Fratelli Sarti

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The 2011/12 edition of The List's Eating & Drinking Guide is out now – only £5.95 (+p&p).

This review is taken from the current (2011) edition.

Few restaurants in Glasgow encapsulate the city’s rich Italian heritage quite like Fratelli Sarti does at its three branches. The Bath and Wellington street branches are interlinked, but head downstairs for a busy bustling ambience with an outdoor-indoor feel, while round the corner the more deli-style café – complete with shelves of hard-to-find Italian items – has tables outside to catch the sun. The Renfield Street branch is plusher, housed in an attractive former bank, it has beautiful features in the wood panelling, marble and chandeliers, yet still exudes an informal, welcoming air. Fratelli Sarti’s strength is as much down to the quality of the ingredients as the high standard of dependable and authentic cuisine. The branches share the large menu, packed with mainly Tuscan dishes with a rustic slant – although specials vary between the three, often reflecting the resident chef’s region of origin in the mother country. Expect to spend some time browsing the range of antipasti, pizzas, pastas, plus various salads and mains. A bruschetta starter features toasted Altamura bread with vibrantly fresh tomatoes, garlic and basil drizzled with extra virgin olive oil that lifts the whole thing. The ‘famosi’ bowl of spaghetti with seafood is wow-factor food, piled high with a variety of seafood and full of delectable flavours with a hint of chilli. Many things to many people, from workers breakfasting to students, tourists and, of course, the members of the Italian community – clearly making this a home from home.

• High point: Authentic cuisine and ambience
• Low point: Deciding which branch to visit