Who’s next for a multi-million-pound makeover? That’ll be the National Portrait Gallery, which has long been considered badly in need of an upgrade. Among other attractions, we can expect a new cafe. In the meantime, the existing one does very nicely. It gets busy at lunchtime and be warned you can’t book a table; it’s first come, first self-served at the counter. There is always a good selection of soups, including traditional favourites lentil and tomato, while desserts include goodies such as strawberry shortcake. For morning munchies and afternoon snacks, you’ll find great fruit scones waiting to claim your attention.
Cafe Newton, Dean Gallery, 72 Belford Road, 0131 624 6273
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You can’t book tables here during festival time either but it’s still worth a look. The gallery is currently holding a retrospective to celebrate Eduardo Paolozzi’s 80th birthday and you’ll find the cafe near a reconstruction of his studio. Inside, it’s more like a still-life of homebaking with patrons taking their time over some very good coffee. If cakes and pastries don’t suffice, there are always lunchtime specials such as goat’s cheese and beetroot salad or kedgeree along with a selection of Mediterranean-inspired sandwiches.
Tempus, Centre for Contemporary Arts, 350 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, 0141 332 7959
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Best during the day when the central space is flooded with light from the glass atrium, Tempus is an oasis of calm in the city centre. It may have scaled down its culinary ambitions a little since it opened, but if you need comfort food after tramping the city streets, you’ll find it here in spades. Favourites on the menu include Thai marinated beef salad and char-grilled salmon with spinach and mascarpone on a smoked salmon rosti. Desserts such as the apricot and apple parcel mean nobody need leave feeling hungry.