By Amy Campbell
The overwhelming exam and deadline season is just around the corner, eagerly creeping up on students at the start of spring. After a long two years stuck at home working, there is no better feeling than the freedom to choose a new study location whether that be with a friend, in the library or alternatively in a coffee shop. Here in Glasgow we are home to some of the best coffee shops available with most streets in the city centre guaranteed to have a caffeine pit stop. Here is a list of some of the best independent coffee shops around the city that can be used to study in.
iCafe
70 – 72 Ingram Street, Glasgow G1 1EX
iCafe was designed for coffee consumption and computer use, so you won’t need to worry too much here about whether there will be plugs available when your laptop runs out of charge. Spread over two floors on Ingram Street, there is plenty of space to study while sipping on one of their signature drinks – raspberry-flavoured mocha, anyone?
Tinderbox
118 Ingram Street, Glasgow G1 1EJ
Tucked around a corner on Ingram Street, Tinderbox offers a wide selection of cakes, coffees and comfy seating. It’s surprisingly bigger than it appears from the outside but, if there’s no space, head into the centre to their Princes’ Square location.
Café W
153 – 157 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow G2 3EW
If you can’t stand the sight of the library any longer but you’d like to study somewhere with a similar vibe, head to Sauchiehall Street’s Waterstones store to Café W. Order a drink and study surrounded by books, and it’ll be like you never left the Andersonian.
Spitfire Espresso
127 Candleriggs, Glasgow G1 1NP
Straddling the corner of Candleriggs and Ingram Street is Spitfire Espresso, a coffee shop with a vintage feel and a colour scheme inspired by the World War II plane of the same name. The tall windows let in plenty of natural light, and the café is also dog-friendly so, when you need a little distraction, you can look up and make a fluffy friend.
Laboratorio Espresso
93 West Nile Street, Glasgow G1 2SH
If you can get a seat in this small café, you’re in luck. Hailed as one of the UK’s best coffee shops by the Telegraph in 2017, Laboratorio Espresso has limited seating space but serves some good strong coffee. Snack on a cannoli – freshly delivered from West End favourite Eusebi’s Deli – and study away.
Grain and Grind
50 Battlefield Road, Glasgow G42 9QF | 109 Clarkston Road, Cathcart G44 3BL | 204 Fenwick Road, Giffnock G46 6UE
With a handful of locations across Glasgow’s southside, Grain and Grind have no shortage of spaces to study in. Shift your brain into gear with a creamy coffee and an indulgent brownie, and get focused on your work. If you’re lucky, you might even get to pat a few pups as these cafes are dog-friendly, too.
Rose and Grants
27 Trongate, Glasgow G1 5EZ
This Trongate café is a favourite for vegans and vegetarians as all of the cakes that they serve are plant-based, and non-dairy milk options come at no extra cost. Take a seat and re-charge with a turmeric latte. Rose and Grants is also dog-friendly and even offers a menu for dogs, so you can take your four-legged friend along, too.
These are just a short list of coffee shops available. Every time you go out and about in Glasgow it is likely to come across a hidden gem coffee shop tucked away. Happy study season to all, may caffeine help us through!
