Brunching at one of Glasgow’s favourite bakeries, Cottonrake Cafe
You probably know how good Cottonrake Bakery is, as it has been in Glasgow’s West End since 2010 (Has it really been that long?!?). We first discovered and fell in love with their delicious goods when they were based at 31 Hyndland Street. Due to their success, they moved to the larger corner unit at 497 Great Western Rd in 2013 but again it wasn’t big enough for somewhere so good. Well, this is sorted now – if you travel a little further up Great Western Road to no.717, there are not only plenty of seats but hot food can be ordered too.
Cottonrake Cafe can be found at the Byres Road end of Great Western Road, just along from the Botanic Gardens and Oran Mor.
Inside
Tables are a wee bit too close together, as seems to be the norm everywhere, so be prepared to hear your neighbours’ chat. Tables were cleaned quickly and there is a disabled toilet on the cafe level and toilets downstairs.
Menu
Breakfast menu
Hot food menu
Cakes Menu
Summer Iced Drink Menu
What we ate and drank
As you can see, we were a bit hungry. We had travelled from the Southside, so had worked up an apetite.
Grilled cheese sandwich – Gruyere, mature cheddar, Dijon mustard, tarragon mayo and pickle. Mark added a cup of soup to it which was corn with chipotle chilli and coriander. A crispy and cheesy sandwich, the tarragon mayo was a pleasant surprise as was the HUGE slice of pickle. A warming corn soup which was thick and creamy with a sight chipotle kick.
A morning plate for me. Rye bread, devilled egg, Connage gouda, Cottonrake butter, smoked mackeral pate, granola and yoghurt. So many Berlin vibes here, so I was instantly happy :). Just the right portion of granola and yoghurt for me which was suitably crunchy with smooth and creamy yoghurt. Moist rye bread, not that dried out chewy stuff here. A special shout out to the devilled eggs, superb.
Chocolate cherry danish. How good does that pastry look? Filled with chocolate and topped with chocolate and cherry.
Hazelnut, cherry and chocolate financier. More moist baking from Cottonrake this time with added cherry, hazelnut, chocolate and cream.
Iced cherry espresso tonic – Espresso, Bon Accord Tonic and house made cherry syrup over ice. Something a little bit different for Mark and a change from the usual iced coffee seen on menus.
Iced raspberry matcha – whisked matcha with milk, over ice with house made raspberry syrup. The raspberry syrup offset the bitterness of the matcha, which was a proper strength of matcha so that you can taste it. Far too easy to drink and could easily become a summer favourite.
Verdict
We were very impressed with Cottonrake Cafe and would certainly make the journey West again for a visit. With the bigger premises, comes more choice on the menu and the chance to actually get a seat!
Where is Cottonrake Cafe?
Cottonrake Cafe, 717 Great Western Road, Glasgow, G12 8QX
Pin this for future brunching needs!
Author: Glasgow Foodie
Writes for here and Foodie Explorers website. Usually found napping.