CAFE SONO: Food for the Hungry

Glasgow Food - Central

Where?

If you know Glasgow on any level you’ll know where the Central Station bridge is, in the middle of the city centre. You’ve got people all over the place, from rushing to catch trains, to going to get a fresh cut at the barbers and everything else in between. In other words, it’s one part of the city that something’s always happening.

Under the Central Bridge houses one restaurant that doesn’t get nearly enough credit when considering where to eat in this neck of the woods: Cafe Sono. It might be tucked away under a bridge and squished together with a bunch of other businesses but I can say confidently: this place stands out from the crowd. Yes, I’m talking about outside looking in but once you’re in? Well that’s when things start to get real.

The Cafe

When you step into the Cafe, it’s as if you step out of Glasgow. The food sizzling on the grill and the meat spinning round a spit. The aroma of spices and coffee fill your nostrils as music invites your body in through the doors. A true sensory experience. This seemingly little cafe has a lot going for it as it’s really not all that little in the first place. It has both an upstairs and downstairs seating area, giving guys like me a choice of perspective of how I see it all going down. I chose upstairs - I like to see the chefs at work in the kitchen and it was a great view from up there. (Check out for yourself in the video below).

The guys behind the counter

Now I’m gonna be totally honest, I had the best time meeting these guys and not only having them serve me food but serve me a barrel of laughs as well. The comedian of the bunch is Ali, or if you wanna get formal, it’s “Uncle” Ali. He is full of personality and is the one you’ll meet first when you walk through the door as he tends to the meats on a spit. It seemed as if the reason for his every movement was to make sure that my experience was the best it could be. He might even give you a wee taster of some meats while you wait for your food. Well that’s if you’re lucky and if he likes you. (FYI…I got the meats).

The main man running the show is Oz. He brings the energy to the cafe and clearly knows how to hold it down as the leader, especially when it gets hectic. I had a chance to sit down with him and find out how he found himself in this industry. A former Civil servant (art teacher) in Turkey, decided to change it up and turn his passion for food and service into his day job in sunny old Glasgow. With his father from Turkey and his mother from Italy, he’s always loved to take from each cuisine and use it in what he produces; for his friends in his early days and now for the Glasgow public.

The Food

We came hungry and man, we left with bellies filled up to the brim! We got a chance to try the beef and the chicken that was cut fresh from the spit. I guess you could call it doner and chicken doner but I almost don’t want to reduce their product to what you think that is. What they produce supersedes any expectation you might have when you hear that word: doner. (Guess you just gotta try it to see what I’m on about). The beef was tender and succulent beyond belief. Definitely did not expect that kind of quality.

Now this is the kind of food you want to eat a lot of and when you do, you’ll be calling me to say thank you. (you’re welcome in advance). This is food for the hungry. You got a food-related itch? This is one place you can use to scratch. Portions are substantial but not mammoth. We shared a Manhattan burger (slow-cooked onions, gherkins, smoky mayo, with pastrami and swiss cheese) with fries and a wrap, and we were close to crawling out the door. (I’ve got a feeling it might’ve been Uncle Ali filling me up on meat while I was waiting).

Chef Jonny?

After a tasty meal and as we were getting ready to go, I thought I would shoot my shot and ask if I could get behind the counter and use my chopping skills on this meat! To my surprise, I was welcomed back there. You must check out the video to see my attempt. (Definitely not gonna be a chef Jonny around here anytime soon though, that’s for sure).

It’s great to see a place like Cafe Sono continue to provide food at this time. I know that you won’t be able to sit-in and eat right now but please go and check them out and grab a takeaway. I would love to hear your experience and how you liked the food.

If you do go, please tag me or message me on IG and let me know. Also, let the guys know that you saw this article. (I don’t get a kick back or any secret benefit. It’s just the love of meeting people, hearing their story and sharing it).

Check them out on IG @cafesonoglasgow