We love Shawlands. Everyone loves Shawlands, don't they? How could you not?! It's a bustling wee bit of Glasgow with plenty to offer: decent shopping, amazing cafes, lovely old tenements and definitely a community vibe amongst it. The Sunday Times even named Shawlands as one of the 12 best places to live in Scotland. One of the reasons why Shawlands is so great is because Queen's Park is right on your doorstep. After eating at any number of great restaurants, it's nice to grab a coffee and stroll around the park.
As for shopping, we've mentioned before our love of bargain shopping and the ensuing buzz. Well another one of our loves is junk food which, of course, Scotland and the wider UK excel at. With a Poundworld and B&M in Shawlands, it's always nice to pop into either and buy Pringles or - our favourite at LAKE&LOCH - a six pack of Jameson's Raspberry Ruffle bars (ALTHOUGH WE SWEAR THE RECIPE HAS CHANGED) for a £1.
Aw yeah, the good sh*t!
Side note: how is it possible that we here at LAKE&LOCH HQ have lived in Glasgow for nearly 50 years between us and have only just set foot into B&M for the first time this year!? We're also big fans of Home Bargains - especially the one just down the road from Shawlands at Auldhouse. If your weakness is junk food, random foreign-looking junk food and scoring a bargain, then Home Bargains is your mecca.
Anyway, back to Shawlands. People love Shawlands and rightfully so. It's like a wee Glasgow within Glasgow. Spend any amount of time in Shawlands and you start to see regulars about the place; there are even people who have lived their entire lives in Shawlands and it's easy to understand why. So, yes, we adore Shawlands! So much so that we are slightly reluctant to rant on about it...lest it become way too expensive (see: Anywhere In The West End).
But we love it and we'll let you in on some of favourites and what you might have missed:
SHOPS
Stephen O'Neil - A fantastic gift shop (who also happen to stock some of our beanies), Stephen's has been referred to as "probably one of the best curated retail space in the city". He also sells some of his own Glasgow/ Scotland inspired art and prints. If you're a visitor to our fine city and manage to actually make it across the Clyde, you should definitely pop in for some souvenirs.
Paper Plane - Another gift shop just off the main thoroughfare of Kilmarnock Road. A nice selection of cards and gifts to save you from going into town.
Stalks and Stems - A florist, greengrocer, and Christmas tree provider all rolled into one. If you're in urgent need of a flower bouquet, posh tablet, or fennel then Stalks and Stems have got you covered.
Shawlands Continental - Walking home from the gym one day, we were suddenly hit with a craving for some middle eastern spreads like hummus and feta cheese. We just so happened to be walking past Shawlands Continental at the time and it looked like the kinda joint that might stock our desired goods. We're lucky that we didn't wait until we got to our local grocer because Shawlands Continental rules! In we walked and spent about the next 30 minutes inspecting all the different foods/ groceries on offer. They stock everything from fresh sandwiches, popcorn kernels (not the most widely available here), East Asian ingredients, South Asian ingredients, delicious Turkish Delight (of course we bought it!), and with a butcher in the back, they also sell halal meat (if that's your thing).
Another day and another post-gym craving, we popped into Shawlands Continental once again to satiate our cravings and noticed the shop guys tucking into some juicy-looking mangos.
"Hey, are those mangos the super expensive ones from Pakistan?" we asked. Admittedly we're weirdly into mangos (and Ontario tomatoes).
"They're Pakistani but they're not that expensive; they're only a £1 each. Here. Try one," they replied, plonking over a golden-yellow mango into our greedy paws. Honestly, we were so touched. And yes, it WAS DELICIOUS. Though you should definitely eat them over the sink.
RESTAURANTS / CAFES
You are really spoiled in Shawlands when it comes to coffee and eats. Like Strathbungo and Pollokshields, there's been an explosion of amazing places to eat and drink in Shawlands in the last few years.
Cafe Strange Brew - Winner of best cafe in Glasgow for the second year in a row, it's easy to see why. At first glance it might appear like your usual brunch spread. Pay attention to the description and it's anything but. Today, for example, as we type this blogpost, their specials were: "truffled artichoke baked eggs with Parmesan and truffled cream or berry pancakes with brown butter oats and rose yoghurts"
I MEAN....
HAVE MERCY!
Glad Cafe - Another staple of Shawlands. Although we've been to The Glad Cafe for breakfast, lunch, performances, cake and coffee, we have yet to try their new dinner offerings. They now offer an East Asian inspired dinner menu ("Nanika") that we have heard great things about and are dying to try.
The Butterfly and the Pig - the Southside offshoot of the popular city centre bar/ restaurant. If you're hungover/ greedy/ with your parents and need a safe space, this is your go-to. Big portions that we can finish even when we're not hungover. NO SHAME. NO JUDGEMENT.
Julie's Kopitiam - Admittedly this cafe/ restaurant isn't even open yet (it's opening in the former location of Cafe Strange Brew, who moved across the road to larger premises)! However, we sampled Julie's Malaysian street food at SWG3's Hypermarket back in June and have been waiting with baited breath ever since for it to open. Since we tried her delicious dhal and slow roasted satay chicken that weekend, we've been excited for the new place to open. We cannae wait!
Gizzi's Espresso Bar - Good consistent coffee. We've not actually eaten at Gizzi's although the offerings look appetising. They also won Best Barista at the Italian Awards so you know they mean business. Cannae go wrong with an Americano, in our opinion.
Dixie Bakes - Ok, there's no actual location but Carina supplies a lot of cafes/ restaurants in Glasgow, particularly on the Southside, with her amazing bakes. You can even sample some of them at Cafe Strange Brew and Gizzi's. She also does wedding and celebration cakes to order. Honestly, scroll through her instagram and scream at the sheer desire of wanting to smash your face into everything.
It All Started Here - a newish cafe in Shawlands, we first tried their coffee at Bakery47 (which, sadly, closes next weekend). Be warned though, this small cafe is only open on Saturdays and Sunday. Very good coffee and worth the effort to get to if you're not on the Southside.
SPECIAL MENTIONS:
Soy Division - a vegan eatery that wins on the name alone. We're not sure but this might be the only strictly vegan place in Shawlands?!
Sir John Stirling Maxwell - Yes, it's a Wetherspoon and admittedly, we wouldn't recommend eating there (which we did once) but you know what? The drinks are reasonable in price and they have a great selection of ales, if you're into that sort of thing. Also, you're almost guaranteed a seat so if you wanna sit and enjoy a nice ale in Shawlands, this is your place.
Black Dove - We've never actually eaten here but have heard good things about it. Definitely on our list of places to eat soon!
Whew!
So, what did we miss? What are some of your favourites?
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