SMUG Coffee Bar in Glasgow City

My favourite local café with lovely friendly staff. With so many chains around, it's great to have a local you can rely on 🫶

I stopped by my local coffee shop ‘Smug’ that I go into regularly to grab an iced latte but I received a hot coffee instead. When I politely mentioned this to the staff, I was met with an angry and completely outrageous reaction from the person behind the counter. Rather than simply addressing the mix-up, they acted unnecessarily aggressive and rude, dramatically throwing the ice into the cup/ slamming the drink down in-front of me and stating that I never asked for ice - which made me feel very uncomfortable and intimidated. Mistakes happen, but the way this situation was handled was upsetting. Customer service matters, and based on this experience, I will not be returning. Plenty of other coffee shops in the west end of Glasgow/ Byres road area know how to treat their customers with respect.

Cosy café with reasonable prices. Lovely mocha.

I love this place. The staff are so friendly, create a cosy, chilled atmosphere and the food and coffee are really tasty. Tomato and red pepper soup is my favourite dish. They also have gluten free options.

Super handy. Great location. Lots of choice. But please, please whoever owns/manages it, hire more staff. The wait times are insane. Every time. Please. 🙏🏻

usually love this coffee shop but had a nasty experience today - was clearly overcharged for my drinks as seen in my receipt, alerted the cashier (who i believe was named lynn) who was very rude and insisted she was correct. £6.25 for a coffee is absurd - even with the add-ons we had, and the oat milk we did not ask for. had the same drink two days prior and was charged £4.60! Not happy and the situation could've been very easily resolved if the server was kinder.

I love this cafe, I am a PhD researcher at the nearby uni and I come all the time for the take-away student deal. The staff are very kind and all the drinks and food I've had from them have been lovely!

Would've been a nice place if the staff was present inside the cafe and not smoking near the door all the time. Because they always smoke with the doors open it's impossible to breath inside the restaurant.

Lovely little cafe to sit in! The coffee is really nice and very decent sizes for what you pay. Good vibes if you want to get out the house when WFH.

This is such a great spot! I love coming here to study. Always has amazing drinks, lovely staff, and great vibes. Although I sometimes worry I'll spend all my money on Glasgow Fogs 😅

Great hot and iced chai latte, nice cosy atmosphere

Lovely coffee place, the cinnamon roll is yummy. The white mocha is amazing especially in this cold weather

Smug has an especially good selection of tea based drinks along with the usual coffees, a very student-y vibe, and a nice little terrace.

Top-notch pastries and cappuccini.

Good choice of desserts including gluten free! Friendly helpful staff

Nice, friendly and generally quiet. Service is a bit slow but staff are very friendly. Food is lovely too.

Was looking for a spot in the neighborhood to post up and work, and this is it! Wifi works great, the seats are comfy, lots of plugs, and the coffee was great.

Got the Glasgow Fog which was absolutely delicious (very sweet but very good) :) Service was lovely & quick, and the cafe itself is cozy but still has plenty of seating

Tbh was having an alright time sipping my coffee outside despite other people eating food not bought there he kicks me out while I was munching my bagel in a rather rude manner. Coffee mid

Came to get hot chocolate before my lecture, the man was snarky about student discount being for coffee only. Their lacking selection of pastries meant I had go to M&S for a pain au chocolate - to which when sitting outside the man came out and had a go at us. We had already bought coffees and the table next to us were eating Tesco sandwiches so I think it was just targeted at us. Crusty vibes. Hot chocolate wasn’t even worth it as was tainted by the bloke behind the counters bad vibes. They also charge a significant premium for plant milks 👎

We've been in S'mug Coffee Bar a few times now. It's our "go to" Café whenever we're in Byres Road. The drinks are always great and, being a decaf coffee drinker, I can say the decaf coffee that they use is great too. They always have a good selection of cakes too and I can recommend a Cranberry & Yoghurt Crunch! At the moment, there isn't as many seating and tables available due to the situation regarding Covid-19 but that's a good thing as it means the great people at S'mug, who are always warm and welcoming, are keeping us all safe.

Been here a few times with my friend and I stick with the old faithful of a bagel with homous and roasted veg because it's delicious! They make fogs (I think that's what they're called) which are amazing! I'm vegan and they always have lots of options and cakes!

Friendly service, great flat white, several plant milk options.

Great coffee and tea. The student deal is great, you get a medium drink for £2,20 for takeaway. They do charge extra for plant based milk which I don't love but I still go and get soy milk. They also have some great bagels and pastries. Would recommend

Tasty lattes, fast wifi, and good customer service. 👍🏽🙂

Love the staff here, delicious food and large, tasty drinks!

Decent enough coffee, reasonably priced, friendly service. Sometimes wish it was a bigger space but it's popularity is testament to how good this place is.

This is easily one of my favourite cafes in Glasgow. It's quite a small place so you might not always find seating, especially during busy times, but they do offer takeaway. Their bagels are always fresh, and the soup of the day is always some tasty concoction (usually vegetarian-friendly). They do offer vegan and vegetarian-friendly food. The coffee is good quality as well, with a variety of flavoured syrups available (if you're into that, like me)

Highly overrated! Poor customer service! Average coffee! Maintains no social distancing between tables!

I would actively avoid this place at all costs. The wait time to order was to long i was waiting for over 5 mins just to order. I ordered a lentil soup and only discovered when i walked back to my work desk which was a 10 min walk away that i was not given lentil soup. I was unable to take this soup as i have weird dietary requirements that mean i can only eat lentil soup. I was also given a tea spoon instead of a spoon. The bread was stale and hard it is advertised as fresh ciabatta the ciabatta i received was anything but fresh. I was also given butter but no knife how am i meant to butter my stale ciabatta. I will not be back and will tell everyone i know not to go to this place.

