North Star Café & Bistro

On the weekend I had FRENCH TOAST WITH BACON, YEAH. And it was so good. It was made better by the fact that I was hella hungover because apparently I no longer have any alcohol tolerance and my eyes are bigger than my stomach so I also ordered a bacon and egg roll, and also also shared my boyfriend’s goats cheese bruschetta. In conclusion it was a lot of food and I was a lot of happy.
I WAS A FATTY THIS WEEKEND AND EVERYTHING TASTED GREAT AND MADE MY HEAD HURT SLIGHTLY LESS. GO TO NORTH STAR AND PIG OUT.
then regret your life decisions and the manic monday you gave yourself by not working on the weekend and vow never to drink again.

We stopped in this morning (okay, it was almost lunch time) in search of eggs and good coffee.
The good: They have gluten-​free bread, which means that my dining options including most of the breakfast items (scrambled eggs, omelettes, etc with GF toast) and french toast! Lunch was also good news with an array of sandwiches to choose from. My companion shared an omelet with me; we choose brie and roasted vegetables for our fillings. The fillings were plentiful and the plate was lovely.
The not-​so-​good: My latte was not pretty, nor was it tasty. It seemed like maybe it had been made in a rush (the place was full and stayed full the whole time we were there.)
To finish on a positive note, we could tell that this was a place with many regulars; I saw people come in and get their usual, and lots of chatting at the counter with the staff. It’s good to see family places like this succeed, and I’ll definitely be back to try the food again soon.

A lovely little family-​run café, with really friendly and nice staff. good choice for tasty food, great coffee and cosy atmosphere.
There isn’t much space and it’s usually a busy place, however you will always be welcomed and space will be found for you!

It’s literally the only place I eat when I come down to Glasgow from Inverness. It’s perfect.

Great wee Café — best coffee I have found in Glasgow– food is excellent– service is first class — nice place to sit and relax during the day.

I felt like I was having breakfast in Italy. Nice coffee, cakes, and great service for a student friendly price. What more do you want?

Stopped in for breakfast on a particularly wet and cold Saturday morning, and so glad I did.
Warm welcome from the staff and the café was very busy, always a good sign. I opted for poached eggs with toast and mushrooms and they came with a lovely fresh salad on the side drizzled in balsamic. The bread was obviously homemade and beautifully crisp, drizzled in olive oil. The eggs were cooked to perfection, oozed runny orange yolk, and tasted delicious. I had a cappuccino and freshly squeezed orange juice on the side. Even the coffee and juice were delish.
My partner opted for the full breakfast and he said it was one of the best he had. No gripes here, simply a warm homely feel from this lovely wee café on queen Margaret drive. Perfect weekend brunch venue.
Very reasonably priced around £5-£6 for a hearty portion.

You so often hear foodies talking about places serving good honest local food in unpretentious surroundings but in these days of global brands such places become ever more rare. However, I am delighted to say that the North Star Café and Bistro is most certainly one of these wonderful places. The café serves an amazing variety of all day breakfasts but this is no greasy spoon and the food has a strong Italian twist. The daily specials make a substantial and excellent lunch and there are mouth watering home made cakes and coffee all day long too. And if you end up eating too much as you undoubtedly will you can always go for a stroll round the nearby Botanics or along the Kelvin.

Delicious French Toast.

Having lived in this neighbourhood since the start of the year, I was surprised to find out I had not yet reviewed North Star. I was pretty sure I had, but alas, I was wrong.
The food on offer is delicious, and it’s an ideal place to go for Sunday brunch and people-​watch through the big street-​facing windows.
I ordered a bacon roll and an espresso. The bacon roll was lovely. Crusty, flavoursome roll, thick, delicious bacon. The espresso, too, was excellent.
The service was a big plus — the staff were chatty, friendly and efficient — which is all you can really ask for.
This little part of Queen Margaret Drive has a few good places to grab a bite to eat — Coffee Etc and Smile Café — and they all offer something a bit different. North Star is definitely worth the visit and it’s the ideal place to relax on a Sunday.
I’ll definitely be back.

I live right down the street from North Star and tried it for the first time several weeks ago. I was very impressed then and have continued to be impressed the subsequent times I have been in there.
The owners could not be more delightful. They’re chatty without being overbearing and they are as accommodating as they can be. Everything is made to order, even the coffee.
On top of the service, the food is delicious. The chicken club is my personal favorite but the specials for lunch can be absolutely fantastic.
As a relative newcomer to Glasgow, I was unaware that the restaurant had changed hands until seeing previous Unilocal reviews. Though I can’t comment on the previous owners, I can say that the quality of service and food and atmosphere is wonderful at north star and it is definitely worth a drop in if you’re in the area.

Interesting update. It appears that the North Star has changed hands. Nowt much has changed so far, expect for a wee lick of paint (much brighter and cleaner looking) and a general clear out of clutter.
In terms of the grub, it remains to be seen whether things have changed too dramatically. Much of the old faves are still on offer, with the focus on breakfasts and lunches.
The new owner, Italian i think, seems very pleasant and genuine in his service, which is all you can ask for really. Looking forward to visiting again and seeing how the place is getting on. Drop in stars purely based on the need to give it a good couple of visits.
Interesting?

