One of the things I really enjoy about the West End is the abundance of great delicatessens and speciality food shops – where you can find just about everything ‘to go!’ I am going to start this section by highlighting some of my favourites and I will build it up as I go along. Remember, you can add your own recommendations by using the comments button at the bottom of the page.

Sonny & Vitos’ Cafe / Deli

52 Park Road, Glasgow, G4 9JG.
Tel: 0141-357-0640
Email: info@sonnyandvitosdeli.co.uk

A favourite choice for lunch with tantalising homemade soup and snacks or coffee. You will also be tempted to take away a range of delicious deli produce and the shelves are stacked with things you won’t find in the supermarket.

The Pelosi family business, named after the twin sons of Angela and Mario Pelosi, is one of Glasgow West End’s most popular bistros. It’s a very vibrant place with an increasingly enthusiastic and loyal clientele; described by Angela Pelosi as:

“a mixed bag – consisting of local residents, business people, wine buffs, foodies and people who enjoy cooking; and are used to sourcing the best quality produce on offer”.

Read the feature

Delicatessens and Speciality Food Shops

Polish Taste

21 Hyndland Street, Glasgow G11 5QE. 0141 338 6899

Business is booming for the Korzeniowski Family, Joanna, Kris and their son Bartek at their Polish Deli in Partick. Polish people in Glasgow and the locals are delighted to have genuine Polish fare on offer. You can also enjoy a cup of coffee (the great Segafredo), some dumplings or a sandwich. The Kefir yoghurt drink is also wonderful and the deli has become a firm favourite with myself and my son John.
Read more about Polish Taste in the Herald

Heart Buchanan

Fi Buchanan’s wonderful deli at the top of Byres Road (opposite Morrison’s) with a fine range of products and tempting delicacies – many straight from her own kitchen. With a background in top notch restaurants she is capable of producing haute cuisine for take away – so if you can’t go out just bring it in. Telephone: 00 44 (0) 141 334 7626.
You can also now enjoy a meal at Heart Buchanan’s as they have expanded next door where they have a lovely little birtro. (September, 2006).

Scherezade

47 Bank Street, Hillhead.

Just round the corner from us – this middle eastern deli has a great selection of exotic products: dolma, falafel, tabolah, couscous, humus, babaghanouj and the irrestistible baklawa. They also have heavenly feta cheese. I love to pop into this deli for a few treats and just last week enjoyed some delightful, freshly cooked spicy aubergine. Al and all the staff are really helpful and you can try a wee taste of anything before you buy. Scherezade also sell halal produce. Telephone: 00 44 (0)141 334 2121.

Delizique

Brightening up Hyndland Street, down in Partick, is Delizique – you can’t miss this lovely little shop. It offers a great selection of organic produce and Scottish fare. Lots of delectable ready cooked fare and great cakes. Apparently one of the partners used to star in ‘Father Ted’ but I’ve not come across any staff with an Irish brogue as yet.

North Star Provisions 108 Queen Margaret Drive, North Kelvinside. Tel. 00 44 (0)141 946 5365.
Still maintaining its popularity since Iain Mackenzie opened it a couple of years back in 2000. His idea was to have: “a shop that you can sit down in” – “a type of neighbourhood cafe, which also sells lots of great food products, gorgeous pottery, really brilliant coffee, home baking and orange juice freshly squeezed before your very eyes”. There are more seats now so it’s more of a bistro than a shop now, but you can still buy nice bread and coffee and things to take away. (March, 2003).

Lupe Pintos – 313 Great Western Road

Bringing hot stuff to Glasgow from Mexico – via Edinburgh. Lupe Pinto is a great edition to the interesting shopping and eating scene which is expanding in this part of Great Western Rd. Located between Kelvinbridge and St Georges Cross – you are just a subway ride away from great tortillas, chorizo, chili peppers, tequila and even their own recipe book’Two Cooks and a Suitcase’ by Doug Bell and Rhoda Robertson. This couple opened their deli in Edinburgh after an inspirational trip to Mexico. Gerry runs the Glasgow shop with suitable aplomb and enthusiasm. Telephone: 00 44 (0)141 334 5444.

