Tinderbox

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The 2011/12 edition of The List's Eating & Drinking Guide is out now – only £5.95 (+p&p).

This review is taken from the current (2011) edition.

With three outlets in Glasgow, Tinderbox remains one of the city’s most popular destinations for coffee and cake. This is in large part down to the fact that all three cafés are stylishly designed, employ youthful and friendly staff, and serve very good coffee. The cakes, like the sandwiches, are brought in from independent suppliers, and the results are mixed. While the cakes are generally good, the sandwiches, which come wrapped in plastic and are served with a bag of crisps and a somewhat arbitrary garlicky dip, come dangerously close to resembling airline food. Moreover they are not cheap at £4.50. The beef or chicken and tarragon pies sold at the Ingram Street and Princes Square outlets are more successful, and are available with either beans or salad. At all three branches there are noodle boxes, pastas and salads available, but the real reasons to visit Tinderbox are for the coffee, the vibrant urban atmosphere, and the opportunities for people-watching.

• High point: Genuinely stylish interiors
• Low point: No free Wi-Fi

1. Community Guru, Glasgow – 24 February 2009, 3:14pmTinderboxReport

TInderbox is in a great location for those who wish to people watch & sit at its window facing onto Byres Road watching the world go by. It's "I Saw You" post box from the List Magazine is also a great addition in it, and its a pity more West End cafes don't have such a service / facility.

Better known for the array of soups it offers its customers, advertised on its blackboards / A - frame outside - although they don't quite score as highly as "Naked Soup!"

As for it's Coffee's and food generally, It is pretty pricey, and expensive for what it is. The staff seem friendly enough, and it's provision of internet facilities on laptops for hire is good, but a bit pricey also.

Seating is sometimes a bit of a problem with it often being very busy, and difficult to be able to relax with there being so many people there.

I wouldn't really call Tinderbox a place to go if you want to relax, or contemplate on your thoughts for longer periods of time. There are smaller, and quieter cafes which serve that purpose better.

Overall Tinderbox is good as a venue for socialising, and meeting friends or loved ones. But, when it comes to the food & drink on offer, and it's value for money I'd rate it far lower.