Amarone

This review appears in the The List's Eating & Drinking Guide 2009 – in the shops now or buy online.

One of the smarter options for affordable city centre dining, Amarone is found right next to Buchanan Street subway, making it a handy and hassle-free pit-stop. Warm chocolate and neutral tones in the décor, aided by plenty of dark wood and soft lighting, encourage an intimate atmosphere, while the restaurant’s location offers customers a table outside should the day be too sunny to spend in a basement. The kitchen, clearly visible from the lobby tables, serves up a contemporary take on traditional Italian dishes, in hefty portions. Amarone is part of the DiMaggio group, but has a more adventurous menu than its family-focused sibling, proving popular with suits and shoppers. A starter of prosciutto di Parma con fichi supplies sufficient juicy honey-drizzled fig with richly coloured ham to share and focaccia calabrese, one of a diverse selection of seasoned pizza breads, combines its light stone-baked base with a generous topping of raw spinach, sticky caramelised red onion and – a welcome change - cacciocarallo cheese. Traditionalists will be pleased by the inclusion of tiramisu and pannacotta at dessert, but a slice of semifreddo alla nocciola, wrapping hazelnut and vanilla ice-cream in liqueur sponge, is a light and classy arctic roll for grown-ups.

• High point: Oasis of calm amidst the shops
• Low point: More Scottish-Italian than authentic