> GLASGOW WI-FI CAFÉS
OFFSHORE 3–5 Gibson Street, G12 8NU 341 0110, Mon–Fri 8am–10pm; Sat & Sun 9am–10pm. Cappuccino: £2.70 Don’t let the temporary layer of scaffolding put you off – hidden within is a satisfyingly simple café: lots of seats and tables in a bright and airy space, hip staff serving students and West End locals, and an ultra-fast connection for which the password is clearly displayed.
FIREBIRD 1321 Argyle St, G3 8AB 334 0594, Mon–Thu 11am–midnight; Fri & Sat 11am–1am; Sun noon–midnight. www.firebirdglasgow.com Cappuccino: £2 With its floor-to-ceiling windows and the scent of stonebaked pizza permeating from the kitchen, Firebird is a thoroughly European-feeling café. Its great coffee, impressive selection of continental beers and wines, and cosmopolitan demeanour befit its prime West End location. Wi-Fi signal is strong through the venue, with decent connection speed.
CCA 350 Sauchiehall Street, G2 3JD 352 4900, Tue–Thu 10am–7.30pm; Fri & Sat 10am-9pm; closed Mon & Sun. cca-glasgow.com Cappuccino: £1.75 small; £2.15 large The CCA’s stunning interior – an indoor courtyard which is the hub for the centre’s many creative projects – is large enough that one might expect some Wi-Fi weakspots, but none occur. Table service and a bistro-esque menu are classy but it’s still informal enough to chill out and surf in peace.
THE TRON BAR 63 Trongate, G1 5HB 552 8587, opening times vary, usually 10am-midnight. www.tron.co.uk Cappuccino: £2 The Tron Theatre’s bar can get understandably busy before and after shows, but at other times both the minimalist front section, or the more sedate Vic Bar behind, offer a good connection and coffee in a venue with
Red Lizard
lots of character. Also serves highly recommended modern Scottish food.
RED LIZARD 4–5 Bell Street, G1 1NX 552 3539, Mon–Sun, 11am–midnight Cappuccino: £2 This characterful and popular Merchant City bar is also a great option for a daytime coffee and surf, with ample seating (including big leather chesterfields). Getting online is easy and the connection’s very quick, while a well-rendered selection of popular bar food is available until 8pm.
Reviews: David Kirkwood
Tron Bar CCA
GLASGOW FREE WI-FI DIRECTORY
■ Bank Café Bar 443 Clarkston Rd, 637 8461. Cappuccino: £1.75. ■ Big Mouth 167 Dumbarton Rd, 337 7023. Cappuccino: £2.20. ■ Bolshie 57 Bank St, 357 1777. ■ Booly Mardy’s 28 Vinicombe St, 560 8004. Cappuccino: £1.95. ■ Café Connect 348 Cathedral St, 333 1224. Cappuccino: £1. ■ Chinaski’s 239 North St,
221 0061. Cappuccino: £2. ■ The Counting House 2 St Vincent Place, 225 0160. Cappuccino: £1.30. ■ The Goat 1287 Argyle St, 357 7373. Cappuccino: £2.10. ■ Heart Buchanan 380 Byres Rd, 334 7626. Cappuccino: £2.25. ■ Lebowski’s 1008 Argyle St, 564 7988. Cappuccino: £1.50 small; £2.20 large. ■ Left Bank
33–35 Gibson St, 339 5969. Cappuccino: £1.90. ■ MacSorley’s 42 Jamaica St, 248 8581. Cappuccino: £1.60. ■ The Rio Café 27 Hyndland St, 334 9909.
Cappuccino: £2.10. ■ Tribeca 102 Dumbarton Rd, 576 0122. Cappuccino: £1.60 small/£2.10 large. ■ Ubiquitous Chip 8–12 Ashton Lane, 334 5007. Cappuccino: £2.60.
18 Feb–4 Mar 2010 THE LIST 15