80 Wellington Street, Glasgow 0141 226 2286
Style: Chic gastro cafe
Food: British
Price: lunch for two, around £20
Wheelchair access: Yes
It is a universal truth that the quality of coffee available in a restaurant can make or break one's dining experience. Forget the food, the menu choice, the range of exquisite cup cakes perched nonchalantly around the stainless steel bar - if the coffee is rubbish you may as well pack up and head straight for the supermarket.
Fortunately for style cafe Fifi & Ally, coffee is something they clearly excel in. Its strong, rich, with an enveloping aroma that quickly has you salivating, and for coffee fans, this is as good as it gets. Their americanos and lattes even come served in jaunty little cups and saucers. Oh, and for real caffeine geeks, it's illy coffee they're serving, by the way.
For those with less of an interest in coffee it is perhaps important to set the scene. Based in the heart of the financial district of Glasgow, Fifi & Ally is one seriously sleek little place. Decked out with black antique mirrors, black fabric lamps and white glossy tables, it looks distinctly like the Cupping Salon, Fifi & Ally's first cafe in Princes Square.
The oh-so-stylish plates and bowls are still there, as are the friendly green hedges around the front door to welcome you in. There is also a touch of exposed brickwork, while black painted steel beams give their new Wellington Street premises a distinct New York loft appeal.
Of course, good coffee and fashionable decor alone do not make a great place to eat. That's where the food comes in. The menu here is simple and elegantly put together, there's plenty of choice, even for vegetarians, and everything - at least in writing - seems to have been created with a touch of wit and class.
There is a selection of starters, and a couple of robust-looking main courses to choose from, but it's lunchtime so we plump for a smoked salmon sandwich with dill mayonnaise (for me) and a tuna and white bean salad (for him), accompanied by two tall glasses of water and some coffee - it is a school day after all.
The smoked salmon number was, quite frankly, delicious. Two slices of thick - but not stodgy - brown bread were lightly buttered and separated by some juicy flakes of salmon. The dill mayonnaise came on a neat little dish at the side of the plate, while the green salad appeared in a little pot. If I had one criticism it would be that there wasn't quite enough of that delicious mayonnaise.
The tuna salad looked just as appetising. Rocket leaves were tossed with flakes of tuna and soft white beans. According to my dining partner the salad deserved an impressive seven out of 10 for its fresh, light taste.
And the coffees? Well, they scored full marks.
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