Thomson's Central

Unbelievably, Thomson’s Coffee Roasters have been roasting the good stuff in the city of Glasgow since 1841. It’s wild to picture those 1840s Glaswegians, with no cars, no electricity and no daily schedule of Instagram stories to lullaby them to sleep at night. How did those aliens even wake up in the morning? And why bother? Coffee of course!

Thomson's was a local family business with a spot on St Vincent Street then, and they have been selling freshly roasted ground coffee in Glasgow ever since. In 2011, the company changed hands to another Glasgow family (the third in its long history) and a new incarnation of the brand was born. With a history like that, they’ve more than earned their spot in a local treasure of another kindm, the Arches.

Duck in off Argyle Street and Thomson’s Central is the first thing you’ll see in the former basement bar area. Their small service counter is a slick machine, churning out delicious and well-balanced short coffees that put their sweet espresso blend centre stage. The space is, of course, fantastic. A roomy, industrial, all-weather place to drink a great coffee and think about all the good things Glasgow has given us.