Urban Brew

This place is transforming away from being Beanscene as slowly as possible. The furniture and fixtures are pretty much all the same (and in some cases in serious need of an update) and last time I was there I still spotted some of the old Beanscene branding. Still, I’m sure that a new business can be an expensive endevour so perhaps they should be forgiven for sprucing things up slowly. Sadly there isn’t much else to recommend the place.
The coffee’s fine but the service is hit and miss and the cakes are awful. Lemon meringue cheesecake sounds amazing, right? It was rubbish. I was so disapointed. Add that to a very ordinary range of sandwiches and paninis and it’s hard to justify a return visit.

I remember coming in here when it used to be Beancene, so i wasn’t expecting much! but I was plesently surprised, I popped in for a coffee with a few mates before heading into town for a movie, the first thing I noticed in-​fact all of us noticed was the absolutely stunning female behind the counter! she was bloody gorgeous! and for anyone wanting to know her name, it was shabina and she was the manager ;) anyway on with the review! we ordered a selection of drinks flat white, latte, mocha etc and a few different cakes, the stunning shabina took our order with a smile to die for, don’t get me wrong I never wonder in to coffee shops to ogle at the staff but it makes a great difference when you get someone who is actually happy to serve you, there are a lot of places you go to nowadays that the staff hardly speak to you let alone smile, which really pisses me of! why the hell are you working there if your not happy! anyway, where was I? oh yes the smile… hehe, she asked us to grab a seat and she will bring everything over to us, we went and sat on the big comfy couches, the place had a positive vibe about it, great music playing and it was pretty busy, which is always a good sign.
our coffees arrived unfortunately not by shabina but by a young lad, the drinks were actually really good but the cakes were amazing, anyone that goes there has to try the salted brownie! its the best I’ve tasted! the muffins were also really good!
so all in all i will be back not only for shabina but for the great drinks and cakes!

Stopped by after work for a little pick-​me-​up on my way into town.
I’m torn between 2 or 3 stars because they’re not doing too much wrong… but not really doing anything well enough to make me want to stay longer than 5 minutes, let alone come back. I’ll settle for 2 stars even if it seems slightly harsh because Unilocal sums it up with «Meh. I’ve experienced better».
Service was not great — one staff member came across standoff-​ish, and the other although nice, speaks so quietly that it is difficult to hear. I went in for a treat, but the individually wrapped cakes and things in the cabinet put me off, so I opted for a smoothie instead. The smoothie was good (it’s hard to get wrong), and I actually like that they use frozen fruit because it’s fresh and cold.
However, it was served in a plastic cup, which I know sounds really picky, but coupled with the lack of inspired décor inside (basic prints on the walls, cables hanging above a tv… (why a tv?), gave me a not relaxed, but very under-​enthused experience.
This place could be a lot more inviting with a bit more effort. Sparse is okay, but yeah. there’s somehow a difference between classy minimilism and the atmosphere here. The sun was out too, which coming through the windows facing Kelvingrove means the café should have been off to a head start.
I drank up fast and went further down the road which reminded me how cafes can be.

This place is right across the road from the Kelvinhaugh museum and so when smudge needed a break from looking at dead things we chose to cross the road rather than use the really busy coffee bar or café in the museum. I wish we’d stayed put!
This used to be a Beanscene and I was excited to see the new signage and was hopeful for a bit of a facelift and something a bit more interesting. I should have trusted my first instincts — If a business can’t be bothered to replace cracked and missing tiles on their front step it’s a clear sign of things to come.
Despite the new signage outside this is still a Beanscene, same furniture, same layout. The only difference is that it seems to be even less of place I’d rush back to than Beanscene.
The cake cabinet was fit to burst, but nothing was displayed in a way that made me want to justify the calorific spend. Cakes and pies still in the foil trays that costco sell them in and biscuits, cookies and traybakes all wrapped in cellophane making me wonder just how long they intend to be languishing in the cabinet.
Service was sullen. I’d be the first to roll my eyes at overly-​enthusiastic gushy service but this was not reserved it was rude. I expect at least a smile when I’m ordering and if you are asking me for money please speak loud enough for something other than bats to register. The same member of staff brought my drink to the table and managed to put it down without saying a word or making eye contact — I’m almost impressed.
The coffee was decent and smudge was happy with her Fentiman’s rose lemonade and rocky road. But that is the nicest thing I can muster up about our visit here.