Eating Out: The Italian Bistro

Aug 16 2012 By Ben Spencer

Italian Bistro Image 1

IT’S easy to get stuck in a rut of just visiting restaurants in your favourite parts of the city.

But it’s well worth meandering away from your usual haunts – as I found out when I visited The Italian Bistro, on Great Western Road near Gartnavel Hospital.

We went on a Saturday night and the restaurant was busy but not overly noisy.

I had been there before, a couple of years back, and had enjoyed the food but had been surprised that there were few Italian dishes on the menu.

But things seem to have changed for the better and there are far more Italian choices, such as pizza and pasta, as well as more subtly influenced courses.

My friend and I began with a mozzarella and tomato salad (£4) and pan-seared king prawns (£7.95).

My salad of rocket, balsamic and basil was perfect and my friend raved about her prawns, which were deliciously flavoured with chilli and garlic.

There was a good choice of Italian wines available and the manager told us that most were currently reduced in price by £5.

For my main course, I ordered honey-roasted Gressingham duck breast (£17.95). This arrived sliced and the duck came with sweet potato, which made an effective contrast to the honeyed flavours of the duck.

My friend‘s 8oz rib eye steak (£18.50) was nicely done and she polished off the accompanying mushroom, plum tomato with chips that tasted as if they may have been double-fried.

We enjoyed a bottle of one of the bargain wines – a Vinea Garganega from Italy, which had a pleasant nose of almond and vanilla.

We decided to share a classic Italian dessert, tiramisu (£5.95). This was served in a coffee cup and was deliciously rich.

The Italian Bistro may be one dining rut you’ll be all to keen to fall into.