Review | Mala Carne, Glasgow

Glasgow is well-known as one of the most vegan-friendly cities in the UK.  Last month, I found myself with a free morning after the Paisley Food & Drink Festival, so I decided to make the most of my time and check out some of the plant-based options that the Glaswegians had to offer. After a long day boozing at the festival, we dragged ourselves out of our hotel bed and into town in search of a hearty vegan brunch. After a quick Google search, we settled upon a little vegetarian café named Mala Carne located south of the city in Mount Florida, nearby to the National Stadium.

Mala Carne actually translates to "bad meat", which is quite fitting for a meat-free café. Upon entering, you'll find a quaint, cosy, little eatery that's not much bigger than a typical living room. The menu is a combination of breakfast and lunch dishes with a daily special or two thrown in. Whilst it's a vegetarian establishment and some of the dishes include eggs or cheese, most of the menu is in fact vegan or can at least be adapted to be vegan.

Glancing over the menu, you'll discover that there's not a mock meat in sight – instead, Mala Carne use fresh, classic vegetarian ingredients to compose creative, colourful dishes. It was a tough choice deciding on what to go for, but I settled on the classic avocado on sourdough toast with scrambled tofu, spinach, sesame seeds, pistachios and chilli oil (£6.95), as did Sus. It's fair to say that the portions are pretty generous as the slice of sourdough came stacked with a mountain of soft tofu and a decent spread of avocado – definitely go there with an empty stomach and not the day after feasting all day at a food festival.

Those with a sweeter tooth should head to Mala Carne on a weekend when they add vegan pancakes (prices change) to the menu that come stacked in a hearty portion with mouthwatering toppings that change weekly. It just so happened that banana, chocolate and vegan cream was the topping of choice when we visited – commence drooling now!
As well as a dine-in food menu, Mala Carne also offer a selection of freshly baked sweet treats, most of which are vegan. From gooey cookies to blueberry muffins and homemade cakes, there's plenty of choice to gorge on. I thoroughly recommend the cinnamon bun (£2.50), which I was incredibly thankful for after the long journey back to London.

Find Mala Carne
Address: 1036 Cathcart Rd, Glasgow G42 9XW Website: https://www.malacarne.co.uk/



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