Little Italy

This review appears in the The List's Eating & Drinking Guide 2008 – in the shops now or buy online.

This bustling café/takeaway has been busy serving up pizza slices for more than a decade and shows no sign of slowing down. Good coffee, simple food and a buzzing atmosphere make it a reasonably authentic piece of Italy on West End hot-spot Byres Road. While living up to its name in being truly compact, it's also slick, inexpensive and has a sense of humour (the artwork includes a mock 'Last Supper' with Jesus chomping on – you've guessed it – pizza). Order at the counter, perch on a stool and a vibrating pager alerts you when food is ready to collect. Seats at the granite window counter are favoured for people-watching purposes, but a limited number of tables can be found to the side. Pizzas come in 10, 12 and 16-inch circumferences, with a topping list that appears to be constantly expanding (33 at the last count). The bases are neither thick nor thin and the tomato sauce has a distinct sweet, peppery flavour. A half dozen or so pasta dishes and focaccia are available to eat-in or takeaway, and wine is unfortunately for carry out only.

• High point: Lively atmosphere
• Low point: Queues can extend out the door