Kember & Jones

Editor's Review

Glasgow's Byres Road is a great stretch of old and new. Established, historic cafés and pubs rub shoulders with new, indie spots, with nothing looking out of place. Stretching from Dumbarton Road to Great Western Road, it feels like the centre of the West End, and a place people gravitate towards in search of something memorable. 

Kember & Jones is bordering on being an institution there by now, having first opened its door way back in 2004. Since then, they've made a few notable changes that really make your experience there special. Firstly, they established their own bakery in 2010, and so all their bread is made in-house, including gluten-free loaves. That same year, they set up their own roastery, and set about creating their own blend, which they produce in small batches every few days, so you're guaranteed to be getting a fresh cup of coffee with a great flavour profile. 

Its quality is reflected in its popularity. Queues can snake out the door on weekends, but things move pretty quickly inside, so you shouldn't be waiting too long. A cute mezzanine level offers a good view of the whole operation, as well as the bustle of the street outside, and with a busy kitchen firing out breakfast and lunch specials regularly, the whole place smells incredible. 

If you are going to keep a place going for so long, you've got to make sure you keep up the quality, especially in a city like Glasgow where so many rivals have come along in the intervening years. Kember & Jones have done that by making sure everything is under their control, so really, it's up to everyone else to meet the high bar that they've set.

Reviewed by Harry Harris; image courtesy of the venue.

Cafe Features

Baby Change

Wifi

Brunch/Lunch

Loose Leaf Tea

Licensed

Outdoor Seats

Toilets

Buy Beans

Table Seating

Coffee + Drinks

Decaf

Non Dairy