Food is VERY good cakes are VERY good. Ambience is that of a small organic cafechilled, usually folk there are reading newspapers and such. Fantastic.

there’s only too café’s in Glasgow worth going to and this is one of them the other is cc&t
laid back and relax atmosphere perfect after a day walking about kelvin grove or botanic gardens
coffee is grate baking is exceptional food is amazing

North Star is so chilled out, it’s impossible not to sink back and enjoy a brew in here.
With its big, oddly shapen carved wooden tables, local posters (complete with curling edges plastered all over the walls) and laid back, friendly staff, it’s a low maintenance, low key place to meet a bud for a few brews on a sunny day.
They have some deli cuisine lining the walls, eclectic music playing in the background and their menu is written on the surrounding wall tiles — what’s not to like?! It gives you the impression that the staff only rustle up what they can be bothered making on that particular day, and I quite like the fact that they at least appear to be improvising.
They’re really friendly and you can get some awesome goat’s cheese toasties in here, not to mention a bacon roll should a fry up take your fancy. On your way out, you can pick up a jar of some rare delicacy should you be taken with the notion. A lot of their produce looks like it’s been sourced from Scandinavia (not that I’m a expert on my Swedish, but it would explain the name!) All in all, I like the basic, organic nature of this place, its minimalist, noncluttered approach, but also appreciate its cozy, quirky warmth. The only thing they’re missing is a polar bear.

I had never even heard of North Star before a friend took me there 3 years ago. It’s the kind of coffee house that you just ‘know’ about — no flashy advertising, no extravagant shop front, and nothing pretentious about the place at all.
This may be why it is such a draw for artistic and bohemian types. I always get the feeling I’m sitting in someone’s front room. In fact, the toilet isn’t even located within the shop, you’re given a key to the close next door, follow the long hallway to the very back. Don’t worry about leaving your things behind, someone will keep an eye on them for you.
Fresh coffee, and homemade cake made by a local entreprenurial cake maker and brought in each day. TRY THE CARROT CAKE!
If you’re looking for the menu, you’ll find it scribbled on the tile wall next to the till in magic marker. Arrows point to each of the cakes they have available.
Lovely, relaxing and, no hurry, they’ll bring over your next round of coffees to you if you turn around in your seat and give them a nod.
Extra points for great service. Even more points for great cake.

North Star Provisions is a quaint and cosy little deli/​café/​bakery all squeezed into the amout of space in my bedroom. They do a reasonable variety of hot drinks from tea to cappuccinos, and home made food from breakfast staples such as a roll and bacon to freshly baked cakes and soup.
Staying true to Glasgow’s rich musical side, the walls are lined with posters advertising upcoming gigs around the city, and on wall tiles are drawn both pictures by whom I took to be the children of employees, and rather creatively and originally, the menu! Although small, the café is an extremely nice wee place to sit and eat breakfast or lunch, especially on a chilly winter’s morning when the warmth and cosiness engulf you upon entering. A booth sits against the front window, my favourite spot to sit and watch Glasgow’s West End bustle by as you drink your morning tea and devour a roll and bacon.
The prices are all modestly set and you can have a perfectly satisfying breakfast for just a few quid, served by friendly staff who prepare all drinks and food in front of you behind the counter, freshly made and freshly served. Definitely a place to visit again and again.

Back in my students days I was lucky enough to live in North Kelvinside, an area I absolutely loved. Segregated from the crowds in Byres Road, it was home to some gorgeous little shops and cafes including this one, North Star.
North Star serves a range of breakfast and lunch dishes. The menu is scrawled across the tiled walls instead of written down on paper, which adds to the café’s laid back bohemian vibe. Everything is prepared in the little open plan kitchen right in front of your eyes so you can be assured the best hygiene is used. The food itself is delicious; sandwiches are made with doorstep bread and the stews are thick and spicy. You get the impression only the highest quality produce is used.
My only complaint is the lack of seats. It can be really hard to get a table, particularly at the weekend, and if you are lucky enough to grab one there will no doubt be a few hawkers lurking around to make you feel guilty about lingering over your soup. However, take away is available.

This used to be a favourite student haunt of mine — their bacon sandwiches on the thickest, softest white bread ever were lifesavers on days of 9am lectures, or mornings after the night before.
It’s simple but not boring — it’s light and airy, although the food is hearty. I could spend, and have spent, a lot of time in here, reading and just generally chilling out — even better, it’s a great place to sit and watch the world go by (especially if you get a window seat).

I used to walk past North Star every day and I was always intrigued by what seemed a very cool, chilled out café.
Situated on the much-​recently-​improved-​and-​up-​and-​coming Queen Margaret Drive, this little place is definitly a worthwhile pit-​stop. It’s plain and simple without being boring– the small floor is filled with basic wooden tables and chairs and the menu is scribbled along the white-​tiled walls.
The coffee is good and the service is friendly. You get the impression the same people return here on a regular basis. The food is filling and hearty.
If you’re visiting the Botanic Gardens and fancy brunch, I’d recommend you make the short walk. The french toast will be everything you hoped it would be.

A gem of a café. With great food and good coffee. The chickpea dish was excellent, great portion size. Also a lovely ambiance, it’s small so feels cosy and the staff are friendly without being overbearing.