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Before you go

Opened
1931
Style
Long-running Shawlands cafe — breakfast, brunch, ice cream and American/Italian comfort food
Setting
Minard Road, Shawlands — cosy neighbourhood cafe
Known for
since 1931, homemade ice cream, brunch, vegan and gluten-free menus
Signature dishes
Homemade ice cream, Empire biscuits, All-day breakfast / vegan breakfast, Grilled cheese sandwiches, Brooklyn Benedict
Good for
brunch, families, vegetarians and vegans, Queen's Park stop
Prices
Moderate cafe pricing; portions often large
Typical spend
Roughly £10–20pp for breakfast or brunch
Lunch
Daytime only — typically closes 4pm; all-day breakfast style dishes
Reservations
Walk-ins often fine
Booking
Walk-in; expect queues at peak weekend brunch
Dietary tags
vegetarian options, vegan options, gluten-free options
Dietary
Strong vegan and gluten-free options regularly praised; ask staff for the GF menu
Kids
Kid-friendly; staff often noted as good with children
Outdoor seating
Yes
Noise / pace
Busy and snug at weekend brunch; daytime buzz only
Getting there
Buses along Pollokshaws Road / Kilmarnock Road; near Queen's Park
Parking
Street parking around Shawlands / Minard Road
Also
Typically open 9am–4pm daily; Homemade ice cream made on site daily

Glasgow restaurant

The Brooklyn Cafe.

4.5(1,292 reviews)
££Opens in 13 hours

Address

The Brooklyn Cafe, 21-23 Minard Rd, Shawlands, Glasgow G41 2HR, UK

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Opening hours

  • Monday: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
  • Tuesday: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
  • Wednesday: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
  • Thursday: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
  • Friday: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
  • Saturday: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
  • Sunday: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Overview

The Brooklyn Cafe on Minard Road in Shawlands has been open since 1931 — a southside institution known for homemade ice cream (made daily on site), empire biscuits and big breakfasts. The menu mixes American/Italian cafe classics: all-day fry-ups, grilled cheeses, pizza, ribs and cakes, with strong vegan and gluten-free ranges that diners often call out. Daytime only: typically 9am–4pm every day. It gets busy and cosy at weekends; queues move but tables turn fairly quickly. Handy for Queen’s Park and Shawlands High Street. No evening service — plan brunch or a late lunch, not dinner.

Reviews

5.0Sarah Brown

My favourite place in Shawlands! Everything I order in here is delicious, but my favourite is the Salmon and Scram. The fry-ups and french toast are good too. Their speciality coffees are amazing! The plates of food and coffees are massive so you are definitely getting your money's worth. The cakes and biscuits are excellent too. Plenty of vegetarian options and good vegan options. Service is wonderful, the staff are always very attentive and food is always out reasonably quick, even when they are full on the weekends! Ever since I first came here almost a decade ago, there has been no complaints. Thank you Brooklyn Café!

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5.0Christopher Cameron

Very good place to get breakfast or brunch. The portion sizes are huge - big bang for your buck. The staff are lovely and very helpful. Got seated very quickly even for a Saturday late morning. The food is fresh and delicious. This will be another place for repeat visits!

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4.0Lewis Cameron

When the big two Southside brunch spots were rammed, we decided to give Brooklyn Cafe a shot instead. I went for the grilled cheese with ham hough and hot honey, £13.30, plus a tater tots, +£1.70. They said it was the one to go for if you’re v hungry but it wasn’t as big as expected. The slow-cooked ham was great and there was loads of cheese, but the hot honey was soaked into the bread and didn’t add much. I’d been told it would come on the side, which would’ve been better to dip in. Also, we felt a bit rushed out, which I get when it’s busy, but it did take away from the experience. Menus were a bit inconsistent too - different inside the shop window vs. at the tables. And I felt it was on the pricier side for what we got.

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5.0Mia Fraser

Olivia is such a legend thanks girlie for the incredible service 💫 10/10 food, got the sun dried panini, ate that up like it was my last supper. Iced latte was very yummy and was nice and quick getting to the table even on a busy day. We will definitely be back!! 💯

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5.0Erin Kosobudska

Wow!! Was brought to this cafe by friends who said they have the best brunch, and it really didn’t disappoint! There was so much passion palpable in every aspect of the cafe, from recipes, menu variety, unique coffees, home made chilli sauce and staff themselves. You could really feel that they were proud of the food there and they were totally right to be! Sid served us and was so accommodating and lighthearted, really put a smile on our face! Highly recommend and will come there every time i visit Glasgow! Thank you BC 🖤

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