Restaurants, Italian, Pre-theatre menu and "Glasgow"
- Amore
Experience the true taste of Italy in the heart of the Merchant City - SoHo
Friendly pizzeria and cocktail bar. Winner Best New Restaurant - Variety Awards 2010 - La Parmigiana
Opened in 1978 by the Giovanazzi family, Ristorante La Parmigiana is a firm favourite as Glasgow's top Italian Restaurant. - Gambrino
Easily the best Italian in the West End
Guy's Restaurant & Bar
24 Candleriggs, Merchant City,
Glasgow,
G1 1LD
It's almost certainly worth booking at this well-established Merchant City favourite. At the end of the bar, the dining area is bright and buzzy, with some of the tables quite close together – more suited to social rather than intimate dining. Service…
The Partners Italian Bistro
1051 Great Western Road,
Glasgow,
G12 0XP
This classy looking bistro tucked away near Anniesland offers an upmarket experience within a highly stylised, spacious interior. A lovely buttery, rich crab fettucine is a great opener, but though the dolcelatte soufflé is in itself satisfying, the…
Torna Sorrento
148 Woodlands Road,
Glasgow,
G3 6LF
This modest eatery retains a welcome place in Glasgow’s Italian scene. Serving up traditional Italian food in simple, unpretentious ways, fresh ingredients and appealing presentation lift familiar dishes above the ordinary. Seafood crostini and arancini…
Arta
The Old Cheesemarket, 62 Albion Street,
Glasgow,
G1 1PA
In Glasgow’s trendy Merchant City the competition among restaurants to attract discerning diners is high. Artà stands out architecturally. Once the location of a medieval cheese market this listed building was developed Baroque style in 2000 into a…
Bar Milano
2 Mains Avenue, Eastwood Toll,
Glasgow,
G46 6QZ
From its pleasantly neutral décor and friendly service to the suburban location, Bar Milano ticks all the boxes for a comfortable neighbourhood trattoria. It’s housed in a converted bank but where such buildings often possess a cold grandeur, the…
Amarone
2 Nelson Mandela Place,
Glasgow,
G2 1BT
Enter the plate-glass doors and down the elegant stairway into this basement venue, and it is clear that Amarone is at the classier end of the Di Maggio's chain. There's the slick modern décor, warm chocolate and neutral colours, and mix of open tables…
Battlefield Rest
55 Battlefield Road,
Glasgow,
G42 9JL
Prepare for your senses to go into overdrive when you visit this gem of a restaurant. It's brimming with tables, diners and waiters, and if you could bottle the atmosphere then you’d surely be able to sell it, if only to the people who fill this place…
Dino Ferrari
35–41 Sauchiehall Street,
Glasgow,
G2 3AT
Dino Ferrari is the new look for a much-loved favourite on the Glasgow Italian scene (it was formerly plain old Dino's, but the owners sold the Hope Street branch in 2011 and tweaked the name). The avuncular welcome and charmingly retro décor – both in…
Amore
30 Ingram Street,
Glasgow,
G1 1QA
At the quiet end of Ingram Street, Amore sits mezzanine height above pavement level which, along with the smart furnishings, lots of sparkling glass and stone-bake oven, provides a pleasant sense of occasion. It's a warm and welcoming enough space, but…
Gizzi's
87 Cambridge Street,
Glasgow,
G3 6RU
Previously known as Bistro du Sud but renovated and renamed Gizzi's in 2007, this bistro has a small, unassuming exterior and, inside, may be mistaken for a café with limited seating. There is more space upstairs, and the place would no doubt be full…
The Italian Caffè
92 Albion Street,
Glasgow,
G1 1NY
The food here more than matches the elegant surroundings dispelling any initial fears over Merchant City style over substance. Serving a tapas-style menu invigorates a scene overladen with the usual pizza and pasta suspects, and the ability to sample a…
Qua Italian Restaurant
The Todd Building, 68 Ingram Street,
Glasgow,
G1 1EX
