We melted off the icy cold night with Sapori's. Upon entering, we were gladly received with a…read moretoasty warm invite, with our eyes wandering here and there to sumptuous italian imports stashed around the room. The fake fireplace humoured us at first but later on we forgot about it and it seemed like the real thing. We were happy, warm, and in good spirits. To start off, we were surprised with a humongous portion of fresh steamed mussels in a savoury tomato broth. This was expertly timed to be followed by our platefuls of freshly made pasta. Gorgeous was the creamy carbonara with Parmagiano and Amatriciana, which were wallops of a finish to the nights eats. The staff were lovely, the male wait person in particular was very accommodating and his sincerity was felt. We really wanted to do dessert..but alas again too full! Must come again to peruse the menu further and delight in desserts.

Anger, rage, fury, annoyance. That is what I am feeling. How did I not find this place sooner? Why…read moredid nobody mention it to me? Why did I not see Donald and Peter's rave reviews before now? The world is a cruel and wicked place, but I have to let bygones be bygones and accepted that I am, indeed, a douche for not finding this place sooner. Nestled in Mount Florida near Hampden Park, you wouldn't necessarily find this little place. From the outside it looks nothing more that your typical Italian joint. Almost neglected you may say. There's nothing particularly appealing about the shop front. Furthermore as they have no website I had no real idea what to expect food wise. So, I went in completely blind, not knowing anything. First impressions were excellent, very cosy, only 8 or 9 tables, nice Italian music in the background, the chatter of Italian in the kitchen and amongst the waiters. It all boded very well. We ordered some drinks and after a quick rummage through the menu (which all looked great, and very well priced) we were recited the specials of the day. In true Italian style we took the plunge and went for a mega feast of four courses. Nothing particularly challenging for a Wednesday night I must say. To begin, we had a duo of bruschettas - one, a classic tomato and the other with friarielli (or Italian wild broccoli). Afterwords we had a wonderful seafood caserecce pasta dish (primo) with fresh clams and squid. It tasted just like the real stuff I would get in Italy. After, yes there was more (or a secondo), a huge fitto misto (which we shared) which is basically battered and fried seafood. The batter was so light and crisp, and served with lemon its a simple and easy dish that is difficult to top. Finally for desert was a home-made amarena cherry and amaretto cheesecake. It was oh so rich and creamy. Exquisite!!! All this was washed down with some rather darn fine Soave white wine, and the best part was the final bill, incredibly good value for money considering the quantity and the amazing quality of the food we had. I could not recommend this place enough. A real proper Italian restaurant, which is going straight into my top Italian eateries list. I simply cannot wait to go back.

I saw someone on Twitter say that Pazzo had said they would get in vegan cheese for pizza, and on…read moretheir Facebook page they'd posted a photo of Violife (one of the best dairyfree cheeses out there IMO), so I was particularly excited to try their pizzas. It felt a bit like a takeaway place with seating rather than a restaurant I'd go to for a special occasion. (My hair smelled a bit like a chippie when we left and I could faintly smell fish as we were waiting for our meal.) When we walked in I was pleased to see they sold beer, and they had their sign stating they had no card machine very clearly on display. With it being a Monday night, in a new place, and on the southside, I wasn't surprised to see it very quiet; some of the staff watched us walking towards the tables with looks of curiosity - are we going to sit down, are we going to leave...? The waitress was very pleasant and I said I knew they had vegan cheese for pizzas and did they have anything else suitable for vegans? Their menu had a few items in Italian which I needed explained, and nothing marked with dietary symbols (vegan, vegetarian, gluten free or otherwise) apart from the mention of gluten free pizza bases. No separate 'Vegetarian' section of the menu; even the list of pizza toppings weren't separated into veg and non-veg. After the waitress had checked she came back and said something I couldn't quite determine was a negative or affirmative, I took it to mean only the pizzas were vegan-friendly. I asked about the pumpkin ravioli, did it have egg, and she checked with the chef and it did. I didn't even ask about the fries, or whether we could have the garlic bread with cheese with oil instead of butter, as I expected she would need to check again with everything I asked. She was super lovely and efficient, and obviously felt sorry she wasn't able to tell me more straight away, but on a menu where you have no idea what some of the items are or if they likely have allergens, some staff training is necessary! Though in fairness, when I asked for explanations of the Italian ingredients I didn't know she could help me out easily there. After that awkward start we were pleased that the pizzas didn't let us down and they were delicious. We both prefer doughy over crispy bases and the waitress had advised the 'traditional' base would be better for us than the 'thin'. We took what we couldn't finish away and she packed it into a small styrofoam box so we didn't have to carry three slices in a big box, which was very helpful. There are three base pizza options: traditional or thin (£8) and gluten free (£9) and each topping is paid for at set prices between £1 and £3/£4. I quite liked this as it means you don't need to ask for toppings to be swapped, and when the bill arrived I was very happy to see that there was no extra charge for not only cheese - I guess it's a given most people will have cheese on their pizza - but also no extra charge for vegan cheese. Hopefully they'll keep the Violife and won't start charging extra! There is no 'Toilets' sign, but given there is only really one way you can go that isn't the front door the logic is they would be in that direction, and I can confirm there are customer toilets beyond that door - one male, one female, and one disabled. On the menu in the window there are sandwiches displayed, and one is 'Vegans Dream'; its filling is hummus and veg, so not hugely inspiring, but would be nice to go back for lunch and get this with some fries and see whether I'd feel like bumping my review up to a 4 (or a 5!).

