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Last year, Gary and I spent an awesome long weekend in Gothenburg, Sweden. As well as taking in the stunning scenery, breathtaking architecture and endlessly fascinating local culture, we also adored the Scandinavian foods and flavours.
So when we discovered that For Fika Sake, a Scandi-inspired cafe had recently opened its doors in Partick, we couldn’t wait to head along for a visit.
About For Fika Sake
When we visited, the cafe had been open for five weeks, making this Scottish-Scandinavian mash-up a fairly new kid on the block. Located on Keith Street, just off of the bustling Dumbarton Road, For Fika Sake felt like a little calm retreat from a busy Saturday in the West End. Far from being just another coffee shop, For Fika Sake are also a social enterprise, offering young people in Glasgow training, skills and employment opportunities. And the name? Well, we all know how much this gal loves a good play on words!
Fika is a key concept in Swedish culture, meaning to have a coffee break, often accompanied by a sweet treat like a pastry - and best enjoyed socially. Therefore, For Fika Sake is such a fun way to embrace this Swedish custom in Glasgow - don’t you think?
The Menu
What keeps things interesting at For Fika Sake is that the menu changes regularly - it’s best to keep an eye on the cafe’s Instagram page to see what the latest offerings are. On our visit, Glasgow-based NORD had created a menu of small plates that looked so tempting, we decided to build a mini-banquet of dishes to try a variety!
Like a lot of the traditional menus in Sweden, the choices were mainly pescetarian or veggie-friendly, which was just perfect! Even though the curated menu was quite small, we liked the look of all of it so we certainly didn’t struggle.
We decided to try the parsnip and apple soup, the Skagen salad (consisting of cucumber, radish, little gem lettuce and prawns), the toasted oats sharing plate (with ash goats cheese, pickled carrot ribbons and honey oats), the steamed kale (served with smoked garlic, nut and seed butter), and finally the cucumber, dill and creme fraiche side. Phew!
Instead of opting for a starter-and-main style, we asked for all of our dishes to be served at the same time. The team at For Fika Sake were all really friendly and chatted away to us while we waited for our Scandinavian feast. The floor-to-ceiling windows meant that plenty of sunshine was pouring in and along with the minimalist decor, the cafe felt really bright and spacious.
One of my favourite spots within the cafe was a cosy little record nook near the back. Too cute! I could easily spend an afternoon relaxing with a coffee and some vinyl back there…
A Scandi-themed Feast
Our food arrived and everything looked so good, we didn’t know where to start! The soup was creamy with a slightly sweet taste, and served with moreish slices of fresh rye and wholemeal bread. Kale can often be a tricky ingredient, but this was tender and nicely flavoured with garlic and butter. Both the Skagen salad and cucumber side dish tasted light and fresh - next time I would order one or the other as they both had quite similar flavours.
The real dark horse was the toasted oats, pickled carrot and goats cheese - what an unlikely, yet winning, combo! The creamy texture of the goats cheese worked well with the sharpness of the pickled carrots and, together with the sweet oats, the overall flavour and texture was delicious. Don’t believe me? Try it for yourself!
It wouldn’t have been a true Fika moment without some coffee and cake, so we decided to end our lunch on a sweet note. Serving coffee by Dear Green, cakes by Big Bear Bakery and pastries by Freedom Bakery, there was an amazing selection of local talent to choose from.
Gary couldn’t resist the thick millionaire’s shortbread while I decided to try the lime and pistachio sponge. I always love the cakes by the Big Bear and, as usual, these ones did not disappoint! The coffee was great too, and served in colourful mismatching cups (perfect for Instagramming…I’m just saying what we’re all thinking, right?!).
While Glasgow already has a fabulous selection of independent cafes, I always believe that you can never have too many places to meet up, enjoy coffee and eat yummy food. With a social heart, an authentic veggie-friendly menu and a chilled out environment, For Fika Sake is a welcome addition to the Glasgow cafe scene - be sure to check them out next time you’re headed West!
Bringing Scottish hospitality and the Scandinavian Fika together; to us, Fika is all about being present, stopping a while and spending time in the day with one another
For Fika Sake
Have you visited For Fika Sake? Do you love a clever play on words as much as I do?
With love, good vibes and coffee breaks,
