Spitfire Espresso

Sacré bleu! I really can’t get why I haven’t ventured into Spitfire Espresso before yesterday?! Epic fail.
The first thing I noticed crossing the door wasn’t the cool décor, awesome selection of (gluten free) cakes or coffee menu — the things that normally attract my attention first — but the warm, cheery «hi, how you doing?» from the barista! Oh hey! You kinda caught me off guard there! «Whatcha having?» Well that was easy, flat white coffee please, and after a quick look, I opted for a slice of orange and polenta cake in lieu of my usual brownie (also on offer btw!). «Take a seat, I’ll bring them over». Hang on I thought, you don’t want me to pay now too? Oh I like this place already!
So, off I went and plonked myself down on one of the window stools overlooking Candleriggs, prime location for a spot of people watching! At that point I noticed my toes tapping away to the tunes in the background, a jazzy/​bluesy/​Elvis style mix well suited to the feel of the place. How I want this playlist!
Pulling me out of my wee daze my order arrived — the coffee (which by now I’d clocked was by Dear Green) was on point and the cake was moist and yummy. Oh Spitfire, you continue to please!
It was a few minutes later where they really sealed the deal. I’d started to notice that every person who crossed the door was known on first-​name terms by the barista and he sounded genuinely thrilled to see each and every one! It’s that level of customer service that makes Spitfire stand out from the crowd, that makes me super eager to go back for a cup of awesome!

Nice place for a coffee in a good location in Glasgow. We were attracted in by the great reviews, and I’m happy to add another one to the list. Many people inside were eating sandwiches, which looked truly excellent, but it was only coffee and a piece of rocky road for us.
The coffees were great. I had it black, whereas Mary had a latte, and both went down very well. Also great at Spitfire are the staff, who were all chatty and friendly. I was hoping for a larger selection of baked goods, if I’m honest, but I understand the place is more focused on lunch foods and coffee than sweet treats, so that’s fine.
Will pop in again next time I’m in the city.

I popped into spitfire this morning to get a takeaway coffee on this cold Monday morning! What a pleasant local business on the corner of the street. Walking in I noticed how bright and warm the café was. There was plenty of space to sit and work with lots of tables and a bar area in case you were looking for an area to work remotely. The staff was very friendly and welcoming. It was also a major bonus that they accepted card even when I was just paying for a flat white! As far as the coffee goes, it was a lovely flat white. I didn’t notice it being very strong when I tasted it but I definitely felt the caffeine later. In this case I didn’t get to try any of the sweets but they looked tasty from what I could gather. Overall a lovely option to have in Merchant City.

This is a genuinely lovely place to spend some time. I was in Glasgow for Christmas and not knowing the city at all was desperate to find a good coffee shop. Spitfire ticked all my boxes.
First thing I expect is a friendly welcome and then good service without imposing or the constant fidget of ‘is everything all right sir?’ And so it is at Spitfire. You can order at the counter and then drink and food is brought over. Any questions are answered politely. So wifi was soon up and running, cake was in front of me and then a wonderfully constructed flat white coffee.
It’s really all about the coffee for me in a place like this. I can sit and watch the world go by in Costa or Starbucks, and get wifi, so it’s the extra something I get in a good independent that I walk the extra few hundred yards or so. The coffee here was the best I had in the City. Smooth, nutty, a hint of dark chocolate and a wonderfully creamy milk infusing the whole cup top to bottom. Really enjoyable.
You know, this is a real local community place. People seem to know each other, at least a number of folks do, and the chilled atmosphere is such that I could imagine staying here the whole day and working. It was never really busy but ticked over nicely. The menu is short but will meet most brunch type needs. Great job Spitfire. I wish you well.

I made the mistake of visiting Spitfire after lunch. I’d heard good things about the coffee and that was what I was looking for. Next time I visit I’ll make sure I’m hungry so I can get some food too.
I was warmly greeted by the staff and offered a menu but not pushed when I said I only wanted coffee. They brought it over to my table in what seemed like no time at all and it was one of the smoothest richest lattes I’ve had, beautiful served, if just slightly small. I was very tempted to order a second one.
The food looks amazing, especially the cakes and the all day breakfast items. For the Merchant City the prices aren’t too steep either. Plus it’s pretty relaxed in here, I can easily imagine sitting with a coffee or two and a slice of cake for a couple of hours, watching the world go by. Inside it’s light, bright and airy.
Free WiFi and plentiful power sockets would make it a great place to work but for some reason my laptop wouldn’t play nicely with their WiFi. My phone connected just fine so that problem could well be unique to me but I would definitely have stayed longer if I’d been able to get a proper connection.

