Where the Monkey Sleeps

This is quickly becoming one of my main haunts for meetings! It’s location is great as it’s only a 2 minute walk from Central Station & I’m sure the place is a welcome addition for the office workers around about — especially given how great the prices are. I’ve only ever been in mid morning for a cuppa a few times but the industrial feel of the building makes for a really laid back atmosphere and the massive windows make it a great place to watch the world go by. There’s a range of books for people to pick up and read while having a bite to eat or a drink & artwork for sale to browse.
I’m going to try and schedule my next meeting near lunchtime so I can sample some of the treats they have on their menu! Drooling already…

Dropped in after seeing what was interesting locally on the Unilocal App, to where I was in Glasgow for a meeting. Hot Panini’s with a twist. I ordered the Soofa Deluxe — and very good it was too. I was in for lunch, and it was quite busy, but the queue moved quickly, and I found a seat no problems. Its got an industrial vibe, all bare brick and exposed wire. Well worth checking out for lunch. :)

I only wish this place was open longer and later. I must have walked by it when it was closed a hundred times before finally finding an excuse to head for it at peak lunchtime hours. I’m glad that I did.
My partner and I took a seat by the window in a plush chesterfield and started examining the menu. Choosing food was a challenge in itself because everything (and I do mean everything) sounded delicious. At least to me. For my fussy partner much of the menu was a bit too complicated. However, the WTMS staff were very happy to oblige and made him a cheddar and bacon pannini without blinking an eye at the off-​menu request. I opted for the Full Caesar — a Caesar salad with chicken, bacon and a poached egg.
Anyone hoping for a low fat, low calorie, healthy salad should probably not order the Full Caesar. I say that fully intending to go an have another at the first opportunity. It is absolutely loaded with parmesan, Caesar dressing, crunchy croutons and all those delicious things that you’re secretly hoping for when you go for the «healthy option.» No anchovies, but it seems like everyone leaves anchovies out of their Caesar salads these days and to be fair, there was plenty of saltiness from the bacon, so I didn’t miss them.
It’s a cool and comfortable space. Definitely a bit hipster but I’m not sure that’s a problem. We enjoyed admiring the art work for sale along the wall while we waited for our food and there’s nothing quite like sinking into a big comfy sofa. If you’re in the right part of town and in need of breakfast or lunch you could do a lot worse. If only they also did dinner I could practically live there.

A brand new WTMS comes to Glasgow! Oh happy days. So this one is in a strange location (to me) but apparently it’s perfect for office workers. It’s just along from Central Station and would be an ideal place to visit for some pre-​work breakfast, and of course, lunch.
I was visiting for lunch and we were definitely there during the rush period — there was queues at the counters but they all moved pretty quickly. They also take phone orders, so you can call ahead and then line up in a separate queue to pick it up which is a great idea.
This place looks so different from the original WTMS. The ceiling is really high, with exposed concrete and piping, it’s got a very industrial look and I love it. There’s super comfy leather couches in the window (best seat in the house) as well as high tables, and normal seating. Roz M and I ordered the same thing — The Man From Iran panini but with some lady in there too. The Man From Iran is a chicken and vegetable panini, and the woman is an aubergine version but seeing as I love chicken and aubergine, we got them with both. This caused a little bit of confusion in the kitchen but they came to let us know and we weren’t in a hurry so it was no big deal.
The Man From Iran has: chicken, smoked cheese, chargrilled peppers, courgette, red onion, chili, hot sauce, cayenne and lime. I really liked the panini — good size, decent amount of filling and served with a side salad of potato and grapes which was unusual. It certainly had a kick from the chili but I found that easy enough to pick out. To takeaway the price is just over £4 which is very reasonable for city centre, or £5.30 to sit in and lounge on the couch. This was an ideal place for a chilled, relaxing lunch and catch up. I’ll be back very soon!

I managed to catch this place 5 minutes before the kitchen shut, and lucky me, because if I hadn’t I would have been able to sample the delicious things they have to offer at this new branch. I have not had the privilege of trying out the original but the new one is assuredly vibrant and and welcoming, perfect for the office crowd of Argyle Street wanting a quick but wholesome bite to eat.
I opted for the Stoofa Max panini, a tasty concoction of chicken, bacon, red onion, leaves and pastrami. It may sound like a bit too much happening all at once but the flavours meld together into this rich but not cloying experience, served between crispy ciabatta. A little scoop of the house potato salad with grapes cut through the richness of the pastrami and chicken, and paired with a tasty coffee, I hope to become a regular at this new branch. :)