Where The Monkey Sleeps

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For a warm hearty lunch this place is great! I had chilli and leek and potato soup when I visited (I had just had dental work so was on the soft stuff!) and both came with lovely door stop bread. They have a super good system for ordering food which is very efficient if you’re sitting in or taking away. They have a very interesting décor (we sat at a table made out of a fire door) and it is a bit mish mash but adds to the character.
Great value, keeps you full and always surprises with their flavour combos. Check it out hungry tums of Glasgow!

Great little place. Stopped in for coffee and a breakfast sandwich. Great service and food. Would frequent often if I lived/​worked nearby.

Best bagels in Glasgow! Have tried just about every one and you literally can’t go wrong with any of them.
Also like the sandwich and soup/​stew lunch deal which is great value at £4.50/£5.00. The spicy butternut squash soup is a personal favourite and the sandwiches are on lovely fresh ciabatta rolls.

En el segundo día fuimos a desayunar aquí. Ya lo había estado buscando por Unilocal así que íbamos a tiro hecho. El local es muy pequeñito, hay una zona con varios sillones y luego alguna mesita alta con sillas y la zona de espera. Es un sitio al que la gente va mucho de paso, para pillarse algo de comida a media mañana e irse a seguir currando. Yo vi entrar a un montón de trabajadores de oficinas cercanas y de obreros que estaban al lado currando.
Nosotros nos sentamos en un sillón de una salita repleta de portadas de vinilos y con carteles de conciertos, muy divertido la verdad.
Para comer pedimos huevos benedictine y un bagel de salmón con huevo (la receta oficial es con queso crema pero lo quité) y unos batidos de naranja con frutos rojos y banana que estaba buenísimo.
Ojo, bastante carete, en euros fueron como 21 €, que para un desayuno regular me parece caro, no era tan grande como un brunch ni con tantos platos. Estaba buenísimo eso sí :)
Para encontrar el sitio tienes que estar atento porque está bajando unas escaleras de un edificio, por lo que no te despistes.

Great place for lunch! I had the Uncle Frank (with no mayo) and a mocha, and both were pretty good! They have plenty of neat seating area as well. They have a wide range of options such as coffee, paninis, sandwich bagels, soups, and smoothies.

Ever get the feeling somewhere is just surviving off reputation? Well that was kinda my impression after stepping foot into Where The Monkey Sleeps (WTMS) after a near ⁶⁄₇ year hiatus
I do recall being utterly amazed with the wickedly wacky sandwich and bagel menu back then, and still today some of their crazy concoctions make me drool.
WTMS is situated in a small basement on West Regent Street so its not the brightest of places. Space is also tight and if you don’t manage to procure a sofa you might end up literally perched on a minuscule bar stool and tiny high table which are not very comfortable.
We decided to sit in on this rainy lunchtime afternoon and ordered a couple of sandwiches and fizzy drinks as a pick-​me-​up. Myself, I went for the Operation Bagel with roast chicken, red onion, leaves, house Caesar dressing, thyme, parmesan, balsamic and lemon juice.
The bagel itself was really nice, moist, soft and beautifully toasted. I cannot really fault it, it was pretty delicious, but I also felt that for the sit in price of £5.10 it was pretty small and a little sad looking. The bagel was placed on a huge white plate with a tiny little side of new potatoes with mustard mayo. Seriously, it was more plate than actual food (sad face) and I was left a little hungry after my lunch, which was a tad disappointing.
Another sad face was for the fact that the place smells pretty heavily of fried food (think Saturday morning fry-​ups in a student flat). Not the best place to visit if you are heading back to the office and about to go into a client meeting.
Its fair to say the food is still of a good and quality standard, but I think its the smaller details aren’t quite right in here at the moment. The place to me is looking a little bite tired. I know the excellent reputation is keeping these mega busy and they are still doing a roaring trade, especially at lunchtime, so be sure to get in early if you want a seat. But, I think there are now plenty of other, much fresher, sandwich type places on the block that are making this place look a little sorry for the time being.

Like the staff, enjoyed the coffee, loved the breakfast. Close enough to make a quick run from the station, enough of a hole in the wall to not be overrun. A very pleasant way to start the morning.