I’ve come to rereview Spitfire, only to find that I haven’t actually reviewed it before! My bad!
It’s now been open a few months, and I’m so please to see it grow in reputation and get busier as time passes. This is down to the great coffee, wonderful food and friendliest of service, while competing with so many other coffee places close by.
By far, this is one of my favourite coffee stops and conveniently located on my way to work. So, I make it a point of popping here for my morning caffeine fix to get my day started.
As a latte boy (there’s a song about this), these guys have turned me into a flat white kinda boy.
As you’re being served, expect a natter — even at 8.30 these guys are in full cheerful flow. Nothing is a task or chore and the personal service puts so many high street chains to shame. A great, positive way to start even the wettest of Glasgow mornings.
I’ve eaten here a few times too. Eggs are their speciality. However you like them, is how they’ll be prepared for you. Quickly, effortlessly and tasty.
And their cakes — oh yes, their cakes! Try ordering just a coffee to sit in as you stand next to these delicacies — go on, I dare you.
The service here is amazing and the owners have built a wonderful team in such a short space of time. Not just the servers, but also the guys you rarely see who work away in the background preparing the food.
With free wifi, power outlets, a never-​ending supply of coffee, a window seat looking onto Candleriggs, I could come here and stay for the day.
Spitfire, I’m a fan. And by the number of Unilocalers I’ve run into here, so are most of you.

I reviewed Spitfire just after it opened and gave it 5 stars, but now that it’s been open a few months I thought i’d quickly revisit it.
Spitfire has built an amazing team of staff — from the background chefs, to the front of house baristas & waiting staff, everyone is super friendly and happy to have a chat about their coffee/​food/​future plans etc.
Their menu has evolved and they now have a nice set menu, spread over a couple of blackboards on the wall. Spitfire is maintaing the laidback retro design, with the addition of a tasteful 1950’s pin-​up decal oon the wall.
The food is always great — best scrambled eggs for miles, and their cakes and savoury pastries are to die for.
Spitfire has become a regular stop-​off for coffee on the way to work — drink of choice at tthe moment is a flat white. The blend they use is strong and smooth — perfect to kickstart our day!
If I could give this more than 5 stars, I would!

I’ve been here a few times since they opened and I’m excited to say they definitely deserve their 5-​stars of happiness on Unilocal.It’s not the food, it’s not the drinks, it’s not the vibe — although all of those things are fantastic — to me, this place is all about the people. Do you want to be greeted like you’re an old family friend and shown some of the best café-​hospitality in Glasgow? Then this is the place to go. The staff are never not beaming with happiness and it always makes me feel so happy too. They are really slick with service, anticipating what you might want and always going over and above to make customers happy.
I visited recently for an afternoon meeting and then stayed on to get some work done. I finally got to try their new eggs menu which is served all day (YES!) and is seriously delicious. I got an egg in a bagel with salmon dish (I can’t remember what it was called) and it was perfect. Lovely poached eggs, lovely salmon, tasty bagel. Oh yeh. Maybe some cream cheese could be good in there too.
I love this place and it’s one of my fav places to work, have meetings and hang out. You should pop in and see for yourself.

Living on High Street I walk past Spitfire on a day to day basis. Every time I looked in, I was greeted by a friendly smile and sometimes even nod. So yesterday I eagerly went in to see what all the hype was about regarding this new, chic coffee shop.
Walking in on a late sunny afternoon, it felt as though me and my boyfriend had been transported to Paris. It’s décor is simple and very inviting, the vibe is very chilled and we felt as though we could have spent longer than the hour we did in this lovely little shop.
Looking at the range of coffee’s and tea’s on offer I opted for a classic English breakfast tea (so original), whilst my boyfriend chose the latte. The woman making the coffees was lovely and friendly, as was the New Zealander who brought the drinks over, and when he did I was speechless at how amazing our drinks looked. The latte was a piece of art. We also noticed that Spitfire do food, their all-​day egg menu looks amazing so I will definitely be back to try them all!
When we left I was amazed at how cheap everything came to especially for the location, service but most of all quality of the product. When I go back to Uni this will definitely be my go-​to coffee shop!

