Glasgow

My local spot and an off-grid gem owned by my pal Paul, who’s full of passion and incredible knowledge. He makes coffee machines, and grows and roasts his own beans. I get schooled every time I come in and I love it.

A quick 15 minutes from my studio is the famous Barras Market. We’re not here to shop for treasure but for my favourite doughnuts: six sugar donuts for £3.50.

On the other side of town is Ottoman Coffee House. Probably one of the most unique spots in Glasgow that isn’t so well-known. It’s run by two brothers – Imran and Irfan [Akhtar] – and sits in the Glasgow Society of Musicians building. I’d recommend getting the mixed grill and Kyoto drip coffee.

Best pizza in Glasgow without a doubt. It’s got a small menu but everything is next level.

Right round the corner is Crownpoint Studios where Sadeo is based. We’ve got two floors of incredible space and light. We really love how industrial this area is, it’s safe and a fun spot to be in.

Studio Sadeo’s Guide to Independent Spots in Glasgow

Wuh Oh

First up is Tchai Ovna! This is a wee stone cabin where they serve yummy vegetarian food and about a hundred types of tea. This spot has such a cosy atmosphere, with its own little garden and even spots to sit on the floor if you fancy. It’s a lovely way to start your morning, alone with a book or with a few buddies.

Next let’s hit the park. On our few days of summer in Glasgow, it feels as if the whole city congregates in this park (primarily on the one big hill at the centre!) and the warm sense of community is always comforting. BBQs, tunes, booze and always at least one group practicing their tightrope walking between a couple of trees... It’s all there.

Now that we’ve lounged on the grass for a bit, we can move on to this magical place. It has hundreds of hand crafted characters and structures built from scrap wood and metal. A few times a day it all springs to life, performing wonderful, mechanised choreography to spooky music and a synchronised light show. It’s so very endearing, elegantly playing out little tales of the human experience within the eternal cycle of life and death.

We’ve got a bit of time left before dinner so let’s check out Mono. This independent venue is a homely creative hub with a cosy feeling of community and music in the air. As well as having a bar serving quality beer and tasty vegan food, there’s an incredible little record shop inside called Monorail Music that I could lose hours in. You never know what music, poetry or other performance is going to pop up on their little stage.


It’s dinner time and therefore time for the best pizza I’ve ever had! Constantly bustling with an excellent atmosphere, this place has a super simple menu of insanely good pizzas fired for what feels like seconds in their stone oven. The pizza is soupy at the centre and charred perfectly at the crust. I’m completely addicted.

I am a complete sucker for the novelty and outright gimmickry of crazy golf. This place has these in spades! Fore Play is the perfect way to start pre-drinks properly, drinking a few beers as you merrily whack your way around 18 holes. This course has you putting into a giant helper skelter traffic cone, blasting your ball round a loop de loop and many more tasks that grow increasingly and hilariously more impossible as the drinks start to take their toll.

Now it’s time to go ‘out out’! While the Barras is every returning Glasgow musician’s dream live show, Subby is the DJs’ dream set! This dark underground venue is an institution and is second to none for its energy in the wee hours. In another fun flooring feature, there are sub woofers built beneath the dance floor so that you can feel the bass from your feet to your face!

It’s 4am and we’re not going home without a bite! This little food van close to where I stay in the West End is an institution of its own. Maggie’s is an absolute lifesaver for post-club scran and the crown jewel of their menu is the infamous Scooby Snack. This beast is aptly titled as it features basically every element of the Scottish fried breakfast (bacon, egg, tatty scone, black pudding, square sausage) plus cheese and a beef patty, arranged precariously in a towering stack within the burger bun. No better food to munch on as you stumble happily home after the loveliest of days and the biggest of nights!