Papercup Coffee Company — Restaurant in Scotland

3.5/5 - I am always one to pick up on negatives in a place; this little gem is no exception. Lattes are my beverage of choice; smooth, creamy, and a little bit sweet. I make my own regularly, always trying new coffee joints to look for that consistently perfect cup when I'm on the go. Here is a treasure, but also an affront to the customer. They make a great coffee; the espresso is pulled expertly, bringing out the flavours of the bean whilst avoiding the bitter overtones gotten from poor origins, varieties, or from imbalanced shot pulling. So far so good! The milk was also frothed brilliantly; deliciously smooth, a perfect microfoam. The espresso shown the origin characteristics; a little floral and perfumey, slightly acidic and yet smooth. Not unlike Glasgow's own dear green, although this is much preferred personally.

Okay, so... They pull some amazing coffee - what gives?

I'm glad you asked! Well, there are some more contemptible aspects to this place. The coffee sizes are... I was never offered that. The beans were atypical to what one might expect in their standard coffee, although definitely a more distinguishable flavour than most, that doesn't mean it's what the customer is after... Personally I prefer something a little more earthy (natural processed e.g. Sumatran), or sweet and smooth (high altitude, e.g. Jamaican Blue Mountain as a famous example, or pretty much anywhere African). The beans used seem acidic, fruity and floral, almost perfume like. A nice flavour to be sure but, one I'd need to personally be in the mood for. So why is this such a problem? Well, I kinda have to be pernickety here as, well, this is all you get! There is no real customisation. You're forced to use brown sugar if you wish to sweeten (white is less processed, brown has stuff added back to the pure cane sugar that was originally pulled off mid process which adds more flavours to the sugar that may not be ones you're particularly after.). Syrups are not available if you wish to alter the flavour (caramel if you want something desserty as a treat, cinnamon to add some wholesome warmth, vanilla to add a gentle soothing taste. Or alternatively put in whisky if you like it Irished up, you monster!). Frankly their approach is, 'we know best' and they remove any real choice from the customer. No syrups. Brown sugar only. Strong, uncommon coffee flavour profile (important when everything to alter the flavour is unavailable!). No sizes. No sweeteners. Decaf is at a premium. No...

The fact is, these are basics even the worst coffee shops get right. I'd like to think somewhere that can pull such amazing shots could consider giving the customers the opportunity to order what they want and be a little less authoritarian in what they offer. I like tomato sauce on my chips, lemon marmalade on my toast, and plain, simple, vanilla ice cream. If I can make these decisions then surely I can choose how I want to, in their eyes, 'adulterate' my coffee? Perhaps the staff could also learn to smile, and that it is rude to look at a customer like they've two heads when they ask for something normal yet oddly not on the menu... as the other reviews are right, the hospitality here isn't really what I'd call up to scratch either. This place needs to get off of its pedestal and engage its customers. I'm left thinking things like 'Oh, you use environmentally friendly cups? That's nice, but you're not.' It reminds me of the kind of person that does some things just to feel they're better than you as they're insecure in themselves. My lasting subjective opinion is the staff and management are up... cough due to their skills and high regard; hence the snobby, authoritive approach. Unfortunately, this leaves the business open to a much more 'friendly' competition. Papercup isn't the only place knows that knows about coffee. I'll be back when I'm in the mood for their -one- small latte, but I'll always be waiting for something better to come along, and...

Last year when I was with a friend I experienced a racist incident at Papercup coffee company in the Westend of Glasgow where a caucasian woman kept badgering me on my ethnic origin asking whether I was “African” and also began to refer to animals when discussing it with me. (It is worth noting after I complained to the staff, she is no longer allowed to be served there.) Although as we are now in 2019 i'm still baffled that this kind of behaviour is still found in a seemingly developed neighbourhood in a developed part of the world. I haven't been to Papercup since and have chosen to boycott it and decided for me personally it's best to stay away from uncomfortable spaces. I also refused to be treated like a second class citizen. It has completely marred my Undergraduate university experience in this city. Admittedly it's not the staff's fault it is interesting to see the kind of people that this establishment attracts. Overall it's a shame because it's one of the most decent coffee places in Glasgow, however a good cup of coffee can't make up for such an...

Loved the place, one of my favorite spots. I won’t say anything on the staff attitudes on this visit (as I dont want to say any bad thing since the overall experience was good),

the guy behind the coffee machine is awesome though and knows what he’s doing.

The Cortado was one of the best that I’ve had in Glasgow. Perfect texture. The coffee beans that they’ve used were of great notes and the milk to coffee proportion was just on point.

We’ve had the porridge, this dish was a surprise and exceeded our expectations with the creative choice of toppings. Interesting combination of ingredients, textures and spices. (Photos don’t do it justice)

The avocado toast was a blast. Not the standard and boring avo toast, it was distinctive, flavorful and tasty.

We wanted to order the baked/skillet eggs. Unfortunately it had chorizo mixed in. Would appreciate an option...