Popped in the other day with my girlfriend for a quick coffee and tea, we were greeted as we entered by the lovely girl behind the counter who swiftly took our order and told us to take a seat.
After a short wait, our order was brought over to us by the cool guy in the hat. The latte was served in a glass tumbler — which was rather quirky and unusual, but the glass was holdable and I quite liked that — and the tea came in a steel pot with a cute little ceramic cup and saucer set. The coffee was of excellent quality, with a deep rich taste (definitely one of the best in the area) and I shall definitely be re-​ordering. The décor was simple yet inviting, not intimidating and a very relaxed and chill atmosphere!
Also I was intrigued by the ‘Frank Green Smartcups’ that are being sold just at the counter. They are little travel mug type things and Spitfire have a cleaning unit which rinses them out and then you can take your coffee away in them.
Not been in to try the eggs (which are advertised in the window, and they have a large selection of eggy dishes), but the couple next to us ordered some and they look fantastic. Will definitely be having some next time.
So we have a simple coffee shop that hits the nail on the head with everything it has to, instead of try to incorporate too many ideas they have mastered the essentials with a superb outcome.

Been meaning to try here for months, and today I finally got too. Having done half of the bridge walk from SECC to Glasgow Green we wondered in for some caffeine.
We were immediately greeted by a friendly lady who said to sit down and someone would find us. I decided which cake I wanted (chocolate and coconut cupcake) and we sat outside in the wonderful sunshine and I was in love with the teal décor. A few minutes later, a very friendly New Zealand man came and took our orders. 5 minutes later the most amazing coffee and cake appeared in tea sets which I wanted to take. Upon asking, I was told the tea sets were from New Zealand and in the future would be for sale.
Such a lovely addition to Glasgow, friendly and quick service and stunning coffee. Now doing all day breakfasts which looked incredible.

I don’t know where the spitfire comes from, maybe they just liked the name? At the end of the day it doesn’t really matter, it’s just my brain churning through rubbish :-/​What really matters is that after a long walk and a swerve past Tinderbox we thought a slump was in order. However you can’t just plonk yourself anywhere these days without buying something — I know! So what better way to slouch than with a perfectly roasted coffee bean drink of course? (what’s that I hear? Beer you say?)
And perfect, it was. Fruity, chocolatey and creamy is how I like it and that’s how it came. So kicking our feet off, up on seat (I know, how rude), we lounged, drenched in sunlight watching the waitress browse their Unilocal reviews. I hope they’re good waitress/​server person? What am I saying? I’m sure they are! Coz service and quality like this can’t just be switched on and off, at least I hope not…

Stopped in for a quick couple of takeaway coffees while walking around town today. We were enthusiastically greeted upon walking in, and the place is bright and cheery. I had a mocha and my companion had a latte.
The coffee was alright, but there was a slight sort of burnt flavour to the coffee; this is usually to do with a darker roast bean, and while lots of people like it this way, it’s a little much for me. I’ll still be back because it’s a great space with friendly people!

I shall keep this short and sweet like my past couple of visits to Spitfire.
I have only ever popped in to grab a quick espresso and I must say, despite not being a huge fan of the roast itself you can tell the barista knows his stuff and is more than capable of making a darn good espresso.
For me it was just the right length, nice amount of crema and served with a cold glass of water as all espresso should be :) Unfortunately, for me, the blend is just not truly to my liking. Its quite acidic and I prefer a more classic, rounded and roasted flavour.
The place itself looks great. Really minimal and clean and the staff are super friendly. I did want to eat in one lunchtime but I thought the cling film wrapped sandwich, which was not even stored in the fridge, looked a bit sweaty and unappealing. Maybe if I had gone in earlier, the sandwiches would have been fresher?
Nonetheless, this has to be one of the great new cafes in the Glasgow. Unpretentious and honest. That’s the way I like it!

Situated at the top of Merchant City, not an area I’m in often during the day, Spitfire is gathering good reviews so as I was in town I wandered up to see what all the fuss was about.
Walking in it’s a bigger space than I thought it would be, very airy and open, with a peeled back kinda thing going on — I think someone else used the word spartan — and they’ve avoided the catch of cramming in as many seats and tables as possible so it’s not too cramped
I was warmly greeted as I perused the chalk board menu. One flat white and a little orange frangipane tart soon joined me at my seat, it was pretty quiet and I had a little work to do so I was glad to get a table to myself.
The coffee was good, a rich mellow blend, with hardly any bitterness, it was so good I was soon through my first and on to my second! The orange frangipane tart was nice, moist and tasty, with a nice citrus kick to it and it was just the right size to be counted as elevenses.
I was there for about an hour, and throughout the staff were friendly, chatting to customers, and there was a nice relaxed, chilled out vibe to the place, some good tunes too!
I was pleasantly surprised by my bill when I left too, so that’s a nice extra bonus. If I was passing by more often I’m sure this would become a regular haunt, so if you do get the chance, be sure to wander in.

