Great Places to Eat in Scotland
- Famous Coffee House, Helensburgh
The Location
Helensburgh, on the northern shores of the Firth of Clyde, has long been a popular location for day-trippers from Glasgow. While there are still places such as the Charles Rennie Mackintosh "Hill House" to see in Helensburgh (also with a good tearoom run by the National Trust for Scotland), the town has seen better days and many of the eating establishments on the sea front have become fast food outlets.At 102A West Princes Street, one block further back from the sea front, the Famous Coffee House has become an oasis for those who want a typical Scottish high-class "tea room". It is a short walk along West Princes Street, almost at the end of the main shopping area.
The Restaurant
Converted from a ground floor flat, the Famous Coffee House has two individual rooms converted into the main eating areas - one for smokers and the other for non-smokers. The somewhat small tables are very close together - when it's quiet, you can always spread some of your plates or teapots onto an adjacent table!As you eneter, you pass the covered display of delicious cakes which are guaranteed to make your taste buds go into overdrive. To take your mind off these, however, there are usually small paintings of views of Helensburgh and the Clyde spread around the walls - with price tags on them.
Perhaps the most frustrating thing about this Coffee House is the fact that it closes at 5pm. While the staff don't sweep you out, it is definitely a "snacks and afternoon tea" type of place.
The Food
Having been recommended by the gourmet Egon Ronay, it is a surprise to find the menu so unpretentious. There is a range of "light bites", ranging from baked potatoes (with generous helpings of various fillings), macaroni and cheese, tagliatelli, chicken Jalfrezi and large prawn "Danwiches" (open sandwiches). The Famous Coffee Shop has a reputation for excellent "toasties" with various fillings (cheese and pineapple is my favourite). You would think that any tea room could create a decent toastie, but few are as good as these ones, served with a portion of mixed salad.There are a number of varieties of pots of tea and although there are cups of coffee, I usually go for the cafetiere of rich strong coffee. At least that way my coffee lasts as long as a pot of tea! With men having reached the moon and the understanding of physics so well advanced, it is surprising though, that teapots still dribble tea on the tablecloths, even in a place like this!
Then, the pièce de resistance - those cakes. I often don't get past the strawberry cheesecake, despite the blandishments of slabs of various chocolate cream cakes and other home made confections. And then, of course, there's also various flavours of high quality ice cream made by the Nardini company of Largs in Ayrshire.
The Bill
Hot snacks: £3 to £5. Danwich: £5.50. Toasties £2 to £3. Cafetiere of coffee: £1.85Conclusion
This is an unpretentious establishment with good food at reasonable prices. Just the thing after a walk along the promenade at Helensburgh.Scottie
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