Experience rustic, family style cooking at award-winning French restaurant La Garrigue. Sample the tastes of Languedoc at one of the most authentic restaurants in Edinburgh (Hitlisted in The List Eating & Drinking Guide 2012) or visit our fantastic little bistro in Leith.
Restaurants, Italian and "Glasgow"
- 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
From sushi to steak pie the menu is as eclectic, but the guiding philosophy in Guy's is to create food people want to eat - Amore
Experience the true taste of Italy in the heart of the Merchant City
Arcaffe
7 North Claremont Street,
Glasgow,
G3 7NR
Tucked into a side street joining nearby offices to Kelvingrove Park, Arcaffe is an unassuming and friendly little Italian bistro, with tables on the pavement outside and large windows for catching the midday sun. Bustling with a mix of young families…
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…
University Café
87 Byres Road,
Glasgow,
G11 5HN
Established in 1918, the University Café is a Byres Road institution, serving fish suppers, fry-ups and homemade lasagne for nearly a century. Inside, the décor is practically unchanged since opening, original wood panelled walls, narrow formica tables…
La Vita Spuntini
199–201 Byres Road,
Glasgow,
G12 8TN
Italian tapas is an intriguing concept, with the menu at La Vita Spuntini offering a host of small mix-and-match meat, fish and vegetable dishes, larger bowls of pasta for sharing, and dinky ‘pizzettes’. Duck and black pudding in red currant jus is…
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…
Nick’s
168 Hyndland Road,
Glasgow,
G12 9HZ
It’s love at first sight at Nick’s – what a stunning interior, all exposed brickwork, dark wood, slightly industrial, Brooklyn-loft kind of vibe. A newcomer to Hyndland Road, having opened in late 2009, it takes over the site of the unique…
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…
La Brava
679a Clarkston Road,
Glasgow,
G44 3SE
La Brava has been serving Southsiders for a couple of years, and the fact it's always busy is testament to chef's use of the finest and freshest ingredients, as well as to an exceptionally friendly welcome. Owners Aris and Rico have managed to create…
Di Maggio’s
21 Royal Exchange Square,
Glasgow,
G1 3AJ
Since 1985 Di Maggio's has been expanding from its original Shawlands venue to branches across the city. As the name suggests, the menu owes more to US Italian food than the old country, and while the considerably dense à la carte menu is the same in…
Eusebi Deli
793 Shettleston Road,
Glasgow,
G32 7NN
One wonders if any first-time customer has ever visited Eusebi and not come back for more. It really is most impressive. When the doors open at 10am, the counter is packed with Italian delights, from rich, hearty classics such as lasagne or pork…
La Famiglia
111 Cleveden Road,
Glasgow,
G12 0JU
Upon entering La Famiglia you encounter a truly inviting atmosphere – often attempted elsewhere, rarely achieved. The smart interior is intimate but nicely proportioned, unlikely to ever make for a cramped dining experience, particularly with…
The Italian Kitchen
64 Ingram Street,
Glasgow,
G1 1EX
It could be argued the Italian Kitchen is a victim of its own success – it is almost always busy so service can occasionally stretch, and booking ahead is pretty much a must. Put that aside and what you get is a restaurant with a lovely atmosphere, a…
La Lanterna
35 Hope Street,
Glasgow,
G2 6AE
This family-run restaurant has been going for 40 years and it is easy to see why. Go down the steps into a welcoming dining area with dark wooden beams across the ceiling and yellowing cream walls and expect fine authentic Italian food. The waiters are…
La Parmigiana
447 Great Western Road,
Glasgow,
G12 8HH
Behind the frosted glass window is a little nest of beautifully laid tables, deep red walls, dark wood and a ceiling as crisp and white as the stiffly folded napkins. The service, all starched aprons and bow ties, may be formal but it is also friendly…
Pulcinella
167 Hope Street,
Glasgow,
G2 2UQ
Pulcinella radiates tradition – checked table cloths, walls crammed with souvenirs – which you’ll either find charming or a bit tired, but the friendly staff chattering away in Italian certainly add to the ambience. The menu offers a range of familiar…
Sannino Pizzeria
61 Bath Street,
Glasgow,
G2 2DG
More than 20 years after it was established, this handsome pizzeria continues to lure customers into its underground chamber of dark wooden booths, chrome railings and Tiffany-style lamps. Regulars appreciate the reasonably priced set lunch and…
Carluccio's
7 West Nile Street,
Glasgow,
G1 2PR
Since opening in November 2011, Carluccio’s has enjoyed a roaring trade and while it’s a chain restaurant it certainly doesn’t feel like one. It’s bright and has a warm welcoming vibe, as well as a cute little deli at the entrance. Once seated try…
Di Maggio's Theatreland
163 West Nile Street,
Glasgow,
G1 2RL
See Royal Exchange Square branch for review
Firebird
1321 Argyle Street,
Glasgow,
G3 8TL
A West End institution over the past decade or so, Firebird has always been known primarily for its pizzas (which can be bought to takeaway). Hand-made and cooked in a wood-fired oven, giving them a faint smokey flavour, they are thin and crispy with an…
Jamie’s Italian
1 George Square,
Glasgow,
G1 1HL
The much-anticipated arrival of Jamie's Italian in 2010 resulted in block-busting queues as Glaswegians vied for a table at Oliver's cavernous George Square eatery. The stampede has dispersed – bookings are now taken – but it still seems to be working…
Mimmo's
235 St Andrew's Road,
Glasgow,
G41 1PD
Mimmo’s is one of three international restaurants which sit side by side like a dining oasis in this part of north Pollokshields. Inside the décor is smart and crisp, and the service is good, warm and friendly. To start, the mushrooms stuffed with…
O Sole Mio
34–36 Bath Street,
Glasgow,
G2 1HG
O Sole Mio has been serving customers for 47 years, and since changing hands more than a year ago the restaurant still promises to not disappoint. The menu is very varied, the staff are exceptionally pleasant, and the venue’s new look is sleek yet cosy.
Osteria Piero
111 West Regent Street,
Glasgow,
G2 2RU
This trattoria-style restaurant has an intimate but laid-back atmosphere – the wood-panelled interior creates warmth and the the service of beer from a barrel in front of the bar is a fun, quirky feature. To start, the seafood filo parcel has a nest of…
Philadelphia Fish and Chicken Bar
445 Great Western Road,
Glasgow,
G12 8HH
The 'Philly' has been a towering presence at Kelvinbridge for longer than most locals can remember. Easy to spot by its New York cab colours of yellow, black and white it has served many a student, school kid, drinker and busy worker over the years.
Prezzo - Glasgow Braehead
Unit C2, Braehead Shopping Centre, Kings Inch Road,
Renfrew,
G51 4BP
Serving irresistible Italian cuisine in casual, friendly surroundings, Prezzo uses only the finest seasonal ingredients to create their award-winning pizzas, as well as other dishes prepared with produce sourced directly from Italy, all at prices that…
