Picnic

I’m pretty reluctant to admit that Glasgow is sometimes (rarely) better than Edinburgh, but I seem to have been doing it a little bit more than usual, of late.

Exterior

This is partly because I’ve been checking out some of the city’s ritzier spots – The Gannet, Alchemilla, Number 16 – but also because Glasgow seems to be a very good place for vegan and vegetarian food.

The latest evidence of this was my trip to Picnic which proclaims itself to be the Merchant City’s first purveyor of a 100% plant-based menu. I popped in for a lunchtime visit between speaking engagements.

The place used to be a quirky little Chinese cafe called Lily’s that I’d enjoyed on a couple of visits. The feel of the place is much the same but there’s slightly more of an emphasis on quick takeaway options.

Baked sweet potato

I promptly decided that I liked the sound of their baked sweet potato topped with hummus, pesto, sundried tomatoes and seeds. This was soon with me, delivered with a friendly smile. I walked as I munched.

It proved to be absolutely outstanding and one of the best lunches of the season. The sweet potato flesh was beautifully smooth and the toppings were of excellent, fresh quality. The hummus was first rate, in particular. I was extremely impressed.

So overall, Picnic looks to be doing very good work indeed. What I sampled today was memorably splendid. I’d strongly recommend it to you and look forward to many future visits.

Scores
Blythe scores Picnic
5/5 for food
3.5/5 for presentation
4/5 for setting
4/5 for service
giving an overall 16.5/20

I ate: baked sweet potato with hummus, sundried tomatoes, pesto, seeds

I wore: action footwear

Total bill: £6.50

Address: 103 Ingram Street, Glasgow G1 1DX