To Go, because the Cafe is quite simply superb. From the moment you step in and see the wonderfully crafted wooden furnishings right up to the moment you leave completely satisfied that you have just had the best Glasgow has to offer in fine dining. On my most recent of visits I opted for the Stornoway black pudding with mushrooms on a pancake from the regular menu followed by the Orkney lamb loin from the daily specials menu. The waitress warned me that the lamb would be quite pink, in fact it would be very pink. Music to my ears, I almost married her right there. All this was washed down with a Ruca Malen Malbec 2009 from Argentina. I'm glad I was sitting across from a Frenchman who knew his wines as that was a wise choice. Both dishes were absolutely perfect. A healthy portion of black pudding and one of the best pieces of lamb I have ever had, cooked to perfection. Any time I've eaten here the food has been nothing other than astounding and the staff wonderfully helpful. read more

would give 4 and a half if i could. We generally eat in the bar upstairs which has a slighly cheaper and more limited menu, but which is always great. hubbie loves the black pudding and pancakes with mushrooms - i just dont like mushrooms and there are too many to pick off to warrant ordering but I always steal a bite! I am a fan of the crab linguine and also the mackeral pate. Wine list is lovely and good choice by the glass. Beer selection good also. Downstairs does lovely pastries and good coffee as well as more substantial meals. Really nice ambience and gorgeous wood and stained glass windows. read more

This beautiful little spot conjures up an effortlessly Old World, continental atmosphere. I fell in love with the exquisitely carved wooden tables and chairs, which lent a gravitas and a warmth to the ambiance. As soon as you walk into this place you are drawn in and want to stay and linger for hours. The food on offer is a smattering of European cafe classics with a healthy dose of Scottish influence. This is food that fills your belly but doesn't weigh you down. It's healthy, tasty, and prepared with love. The service is unfailingly welcoming and helpful. I absolutely adore this place and hope to be back as often as possible! read more

Cafe Gandolfi is the place for traditional Scottish food: hearty yet subtle, with a range of sweets that can tempt even the most bloated belly. It has two floors: upstairs is more of a bar, while downstairs has the grandeur, class and a bigger menu. The kitchen takes real pride in both updating classic Scottish favourites like salmon and sourcing good quality ingredients. It is on the expensive side, and perhaps better for a mature family celebration: the atmosphere is not rowdy but cultured, and it doesn't attract too many casual drinkers into the bar. The staff are spot on, managing to be atentiove without being unctious, and are willing to offer good advice on the dishes. They are obviously familiar with any stupid question that an English diner can come up with about the ingredients of haggis. It also has an extensive wine menu. Despite being close to the city centre, there is something rural in the atmosphere: it shares the qualities of a good restaurant in a small town. It is worth paying the extra to get a meal that is so obviously prepared with care and love, and the subtle flavourings are designed to bring out the best in the ingredients rather than hide the quality. read more

I visited this restaurant fairly often when I was younger, as it was a handy central place to go for lunch when out shopping in the centre. Visiting a friend, I fancied coming here again years later, to see if it had changed much. I would certainly say the prices had increased (not surprisingly given all the good press this restaurant has had) but the rustic, wooden tables and relaxed atmosphere still prevailed. I ordered a 'smoked haddie' - perfectly cooked with spring onion mash and a delicious mornay sauce to match. My friend Gail ordered the pitta bread with vegetable meatballs, which tasted quite like tasty samosas. As I was driving, I just had a white wine spritzer but this was just what I needed for a lovely, warm summer's evening! I would say the dessert menu wasn't particularly varied. My friend opted for a crème brûlée which did look lovely. I ordered a 'Maltesers pot', which for £4 wasn't really much to write home about. The coffees were good though. We had 3 different staff serving us and to be honest none of them were really going out their way to be friendly, which does always put me off. That's not to say I won't be back (it could be an off night) but as it isn't the cheapest place to go for a light dinner, you would hope the staff were a little more welcoming. I wouldn't mind trying the Gandolfi fish along the road and I will likely be back - just might try a few more Glasgow restaurants first, as there are so many to choose from, especially in this area. read more

I've been to Cafe Gandolfi a handful of times now and it's become one of my favourite places in Merchant City. Aside from the neat decor, the staff are quite friendly and the food is always great. It's also handy that it's open quite late. Though the staff are friendly, the service is awful. I once had to ask for a glass of water (I already had a pint at the table) three separate times, and it never came. They're incredibly slow to serve, which is especially odd for how small the restaurant is, but if you can put up with that, the food is definitely worth it. read more

The haggis is awesome! Would definitely recommend this place for its haggis and you might want to reserve a table here cos theyre really busy! read more

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