The Balcony Cafe

Best re-​use of a church building! Most unusual view for coffee! These are two of the compliments which you could offer the Balcony café, as it is situated within an old church, which has been converted into a climbing centre.
I enjoy visiting here, even though I have not yet been brave enough to try actual climbing or bouldering (you don’t have to be climbing to use the café, or be a member of the climbing centre).
The coffee here is really nice, currently provides by Tapa (of Dennistoun/​Southside fame). They do all the standard options, but also have piccolo, and chai lattes. They also sell Lucozade, several San Pellegrino and 2 Bundabergs. Snacks wise they now have Nakd Bars and interesting looking protein and oaty bars.
Sandwiches are always available, and come with funny names and fresh ingredients. Cakes are available, and very large muffins. I keep meaning to return at some point to try these famous nachos people rave about. Maybe next time!

On those days when the thought of excersising makes me grimace (everyday) i think of the Balcony Café. Looking up as if in to the heavens, the light beaming out of its big beautiful stain glass windows, i climb up that curly staircase. I bribe myself with some tasty lunch before or after a nice big climb session. The Balcony Café has the lovliest people working in their kitchen, very easy to chat too.
It is always clean and tidy and it is never to hard to find a seat. They have a nice selection of drinks in their fridge and their aptly named meals tickle my funny bone. I never expected this kind of calibre of food from a café in a climbing gym, i am more then pleasantly surprised. I can’t comment on the coffee as nothing compares to the brew back home in the land of Oz, but i hear very good things.
All in all this is definitely a repeat venture for me, tasty, clean and not hard on the pocket. Staff that make you want to return is rare these days and return i will.

Had lunch here on Saturday partly lured by it number 1 status on TripAdvisor.
Its is very obviously not the best restaurant in Glasgow, it does offer a quirky venue for lunch and the food is perfectly acceptable with some varied choices alongside the soup and sandwiches. Staff were nice, wouldn’t make a special trip to attend again.
Can’t review them on trip advisor as I don’t want to burst their prefect record…
Had haggis nachos
Soup and a sandwich
Tuna panini
Kids Ham sandwich.

«We’re NOT going up there!» they hollered.
If you like eating in the presence of smelly climbing shoes, sweaty feet and grip talc then this is your place. You’ll share your table with the climbing centre locker room, I kid you not. But don’t let that put you off, coz this is a great place to have a bite and a cuppa. It’s cheap, tasty and unbelievably friendly. From the outset the staff seemed to have love and pride in their jobs. They were happy, that rubbed off on us and we knew we’d have a good afternoon.
You don’t have to climb to dine, but you can watch on in awe and it’s a pretty busy place with peeps of all ages shooting up those knobbly walls. We popped in for haggis nachos, beef enchiladas and soup. The green lentil soup was off (as in gone sour), but that was sorted pretty efficiently by the chef. But the chilli beef enchiladas and nachos were pretty decent for £6 each. It’s a funny environment to sit eating a spot of lunch, but somehow it worked for all three of us. Friendly, buzzing and inspiring. A happy place. :-)

Along my frequent visits to the climbing walls, I often sit up here with my laptop and get some work done (thanks to the free wifi!)
They advertise as «best coffee etc» but it’s a pretty standard darkish roast so not really «up my wall» — we’ll forgive them that indiscretion because of the view from the balcony and the excellent food (fat elvis!!) to keep you energised for those walls.
Update: elvis has left the menu but the veggie haggis and parsnip panini is amaze balls.

Well my it has been a busy weekend, as such we thought a wee treat in the form of a spot of lunch was in order so we popped in here as we have a couple of cliber friends who use the centre.
On entry there is the gorgeous converted church which has been converted for the use of the climbing fraternity but has kept some of the original features such as the rafters and beams and the stain glass window which dominates the café.
The menu is a mixture of healthy things such as ginger and soy noodles and a variety of low fat protein options as well as interestingly flavoured paninis and snacks such as nachos.
We went for a thai chicken panini and nachos with vegetarian haggis. Its one of the best panini’s ive tasted and exactly the flavour that comes to mind when i think of thai, creamy, coconut flavour with a hint of spice. For a café with such a wee amount of space the things they make are phenomenal. The better half also says that the nachos and vegetarian haggis were gorgeous too.
A very inventive and healthy café with an interesting view well worth another visit!