John R.

I was in the vicinity and looking for a fresh baked treat and a hot drink, and Cottonrake did not disappoint. My wife and I shared a chocolate tart and a scone (with clotted cream and jam). I almost always tend to favour chocolate over anything and today was no different. I ordered a breakfast tea and I'm happy to report that it was loose tea, and it was also served at a good strength. (I can't figure out why so many other places serve loose tea so weak, except that they have no real idea how much to put in). Since everything is baked fresh that day the section was a bit limited later in the afternoon, so I'm looking forward to trying it out earlier in the day.... but I have no doubts that I whatever I order is going to taste amazing.

Craig S.

Hi everyone, my name is Craig and I'm addicted to tarts. My introduction to Cottonrake was only a couple of days ago when my wife kindly brought home some tarts and a black pudding sausage roll but now I'm hooked! Yesterday my wife, recognising the withdrawal symptoms, brought some more of their delicious goodies home including a slice of carrot cake and a white chocolate and raspberry tart. I'll start with the carrot cake - wonderfully moist and full of flavour. It was light enough to be filling but not so much that I couldn't tackle the tart! Where do I start with the tart... Light, thin shortcrust pastry filled with a smooth, glossy white chocolate ganache and topped with a quenelle of cream and solitary raspberry. At first I was confused, does one raspberry on top really count? Not dwelling on my thoughts too much I took a bite and wow! The pastry flaked away, the ganache was perfect and in the centre was a sharp raspberry compote. Now it all makes sense! If desserts were heroin, Cottonrake would be my dealer.

Pammi G.

The cakes range from soft and gooey delicious Double Chocolate Cookies to the moreish White Chocolate and Raspberry tart (which is one of the nicest things I have ever eaten). Every cake I have had from here has been exceptional. My one negative might be that there isn't a massive selection of cakes, but what they do have is incredible. They also do a selection of breads, which I have only tried once and wasn't a big fan of. It is worth noting that I am not a massive fan of artisan breads anyway so don't let my judgement put you off. Well worth a special visit to pick up a treat.

Briony C.

I have a shocking confession to make. You might not even believe me. But it's true... I don't like cake. Or baked goods. Or dessert. Sweets are wasted on me. I'm just not a fan of most desserts (except for anything choc mint). Now, this is pretty embarrassing - I mean, I consider myself a food lover and yet, I avoid getting dessert 9 times out of 10. Cottonrake has always been on my "to visit" radar but as I'm not that fussed on dessert, I just never made it along for a proper visit. Until yesterday, that is. I was meeting fellow Aussie Hayley A for an afternoon cake session and managed to grab a newly-vacated seat. This place doesn't have much seating and is nearly always full, so I'd even walked down to the new Tapa to see if they had seats. When Hayley arrived we ordered cakes and tea at the counter - like she said, in the afternoon they're going to be running low on stuff so you need to get in early if you want full cabinets! I had the cherry tart and a peppermint tea which was just under £5. Tasty tart and delicious tea. One of the staff even asked if we were cold and if we wanted the door closed (perhaps noticing the Aussie accents!) which I thought was nice. While I'm not totally sure I would head back here regularly to sit in (read: no customer toilet) I will definitely be paying their savory baked goods a proper visit shortly.

Amy G.

I've been meaning to write a review about Cottonrake ever since I discovered it back when it was situated in Partick. A tiny little artisan bakery with stunning produce, it's no wonder they branched out! The bakery is now situated on busy Great Western Road and is at least twice the size of their original store - a testament to their growth over the past year. The new store has a sit in option which would have been impossible in Partick, and I decided to pop in to see how the new store was faring. Their cabinet was filled with the usual gorgeous looking treats I expected from Cottonrake and I decided to sit in and enjoy! I ordered a pork shoulder sausage roll and a chocolate and raspberry tart - it was Saturday after all, only fair to treat myself! I went to pay and was, to be honest, a little shocked by the price. I knew that the items were a bit more expensive than your average Greggs but I discovered there was a 30p charge for every item if you choose to sit in. This added an extra £1.20 to the cost for my partner and I - a little steep, perhaps? Nevertheless, we sat down to enjoy our delicious looking treats, starting with the sausage roll. The pastry was perfect, crisp and golden brown and sprinkled with herbs. The meat inside was flavoursome but alas, a little bit dry. I got to try a bit of the pork shoulder and black pudding sausage roll which actually I ended up prefering. It had much more flavour and a gorgeous colour to it. What I was really looking forward to though was my stunning chocolate and raspberry tart and it did not disappoint. The little meringue peaks on top were a fluffy marshmallow texture, the chocolate filling was perfectly rich, and then underneath, a layer of raspberry coulis to cut through all that thick chocolate. It was heavenly, and honestly, I could have eaten one double the size. Everything in that bakery was calling for me to try it, buy it, take it home. Their selection of freshly baked breads looked wonderful, and their brownies made me salivate. I would definitely recommend trying Cottonrake but I would advise you to take away. Don't pay 30p per item extra to sit in a slightly cramped space - although this was due to the fact that it was a Saturday morning and people were rushing in to buy bread and other treats. If you want great quality baking, then Cottonrake is certainly worth a visit, but be prepared to pay for that quality, which frankly, seems only fair. I'll be saving up my pennies before my next trip back!

