Cafe William Byres Road - Glasgow

Some years ago maybe two I first had William's super salad and was excited by its mix of fresh salad leaves, chopped fresh veg, seeds and nuts and small pieces of roasted root veg. So much so that I emulated it at home. But now the other day I returned to have it in the caff and I am sorry to say it was a not so super salad. It consisted only of chewy chunks of poorly roasted butternut squash, some lamb's lettuce and approximately four seeds. The poached egg was a good poached egg. Can I suggest you go back to the original recipe?

Had been working one Monday morning in the west end of Glasgow, and was in need of something to eat and a coffee. Was close to Queen Margaret Drive, and know there is plenty of good breakfast spots there, and one I did plan to visit was closed for a refurb, so settled on William Cafe next door. For a bank holiday Monday, it was packed, so ordered a morning roll and a coffee to go. Staff are very friendly, and my roll was freshly prepared in no time, and was VERY tasty. Little bit on the pricey side, but can not fault the staff or my meal, and would consider coming here again if in the area.

I had lunch here with my wife and niece today and as unassuming it looks outside, this wee cafe had a great atmosphere. The food selection was not too extensive that quality gets diluted. My niece had a babychino which she loved and the 3 of us had pancakes. They were amazing and very fluffy and I would recommend them with maple syrup and bacon. PS the cakes in the window are incredible!

I have been to cafe William a number of times always enjoyed the experience until today. We waited well over half an hour after ordering before asking how long the food would be. The reply was' not long we are very busy and there is only one girl in the kitchen she's doing her best'. It would have been good to be informed on arrival that there was a long wait. When the shakshuka arrived, in what can only be described as a skanky frying pan, my friend did not wish to eat it because of this. When he told the waitress (Australian, I think) she said nothing no attempt was made to rectify the situation. I ate my fish bowl and we got up to leave. She initially tried to charge me for the shakshuka (my friend refused to pay), as well as the fish bowl, which she charged 50p more than was stated on the menu. She had nothing to say about that I paid just to get out of there. Not a word of apology from this waitress throughout our visit. Additionally, while I was eating, my friend observed the other waitress casually remove her shoe, empty it from above counter level and not wash her hands. Not a great look for an establishment serving food and a poor experience overall.

I would rate the food 5/5 but the service was slow. It’s a tiny restaurant cafe and I’ve been in the past. The food is great. I’ve no hesitation recommending that, but the waitressing staff were extremely slow. They spent a lot of time chatting, and on their phones . You felt like you were disturbing their social life a bit. The coffee was great and the girl serving that was fairly prompt, but we were left wondering if the food was coming or had our order gone through.