Cafe Salvo

We only popped into Café Salvo for a coffee/​tea.
I had no problems with it. We opted for Cheescake and chocolate cake (homemade) a pot of tea and a coffee.
It was very tasty and the café has a homely feel with old fashioned sofas.
The reason it is recieving 3 stars is the chap who served us (think it was this owner) was unfriendly and rather grumpy! (good service is a must i think !)
Atmosphere generally was a bit cold and got the feeling people didnt stop here because it was an inviting, relaxed café, more that they needed to get in from the cold and get something hot, however i did think the cake was good !

I went to Café Salvo with my family while visiting from New York. It looked OK (with reservations) from the outside, and the décor on the walls was charming (but NOT the plastic tablecloths).
The menu looked OK, but when our food arrived, it was TERRIBLE. The pizza was greasy, my sausage rolls was third-​rate, the tomato sauce on the tables came out as pale orange ooze with NO tomato taste, and the cold drinks were tepid. I was laughing even before I’d reached half-​way through my meal, knowing already that this would rate as the Worst Café Experience Ever. We didn’t stay for dessert, even though the cakes in the display cakes looked OK.
NOT Recommended!

From the outside, Café Salvo looks horrible. Greasy spoon-​esque, pretty shabby and the sign could be so much better. I was a little taken a-​back when my Auntie suggested we meet here because she’s actually pretty well-​to-​do, so I assumed I had the wrong place and rang her to double check. She was already inside.
Like Jonny says, stepping into the café is a whole different story. The décor was lovely, the photos on the walls were my absolute favourite because I love old American black and white movies, and there were loads of portraits of Marilyn Monroe and the likes. It isn’t too fancy but it is really classy.
It’s pretty family orientated and there were a couple of people in with kids and I think that added to the pleasant atmosphere of the café. The food is Italian and the lunches are the usual, paninis, soups, omelettes and such but my choice of soup was delicious, which just goes to show that fancy names do not a tasty broth make. I had a lovely smooth espresso (hungover, oops) which really hit the spot and livened me right up!
Café Salvo is also open until 7pm which means it’s perfect for a early dinner, where you can sample more of this brilliant café’s Italian fare which is excellent value for money.

Before it’s recent refurbishment, the outside of Café Salvo made it look like a slightly dingy, not very special, quick place to grab a coffee at best, kinda place. Inside was a whole other story.
Café Salvo is the sort of café restaurant I imagine New York has a lot of. Black and white photographs of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Marilyn Monroe and other classic American movie stars don the walls. The interior is small, perhaps a little cluttered, but altogether homely and has a family run sort of feel.
I think the owner has made this café just the way he wants it. He has his decorations and the film stars he wants. This makes the place feel genuine.
As for the food, expect big portions of home made style cuisine. Don’t expect anything too fancy, expect your lasagna and minestrone soup. The prices however are very reasonable. For about the cost of a coffee and panini at Starbucks you could have a three course set meal at Salvo.
A genuine, distinct Italian café with reasonable prices and homely food. Highly recommended.

When you first walk into the Café Salvo you’d be forgiven for thinking you’d walked into a café in New York. Black and white photographs of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Marilyn Monroe and other Italian American stars don the walls. The interior is small, perhaps a little cluttered, but altogether homely and gives an impression of being genuine.
The service, feeling genial and personal, complements the surroundings. To top it all the prices are low, the food reasonable and the coffee excellent. For the cost of a drink and Panini at Starbucks you can buy a full breakfast or lunch from an extensive menu at Café Salvo, and enjoy a much more interesting environment.
It’s easy to miss, being small and situated just off the rather obtrusive Tollcross but is well worth seeking out. It is also rather conveniently placed for the Kings Theatre or Cameo Cinema.
A little gem of a café, highly recommended.