La Vita
- Food served: Mon–Sat 7.30am–11pm Sun 9.00am - 11pm
- Pre-theatre times: Mon–Thu 4.30–6.30pm; Sun 4.30–6.30pm
- Number of wines sold by the glass: 4
- Private dining: Up to 30 covers
- Also offers: Gluten-free options, Children's portions, Children's high chairs, Wheelchair access, Pre-theatre menu
- Music on stereo: Traditional Italian
- Capacity: 130
- Largest group: 50
- Open since: 2005
- Average price:
£5.95/£6.95 (1 course)
£18 (evening meal) - Pre-theatre price: £9.95
- House wine: £14.95 per bottle
Send us more details about this place.
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.
Spread over three floors La Vita occupies a prominent location in the heart of the City Centre. The tasteful interior is in an authentic Italian style, but space between tables is tight due to the unusual lay out. The menu is very large and extremely varied. It includes the Italian restaurant staples but also features things like a starter of a half rack of ribs – or a full rack for a main – with house barbecue sauce, and another of jalapeño chicken. The size of the menu means that maintaining standards across so many dishes is difficult and some of the food suffers. The monkfish, for example, is wrapped in Parma ham yet was a little dry, the ham a little too thick. However, La Vita is more about relaxed, informal dining and fittingly it seems to do the standards best – the pizzas are deliciously thin, crispy and stone-baked. Look out for the exclusive selection of craft beers, which are unfiltered and unpasteurized, specially imported from a small brewery in the south of Italy – very tasty.
- High point: Craft beers
- Low point: Cooking can't keep up with the variety of dishes
Reviews of La Vita (161 Queen Street, Glasgow)
- 4. Jordan Khoury, Glasgow – 2 February 2010, 1:30am
La VitaReport -
I ate in this restaurant with my wife on a Friday night, we had arrived late at night, starving and without a booking and although the manager on the door appeared to be under pressure he did his best to squeeze us in. We were led through the restaurant by a bright and cheery young man who had us laughing all the way up the stairs. Once seated a smiling girl promptly came over to take our drink order and continued to take excellent care of us for the remainder of the evening. We don't eat Italian food often and were unsure what to get but the food recommend to us by our waitress was delicious and filling.
We had only intended to pop in for a quick bite but the bustling atmosphere and entertaing staff kept us around for 3 courses and we were positively bursting and moderately intoxicated by the time we left.
I intend on using la vita for any occassions I have in the future and have reccomended it to my friends and family.
- 3. ayrshire mum, Ayrshire – 11 April 2009, 8:51amLa VitaReport
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Our party of seven family of friends and i ate ate here on a Friday night and then 10 of us ate here again on the Saturday night. The food was good and the staff attentive but when the owner arrived and sat at the table next to us (we were the only one's in the restaurant it was late but it wasn't closed)we were all sitting chatting when we heard the owner tell the waiter to 'get them out of here'!!!!!- when the very embarrassed waiter showed him our bill and how much we had spent, he ripped the paper up in his face!!!!! ariound £500.00 over two nights- we finished our drinks and went to our hotel. What an embarrasment to us and our visitors. My family eat here a lot throughout the year but none of us will ever be back, and we certainly would not take any of our business friends back either...........
- 2. ANGELA GLASGOW, amalfi restaraunt glasgow – 31 August 2008, 11:37amLa VitaReport
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Went to La Vita last month couldn't fault the food but the staff were in need of a smile transplant and manners. We had ardered a foccatia which was being enjoyed by all yet the waiter so fit to snatch it away from the table. Our starters were lovely but our main courses were on the table before we new it seconds after our starter plates were removed. THIS MADE US FULL TO QUICKLY AND A LOT OF FOOD WAS WASTED. We decided to try the La Vita again for a small family gathering before my son goes to Iraq so we decided to phone and ask if the food could be a little slower before booking. To my amazment I was greeted buy a very abrupt man on the phone he said you ahve 2 hrs and thats it. I laughed and asked what if were were still drinking'wine'coffee or liquers are you going to ask us to leave. HIS ANSWER WAS simply YES THATS OUR POLICY 2 HRS AND OUT. I was amazed at this answer and told then no thankyou come on La Vita get your staff some manners and training in customer servive you wont see me spending my money here ever again
- 1. alanm, la vita – 15 July 2008, 1:31amLa VitaReport
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visited once again after being overseas for a year found the restuarant not the same most of the characters, management and staff have changed the atmosphere is lacking we were always entertained on the top floor. food as usual large portions very good value for money, will be back. The hustle and bustle not just plate carriers.
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