I took my family for lunch at pazzo yesterday and we enjoyed it and would be happy to return but I…read moreshould explain the 3 stars. They lose a star for service-there were 3-4 members of staff visible and for a small place that's not too bad. However they seemed to be more interested in talking to each other than paying attention to customers trying to catch their eye, meaning that ordering involved me having to call someone over to ask them the process involved. Not ideal. Similarly finding someone to get the bill wasn't easy when all the staff avoided eye contact at all times. Now the good. A nice menu with some good options. We ordered sandwiches and pizza and the pizza was the definite winner, however it was quite expensive as each topping costs extra meaning it's hard to pay less than £10-15 for a 12" pizza which I feel is a bit steep. However, it was a good pizza. The sandwiches were ok but would be better toasted. If service was more attentive I would happily give them an extra star. Maybe they will improve over time!

Visited Buongiorno today for lunch…read more Menu was good as there was plenty of options. Price was good for the area. Food was clearly cooked by an experienced chef. The hand made pizza and and homemade chips was a nice change to other places I have been. Overall a good experience. Will definitely be back soon.

Not sure if the other reviewers just went on bad days or were unlucky? I've been a few times over…read morethe last five or so years and its always been good. Very friendly service and a nice family feel to the place.

Rich tom sause with pasta and coffee bold and strong.The tirimasue was balanced woth a rich flavourread more

My brother and I spent the day having lunch in this fab restaurant, as it was my birthday. I was so…read morelooking forward to it, and it didn't disappoint. The portions were great, and the staff attentive, I love this place.

A Glasgow based chain, this Shawlands' branch is light on the American, but heavy on the portions…read more While it is not a cheap choice, more mid-range, it has a good selection of baked pasta and vegetarian choices, although I always go for the seafood. Despite the Italian American theme, it does do a few items off the Yankee track: Indian spiced prawns, an oriental salmon dish. This are okay, but merely hinted at the exoticism their names suggest. They are lightly themed rather a serious reworking of foreign spicings. The pasta is top notch, however: fresh, soft and delicious, the sauces understated yet tasty. The starters are light and diverse- they could easily serve as a tapas menu. The large windows, and its location at the top of Shawlands do make this a nice place to people watch and, during the summer, makes the restaurant fill with natural light. It's better around lunch time, but ti never gets so busy that the service is less than excellent.

Ordered a delivery of two gluten free pizzas…read more Fast delivery (came before estimated time) however the pizzas themselves were not good. One good thing was the size - pretty decent for a gluten free pizza. However the base was undercooked so much the toppings just made it soppy. They made a half assed attempt at cutting the pizza, but clearly the person who was in charge of that has never used a knife before. In the end I just add the toppings and threw the rest of it in the bin. I'll stick with dominos next time.

Best food. Service top notch. Excellent ambience. Would definitely go again. 5/5 well done to the…read morechefs and workers of this lovely establishment. Respectfully, the Rater

Battlefield rest is a neat little Italian restaurant housed in a former tram station. The green…read moreand white striped building (Celtic fan?) was built in 1915 and makes for a rather dashing building set in the middle of a roundabout. It's just as engaging on the inside. The overall aesthetic is that of your friend's family's rustic, rural Italian home. It's very cozy and a bit careworn, but in a charming way. The food is fantastic - Italian classics done with love. The wine list is great and the vino comes served like my Sicilian grandpa used to drink it - in tumblers instead of wine glasses. Just adds to the atmosphere. They also have a snappy little pre-theater menu: two courses for 11.90, 5:00 - 6:30 pm Monday - Saturday. The only downside, if it can be considered so, is that the windows are so big that it's too bright in the summer. Once the days get a bit shorter, however, it's perfect for an intimate dinner.

