In Glasgow, team Tapa are expanding again. Tapa Kelvinbridge opened at the weekend on Great Western Road.
The new Tapa joins Tapa Coffee on Pollokshaws Road; a branch in Kilmacolm and the original Tapa organic bakery in Dennistoun.
Creative menus
The different Tapa outlets specialise in inventive sarnies, tasty tray bakes, amazing cakes and top notch breads.
Large swathes of their offer is wheat-free, vegan, veggie or organic while their coffee is hand-roasted in small batches in Glasgow.
While Tapa can easily take different dietary requirements in their stride, they also cater for those of us whose tastes might be better described as pre-historic.
The daily special might be a wild mushroom and noodle stir-fry but you’re equally as likely to find pastries stuffed with black pudding, pork, apple and rosemary or an open sandwich topped with Cajun mackerel and served with crispy, salted kale and lime mayo.
The 5pm Dining blog wishes them well.
Bubbling up
We’ll also mention Tempo Tea Bar. Originally based on Glasgow’s Queen Street, they serve a variety of fruit and ‘normal’ teas, smoothies and bubble teas made with fruit jelly balls which pop in the mouth.
In the last week, new branches of Tempo have popped up in Silverburn shopping centre and in the recently renovated Waverley Arches in Edinburgh.
Finally, Miller and Carter look set to launch their new Glasgow steakhouse on Friday 4th March. Having opened in South Queensferry, on the outskirts of Edinburgh, a couple of years back, the new St Vincent Street outlet is their second Scottish branch.
A third Miller and Carter is planned for Aberdeen this summer.