Lainy S.

Wow! I decided I was going to be a lovely wife and stop in for some baked yummies for the hubby on the way home yesterday. Cottonrake was nearby AND recommended. Perfect. It's fairly small and it was busy so I waited patiently by the door on my turn, and when it eventually came I was a little overwhelmed by the array of cakes, pastries and breads in front of me! I opted for the pear tart, the black pudding sausage roll and on recommendation of the lovely girl who served me, the dark chocolate tart (although she vouched for everything they sell obviously). Off I went to get the Subway, then the train, the whole time my little box of goodies whispering "go on, eat me before you get home". My willpower won out though and I made it home, all three items in tact. We were on our way out again as soon as we got in so opted to split the black pudding sausage roll to keep us going. YUM! Crispy flaky pastry with what felt like a hundred delicate layers, coated with roasted rosemary to give it even more depth of flavour. The black pudding itself didn't dry out a bit. I'm one big fusspot when it comes to black pudding and it ticked all of the boxes for me. After that I coaxed hubby into sharing the tarts with me so we split them later in the evening. That dark chocolate tart may look dense, but the ganache filling was surprising light. It had no bitterness and that little quinell of cream and pistachios really cut through the strong chocolate flavour beautifully. The pear tart was my favourite. Probably one of my favourite pastries I've ever tried if I'm being honest. Crumbly pastry, with a little sweet jammy layer at the bottom, delicately moist and light frangipane in the middle and topped with a soft, juicy caramelised pear and loads of tasty almonds. What's not to love about this? Cottonrake is seriously impressive. Hubby almost took the VERY long way home yesterday to sample some more of their tarts and even though I'm not much of a sweet tooth I totally condone this behaviour and can't wait to try more!

Sarah M.

Cottonrake has been on my list of places to check out for ages, finally today the parking and time Gods conspired to make it possible. Great Western Road is rapidly becoming Glasgow's coffee quarter and Cottonrake holds it's own with an americano with a head like a pint of Guinness. The coffee was strong and tasty with no over roasted bitterness. But lets face it I didn't visit Cottonrake for the coffee, they could have served me nescafe and I probably would have forgiven them. I took ages to choose what to eat. The lemon meringue tart, carrot and walnut cake, dark chocolate tart, almond croissant and treacle tart all looked absolutely amazing and if I wasn't attempting to convince myself that I am low carbing I would have taken one of each home. As I am trying not to use Peppa Pig as a dieting mentor I decided to be reasonably sensible and have a cinnamon bun. When I say reasonably sensible I of course mean that the cinnamon buns were huge, sticky looking and I like to pretend I would fit right in in a scandi-thriller with my penchant for strong coffee and cinnamon flavoured pastries. It was spectacularly good and the perfect choice for morning coffee. G came with me and as per usual he straight away decided on a scone, bless him and his predictiveness! He was impressed with the generous size but got cross with the too hard butter. Being a scone aficionado this is an aft repeated gripe, cold butter ruins a beautifully soft scone and destroys the structural integrity - can you tell that I hear this a lot? I did manage to beg for a taste and regardless of his moaning about the butter it was a tasty scone and I'm pretty sure that the delicious raspberry jam was homemade. There isn't much seating and despite the brilliant people watching potential I can't see myself rushing back to sit in and while away the hours with a long luxurious coffee break. It's just too cramped to be anything more than a quick pit stop. But in terms of a cake cabinet I've never been as stuck for what to choose and now I just need to work out when I can get back to try something else...