I’m not sure how long Where The Monkey Sleeps has been around but I first heard about it 13 years ago so… a while! It’s a bit of a Glasgow institution and a good lunch stop for fans of rock and metal. Although it’s now run by different people the original spirit is kept alive with the names on the menu, the record sleeves on the wall, the music (Led Zeppelin, AC/​DC) and of course the bathroom décor.
It does get busy and yes you will have to wait a while for your order. However they have lots of seating and some comfy sofas. I always try and get one of the leather armchairs.
Food wise, there’s lots to choose from and it’s all made fresh to order. I highly recommend a Stoofa or a Stoofa Deluxe (told you the names were good). My only complaint about the food is the potato salad on the side of the plate. The plates are big and it just looks sad there on it’s own. A wee bit of green salad would be better and really why bother with the giant plates? If you’re sitting in it can be expensive as a panini and a drink could set you back over £7. However the toasties and breakfast items are quite a bit cheaper as are the takeaway prices.

For ages I’ve heard nothing but good things about WTMS so I finally stopped in today with a friend for a quick bite.
Originally we intended during in but the extreme inside heat put a stop to that before we even ordered.
My friend had the Meathammer (his review — uuuurghghghugh, I want another!) and I had the Operation, which is basically a chicken Caesar salad in a bagel. The bagel itself was lovely and light, and the chicken salad was very tasty.
It’s also really cheap for what you get. I’ll be back soon!

I have been a fan of WTMS right from the start. A friend/​co-​worker of old knew these guys & helped them out on a few occasions too when they were starting up so I knew how lovely the guys behind WTMS were. They even told me the origin behind the name (everyone probably knows it now) & I always loved the funny & cool names they used for all their food things (the Stoofa always makes me smile!).
This place would be a solid 5 stars if it wasn’t for one thing: their opening hours.
I know due to their location it probably doesn’t work & I’m sure they have tried opening a bit later and maybe that didn’t work BUT they used to be open on a Saturday and this was the one & only time I could really ever make it along for some WTMS tastiness & some rockin’ tunes and now they are no longer open on a Saturday :-(
My boyfriend & I used to love popping along here after a wee jaunt round the town on a Saturday, but alas no more can we do this… I don’t work anywhere near this place either so coming here for lunch is a no-​go too. Such a shame. Can’t even pop in for a cheeky Oreo Speedwagon (I LOVE this name!!!) on my way home as they shut at 5pm. Dang.
I am missing my WTMS bagel-​fix. I love their bagels. I used to change it up and I have tried quite a few different foods in here but I just can’t stray from the bagels now (sounds like a love song). Tasty tasty goodness. Quality ingredients combined in interesting & delicious ways nuzzled between beautiful bagels. UH. YES. On my last visit (I was lucky to have a day off mid-​week & popped in town for some much missed monkey action) I had a delicious coffee with an Operation bagel ~ this is Roast chicken, red onion, leaves, house Caesar dressing, thyme, parmesan, balsamic and lemon juice and it is divine! Another favourite is the Firewalker (Smoked turkey, mature cheddar, sun-​dried tomatoes, red onion, chillies and lemon juice) and the Witchfynder (Chorizo, smoked cheese, spring onion and chilli mayo). So damn good.
I mentioned above the Oreo Speedwagon (Haha! Love that name too!) & I really find it hard to visit here without having one as I love it. It was one of the first (and only) places at the time to serve a milkshake-​like drink with Oreos in it. If you haven’t tried one then please do ~ you wont regret its milky, creamy Oreoy (?!) goodness *slurp*
The toilet here is something to behold — the walls are completely covered from toes to nose (well, and then some) with rock posters/​stickers and it is ace. You can’t help but sit there and wonder at them all. I’m sure this is the reason anyone who enters this loo takes *slightly* longer to reappear than normal. At least I hope thats the reason…
I love all the wee rooms & nooks & crannies this place has. Comfy sofas, books to read & such a relaxed atmosphere. It made me giggle when I was last in sitting there on this seen-​better-​days sofa opposite me where 2 suited-​up business guys devouring their bagels whilst heavy metal played in the background. It was beautiful sight to behold.
I have 3 wishes of WTMS ~ 1) that they reopen on a Saturday or Sunday or C) they open a sister/​brother café (preferably in the West End) so more folk can experience the monkey loving bagel delightness. PLEASE! Thank you.
(Also thank you for the AMAZING Meathammer burgers you provide us with too ~ so flippin’ good)

