SCONE SPY
The undercover cafe critic
THAT’S the thing about parks – great when the weather’s nice, not so fabby when the heavens open.
With the sun shining there’s no better place to stretch the legs, or even just stretch out on the grass and soak up a ray or two.
But this is Scotland, of course, and you just can’t guarantee being dry, and indeed toasty, on a visit to the park.
Well, actually you can. Indoors, naturally.
The Botanic Gardens in Glasgow’s West End are a great place for a sunny stroll – and the glasshouses are an even better bet on this dreich afternoon.
They’ve been around for more than 100 years and I’m sure previous generations have similarly peered out at the rain running down while basking in glorious greenery.
There’s something satisfyingly therapeutic about wandering past tropical plants, all steamy and hot, while the grass is getting an all-too-frequent watering.
But there are only so many ferns and cacti you can look at before hunger pangs gnaw.
The former Curator’s House, near the famous Kibble Palace, now houses the Tearooms.
On a sunny day – which this obviously isn’t – you can sit amongst the plants in an outdoor area at the front.
But we’re glad to be shown to a free table inside on
what’s a really thriving lunchtime.
We’re in what looks like the front room of the old sandstone building, where former inhabitants must have looked out on their horticultural empire.
In the past, visitors to the Botanics would have quenched their thirst with a good, old-fashioned cuppa.
The changing times are evident by the fact the teas on offer include green, apple, peppermint and spice citrus.
There’s a breakfast tea, too, along with the bacon, toast, scrambled egg and other early morning goodies.
Baked potatoes, with tuna and onion or lemon and coriander chicken, are among the lunchtime choices.
So, too, is a soup of the day (£3.75) and a decent variety of sandwiches. They’re a little steep at over £6 each but the tuna and red onion sounds tempting.
There’s a bit of choice to be made for the breads and we settle on Struan, a wholemeal from the Western Isles. And very tasty it is, too. The cakes look tempting as well and we pick a chocolate cupcake. Nicely moist.
But it’s the scone – naturally – that’s top of the agenda.
At £2.95 it’s not the cheapest your Spy has ever tucked into.
But the clotted cream and preserve sound nice.
It’s a chunky big beast, a little firm and dry but perfectly decent. With hot drinks it’s just under £20 for the lot.
And with a nicely laid-back vibe, we can think of worse places to watch the rain.