Favourites in the Southside
Breakfast and lunch: Sunny Acre
A little over two years ago, I moved to the Southside of Glasgow. Prior to a few months before moving, I had never set foot in the Southside – it seemed like a far away and foreign land across the river. One overcast afternoon in the early spring of 2022, my sister and I met a few friends that lived in the Southside, and on this day, in a matter of mere hours, the area got under my skin. It felt like its own little town – not so far from the city centre that it was an ordeal to get there, but far enough that you’re away from the bustle and noise of it all. There was so much greenery, more than I knew possible for Glasgow to have, but what struck me most of all was the bounty of inviting food and drink establishments and independent shops that lined the streets. I must have bought pastries from at least four different bakeries, and eventually my sister and friends agreed that I would meet them at a bar when they quickly grew tired of me stopping us to go into yet another shop. Shortly after this I began looking for flats in the area.
It feels like on any given street in the Southside there is a glorious eatery, coffee shop, bakery or bar. For this reason, assigning myself the task of selecting just one place for each category - coffee, bakery, breakfast and lunch, restaurant and bar - may seem like an impossible task, but surprisingly, on the contrary. These categories were chosen due to the ease with which each spot came to mind. Indeed, those in the Southside are laden with choices when it comes to choosing where to go for a coffee, pastry or plate of delicious food, but for me, for somewhere to stand out as a favourite, it demands more. I would go so far as to say that these places are my favourites for the way that they makes me feel, with the food and drink coming second. The places I’ve chosen are ones that I go back to regularly, and that hold a very special place in my heart. If you follow me on Instagram, I am sure that you can already guess at least a couple of them.
This will be part one, starting with my favourite breakfast and lunch spot: Sunny Acre.
Location: 745 Pollokshaws Rd, Glasgow G41 2AA
Opening hours: Wed-Sun, 09:00-16:00 (Kitchen closes at 15:00)
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I recall first noticing Sunny Acre in the spring of 2021. The exterior was simple, playful and welcoming – it endeared me instantly. I didn’t know at this point how important this friendly eatery would become to me, or how it would soon be my neighbourhood spot. Walking into Sunny Acre feels like a reassuring experience – it is a joyful place with creamy wood-panelled walls, and pops of canary yellow and forest green throughout. A small but busy open kitchen sits in the corner, with well-used and loved cast irons hanging from hooks and an array of knives and utensils on display. It feels like walking into the home of a dear friend – there is an ease to all that is done here that makes you feel most welcome. The atmosphere is jovial and light.
Mary Wan, the owner operator of Sunny Acre, is more often than not who you will be greeted by upon entering. If you wait for a take away coffee, you will notice how Mary greets most of the clientele with a familiarity, calling them by their first name and recalling stories from previous visits, or asking about the goings on in their life. It is evident in the way that she handles herself and the front of house that Mary has prior experience in hospitality. She manages to be incredibly warm and friendly with the necessary amount of gallus to banter with the general public, and will always happily hustle to get you a table.
Prior to opening Sunny Acre, Mary worked and lived in New York for nearly 11 years where she had three bars and restaurants, all located in Manhattan and all with a Scottish focus. Mary moved back to Glasgow in 2018, and was put in touch with Aysha - who would become the chef at Sunny Acre - through a friend of her husband’s, and Aysha’s partner, Eilidh. This meeting began the conversation around opening a café together, and thus the dream of Sunny Acre was born. Mary and Aysha took over the space on Pollockshaws Road in October 2020, did the build out with the help from Mary’s friend Ralph Blair, and opened in February 2021. They were operating as take-out only in the early days but soon naturally evolved into a sit-in eatery. ‘It all pretty much happened organically, as people wanted to stay and hang out’, tells Mary.
‘Aysha wanted to keep the menu simple, using fresh, seasonal ingredients and no waste where possible’, says Mary. The menu is indeed simple, with no more than eight or nine items at any given time. The options are familiar and approachable, but more complex than your poached eggs on toast – they all have their own Sunny Acre touch. Expect breakfast and lunch dishes with a focus on fresh and vibrantly colourful seasonal produce, with vegetables, grains and eggs at the core of many. Some of my personal favourites: the tomato toast with green olive tapenade, sesame and fresh basil, the rye toast with mackerel, boiled egg and pickles, and the egg mayo ciabatta roll with pickles – I’ve bought that roll so many times now that upon entering Sunny Acre, Mary is already in motion to bag it up for me to take away. In addition to these options, they also have a bountiful selection of filled focaccia and ciabatta rolls, homemade quiche (which I have heard many claim is the best quiche they have ever eaten) and brioches, as well as a luscious array of cakes, pastries and cookies in the window daily. The coffee alone is worth a visit too – a deliciously dark, rich roast, with beans sourced from the ethical coffee company North Star, based in Leeds.
Aysha parted ways from Sunny Acre in the spring of 2024, but her food philosophy and idea for the menu has remained. Mary told me of how opening a café ‘wasn’t in the plans’ when she returned to Glasgow back in 2018, but it seems that, along with many Southsiders, Sunny Acre has got under her skin – ‘I have always wanted to create a neighbourhood spot where everyone felt welcomed. I love what I do, and I love the people that come into our cafe – the food and drink is a great backdrop.’
I asked Mary for her favourite spot in the Southside: ‘Big Counter.’