Cafe Gandolfi

Visited Cafe Gandolfi for breakfast on a Tuesday around 10am It was busy but thankfully some spare tables to accommodate the two of us - we had 2 full breakfasts. Food was really delicious and high quality - especially the stornoway black pudding. Service was really great, staff were very friendly and personable

Food delicious . We had tempura vegetable , mackerel salad, rosti with duck egg & 4th dish was salmon & all were very very tasty 😋😋 wonder why it has taken so long to return but will definitely be back more often & been told menu changes frequently 👍👌🏻(i can delete people from my photos so it was not as quiet as pics show 😂)

Second visit, excellent like the first! Lovely, friendly service, cosy vibe, and...fabulous food. An absolute must when in Glasgow.

This is possibly the best Scottish food we ate in Scotland. The place is very well-kept, and the staff is kind and friendly. An excellent place that you must visit when you're in Glasgow.

I spent several hours in Gandolfi working on my book, and it turned out to be the perfect place for writing and quiet reflection. The atmosphere is absolutely beautiful — warm, calm and full of character. I was sitting in one of the wooden booths, slightly tucked away from the main area, and it truly felt like my own little creative corner. It was comfortable, peaceful, and had just the right amount of background life to keep the mind inspired without being distracting. The staff were very kind and respectful, and I never felt rushed. Gandolfi has that rare, old-style soul that makes you want to stay longer, write more, think deeper and simply enjoy being there. I would highly recommend this place to anyone who writes, creates, or just needs a quiet, beautiful space to slow down and breathe for a moment. I will definitely be coming back.

Wonderfully creative and tasty takes on classical dishes. Loved it. Get the scotch egg !

Outstanding, unique and cosy restaurant, the food was incredibly good. Lots of taste. And the staff is so kind and welcoming. An address you must visit

My first visit and I was very impressed. Not flash, just good food and service. I'll be back.

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!

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.

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.

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

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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!

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.

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!

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.

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.

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).

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!

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!

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.

Lives up to the reputation as a true Glasgow institution. The food (good quality, nicely prepared and attractively presented) was thoughtful without being pretentious. The crowd (locals having a spot of lunch, day trippers and few tourists) were enthralled by the hosting (friendly and engaging). Definitely a gem.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

"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

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!

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!

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.

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

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

Lovely, relaxed dining with quality food. Service was good. A nice treat in the heart of the Merchant City. Would happily come back.

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.

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!

Stumbled upon this place on a recent trip to Glasgow... our group of 7 walked in here desperate for a meal on a weekday just after 10pm and they gave us a warm welcome inside. Food was fantastic, fresh and made with care. Although it was difficult to choose from the menu, I ordered the pasta with red pepper and pine nuts which had a light cream sauce which forced me to lick the bowl. My boy had the crawfish sandwich which was light but flavorful. (I tried to take more than one bite but he stabbed me with his fork and hoarded the rest, righfully so.) We also started with scallops and a Caesar which were also tasty and reasonable. For under 10 pounds a dish for dinner, I'm not sure I'd call this place 'expensive' by any means(the pricest dish on the menu is 14 pounds), although I guess living in London doesn't help. Still...I've had crappy London pub grub for way more than this. Needlesstoday, worth the dough. We also ordered a great bottle of Sauvignon Blanc for under 20 pounds - while they have a huge wine list, they have many options that are under 25 pounds and even 20. Great value. We thoroughly enjoyed our meal in addition to the uber-friendly service and comfortable and rustic-unique atmosphere so much we came back for breakfast (smoked salmon eggs benedict = winner!). And then I bought a cookbook in attempts to take a little Cafe Gandolfi home with me. You'd be crazy not to try this place while in Glasgow!

Cafe Gandolfi is a lovely place to have a meal. It's a bit on the expensive side, but worth shelling out for a special occasion. The decor is classic and timeless, just like the menu. I had Arbroath smokies to eat as a light meal and it was really flavoursome. I don't think you could go wrong with anything on the menu. Although a great wee place, I do sometimes think it is a little overrated by some.

A classy restaurant where the food looks colourful and appetising. The place was packed and we were too late to eat! The waitress offered us soup and bread if we wished or said that if we just wanted a few drinks we could go to the bar upstairs, which we didn't know existed! And what a lovely intimate, modern in a rustic sort of way bar it was! The music was beautifully soft so that we did not have to shout our conversations over it! 2 pints of guiness and 2 stella artois for the men in our company came our way! We chased these with a few single malt whiskeys that warmed our throats and our senses of humour!! A great place to go!

This certainly is a Glasgow institution. The food is delicious and there is a special atmosphere here. I love the stained glass windows of fish! I always thought that the atmosphere was special, because the waiting staff had a hand in the cooking. It meant there was a good understanding of the kitchen, which showed in the way it cared. I hope that's not changed since I last went.

on a monday lunchtime, i was looking for a place to go for lunch that was a bit special but not overly pricey. i'd just gotten my UK residency so wanted to celebrate and after a peruse of yelp, we settled on Cafe Gandolfi based on the reviews online and what others had told me. the place is a short 5-10 minute walk from buchanan street to what i think is merchant city, but someone more familiar with glasgow will probably correct me. the place itself is lovely, sort of a rustic kind of chic feeling with massive wooden chairs placed randomly about the different tables. the waitress (or possibly the owner not sure) was absolutely lovely and just so friendly! she made sure we had everything with needed and always with a smile on her face. when we found out our party of two would shortly be moving to a three and then a four she quickly moved us to a bigger table with out a problem. i know that a lot of places have good service, but it's rare that service is quite as friendly as we had at Cafe Gandolfi. now onto the food, we decided against starters as after much deliberation i convinced my dining companions to order the macaroni cheese to split between the three of us as a sort of side because i wanted both that and the open pastrami sandwich. thankfully they agreed so i was able to get both dishes :) it was a good choice as the macaroni cheese (with the blue cheese and garlic breadcrumbs) was delicious but may have been a bit heavy to eat by myself. however the open pastrami sandwich with swiss cheese and mushrooms was also huge and i gave the last quarter to my dining companions to finish off. however all the food was delicious and i was sad to be so full after the meal that i couldn't fit in dessert! i had a few spoons of my boyfriend's dessert which was nice though. maybe next time i'll have room for my own. i was really impressed with Cafe Gandolfi and would definitely recommend it to others looking for a tasty meal. the price was fair with mains coming in around £12-15 depending on what you got and with daily specials there menu has a good variety. definitely a really good place and i can see why it's gotten such good reviews!

This was our first place to go for breakfast while on holiday in Glasgow. Wow. I can't say anymore but wow. The scones were out of this world, and my two poached eggs on toast with smoked salmon was perfection. We can't wait to go back tomorrow morning. We've actually been comparing scones from the other places we went to today and these are hands-down the best. I cannot wait to go back.

A great atmosphere in this restaurant, décor is fantastic, and the food was excellent also. We went at around 8pm for food and were seated quickly, served by friendly waitresses and our drinks were brought to the table without any delay, house wine was good for the price. The Menu is good, a nice selection of scottish classics, pasta's, sandwiches etc. It has won many awards for food etc so if you dont believe me, believe this! The Cafe has become famed for its stunning interior, the wooden furniture is designed by Glasgow School of Art graduates and is fantastic, a really good effort for a one in a million place. There is also a good bar upstairs if you want a more relaxed area to have a beer or two.

Great cafe for meeting up with friends for a blether, particularly at night. Surroundings are minimalistic but welcoming and cosy. Staff are always courteous and helpful and food is excellent. I especially recommend the chocolate croissants (heated!).