78, Glasgow

Head out from the centre of Glasgow towards the wheeze-inducing hills of Kelvingrove Park, turn right down a nondescript street of Wimpey-style student apartments that could double as retirement flats and there you will stumble upon 78, the former home of Stereo and part of the music-themed vegan empire that is Mono, Stereo and 78, and a recent addition to the chain, Harmonium.
This Scottish empire certainly has a student feel, and we wonder whether 78 will fail our pot plant test - fortunately it doesn’t, as the loos are very much 1950s public house!
78 is in fact a cross between your favourite village pub complete with fireplace, tall pine benches, and long bar, your great aunt's house pre-clearout with worn down paisley pattern velvet sofas and tapestry Queen Anne armchairs, and a student union with gig posters and sticky tables. 78 even has a corner bookshelf stacked with LPs and a wall frieze of old 78s.
Our mission was to test the claim that 78 does the best vegan lunch in town. Verdict: seriously yummy. Seriously. There was a list of tasty specials, and the bartender had such enthusiasm for the vegan quesadillas (with cheese that actually melted) that we wondered whether she would explode with glee.
This Scottish empire certainly has a student feel, and we wonder whether 78 will fail our pot plant test - fortunately it doesn’t, as the loos are very much 1950s public house!
78 is in fact a cross between your favourite village pub complete with fireplace, tall pine benches, and long bar, your great aunt's house pre-clearout with worn down paisley pattern velvet sofas and tapestry Queen Anne armchairs, and a student union with gig posters and sticky tables. 78 even has a corner bookshelf stacked with LPs and a wall frieze of old 78s.
Our mission was to test the claim that 78 does the best vegan lunch in town. Verdict: seriously yummy. Seriously. There was a list of tasty specials, and the bartender had such enthusiasm for the vegan quesadillas (with cheese that actually melted) that we wondered whether she would explode with glee.

The special burger was indeed special, although we had a nagging feeling we should have gone for the quesadillas. Who cares, though. We'll certainly be back. Our burger was deliciously creamy and combined sweet potato and chick pea with a hint of curry powder and cinnamon. It was juicy, and a far cry from the standard dry vegan patty of chickpea and carrot. Top marks. It was excellent.
If we had a tip for improvement it would be to drop the hummus. The chef clearly had such anxiety about the burger being dry that our already juicy and flavoursome burger had a thick layer of hummus on top. Not necessary.
After lunch, and unable to move mid-food-induced-coma, we settled in for coffee and cake. What a treat! This was just about the best vegan chocolate cake we've tasted.
If we had a tip for improvement it would be to drop the hummus. The chef clearly had such anxiety about the burger being dry that our already juicy and flavoursome burger had a thick layer of hummus on top. Not necessary.
After lunch, and unable to move mid-food-induced-coma, we settled in for coffee and cake. What a treat! This was just about the best vegan chocolate cake we've tasted.

Fluffy and cake-like rather than the usual dense slab of carob, which tastes of self-raising flour as someone has vainly tried to conquer the laws of vegan cakery with baking soda. This proper cake was light and heavy with the taste of chocolate, laid on a bed of vegan cream.
Your teatimes and your waistlines will never be so full, and all for £4. If anything, the hot chocolate was too sweet, but we were less concerned. We were smothered in chocolate.
It was the perfect accompaniment for the curious teatime scene that followed, as a pigeon flew into bar, no doubt trying to get in on the scrumptious food action, and a curly-haired student tried to chase it out.
You're slap bang in the middle of student central here, and presentation and service could certainly have been a little more tip-top. This is grunge rather than fine dining, and there was a whiff of 70s pine. However, the shabby chic won through, even with the bonus pigeon, and this can rightly claim to be modern vegan/trendy rather than outdated 70s ratatouille and watery stodge. Of all the places in this burgeoning vegan empire, this is the one to watch.
Your teatimes and your waistlines will never be so full, and all for £4. If anything, the hot chocolate was too sweet, but we were less concerned. We were smothered in chocolate.
It was the perfect accompaniment for the curious teatime scene that followed, as a pigeon flew into bar, no doubt trying to get in on the scrumptious food action, and a curly-haired student tried to chase it out.
You're slap bang in the middle of student central here, and presentation and service could certainly have been a little more tip-top. This is grunge rather than fine dining, and there was a whiff of 70s pine. However, the shabby chic won through, even with the bonus pigeon, and this can rightly claim to be modern vegan/trendy rather than outdated 70s ratatouille and watery stodge. Of all the places in this burgeoning vegan empire, this is the one to watch.