From the funky vinyl-​adorned walls to the shabby-​chic vintage leather couches; Where The Monkey Sleeps is certainly a cosey joint. Perhaps that’s why the monkey in question fell asleep. — He’d had a legendary WTMS bagel before nestling in one of the several side rooms and into a deep, deep slumber on a super comfy couch. BAGEL COMA, anyone?
Seriously though, how could we have had anything but the infamous Meathammer? When the bagel is so often overshadowed by the sandwich and the panini, it’s amazing to see Where The Monkey Sleeps go all out with their delicious round-​sandwich selection. This is one mighty bagel; Haggis, red onion marmalade and chorizo. If ever there was a better selection to marry between two bagel-​halves, then I’ll be damned.
What emerged was the kind of lunch you dream about for days on end. Think awakening in a cold sweat at
screaming ‘MEATHAMMER!’ You’re going to want another and another and another. And in all honesty, I’m already thinking of when I’m next headed home to Glasgow so I can pop by to delve back into bagel heaven. I absolutely loved the wholegrain mustard potato salad on the side. — Delicious! Portions are generous and you get a lot for your buck.
At first we weren’t sure whether it was table-​service or you ordered at the counter. We soon realised we’d have to head up and place our order. Service was A-​OK; reasonably friendly and pretty damn fast. We did find the small paper cups for our water just a tad strange!
Of course, I’d love to return! And you bet that it’ll be Meathammer that’s on my mind…

Ssshh! Keep this place to yourself!
I recently started a new job at this end of town and was in search of a cool lunch venue; I found it — and apparently a monkey sleeps in it!
Now, bagels can be a bit ‘meh!’ But this place know how to do them properly.
So, I scoured the menu, dismissed the soup (which is apparently awesome too — I’ll review this another day) and went straight for a meat-​filleg bagel. Now, this was a thing of beauty and tasty-​amazingness: «The Meathammer». Haggis, chorizo, red onion marmalade and mature cheddar! Now tell me that your mouth isn’t watering at the sound of this beast!
Cool décor, decent rock music, good comfy seating and free wifi — I completely lost track of time! On a recent visit I discovered you can phone your order ahead of arriving, but I don’t mind chilling out in such a cool place while it’s being prepared.
But as I said, keep this epic place to yourself — and go enjoy the delights!

I work three streets away from this place, and, sadly until today didn’t have a clue about its tasty awesomeness. Yay for Monday discoveries and I shall be spreading the word!
Firstly, the food was great! Everything was fresh, tasty and in plentiful amounts despite the low price tags attached. I highly recommend the Operation bagel but i’m being harangued to give honorable mention to the Uncle Frank and Reubens Panini by my full-​mouthed, chomping colleagues. Seriously people come up for air!!!
The décor, atmosphere are very funky/​cool and the staff were efficient and friendly. Being able to phone your order ahead is particularly handy.
I’m not sure that Where The Monkey Sleeps is an accurate descriptor for the type of munchy experience you’ll have there. Where The Monkey Gives You A Little Furry Gastronomic Hug might be more apt, no?

I am still amazed that so many people have never heard of this wonderful place! I have just finished munching one of their awesome paninis for lunch (the Firewalker Deluxe, which I highly recommend) and was reminded how good their food is. AT £4.20 for a my over-​stuffed sandwich, I think the Monkey is good value for money for the portion size and tastiness of the grub.
A number of us ordered different paninis and one person order a bagel — it was huge! The paninis are pretty big, but I am definitely going to try a bagel the next time, such as the haggis, chorizo and cheese (Meathammer) mmmmm.
Well worth a visit if you’ve never been before.