I come here Monday - Friday for school lunch and the chips are very good but sometimes the chips…read morechange to a different kind and its weird

We get takeaway from here a lot and have been coming here since it was on Skirving Street, in the…read morespot now occupied by Buddy's. Their pizzas are really fantastic (I'd go here before going to any of the bigger pizza chains in the area) and their pasta dishes are better than the average Italian takeaway. We do tend to stick to our favourite dishes but we've never had a bad experience with the food from here. The only reason it's not getting 4 stars is because since they moved to the bigger shop on Kilmarnock Road, the home delivery service has been pretty ropey. It is just round the corner but y'know, sometimes you don't want to go out for food and we do get home delivery quite a lot. After having phoned in orders many times, they got a new phone system that didn't recognise my home number (I'm ex-directory but I don't think that should cause a problem these days?) and therefore they were unable to take our order over the phone. When we went round and the guy realised it was us, he was really apologetic but I haven't tried to order by phone since. We order online now but we do still get some problems. One time we had the delivery driver on the phone claiming he was buzzing our buzzer when he wasn't - I even walked down three flights to the close door to check because he was adamant he was at the right address and actually arguing with me on the phone about where I lived. I'd say their delivery service is a bit hit or miss, but if you can call in yourself then it's one of the better takeaways in Shawlands.

Serving up the highest standard of food I've ever eaten in Glasgow, Barbarossa is quite a bit out…read moreof the way for many but well worth a visit. The menu in the main restaurant changes regularlty but usually has quite a strong seafood theme. On our recent visit the food was quite simply from the very top drawer. Huge tasty scallops, a delicious salmon steak, but best of all was the halibut, which I'd never tried before but can be best described as a really meaty fish, and superlatives can't really describe how good it tasted. It was topped with these caramelised shredded onions that had it not been for my low embarrasment / awkwardness threshold, I'd have asked the chef how to make at home. From the rest of my review you can probably tell what I'll say about the iced coconut and bitter chocolate dessert, and even though the restaurant is undoubtedly quite expensive at about £18 a main course, I'd still say it's definite value for money, and a lot cheaper if you go earlier for the pre-theatre. As well as the main restaurant there's also a new wine bar which offers a slightly less fancy menu, and does lunch and breakfast as well. Although it's nice to sit in (I've only had drinks but have little doubt the food will be excellent), I'm slightly worried they've over-extended themselves by opening up this area. It's in a huge, brand new extension, and has effecxtively tripled the size of the place. For a restaurant that was doing well as it was, I'm not really sure why this was needed, especially as it's location in a quiet suburban part of the city means you have to really be making a conscious effort to come here rather than simply be "passing trade". Anyway, it's one of the best places I've ever eaten anywhere never mind Glasgow, and is a couple of doors down from Cathcart Station. There's no excuse not to try it.

Oh dear. I feel like a nagging granny filled with complaints compared to the other two reviews…read more But...here goes. I have dined in here a few times: once in the main restaurant section and two or three times in the wine bar section which has a more basic (e.g. bog standard) menu. My first experience of Barbarossa in the main restaurant was fantastic, if a bit pricey. Admittedly, the I am not used to forking out quite so much for a nice meal out. But, it really was worth it! I had an amazing prawn starter (and trust me, I've eaten prawns in many a restaurant). The prawns were cooked just right - not rubbery at all - and in a lively subtle but tasty sauce which didn't over power them nor leave them bland. For a meal, I had steak with perfectly cooked vegetables on the side. Absolutely delicious. Meanwhile, my companion had a lamb chop with veg which I was lucky even to taste. Hence, why if I was going back I'd be very tempted to opt for the lamb. However, the other occasions I have eaten here have not been so great. The wine bar section offers a decent selection on the menu (though it is mostly pasta, risotto and the basic run-of-the-mill Italian stuff) for a much more reasonable price. This should make it ideal for a relaxed and decent budget lunch towards the end of the month or when you're saving up for that holiday. Instead, you end up paying around £8-10 for a dish of poorly cooked pasta (soggy, anyone?), in a rather bland sauce. This gives the strong impression that the ingredients are not the freshest or the highest in quality. Meanwhile, for the bistro type experience, you are paying around £14 for a bottle of wine. Hence, it's still a bit too pricey but in this section the food is definitely not worth it. Furthermore, the staff seem to make a very clear distinction between diners in the restaurant and bar sections. Having dined in both, I was shocked and rather annoyed by the customer service the staff executed in the bar and, indeed, the manner in which they did. So, to conclude, if you are after a pricey but amazing meal then the restaurant area in this venue is probably the best around locally. However, if you are looking to spend a little less and still receive a good quality of cooking then give the wine bar/bistro section a miss. Instead, a preferable less pricey and good quality alternative would be The Battlefield Rest about a ten minute walk away.