Jules M.

Fancy heading to the new Cottonrake Bakery Cafe on Great Western Road for dessert and a pot of tea asked the Inspired One? Heck yes I repliedI! It took us a while to choose a cake as everything looked SO good. There were savouries to be had too, including warm pastries and bruschetta, but we had just eaten lunch so had to pass on those. Service was warm and friendly though the room was a little on the chilly side so we kept our coats on. Perched on stools and watching the world go by we made satisfactory noises as a pear frangipan and fresh fruit tartlet were enjoyed and shared. Good to see real leaf tea being used in the cute little teapots. For budgetary guidance, two cakes and two pots of tea came in at just over £9. Quality patisserie comes at a price.

Gordon M.

My first visit to Cottonrake (I know!) and I'll definitely be back. Wandering round the area I was in need of something to keep me going, and as it was early there were seats available so I popped in. First things first, this is not a big place. I'd imagine the bulk of their revenue comes from takeaway but that's no bad thing. I ordered my flat white and a blueberry frangipane tart and sat down. A few moments later I turned in my seat and reached over to take my coffee and tart - yup it's that small. The coffee was good, a solid blend and a good temperature, but oh my days the tart was delicious! They bake everything from scratch and it shows. A fresh pastry, a wonderfully moist frangipane, with little bursts of blueberry with every mouthful, so so good. I didn't linger long, it's not that kind of place, but I will definitely be stopping in next time I pass. Cake heaven!

Vicky A.

Great Western Road has long been needing a bakery and Cottonrake has answered that call! They make everything from scratch from black pudding and sausage rolls to bread and dark chocolate tarts. Everytime I have been in the staff have been really friendly and it has been always been so busy that I've only ever taken away and never sat in (They do however have only about 8 seats). It is definitely worth a visit for one their white chocolate tarts but I would recommend getting there early as they tend to run out of delicious goodies into the afternoon. On a bonus point they also open on a Sunday!

Katerina H.

So Friday afternoon probably isn't the best time to visit Cottonrake, but we were in need of a post-exam treat and decided to pay them a visit. It was strikingly empty inside and for a second I thought they might actually be closing already, cause I was fully expecting to be fighting for a seat there, judging from its outstanding reputation. But as I soon found out, the sole reason was that, in fact, there was not much left to be consumed/bought with only a couple solitary tarts left on offer. Now I've come there with the aim of trying one of their famous tarts and hot chocolate, so I didn't mind the limited choice of goodies much, altough I was slightly disappointed when I learnt they've run out of hot chocolate. But did the white chocolate tart make up for it? Hell yes. So rich and utterly delightful, it was all I've hoped for it to be. The raspberry on top tasted like one you've just picked in a forrest and mmm who doesn't love cream. I've left satisfied and happy and can't wait for my next visit, when hopefully I'll manage to get there early enough to see the shelves full.

Sarah A.

Another quaint bakery cafe you can stop by along Great Western Road! I felt like I needed a bit more energy after my yoga class today so I headed up to Cottonrake for some coffee and a simple lunch. Fresh bread for my BLT sandwich and a cappuccino really hit the spot for me! Was a nice treat after a tough workout! Staff are very quick and friendly. Best thing is also looking at all the freshly baked goods! Such a treat for the eyes, nose and mouth yum yum. Didn't get to try their baked goods today but will be back for it and more for sure!

Hayley A.

Gorgeous little cafe with fab interiors and delicious goodies on which to feast the eyes and lips! Met a new pal here and a bright spot under the windows was the perfect place for our afternoon chatter. As a cash-hater, pleased to say there's contactless credit card facilities with no minimum. AND puppies are allowed inside and out! Although I didn't have wee Hettie with me (yes, I felt naked and gloriously liberated!), a sneaky call to the friendly team clarified this for my fellow dog parents. I had the Carrot & Walnut cake (a generous slice!) and a good old cup of tea. The cake was moist and icing was just as creamy and delicious as top-notch carrot cake icing should be! The staff were really friendly and checked into make sure we were comfortable. Given we met in the afternoon, the cabinets waren't as laden with options as they might otherwise have been but I definitely saw this as a good thing: less wastage + fresh options every day = cake-y bliss. Looking forward to coming back and trying some more of the menu - especially the BLT and lemon meringue tart (which my pal RAVES about daily)!