Eating out: SoHo, 84 Miller Street 221 1568 www.sohoglasgow.com

Jan 8 2009 By Peter Carroll

THE credit crunch may well be hanging over us all in 2009, but I've stumbled on one city-based Italian eatery that won't take a big bite out of your eating-out budget.

Opened in June last year, SoHo, based in the old Fixx basement bar in Miller Street, is a welcome change from some of the city's overly-expensive pizza and pasta venues.

And with pasta dishes and pizzas starting from £5.45 and the most expensive dish - a grand antipasto plate of meats, fine cheeses and marinated vegetables - coming in at just £12.95, SoHo's growing reputation is spreading as fast as its speedy table service.

We dropped in during a recent shopping trip to find out if SoHo's fayre matched its fabulous prices... and we weren't disappointed. It was busy the day we visited and we were told a table would be available in around 15 minutes. We hadn't even ordered our drinks at the bar when our charming waitress told us our table was ready.

Once seated I ordered a pint of Segres lager (£3.25) and my partner ordered a Sutter Home White Zinfandel rose (£2.65), while we checked out the menu.

We ordered a bowl of black and green marinated olives (£1.95) and hand-torn crusty bread with oil and vinegar (£1.95) to get going.

For starters I ordered the free range chicken parmesan strips with basil aioli (£3.95), while my guest chose the minestrone soup (£2.95).

SoHo does great pizza and pasta dishes with a specials board featuring seafood dishes and salads I decided to opt for the spaghetti arrabiata with Italian sausage (£6.95), while my companion went for the classic carbonara (£6.95).

In no time at all our bread, olives and starters arrived My parmesan chicken could have been a main course; there were tonnes of succulent chicken breast smothered in cheese, completewith a dressed salad and garlic mayo dip.

I could see my fellow diner was loving her soup. It was of the so-thick-you-can-stand-on variety and was very warming and tasty - perfect for a cold winter day.

The main courses were both brilliant. My partner's family are Italian so we are seasoned professionals when it comes to pasta.

And I am happy to say both the carbonara and arrabiata could have come from our favourite Italian eatery back home in Cassino, Lazio.

The trick is to use olive oil to give the pasta a lovely texture and taste - bravo!

I intended to have a dessert to order a dessert, but found that I was too stuffed to even look at the sweet menu.

We decided to order a couple of cappuccinos (£1.50 each), relax and enjoy the buzzing atmosphere of our favourite new Italian pizzeria.

SoHo also offers an express lunch menu (£5.95 for two courses) and seven-day pre-theatre (£9.95) for two courses, (5pm to 7pm).