Smile Cafe
Quick info
About Smile Cafe
Breakfast at Smile Cafe runs on a Scottish-Italian pairing, with rolls filled with Italian sausage or bacon and served with tattie scones, and Italian hot chocolate alongside. The coffee shop sits on a corner site on Douglas St in Glasgow, where the interior carries Italian decor and staff take orders at the tables. Coffee is central to the operation, with Italian espresso and cappuccinos poured through the day, and croissants and other pastries sit alongside them. The wider menu runs to around 59 dishes, taking in scrambled eggs on toast for anyone after a plated breakfast rather than a roll. No booking is needed, since the cafe works on a walk-in basis, and it opens daily. Orders can also be taken away for anyone eating off site.
Good to know
- ReservationsWalk-in only
- ParkingDifficult to find a space
- Good for kidsGood for kids
- DietaryServes vegan dishes · Serves vegetarian dishes
Menu & Prices
59 dishes · mains £3–10- Campania£9.00
- Basilicata£9.00
- Calabria£9.00
- Lazio£9.00
- Sicilia£9.00
- Roll With Bacon£3.50
Reviews
What reviewers say
Reviewers most often mention scrambled eggs on toast, italian espresso and coffee, breakfast roll with italian sausage and croissants and pastries.
What reviewers say
Reviewers most often mention scrambled eggs on toast, italian espresso and coffee, breakfast roll with italian sausage and croissants and pastries.
Customer Review Summary
Coffee anchors nearly every account, described as good quality and top tier, with the Italian espresso singled out by several and the cappuccinos called good by another. Close behind sits breakfast: the roll with Italian sausage draws the strongest praise, one reviewer pairing it with a tattie scone as a Scottish Italian breakfast, while scrambled eggs on toast comes up more than once for the quality of the ingredients. Also mentioned are the croissant and pastries, toast and jam, and an Italian hot chocolate one visitor found thick and rich. Regulars describe a relaxed, friendly room with enough space to sit comfortably, and a corner location several found easy to reach. One reviewer dissents sharply, reporting a sandwich burnt black in places, staff who seemed miserable, and concerns about the cleanliness of the premises and the staff, an account not echoed elsewhere. Others close on small things, a tempting baked good ordered on impulse, food made fresh to order.
Customer Review Summary
Coffee anchors nearly every account, described as good quality and top tier, with the Italian espresso singled out by several and the cappuccinos called good by another. Close behind sits breakfast: the roll with Italian sausage draws the strongest praise, one reviewer pairing it with a tattie scone as a Scottish Italian breakfast, while scrambled eggs on toast comes up more than once for the quality of the ingredients. Also mentioned are the croissant and pastries, toast and jam, and an Italian hot chocolate one visitor found thick and rich. Regulars describe a relaxed, friendly room with enough space to sit comfortably, and a corner location several found easy to reach. One reviewer dissents sharply, reporting a sandwich burnt black in places, staff who seemed miserable, and concerns about the cleanliness of the premises and the staff, an account not echoed elsewhere. Others close on small things, a tempting baked good ordered on impulse, food made fresh to order.
Featured reviews
- Sharla McGavock
“Lovely, friendly cafe - very much enjoyed my Scottish Italian breakfast of a roll and Italian sausage and tattie scone! The sweet things looked good too.”
- Roan Younger
“Fantastic workers, would definitely recommend. Food was delicious and made fresh. Great location”
- Michael Wilson
“We stopped in for a couple of coffees and a bit of pastry. Shop was nice, staff were very friendly, cappuccinos were good. Worth a stop in if you have a break in your day, a block from hop on hop off tour.”
- Matthew Alleway
“Just got to Glasgow, got off the bus & 🌧️🌧️, was almost tempted to go into a Nero or SBs, but walked in the rain to the Smile cafe for a perfect Italian espresso, lunch and a bit of people watching. Worth getting a little wet for! …”
- David Price
“What a beautiful hidden gem in Glasgow, the vibe is very relaxed and the coffee is top tier . I had a simple breakfast of scrambled eggs on toast but the quality of the ingredients and love put into it made it more than just scrambled eggs on toast . I finished and was tempted with a backed good and thank god I did …..just amazing .”
Hours
- Monday
- Tuesday
- Wednesday
- Thursday
- Friday
- Saturday
- Sunday
Highlights
- Serves great coffee
- Serves great dessert
- Has great tea selection
- Popular for popular for breakfast
- Popular for popular for lunch
- Popular for good for solo dining
Amenities
- Offers takeaway
- Serves dine-in
- Good for kids
- Serves vegan dishes
- Casual
- On-site services available
Show more amenities
- Serves coffee
- Quick bite
- Serves dessert
- Good for solo dining
- Good for working on laptop
- Has toilet
- Dining options· 4
- Serves breakfast
- Serves brunch
- Serves lunch
- Has seating
- Parking· 1
- Difficult to find a space
- Offerings· 3
- Serves healthy options
- Serves small plates
- Serves vegetarian dishes
- Highlights· 1
- Has great tea selection
- Popular for· 2
- Popular for breakfast
- Popular for lunch
- Atmosphere· 2
- Cosy
- Trendy
Location
How Smile Cafe compares to nearby coffee shops
- Smile Cafe · This shop4.6474 reviews
Mentioned in reviews: scrambled eggs on toast, italian espresso and coffee, breakfast roll with italian sausage
- Costa Coffee4.596 reviews4.1 mi
Mentioned in reviews: coffee, drive thru, dog-friendly outdoor seating
- 159 reviews4.4 mi
Mentioned in reviews: bacon and egg rolls, coffee, cakes selection
- 97 reviews6 mi
Mentioned in reviews: full scottish big breakfast, homemade food at cheap prices, lentil soup
Smile Cafe This shop | Costa Coffee | Coffee Corner | Cocochinos Coffee House | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.6(474) | 4.5(96) | 4.5(159) | 4.2(97) | |
| Price | £1–10 | £1–10 | £1–10 | £1–10 |
| Distance | — | 4.1 mi | 4.4 mi | 6 mi |
| Open today | ||||
| Vegan options | ✓ | — | — | — |
How this listing is sourced
- Where the data comes from
- Name, address, hours, contact details, amenities, ratings and review counts come from the business's publicly available profile data — not from the owner and not from paid submissions.
- How it stays current
- Listings are re-checked in batches against their public profile, and anything reported as wrong is corrected at the source rather than patched on the page.
- How it is ranked
- Placement is never sold. Every business on the page is ordered and compared using the same public signals, so an owner cannot pay to move up.
Browse more
Keep looking around Glasgow — or browse nearby cities.