The Glasgow Veggie Diaries: Singl-end

New here? I want to give you guys the scoop on the places that aren’t serving meat-free menus as a mere afterthought – the places with dishes to delight everybody in your posse. You’ll find me sharing all the details here in The Glasgow Veggie Diaries – I hope you’ll join me as I try out vegetarian options in Glasgow and report back on what you can expect!

Writing this series has made me realise just how much I love sharing the details of places that are making an effort with their vegetarian dishes. Many of that places I feature are well known names or tried-and-tested favourites, but today’s edition of The Glasgow Veggie Diaries is all about introducing you guys to a new cafe that is already making waves in the Glasgow food scene. Say hello to Singl-end…

Opening their sky blue doors just 12 weeks ago, Singl-end are a cafe and bakehouse inspired by superfoods and fresh ingredients and are based in the city centre. Tucked away on Renfrew Street, the cafe is a mere hop, skip and jump from the packed pavements of Sauchiehall Street, making it the perfect remedy to the hustle and bustle.

After hearing very good things (and having a little peek at the cafe’s cake-filled Instagram page), I couldn’t wait to try their menu. I grabbed Gary and we headed along for lunch last Saturday, just as the snow started to fall.

Singl-end is deceptively large - and it’s only after walking into the place that you realise how far back the seating area actually goes! The décor is very colourful and cute, with bright blue seats and knick-knacks including vintage postcards adorning the tables. The quirky interiors even continue into the ladies’ room - where I found original Singer sewing tables, copper taps and patterned tiles. J’adore!

The first thing I noticed in Singl-end was the smell of fresh baking, from cakes to fresh loaves of bread. With the bakehouse situated right at the front of the cafe, it was all too easy to get caught up in the sights and smells of baked treats! The bakehouse plays a key role in the business, with cakes and bread to order and buy separately, and plenty of vegan and gluten-free options available.

We were welcomed by the most friendly squad of waitresses, who showed us to our table and talked through the specials. Singl-end has a real local, home-grown feel to it, and the girls were explaining that they already have daily and weekly regulars choosing to start their day with them. Even though the cafe is still new, it’s hard to believe there was anything else operating there before - making it especially tricky to picture the family-run Italian restaurant that used to occupy the space.

We started with coffees (#butfirstcoffee eh?), which are available in Singl-end’s own roast or you can upgrade to a cup of Glasgow’s ever-popular Papercup blend. Keen to try what Singl-end had to offer, we opted for their house roast, which was rich and tasty. The menu is updated regularly, and currently they have an all-day selection of breakfast and brunch items, open sandwiches, salads, soups and hot specials, including a veggie dish of the day. And of course, the selection of just-baked bread! Personally, I couldn’t wait to try the sweet potato & almond loaf!

I picked Singl-end’s take on Eggs Benedict - which included two perfectly poached eggs on stacks of roasted sweet potato, spinach and red onion. Instead of the usual Hollandaise sauce, the eggs were topped with a creamy concoction of avocado, cashew and tarragon. Also included in this dish is a slice of bread from the bread board (I went with the sweet potato and almond, though the vegan Supernova Superseeded was a close second!). What can I say? One of my favourite brunch dishes with a new twist was just the thing to beat the cold weather blues!

Gary decided to try the open sandwich and soup deal, picking one of the three soups of the day (spicy dahl) and the beetroot hummus, maple roast winter vegetable and pistachio sandwich. We couldn’t help but comment on how well-presented the open sandwich was, and Gary really enjoyed the combination of hearty flavours. Gary also picked out the sweet potato and almond bread, which went well with the winter vegetable sandwich topping.

Finally, we just couldn’t resist one of the specials - the Winter Vegetable Slaw, which we both tried and loved. A rainbow on a plate and surely too good to be kept for winter!

While we chatted and ate, we enjoyed the music (which included The Blues Brothers soundtrack - one of my all-time obsessions!), and noticed other diners arriving for lunch. Singl-end is the type of place that you can really see becoming a welcome addition to any weekend routine - easy, breezy with great service and plenty of seats. Oh, and the table groaning with baked treats doesn’t hurt either!

With a strong belief that there’s always room for cake (PREACH!), trust me when I say that you will want to leave room! A few of the cakes available on the day we visited were beetroot & hazelnut cake, salted caramel & peanut blondies, carrot cake with lime icing and lemon gingerbread (insert Homer Simpson-style drool here…).

We picked the chocolate & orange cake (me) and the salted caramel and chocolate tart (Gary), which were a sweet end to a wonderful lunch. Mine tasted like a supersized, extra moist Jaffa Cake with thick chocolate icing - but was light enough to leave me wanting more.

I enjoyed our visit to Singl-end so much that I almost wanted to keep it all to myself! But what makes me even more excited is seeing how the place will develop over the coming months. So, if you’re making lunch plans or are just looking for a new coffee spot in the city centre, pop this hidden gem to the top of your list.

Not only is the menu fresh, veggie-friendy, with a focus on truly eating well, but the relaxed atmosphere and friendly team will help you feel right at home. My new favourite city centre cafe? You better believe it.

Have you been to Sinlg-end yet? Are you obsessed with The Blues Brothers too?

With hot drinks, hugs and huge slices of cake,