Don't be deceived by the name or the pretty font, the Waverly Tea Rooms is sadly not a teahouse…read more To be fair, the Waverley (a bar and restaurant) has a sedate and subdued atmosphere most of the time, but this is usually through circumstance rather than choice. The truth is that it is yet another slightly soulless member of the G1 franchise. The drinks are ridiculously expensive (especially the beer I believe) and the clientele (especially at the weekend) are proud members of the white shirted brigade - men with ludicrously gelled back hair, overwhelming aftershave and a liking for labels who think that standing at the bar holding a £20 note will get them served quicker. It is popular for a reason though. It is one of the few pubs in the south side that opens past 12 during the week. Plus, its conservatory and beer garden means that it is as good a place as any to enjoy a leisurely afternoon in the sun. However, I would stay away at the weekend as it becomes cramped and uncomfortable. There are better things to do of an evening than stand in a corner shouting over rubbish music, whilst your friend queues for half an hour for a £4 drink.

Oh dear. Things were not looking up from the start. We wanted Sunday lunch but couldn't get into…read moreour first choice restaurant so we headed here. On entry we were informed that the card machine was broken so we would have to pay cash. No problem, technical problems happen. Then we ordered drinks. Nothing complex just cokes, diet cokes, lemonades. These took forever to arrive and when we enquired with the absent waitress (we had to go into the bar) she wasn't in the least bit apologetic as she barked that they were coming. We ordered food, at the same time as drinks, from the menu imaginatively clipped to pieces of old wine crate - nice touch except that A4 is larger than the board so the menus were tatty round the edge (again, not a deal breaker but symptomatic of worse problems to come!). The propaganda at the beginning described something about the proprietor's love of food (he obviously doesn't eat here very often). Like so many others I went for the 'Famous Sunday Roast' which was shocking. The roast pork loin was ok - not over cooked - but the 'seasonal veg' were non existent. I had peas and carrots which had painfully obviously been frozen (rubbery carrots - eugh). Carrots might be seasonal but peas - not in January. What about some Kale or cabbage? The potatoes weren't great, but by this time we were so exhausted by the waiting for everything that we couldn't be bothered to send it back. We just wanted to leave. As a final salute to terrible restaurants, as she neared the bottom of her green salad, my friend found a hair mixed in with the leaves. On drawing this to the waitress' attention, she wasn't greeted with an outpouring of apology but an indifferent grunt. No 'comped' salad for us then. We finally fished out the loose change (remember no card machine) to make the bill exactly (no a snowball's chance in hell of a tip) and left. For £7.95 I don't expect caviar served by my own personal butler but I don't expect the horrific experience that I endured.

This place is a real gem of a local newsagent/cafe/sweet shop/ice cream parlour. If you live local…read moreand haven't been, then sort your life out. I've never tried any of the hot food (basic breakfast fayre is on offer pretty much all day) but the home-made ice cream is seriously good. There's a wee freezer with some more exotic flavoured ices as you walk in, but the star of the show is the soft vanilla... I've tried plenty of Italian ice creams served from this type of shop (it must be a Glasgow thing) but Newlands Café wins hands-down. Just don't forget to get some raspberry sauce on top! Did I mention it was a bargain too? £1.10 for a small scoop in a cone! Lovely.

This is not just cafe: it hasa wonderful old fashioned sweet shop and tabacco counter, with a…read morewonderful owner who always has time to chat and advise. Good prices, too: it competes with Tesco, and has the bonus of being an old local business. The cafe is small: it is mostly the place to get a cup of tea or coffee, although they do bacon rolls and other light snacks. These are avaialble for take away, and good for a snack or breakfast on the run.