Searching for the best
Italian Glasgow restaurant?
Try Ristorante La Fiorentina Glasgow

Learn why this little Italian Glasgow restaurant
La Fiorentina Glasgow, has quietly built up
an enviable reputation here

The Lowdown | Typical Menu | Getting There | Booking

La Fiorentina - The best Italian Glasgow Restaurant?

Tenga pure il resto!

For those of you who don't speak Italian (and of course I didn't nick that phrase online!), this means something like you can keep the change.

After dining at Ristorante La Fiorentina Glasgow, one of the finer Italian Glasgow restaurant experiences, you may very well find yourself telling that to the waiter.

So yeah, I'm pretty sure you'll also find numerous other websites and guidebooks who disagree with me, every one of them pointing you in the direction of this Italian Glasgow restaurant or that one. Many of them will mention the famous names in the City like L'Ariosto, Paperino's, Piccolo Mondo or Fratelli Sarti. Some other sites, that most would agree are the more amazing ones, will point out 'hidden gems' like the Battlefield Rest, or even, God forbid, Jamie's Italian in George Square (which I just can't stop going to!).

What no site in the world will give you though, unless you write it yourself of course, is the name of the only Italian Glasgow restaurant at which you'll need to dine to get a full flavour of what this City can offer if you love Italian food. There are just so many of them sprinkled around Glasgow, hailing from all the wildly unique regions of their home country, that it's just near impossible to sit one right on top of the crowd with a sign that says Number 1.

I'll tell you this though - if you did try to do that, I'm as sure as Larry (and he really is pretty sure of himself) that Ristorante La Fiorentina Glasgow would come close to the top.

This hugely popular Italian Glasgow restaurant is another one of my recommendations that you'll have to head out the City Centre for, but believe me, it's worth the trip. It's only a short taxi ride away from the Centre, and when you arrive and head through the door, you'll find yourself draped immediately in a Tuscan cheer which belies the Scottish turf it rests on.

The entire restaurant is adorned with authentic vines, intricate stained glass and marble statues, beckoning your mind to a part of Italy you'll end up wishing you could visit, well, if it wasn't for your satisfyingly stuffed stomach! You'll be greeted by staff who are jovial and efficient, practising a well-oiled silver service, and will be delighted by a menu I've always thought is more akin to what you'd find in Italy than other Italian restaurants in Glasgow who seem to cater more for a basic Glasgow palate (but hey, that's never stopped me loving the ol' Spag Bol!).

La Fiorentina Glasgow is simply one Italian Glasgow restaurant that you should give a go when you're here. Warm, friendly, rustic, a perfect blend of Mediterranean and Scottish flavours, this gaff sends me away every time with a smile on my face & whisks my finger down my diary to find the next time I'm free to return.

And if you agree, why not say to the waiter tenga pure il resto - I'm sure you'll get a sympathetic smile, much like I do every time I try to pronounce the Italian dishes on the menu when I'm ordering!

OK OK, so I'm showing off now. Or am I just proving how geeky I am, what with my blank repetition of online Italian phrasebooks?!!

Anywho, the menu. My personal favourite starter here is salsiccia con fagioli, a Tuscan classic made with spices, Italian sausage & Borlotti beans in a special sauce with sage and garlic, blended with tomato sauce. It really does start things off with a salivating bang. Tracey's reminded me to mention however, her top starter, the zuppa della frattoria, which is a herby farmhouse soup with pretty much every vegetable under the Sun!

As for the main event, I'd suggest that you take a serious look at the scaloppine alla milanese (escalopes of tenderloin of pork in breadcrumbs, pan-fried with pasta al pomodoro or bolognese sauce & baby roast potatoes), fritto misto di pesce (a trio of delightful sole, haddock & plaice dressed in light batter & breadcrumbs), or if you're feeling particularly adventurous, the scottish entrecote steak boscaiola, which is a beast of a sirloin steak sauteéd in extra virgin olive oil with onions, mushrooms, garlic, red wine, French mustard, demi-glace, peppercorn sauce & blended with cream...blaaaaaugh...

...Sorry about that. Just caught myself drooling a little over the keyboard!

Finally, the end product. What to choose for dessert if you've not expanded to Pavarotti-esque proportions? My number one recommendation has to be the zuppa italia. This mouth-watering house speciality gateau introduces your taste buds to what must be the best dessert you'll find in Glasgow, bar none! It's a sponge soaked in Marsala and maple syrup, filled with creme patisserie & chocolate sauce, covered with meringue and served with whipped cream. There's other delights on the menu that you're welcome to try, but please please, give this one a go first - if you don't like it, well, I'll just have to head to the restaurant myself and order it again - simply to find out what the problem is, of course!

All in all, you'll learn quickly that the menu guides you through an assorted tour of attentively illustrated European & Scottish kitchens, at a price more reasonable than you'd expect.

Oh, and of course a comprehensive list of Old World & New World wines to choose from, so best leave the car at the hotel!

How to get there?

If you're heading to this fantastic Italian Glasgow restaurant from the City Centre, as I mentioned it's probably best that you just jump a taxi. Have a look at my taxi guide to keep yourself right.

Alternatively, head to the Shields Road stop on the Clockwork Orange or jump any one of the many buses that travel up Paisley Road West. Again, have a wee look at my guide to getting around Glasgow and you should have no problems finding it.

Also, you can find it by looking at this wee map to get you headed in the right direction. Any more queries, please let me know.

Booking a table

Booking a table at La Fiorentina Glasgow, surely an Italian Glasgow restaurant you'll end up talking about excitedly after you've been, is as simple as phoning .

If you try to book a table about a week in advance, you'll probably get one, but remember to say to them where you want to be seated. If you want a casual dining experience, head to Little Tuscany. For a more romantic or executive meal, ask for the Bay Private Dining Room.

Either way, I hope that your taste buds leave the place more satisfied than they've been for a while. This little Italian Glasgow restaurant will try its hardest to make sure they do, and who are we to get in the way?!!

Grazie, arrivederci!