I.J. Mellis – Cheesemonger

at 492 Great Western Road, Kelvinbridge.
What an impressive selection of cheeses they have in this shop; if you are a cheese lover you can’t afford not to pay Mellis’s a visit. Their brie, cheddar, gouda and parmigiano will all be wonderful but fairly commonplace. You need a Doctorate in Cheeses to work in this shop where the range on offer seems infinite. The staff can tell you about every variation and all the subtleties of flavour and will let you try out a wee bit before you decide what to buy. You’ll just keep coming back for more.

Peckham’s delicatessen

Peckham’s successful chain of speciality foodshops has two branches in the West End: Byres Road (00 44 (0)141 357 1454) and Hyndland Road, Hyndland (00 44 (0)141 357 2909)
They have a great selection of interesting lines including great coffee, wonderful bread, cold meats and pate, and tempting gateaux – including the dreaded ‘Death by Chocolate’. Their smoked haddock and leek quiche is very impressive. They also stock a super range of wines. Peckham’s is the creme de la creme of delis – it’s a great place to go for a wee treat or, as is a Scottish custom, to buy a gift to take when visiting friends. (Peckhams have grown bigger and better in recent years and moved from smaller shops to other larger locations nearby – their new shop (2002) further up Byres Road is a great spot for bumping into people).

Il Cappuccino,

491 Great Western Road, Kelvinbridge.00 44 (0)141 337 3001

This deli does a brisk trade in sandwiches and coffees to go. Fresh sandwiches and filled rolls are made up whilst you wait with some very imaginative choices: Try their ‘Niagra Viagra’ – choritzo, melted cheese and spicy mayo on a baguette or ‘Italian Stallion’ – foccaccia with chicken breast, bacon, lettuce and tomato. I must ask them what the female equivalent choices are? They also have all the favourites – apple slices, carrot cake, danish pastries, a good selection of bread and bages, cold meats and cheeses.

Roots and Fruits (Wholefoods and Organics)

Yes, Roots and Fruits have added to their little row of shops just before Otago Street and this deli has joined their flower shop and long established greengrocers. Here you can find everything for the healthy eater including organic icecream. They’ve also got Jim’s favourite Rooibosch tea.

The Cave, 421 Great Western Road

Friendly local deli with great selection of world wines and beers. Tel:00 44 (0)141357 5550

Oriental Foods – 307 Great Western Road

An extensive range of oriental and asian produce including halal. Tel:00 44 (0)141 334 8133

Grassroots – 20 Woodlands Road

Brilliant for the health conscious, allergy prone and politically correct – great selection of just about everything. This shop has been in thriving in the area for 20 years and is Glasgow’s best known vegi deli.Tel: 00 44 (0)141 353 3278.

KRK Continential Foodstores

• Woodlands Road.

Everything you’ll ever need to make an amazing curry and lots besides. This is a great shop to browse around and discover exotic ingredients. Their selection of Asian sweets is very tempting.

Rajou

on Gibson Street.

A very busy deli cum newagents much frequented by the student population. They have their own unique range of freshly cut and wrapped sandwiches. The brothers Rajou are well known shop and restaurant owners in the area.

Don’t forget to let me know about any of your own favourites so that I can add them to the list.

–Leslie ( amphioxus at btopenworld dot com ) from uk on 25.8.2002; 20:37:29 Uhr

What about Heart Buchanan on the deli page – it really is rather good?!
–K ( asdf at hotmail dot com ) from UK on 16.7.2002; 19:51:50 Uhr

Nice website. As previous comment, would be good to have telephone numbers. Need to locate curry leaves for a recipe. Any ideas where I would get the? Would rather phone round first than tramp round on a wet Saturday afternoon!
–

I Think your web site is GRRRRREAT.

***BUT

I would have liked to see a picture of Scherezade (not sheherazade)

But the rest is tops the web could be doing with more web-sites of this high standard.
–H . Ali ( e-mail at gcal dot ac dot uk ) from Scotland on 28.7.2000; 0:00:00 Uhr

Hi Auntie Pat how are you? I thought I would comment for a change and tell you that I think the site is great. I would also like to volunteer to review any of the nightlife in the west end for you. Strictly for research purposes of course!

see you soon.
–Danielle ( danielleyo at hotmail dot com ) from Scotland on 5.3.2000; 0:00:00 Uhr

Glasgow West End: Pat's guide to delis in the West End.