The brightly coloured interior and big windows letting in the sunshine makes Spitfire a super nice place to stop for a coffee.
There isn’t much to say about the drinks on offer as it’s exactly what you’d expect and I’ve yet to try the food. They do serve sandwiches and breakfast food and have a nice looking selection of cakes. I actually quite like this straight forward and simple approach! Do one thing really well is a good motto for any small business.
The staff were very cheerful and they were playing some old rock and roll on their quality sound system. I noticed they had quite a lot of empty space so I’m hoping they get in some big comfy chairs or sofas to fill the place up. I will be back to check it out and probably eat some cakes!

This lovely new establishment had only been opened a few days and since I was in the area it would be rude not to pop in and have a wee cheeky mocha.
I was with our lovely Debs M. and we were waiting on David A. and Rob K. to join us. I swear it was like a Unilocalers convention in there, we kept meeting Unilocaler after Unilocaler in there. Hehe!
The place is so airy and bright compared to Box of Delights which occupied here previously. I love the colour scheme and layout as it seems much bigger now.
We found a wee seat while we waited on the guys, then we had one of the baristas, I presumed, sit at our table. It was a bit bizarre and he said ‘yes?’ We were at the time checking in on the Unilocal app, we just explained we were checking in first then we were going to to order. Initially I wasn’t sure if he was a member of staff or some random. Haha! We explained what we were going to have and it seemed to end up with him taking an order. So, I’m not sure for future if you order and pay at the counter or if it is serviced tables.
After our strange encounter, David and Rob joined us. As I was enjoying my mocha, in which I didn’t take any sugar because I couldn’t find any, it seemed rather nice. That’s really unusual for me. Debs and I were wanting a wee glass of water so when I asked at the counter they pointed out a sink in the corner with some glasses piled up beside it. I thought this was a rather good idea.
They have really thought this place through with their nifty ideas team and also installed plug sockets nearly everywhere that also have USB ports. Genius! Battery running low? Come here and grab some awesome food and great coffee. They also have WiFi so why not bring your office. Eh OK, maybe not your office but a laptop anyway. It’s a pleasant atmosphere and I look forward to going back for maybe a wee spot of lunch.

Good to see this site in use again, two weeks on since their opening: sixties music in a spartan interior with the focus on the food and drinks; espresso with a treacle intensity, FAB.

Glasgow has been blessed with several fantastic, independent coffee suppliers in the past few months, Spitfire shows signs of being up there with the best of them. I was *that* guy, wandering in 15 minutes before closing, and ordering a drink to sit in. To the staff’s credit, there was no quibbles, or tuts or sighs (or anything that I would have done in my former life working retail) from them.
Service was super smiley and friendly, even going as far as a huge thumbs up when I returned my cup and glass to the counter after I finished.
As I said, I was in late on so didn’t really get a chance to sit and savour the surroundings… but I ordered a flat white, and a glass of cold water was delivered to where I was sitting, just before my drink arrived. I really like this new trend of water being given with any coffee, incidentally.
My coffee was beautiful; a flat white is fast becoming my go to drink these days, and when it’s done right — like it was here — it’s a drip of caffeiney goodness that perks you up in all the right ways, without the fluttering heartbeat that energy drinks can give.
I’ll be back with more time to spare so I can take in the surroundings — in the summer, with some sunshine, it’ll be amazingly light and airy in there — and also some of the goodies on offer; the cakes looked very more-​ish.
With all of these amazing independent places, why would you keep going to Starbucks and Costa? Give someone different a try!

I quite like this place. It’s very very new so there’s still room for it to develop its old skool character, but so far, it a pretty nice place for coffee! And they play awesome music! A lot of Elvis Presley, which I love!
I had a big cup of caffe latte and it was well made, I was really happy with it. :) they don’t have much to eat in their menu yet, other than some baked good, sandwiches and soup, but I think that they’ll be putting in more food soon!
The staff are super friendly and cheerful people! They contribute to the old skool vibe, which I like. It’s a 4 star for me because there’s definitely room for growth and improvement, but I’ll defo return for more coffee!