Situated in the fashionable Merchant City area, Qua likes to think of itself as a stylish place to eat quality Italian food, the way they do back home. The décor is minimalist, with red and black furniture dominating the large dining area which is…
Barbarossa
Cartside House, 1–7 Clarkston Road,
Glasgow,
G44 4EF
Barbarossa comes in two parts – a wine bar downstairs and a chic restaurant upstairs – and thanks to a very committed chef, a host of regulars have been dining here for more than 10 years. The wine bar has a reasonably priced selection of pasta, pizza…
Bella Napoli
85 Kilmarnock Road,
Glasgow,
G41 3YR
From the street Bella Napoli looks like a run-of-the-mill Italian deli, but discerning food lovers know that through the back, past the racks of wine and tins of olives, is a reliable restaurant of some worth. While the front cafe offers casual…
Bellini
67 Kilmarnock Road,
Glasgow,
G41 3YR
Bellini is a lovely little pocket of Italy in the heart of Shawlands. Almost all the staff are Italian and, beef aside, all produce is from Italy, and with no freezer on the premises, everything is fresh. Thanks to this the restaurant has a faithful…
The Big Blue
445 Great Western Road,
Glasgow,
G12 8HH
A perennial student favourite and something of a West End institution, the Big Blue endures in its picturesque location by the Kelvin. Portions are hearty enough to satisfy diners with big appetites. The fried calamari with lemon is a tasty starter and…
Celino's
620–624 Alexandra Parade,
Glasgow,
G31 3BT
When a restaurant consistently hits the heights in the ways that Celino's manages it becomes difficult to ignore, even if located in a neighbourhood where passing trade is scarce, particularly in the evening. Stepping off a deserted Alexandra Parade…
Fratelli Sarti
42 Renfield Street,
Glasgow,
G2 1NF
There is an expectation with Italian restaurants that the experience be one of feeling loved and entertained as well as fed, yet few manage to pull off the feat with such aplomb as Fratelli Sarti. There's a uniformity of excellence across all three…
Gambrino
333 Great Western Road,
Glasgow,
G4 9HS
With its warm, cosy interior, dim lights, terracotta tiles and worn wood, Gambrino feels like a rustic Tuscan taverna, even on a rainy Glaswegian night. The menu is simple, focusing on a few things and doing them well – pizza, pasta and a handful of…
Paperinos @ 78
78 St Vincent Street,
Glasgow,
G2 5UB
With two City Centre venues and a branch in the West End, Paperino’s has become a byword for quick and easy Italian food. The original Sauchiehall Street branch is most intimate, with wooden booths, dim lights and terracotta tiles, while the newer St…
Topolino's
285 Sauchiehall Street,
Glasgow,
G2 3HQ
A low-key doorway leads down from the main drag of Sauchiehall Street to this basement bistro, which has an airy and comfortable atmosphere thanks to uncluttered wooden tables, stripped floors and warm reds. Mirrors on the wall add to the sense of…
La Vita
161 Queen Street,
Glasgow,
G1 3BJ
You can’t get much more central than La Vita’s, and despite being spread over three floors it manages a cosy, traditional Italian vibe. It is a busy place, with booking on most nights recommended, and you are still likely to be just a few centimetres…
Viva
77 Bothwell Street,
Glasgow,
G2 6TS
Clearly profiting from its positioning – slap bang in the centre of Glasgow’s financial district – Viva draws in a healthy crowd of diners even on a drizzly Monday night. Yet there’s more to the restaurant’s success than simple location – while it…
The Bath Street Pony
207 Bath Street,
Glasgow,
G2 4HZ
After a few name changes over the last decade, this venue seems to have finally found its feet as the Bath Street Pony, now enjoying its third year in the guide. Ironically, the décor hasn’t changed since previous incarnations – the contrast of open…




