This iconic 'retro' cafe has survived 100 years and not much has changed

This 'retro' cafe has survived 100 years and was saved by the people of Glasgow. Dotted along the lengthy Maryhill Road is a humble and unassuming café – one of many on that road alone and in the city of Glasgow. From the outside, it’s not larger, grander or more remarkable than any other.

But stepping inside is like transporting back to a bygone era with Art Deco-inspired décor, leather booth seating, a traditional jukebox and vintage framed photographs. READ MORE: Café owner says he 'owes everything' to community that help him reopen after fire Café D’Jaconelli, or Jaconelli’s as it is affectionately known, has been serving Glaswegians since Mario Jaconelli opened it in 1924. Not much has changed, as not much has needed to.



Sharon Evans working in Jaconelli's (Image: Gordon Terris) The café is one of few places where you can order the classics without a fuss, from steaming hot pies to macaroni cheese and chips to a Scottish breakfast. It’s very likely that your parents, grandparents or even great-grandparents have taken a seat in those leather booths and ordered a hot roll on a chilly winter’s day or a classic 99 made with the beloved family recipe adored by the likes of Robert Carlyle and Sir Billy Connolly. Celebrities from Robbie Coltrane to Ewan McGregor have stepped into Jaconelli’s to film Hollywood hits such as Tutti Frutti and Trainspotting, while it’s rumoured the Big Yin used to be flung out for his drunken, but never aggressive, antics.

Sir Billy Connolly (Image: Newsquest archive) Jaconelli’s reputation has even garnered it a mention in the House of Commons, which paid tribute to the café in 2019 for its 95th anniversary. They highlighted the ‘delicious’ hot food , home-made ‘artisan’ ice cream, traditional interiors and ‘inimitable character’. READ MORE: 'We'll be back': Owner vows to reopen after historic café damaged in fire The legendary Mario, who died in 2017, had passed the business onto current owner James Evans many years before, and he has only maintained Jaconelli’s as an authentic old-fashioned café dining experience, emulating the type of café that your grannies visited, the type of café that existed in 1924.

.. in 2024.

A scene from Trainspotting was shot in Jaconelli's (Image: Newsquest archive) Its timeless quality, delicious homemade food and welcoming, unpretentious and nostalgic atmosphere made the recipe for a successful business and one that’s transpired in Glasgow for 100 years. It came as no surprise that when a fire in September this year resulted in the closure of Jaconelli’s, locals were distraught. READ MORE: Iconic Glasgow café is no more, but its ice cream is famous Regular customers echoed their sadness and, despite his own personal devastation at the incident, James vowed that Jaconelli’s would be back.

It is never easy to repair and reopen a business that has been affected by such a destructive and costly incident, but when the entire community throws themselves into making sure that happens, sometimes there’s a miracle. Jaconelli's after the fire (Image: Robert Perry) Proving that delivering Maryhill locals a generous portion of warming food, nostalgia-inducing ice cream and an extra-large helping of friendliness means everything, the community began donating their time and money to getting Jaconelli’s back on its feet. A fundraiser rocketed in just days, and West End Cabinet Makers were among those helping out just because they wanted to and because Jaconelli’s means so much.

In a matter of only seven weeks, the café reopened on October 31. And it wasn’t after some fancy makeover or total transformation; the original feel of the café has shone through thanks to the attention to detail. Jaconelli’s has kept its retro vibe.

(Image: Gordon Terris) Despite surviving for ten decades and welcoming multiple generations of families through its doors, owner James still had ‘no idea’ of the impact Jaconelli’s has made on Maryhill and beyond. He told us earlier this week: "It's a special place to a lot of people. "I’ve been there a long time, but I had no idea I had made as many friends.

"That’s what surprised me. The amount of friends I had made over the year, and I hadn’t realised, it was unbelievable.”.