Hidden Scotland
Sign in
Cakes and a red teapot at a window table in Laboratorio Espresso, with the sandstone buildings of West Nile Street beyond.
Glasgow

Laboratorio Espresso

A small speciality espresso bar on West Nile Street, a block from Queen Street station, with pastries and sandwiches, open every day.

Call
Welcome

Glasgow has no shortage of good coffee, and Laboratorio Espresso on West Nile Street has been one of the city centre's favourite places to find it for over ten years.

It's a small, relaxed espresso bar a block from Queen Street station, with a glass front, a few tables inside and benches out on the pavement for watching the city go by. Speciality coffee is the heart of it, from flat whites and cortados to lighter, fruitier roasts, and there are pastries, cakes and sandwiches to go with your cup. It opens at 8am on weekdays, 9am on Saturday and 10.30am on Sunday, and closes at 5.30pm every day, so it suits a first coffee before the shops or a break in the middle of the afternoon. Dogs are welcome too. From here it's a few minutes' walk to Buchanan Street, George Square and the giant murals of the city centre.

Round the cornerMaki & RamenHandmade ramen and sushi on Renfield Street from the Edinburgh-born Maki & Ramen, in a room of red lanterns, open every day from noon.Under a mileSee itMaki & Ramen
Before you go

Open every day, closing at 5.30pm, with a few tables inside and benches outside.

There is no booking.

Where
93 West Nile Street, Glasgow, G1 2SH.
Open
Monday to Friday 8am to 5.30pm, Saturday 9am to 5.30pm, Sunday 10.30am to 5.30pm.
Dogs
Welcome.
Access
A step-free entrance and an accessible toilet.
Phone
0141 353 1111

Opening hours

Monday
8am–5.30pm
Tuesday
8am–5.30pm
Wednesday
8am–5.30pm
Thursday
8am–5.30pm
Friday
8am–5.30pm
Saturday
9am–5.30pm
Sunday
10.30am–5.30pm

Eaten here? Tell others what to order and when to go, and the best go on this page with your name.

Add your tip
Where it is

On West Nile Street in the city centre, a block from Queen Street station, G1 2SH.

Close byBuchanan Street and the city centre.
  1. The Honey I Shrunk the Kids mural, a girl peering through a magnifying glass across a tall gable end.Glasgow Mural TrailA walk round the giant murals on gable ends and back lanes across Glasgow's city centre, from Smug's St Mungo to a taxi on balloons, begun in 2008.Under a mile as the crow flies
  2. Buchanan Street looking downhill, shoppers on the paving between sandstone blocks under a blue sky.Buchanan StreetGlasgow's main shopping street, running downhill from the Royal Concert Hall steps to Argyle Street, and named after a tobacco merchant who bought the ground in 1760.Under a mile as the crow flies
  3. Ornate lamp posts glow on a wet, foggy city street at nightGeorge SquareGlasgow's civic square, laid out in 1781 and named for George III, with Sir Walter Scott on his column of 1837 and the City Chambers along its east side.Under a mile as the crow flies
  4. The Horseshoe's front lit at night, its name across the windows.The Horseshoe BarA Victorian pub of 1884 on Drury Street, with a horseshoe-shaped island bar 104 feet long, said to be the longest in Europe.Under a mile as the crow flies
  5. A full breakfast with black pudding and fried eggs.The Anchor LineA first-class restaurant and bar on St Vincent Place, themed on the golden age of ocean travel, with oysters, grills and cocktails.Under a mile as the crow flies
  6. Stereo's doorway on Renfield Lane, a board by the steps.StereoA plant-based café bar and small music venue on Renfield Lane since 2007, with its own bread, seasonal plates and bands downstairs.Under a mile as the crow flies
  7. A golden cocktail with a lemon twist held at the bar.TabacA small, candlelit cocktail bar on Mitchell Lane, making its own cocktails, named one of Glasgow's most romantic bars.Under a mile as the crow flies
  8. Through the House on High Street, its glass front under an old painted sign for Complete House Furnishers.Through the HouseA speciality coffee shop and music room on High Street by the Tolbooth, open every day but Tuesday, with filter coffee, pastries, live music and DJs.Under a mile as the crow flies
Directions
Pink shopfront sign reading "maia gifts & lovely things" above a Christmas display windowShoppingMaia GiftsA step away
Wooden shelves of whisky and spirits running the length of the Good Spirits Co. on Bath Street, with a barrel of bottles in the front.ShoppingThe Good Spirits Co.A step away
Slanj shop front with lit windows and railings along the pavementShoppingSlanj KiltsA step away
House of Cashmere's navy front on Gordon Street.ShoppingHouse of CashmereA step away
The glass entrance to Buchanan Street subway station on the paving, the station's name lettered along the top, sandstone buildings behind.AttractionsBuchanan Street Subway StationA step away
A traybake and a raspberry cake on white plates.CafeThe Wild Olive TreeA step away
A sandstone shopfront carries a sign reading 'Maki & Ramen' above a window strung with red paper lanterns.RestaurantsMaki & RamenA step away
The counter at Loop & Scoop with a gelato cabinet and timber walls.CafeLoop & ScoopA step away
The long dim dining room with rows of wooden tables and benches under hanging lamps.RestaurantsIchibanA step away

Recommend to a friend

The Daily for 22 October, from Scotland with love. An aerial view of the Kylesku Bridge curving across a sea loch at sunset, Sutherland

The Daily

Arrives at 5am every day.

A free morning email to see what’s on this week, catch up on what’s happening in Scotland and find somewhere new to go.

Stay nearby

Places to stay near Laboratorio, and when each is next free.

A grey sofa with cushions sits before a black and white kitchen, a framed print on the wall to the left.Moment Blythswood Street
  • Sleeps 2
  • In Glasgow
  • Under a mile from Laboratorio Espresso
Check datesCrossbasket Castle, GlasgowCrossbasket Castle
  • To stay
  • In Glasgow
  • 7 miles from Laboratorio Espresso
Check datesA grey corner sofa with cushions and a sheepskin throw sits before a shelf of books and a round mirror, a wood burning stove and log store to the right.Talli House
  • Sleeps 4
  • In Dunlop
  • 12 miles from Laboratorio Espresso
Free 23–25 OctPlaces to stayEvery stay in GlasgowAll our places to stay nearby, to search by date and by who is coming.See them all
Hidden Scotland, the magazine

Scotland, in print.

We want to show you the best that Scotland has to offer. The makers and the creatives, the enduring experiences, the evocative tales, the concealed corners. The roads less travelled that take you to places that matter. The adventures that gather you up and sweep you away. The blend of the wild and the artistic that makes Scotland what it is. We’d love for you to join us.

Get Issue 13Read it here
Find out more

For further reading, before you go. The details on this page were checked on .