Take a tour of Govanhill’s shiftng café culture with Rose O’Doherty who has lived in the area since the 90s.

Words by Rose O’Doherty and illustrations by Fiona Gibson

In the 26 years I have lived in Govanhill, I have seen a growth in café culture in the area, something it’s really become known for lately. Some cafés have been around so long you can’t imagine the neighbourhood without them. Others have more of a more short-lived presence. The range and variety of establishments represent the diversity of the area. Drinking in these cafes makes me feel part of this wonderful community and although I often frequent them with my partner Suzanne, I enjoy chatting with the owners and just watching the buzz around them as people come and go. And of course I love the coffee and the other drinks on offer. In this article, I wanted to take you on a meander through some of my favourites, stopping for a cuppa or two along the way.

One of the oldest cafes in Govanhill is the Bluebird Café on Cathcart Road. It has been run by Dino and Mirella for 40 years and, before that, by Mirella’s Italian parents. They still sell sweets from big jars and cater for regular clients with filled rolls, tea, coffee, and hot chocolate – my tipple of choice – and, of course, ice-cream.

“Since this article was written, Bluebird Café owners Mirella and Dino announced they were retiring after 40 years of service. The café will keep serving hot food but with different owners. Their service will be much missed. ”

— Ed

A couple of doors up from the Bluebird Café is a more recent opening, Canary Girl. The name comes from proprietor Robbie’s grandmother, who worked in a munitions factory, where like others her skin turned yellow as a result of working with TNT. Robbie originally started out roasting coffee beans in his flat and selling to cafés in Edinburgh and other outlets. He continued to roast his own coffee beans in Canary Girl, selling beans and ground coffee from the café or online. Now he concentrates on providing excellent coffee, teas, lattes and juices and the most wonderful pastries. Small but beautifully formed, Canary Girl does a roaring take-away trade. This kept Robbie going during the pandemic and various lockdowns.

A little further north on the same street is an even newer arrival. MacChai has friendly staff and sells delicious Pakistani street food – I particularly like the smashed samosa – as well as spiced chai, coffee and a good range of desserts and ice-cream. As expected, we found it open on Christmas Day and had our dessert there after a walk following our Christmas dinner.

Read more on Pakistani food in Govanhill

Walking down Calder Street to Victoria Road, we come to Locavore. This social enterprise is actually a food store focussing on organic and local produce. But there’s also a café, usually with tables outside, where I’ve enjoyed an espresso or two in good weather.

Opposite Locavore on Victoria Road, you’ll find Cake & Make (previously called Coffee Patisserie). It has a diverse clientele and, although primarily a cake shop, it doubles as a café. It is very inexpensive for tea, coffee, and excellent paninis with fresh salad. But I recommend the carrot cake!

Just off Victoria Road on Bowman Street is Bee’s Knees, which has just emerged from behind some inconvenient scaffolding. It is a charming café run by Anna who is originally from Poland. She serves lovely teas – Rooibos Custard is one of my favourites – as well as coffee and a selection of crepes, dumplings, and beautiful cakes. Bee’s Knees has a lovely friendly atmosphere, mismatched furniture and can be hired for community events or private parties too.

Read more on Bees Knees Café

Last but not least, is Transylvania Coffee and Shop which opened during the pandemic. I discovered it on one of our walks to Queen’s Park. It sells a range of fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as tinned goods and chutneys from Romania and Eastern Europe. It has tables outside and sells excellent coffee, teas and other drinks and a range of Romanian pastries and cakes. A real newcomer to the area, it is worth a visit on a fine day.

This is by no means all that Govanhill has to offer. These are just a few of my favourites that showcase the wonderful diversity of this neighbourhood in the different foods that they sell and people that run them. I apologise for any cafés in Govanhill I’ve left out, but that just means I’ve more to explore, which I look forward to!

Many of these establishments have been struggling through difficult years of the pandemic, so give them a try. You won’t be disappointed.

This article first appeared as part of Issue 6 of Greater Govanhill magazine. To grab a copy of the Issue, click the button at the top of this article.