Café Mediterraneo

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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 2010 edition.

With a menu that combines pasta and fishcakes with Turkish mezze, plus an eclectic mix of Greek and Italian pop music on the stereo, it’s hard to place Café Mediterraneo precisely on the map. Particularly when you learn that the place opens at 9am to offer a full Scottish breakfast, including the only non-halal item in the kitchen (bacon, cooked in its own dedicated pan, in case you’re wondering). Owner, manager, chef and genial host Ali Marco is originally from Iraq, but he has his eye firmly on the Byres Road demographic, offering a fresh and relatively healthy take on fast food to students, shoppers and time-poor working folk. A bright little place that manages to pack in 35 covers with the help of a cleverly designed mezzanine, Café Mediterraneo combines the functionality of an all-day café (free wifi) with proper, well-prepared dishes that can add up to a full three-course lunch or dinner. No licence, but you’re welcome to bring your own, with corkage at a reasonable £2.95.

• High point: Simple, fresh food
• Low point: Nothing you can't find elsewhere