This place has got to be one of my favourite places to do lunch in Glasgow. I’ve visited three or four times now and every time I spend an ungodly time trying to decide which of their insanely tasty delights I want to try.
I had the Man From Iran panini — a delicious, fresh, beautifully toasted panini with roast chicken, smoked cheese, chargrilled peppers, courgette, red onion, chillies, hot sauce, cayenne pepper and lime juice. Literally the most delicious panini I have ever tasted. The flavours of the onions and the spices and the lime juice complement each other perfectly. My partner had himself the Stoofa Max which is the daddy of all paninis — roast chicken, red onion, leaves, sage, thyme, mayo, balsamic, lemon juice PLUS bacon, pastrami AND mature cheddar. Holy hell — it was amazing. Obviously I convinced him into giving me a bite! Each sandwich was also served with a helping of the most delicious potato salad I have ever had the pleasure to eat. Nonomnom.
Apart from the paninis there is a breakfast menu, bagels, toasties, salads, soups and stews.
The coffee is delicious too and there is a great selection of cakes and tray bakes on offer too, so it’s perfect for a quick coffee as well as for a lunch date.
The staff are always warm and friendly and the service is speedy and efficient. The décor is always super cool, with different «seating gallery’s» with art adorning the walls and big comfy sofas as well as more private tables with stools.
This place definitely is a little pricier than your average café but I have to say the quality of the food, the staff and the lovely art gallery/​living room feel to this place definitely makes it worth it, and is why I will be revisiting this place for many a time to come!

My colleague G was in Glasgow for the day and — just for a change — I managed to persuade him to try somewhere different and so we ended up here. We were just before the lunch-​hour rush which was nicely timed, and we decided to hang out and sit in.
This place is tiny — like, possibly seats 6 – 8 people? But so cosy-​cute. I ordered the amazing «Thar she blows» and I think G had the «Serious Operation». I am a big lass who likes her food but I genuinely struggled to finish it all, so generous was the (extremely tasty) portion.
Price wise, yeah it’s a bit more expensive than grabbing lunch out of Greggs but the ingredients are all top quality and the food is so tasty that I can’t begrudge it at all. It’s still around a fiver without including drinks — pretty affordable.
Even G seemed to be impressed which is a hard push sometimes. He highly recommends that a new meal is created though, named the Malagel (after himself, naturally) featuring bacon, fried egg, cream cheese & a tattie scone. Just a hint ;)

I’m totally in love with this place. Have honestly never had a bad lunch from here.
A lot of folk complain that it’s perhaps a little expensive, but I’m quite happy to pay a little bit more for the quality of the ingredients and a bloomin’ good feed.
You can sit in or take away, although it does cost extra to sit in. It’s a cool looking little shop with a fridge full of pre-​made sandwiches and pastas if you’re in a hurry and need to quickly grab something. Good selection of drinks too, including ginger beer. You can also phone in your order so it’s ready for you to pick up, this is particularly handy if you’re on your lunch break.
I’ve had so many things from here, which were all super tasty, but my ultimate favourite is the Meathammer. Check out my photo and be prepared to drool!

So there has been a lot of people raving about this place!
I finally got round to going. From the outside it just looks like another lunch stop sandwich shop! Entering In they had cool music playing and the deco was quite quirky too! After browsing there menu online I was dead set on having a bagel, but after Austen M finding his new love for them I had been eating them for that last couple of weeks (I was all bagel’ed out). They have an impressive menu but a little on the expensive side if you want to sit in!
It was a wet windy day so I opted for their soup of the day spiced Mexican and sweet potato soup! Jackpot!!! Just what you want on a winters day! Two massive slices of fresh buttered bread served up beside it.
We grabbed a seat in the secluded couch area! Very comfortable! Great service as well! Would return here again and again!

Where is the 6 star button? The bagel I just had makes me want to go and lower all my other reviews by one star!
This was my first visit and it makes me wonder why I have wasted my time getting lunch from anywhere else in the past.
I’m not even a fan of bloody bagels normally!
I had the «meats for the beast» option. It’s a angus burger with bacon, blue cheese, rocket mayo and rocket in a bagel. It is absolute genius! Just so well put together and tasty that words can’t do it justice!
I was not alone I collected 5 other lunches for colleagues and all loved the different options they got.
The place itself is über cool in terms of how it is done up and you can sit in or take away. They also allow you to phone ahead and then go and collect your order to cut waiting times.
If you ain’t been yet, you need to go. I will be back soon! Still angry that it took me so long to try it in the first place!
I bloody love bagels now!

Greatest bagel of my life? Probably.
Stornoway black pudding, chorizo, goats cheese and carmamelised onions packed onto a bagel! Genuis!
Many more lunches will have to be had from this place!