Having recently celebrated its 40th anniversary, Cafe Gandolfi is a bona fide dining landmark in the Merchant City district of central Glasgow. It’s aged remarkably well, thanks to its organic timber furniture by Tim Stead and simple but innovative cooking with mostly seasonal ingredients. Classics in the Gandolfi canon include the smoked haddock chowder known as Cullen skink and the Stornoway black pudding (from the Isle of Lewis), served with mushrooms and pancakes.
Gary Campbell, courtesy of Cafe Gandolfi
Gary Campbell, courtesy of Cafe Gandolfi
Gary Campbell, courtesy of Cafe Gandolfi
Gary Campbell, courtesy of Cafe Gandolfi
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One of the First Cafés in Glasgow
“The Gandolfi was one of the first cafés to open in Glasgow. In my early 20s, it felt so cosmopolitan that you could have a salad or a glass of wine or a cappuccino in a place other than a restaurant or a pub. It’s set in the offices of the city’s old cheese market and has the original tables and chairs made by Tim Stead, a famous Scottish furniture maker.” -Stewart Laing