Good student coffee at discounted prices

Smug is my go to coffee shop in the west end to do some work. Nice vibe and music is always great. Their mocha is always tasty and design on the top is cute.

Staff are always lovely and their vegan brownies are great

Fantastic little cafe, food is awesome, Best Bagels around and very friendly. Highly recommended and fair prices too. Go try it out 👍🏼

Our go-to place for coffee after a walk round the west end.

Some of the best coffee in Glasgow. The chestnut praline cappuccino is not to miss!

My favourite coffee shop in Glasgow. Bagels are amazing, cakes are so good and the coffee is great especially the pumpkin spice latte. Great for studying as the WiFi is super reliable 🥰

Always very welcoming and friendly ☕

Wobbly tables. Can’t fault much else.

Great little place for a cuppa! Lovely soup! Always pretty busy is my only negative, stopped here intermittently during uni, lovely place and lovely staff!

My favourite place to stop on the way to work in the mornings. I always get greeted with a happy, smiley face and some chitchat! I love the selection available - spoil't for choice.

I love working in here whenever I'm in Glasgow. Good menu of drinks and some sweets too - the fogs are really interesting, and their coffee is straightforward but they don't skimp on it!

Lovely relaxed atmosphere, big mugs and reasonably priced.

I was good value however drinks and food were quite average

Great place! Has some vegan stuff too

Favourite coffee shop in the West End.

Great service and coffee although WIFI signal was not brilliant

Ridiculously overpriced. £8 for a cappuccino and a generic bagel. Rude staff.

Great little cafe to get work done! Fast WiFi, available outlets, tasty drinks and cozy seats. I had a cappuccino with oat milk and gingerbread that was delicious !

Nice coffee and staff are always pleasant. Good selection of savoury and sweet things to eat too.

Very friendly staff, coffee is your average coffee. A good place to sit and chat or get work done, and the food is great

A great wee place. Really friendly and helpful staff. An excellent selection of cakes and very good coffee.

Favorite student cafe near Glasgow uni, often full and busy however! Usually i don't have a problem to find a spot, but it happens. Good coffee, many options.

Great coffee...and the music played is always...always excellent 10/10..

A wee bit small but great food, drinks and staff

Nice coffee, good study space, and fast wi-fi

Nice place to stop off for a wee coffee

OK, seems popular. Not bad experience but surprised how expensive it was - Bagel with some coleslaw was £6.50 and a glass of milk for my toddler was £2.00. When you can get a pizza from Paesano for £5 and the same size glass of milk for £1 it puts it into perspective.

My local coffee shop, great for breakfast, brunch or lunch.

Always a nice quiet place to enjoy your coffee

Lovely place To meet friends for a chat staff are always nice and friendly and make you feel very wellcome. Very good Custmer service would recommend to anyone 😊 visiting the local area or locals x

Lovely wee place. Friendly staff, nice coffee!

All round good service and coffee

Not bad...get an extra shot, though

Just a great place to enjoy a coffee and anything to eat. Friendly staff and prices are very reasonable.

Staff are super lovely, it's a very cosy place. Good in summer as there is outdoor seeting. Price is reasonable. They use streaky bacon, which isn't everyone's cup of tea, But it's pretty good!

Reasonable prices and discounts for students

Good choices of teas and coffees. Can get crowded at times.

Easily the best coffee in the area, and pretty good value too. The seating does get pretty busy at peak times, but service is quick so takeaway is still an option. Staff are lovely, and the whole place has a really positive vibe.

This place is fantastic. Friendly staff and delicious coffee every time. It's a great place to enjoy a latte while you read a book. Highly recommended.

Reasonable coffee but unsmiling, indifferent staff. Would not recommend.

Nice coffee, good music, friendly atmosphere and several plug sockets. On the downside it can get pretty warm.

Lovely independent cafe which makes excellent coffee. I kind of smell and taste a vanilla note in it which I really enjoy! The staff is super friendly, too.

Espresso drinks were well prepared and tasty. The walnut loaf was moist and delicious.

Love this place. Been coming here for years! Always good food and coffee.

Good alternative to chain brands. Coffee and food are fine and the staff are always lovely and friendly. It's a small space and can get busy during peak meal/coffee times. Lots of students use it as a place to study so it's at it's best during holidays when there's more room - but overall one of my favourites.

Great location, friendly atmosphere, good coffee. Quieter than other coffee stops, so good for a bit of peace.

Calm and intimate, good place for a meet up or study.

Great service, yummy milkshakes. Could do with a rejig of tables though, it's a little cramped.

Lovely place with some great hot chocolates

A little pricey for some things, but generally large portions. Can depend on the day as to what mood staff are in but always high quality food and drink, I have found.

Fantastic food and service every time

Chill atmosphere and quality coffee.

Amazing atmosphere and coffe. Brilliant for a morning coffee with the sun lighting up the place brilliantly

Good coffee,peaceful atmosphere.

Best tasting coffee in the area by far and the drinks aren't overpriced as is the case in most places around the byres road area. It beats starbucks any day of the week.

The coffee is a little thin, but the portions are large. So if you don't like strong coffee and do like lots of it then this place is probably for you. Overall this place could be much cleaner it definitley has a grimy feel to it. It is also quite loud (coffee machine noise), so don't come here to quietly read a book

Tasty place to stop for a quick lunch, although that staff were really good and pleasant to deal with they did have to come back 3 times to check details on my order...

Aah I need to stop going here but their drinks are so good and the atmosphere is so cosy! The student discount helps and the staff are friendly :) Waaay better than Starbucks! Support local :D

Way better than large chain coffee houses

Always friendly and a nice alternative to the big chains nearby!

Went in for breakfast. Coffee was poor and so was the food.