Eating Out: Andiamo (Giffnock)

Jun 16 2011 By Peter Carroll

223 Fenwick Road, Tel: 620 3587, Web: www.andiamo-restaurants.com

ANDIAMO translates to let's go, so my friend and I decided to head to the south-side Italian of the same name to do just that.

Based in the heart of Giffnock, this stylish eatery certainly looked the part on arrival. The stunning glass frontage illuminates the venue's sleek, contemporary interior.

We arrived just after 6pm and decided to try the venue's reasonable pre-theatre option - s10.95 for two courses and s12.95 for three.

Changed on a weekly basis, the pre-theatre menu runs on a Monday and Tuesday, 4pm to 10pm, Wednesday and Thursday, 4pm to 7pm, and Fridays from 4pm to 6pm.

We arrived at 6pm and the restaurant was busy - a sign that the pre-theatre option is a popular choice with returning customers.

It is also a varied menu, with five starter, six main and three dessert options.

After ordering a pint of Peroni draught (s4.50) and a Diet Coke (s2.20) it was time to peruse the menu and make our choices.

For starters, we both decided on the fegatini di pollo - home-made chicken liver pate, with caramelised red onions and toast.

The two deliciously-smooth pate dollops came with two slices of toasted Italian bread, a generous amount of sweet onions and a salad garnish.

We both agreed the pate dish was a great start to our meal.

For the main event, I opted to ditch the habit of a lifetime when dining out in Italian restaurants - play it safe with either pizza or pasta - and ordered the bistecca marsala.

The dish consisted of an 8oz rib eye steak in a mushroom, cream and marsala sauce served with roast potatoes and broccoli.

My guest followed suit and chose the pollo pepe, strips of pan-fried chicken in a peppercorn sauce with Arborio rice.

The steak was cooked to perfection and the blend of the sweet marsala sauce with the tender beef was delectable. The golden roasted potatoes and soft mushrooms only heightened the dish's flavour.

The pollo pepe meal was also going down a treat with my fellow diner. I didn't even get a sniff of a sample, but I was assured the chicken was succulent and the peppercorn sauce was luscious.

We originally decided to stick with two courses but our bellies got the better us both and chose the three-course option.

I decided on the meringue with fresh berries and a thick, clotted cream, while my guest picked the hot chocolate cake, again with berries and cream.

Both sweets were marvellous and a worthy finale to a fantastic pre-theatre feast.

On leaving Andiamo we both thought let's go back again - soon!