The 78
- Telephone 0141 576 5018
- Opening times Mon–Sun noon–midnight
- Bar open Mon–Wed 12.30pm–midnight; Thu/Fri 12.30pm-1am; Sat/Sun noon–1am
- Food served Mon–Fri 12.30–9pm; Sat/Sun noon–9pm
- Average price Mondays: £9 (set lunch); £12 (evening meal)
- Website www.the78cafebar.com
Jump to articles or comments (8)
The 2013 edition of The List's Eating & Drinking Guide is out now – only £5.95 (+p&p).
This review is taken from the current (2013) edition.
Chintzy armchairs, soft blue velvet chesterfields and rustic wooden dining tables give The 78 a homey, inclusive air that spans all generations, no mean feat given the area in which it sits. Dogs, families, and solitary drinkers reading the paper are as common a sight as West End students. The vegan menu is hearty, solid fare with excellent, peppery, beer-battered onion rings making a moreish starter, although they may not leave you much appetite for a second course. Mains include veggie burgers, haggis, falafel platters and a daily changing specials board of curries, wraps and soup, all in fairly substantial portions with deals on Monday and Thursday offering great value. They do try to offer customers something a bit different but this is more apparent behind the bar than in the kitchen – Sam Smith and ginger beer on tap, a lovely Sicilian catarratto among the house wines, Whole Earth soft drinks and a host of interesting smaller breweries represented in the fridge offer plenty of motivation to linger and return.
- High point: Cosy, comfy and welcoming
- Low point: Laid-back service
- Number of wines sold by the glass: 5
- Provides: Vegetarian options (at least ¼ main courses), Gluten-free options, Children's portions, Children's high chairs, Wheelchair access, Outdoor tables, Live music, Free wi-fi
- Music on stereo: Alternative music
- Capacity: 120
- Largest group: 30
- Open since: 2007
- House wine: £14.30 per bottle
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Comments & ratings
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8.
smilie – 18 Feb 2012, 9:21pm
The 78
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Been here a dozen times, only had one meal which I felt was a little bland. The rest has been really good and I'd have to recommend it. Some dishes are a bit small portion wise but its veggie and they use good ingredients and this costs more. They do good curry's and the thai dishes are pretty excellent too.
- 7. Le Haw – 25 Sep 2011, 3:56pm Report
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So so place. Going out on a limb, I would have to agree with Shocked and Not Surpised and probably avoid the food side of things - the last time the wife and I ate there we felt decidedly rough after too.
The beer side of things is much better though, for they have god's own loopy juice Samuel Smith's Wheat Beer on tap and a good selection of bottled ales.
The highlight in winter is the open fire with comfy chairs at one end. These tend to be the first seats to go in the place so get there early to avoid cold disappointment.
Staff are pleasant but the 78's biggest problem is it tries too hard to be kooky and cool and as a result indulges in a few too many twee cliches that are lapped up by the bad knitwear/rayban spec wearing crowd that tend to go there. The music is mostly awful.
The two exceptions to this are the pretty decent Sunday Jazz which , and the Thursday night Bourgeois Dub Reggae (think its actually called Dub and Grub) where, in addition to the aformentioned bad jumper brigade, you are also surrounded by middle class white people with dreadlocks.
If either of these social groups make you want to walk round the room waving a chainsaw at waist height, then this probably isn't the pub for you.
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6.
Fretful Porpentine – 23 May 2010, 5:40pm
The 78
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My partner and I visited 78 for the first time on a day trip to Glasgow recently and were both hugely impressed. The one drawback was that we had to wait a long time for our food, and then the salad ordered as a starter and the two mains came together - presumably through crossed wires when ordering. However once the food came all was forgiven. The salad was tasty and well-dressed, and my 'classic' veggie burger was indeed the tastiest veggie burger I have ever eaten; a decent tangy salsa was provided so that the whole thing wasn't too dry. Chips, while a simple dish, are often badly cooked so I use them as a reliable test of quality. 78's chips were just about perfect: lovely and crisp outside, fluffy inside, nice golden colour, proper potato taste. My partner was very well pleased indeed with her haggis with mustard-flavoured mash. Some very acceptable real beer to wash it all down. We will definitely return.
- 5. Veggie bugger – 25 Nov 2009, 7:18pm Report
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Either Shocked But Not Surprised caught this place on a particularly bad day or he is somebody from a rival establishment being vindictive.
I have been to The 78 on several occasions and loved it every time. My girlfriend, who is not veggie and has a habit of sending anything she doesn't like back to the kitchen or demanding a refund, also loved it (surprisingly) and thought it was the best food she had tasted in Glasgow in ages (and she is a regular at a number of far more expensive haunts).
The staff can be a bit laid back, but they are always friendly and helpful.
I just thought I would write to redress the balance and bias.
- 4. moustache – 11 Jul 2009, 1:05am Report
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To ''shocked but not suprsied''. If you want to use fancy french idioms you better check them first, coup de grâce NOT coup de gras- GRAS means Grease, is that what you meant?
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3.
vic from out of town – 5 Jul 2009, 7:05pm
The 78
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not a bad place, a bit rough around the edges, and a bit touristy.
the food was so-so... not very pricey but just missing that certain something.
maybe next time, i'll venture further afield.
- 2. baddabing – 16 Jun 2009, 4:02pm Report
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Have been to the 78 before for the incredible jazz on Sunday evenings, so managed to visit again for food without any illusions that it's a drive thru or a car park or responsible for any externalities like bus fares, and indeed found it to be what i remembered; a pleasantly situated cafe bar.
The beer selection provides a good mix of standards as well as Bridge of Allan bramble ale and, as a real boon to a stout drinker, Sam Smith's white rose of York on the side of a glass.
I had a fine veggie burger - and a chunky beast it was - served with a bright crisp salad and chips. Not being a purist about chips I completely drowned them in the malt vinegar provided in a lush looking ceramic.
To round off, had a perfect coffee, and give the 78 ten out of ten for the demerara sugar shaker.
Great place. The staff are as warm, friendly and breezy as the warm, friendly and breezy interior.
Food is vegan in style rather as food can be Italian or French in style, so no hang ups at all for a non veggie like me.
Will be back again to try the falafel platter.
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1.
Shocked but not surprised – 11 Jun 2009, 9:53pm
The 78
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This was the worst culinary experience of my life.
Went to The 78 at lunch time to celebrate graduation. Spent 20 minutes circling round as there were no parking spaces and ended up parking ages away.
Service was very slow even though we were the only people in.
When I asked at the bar what the specials were, I was told there weren't any (contrary to the menu).
Got a pint in a chipped glass, but at least I didn't have to wait 10 minutes for a pint like others at our table of ten.
The menu was bland and uninspiring- the kind that gives vegan cooking a bad name.
When the food finally arrived it was very average, 'side salad' had no dressing and chips were cold. One of our group had to wait another ten minutes after us for his stir-fry!
We left, disappointed, but a few hours later, the coup-de-gras: myself and my partner couldn't go out to the celebration that night as we were floored with food poisoning!(from a vegan place!) Won't go into detail but safe to say, a very unpleasant experience.
I wouldn't recommend this gaff to my worst enemy. Sevice- terrible, food- worse, wasn't cheap either. Avoid at all costs.
Average rating /5 from 4 reviews of The 78.
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