Canasta

One of the best Italians in Glasgow; such a shame it’s not more central.
Sitting unassumingly on the corner of Cathcart Road, just down from Mount Florida train station, it looks a little worn from the outside. And with a takeaway pizzareia and Indian close-​by, you’d think it was «just another Italian local». Wrong.
It’s small and cosy inside, always best to book. The staff are friendly, new specials are chalked up each night. The food is wonderful. Genuine Italian fare, with a twist. For example, the meatballs. A trio of meatballs: one beef, one haggis, and one black-​pudding. Scottish-​Italian fushion yuminess.
I can’t say much more except it’s a wonderful restaurant. Cosy enough to be a nice romantic setting, out of the way to have that «secret treasure» appeal, and if you live on the South side definitely somewhere to make a habit of. Would be great for family birthday dinners, or a dinner out with friends.
Verdict: that’s-a good-​a meatball!

Delcious food, fantastic staff, great wine list, I can’t think of anything negative to say about Canasta. It’s very small so you usually have to book in advance to avoid disappointment but I don’t think I’d rather it was bigger to accomodate more diners as I think the cosy feel adds to the whole atmosphere.
On my last visit i had a salmon dish which was scrumptious and it was great to see the Chefs at work in the open plan kitchen.
Prices are also very reasonable and it would be a great place for birthday, family meals and dates!

Branching out from my usual trawl of Shawland’s restaurants, Canasta was a nice surprise. As always, I went for the seafood: a high risk option, as I have had my share of food poisoning in the past. This time, it was a result: deliciously fresh prawns, in a sauce that seemed to owe little to the West Coast and more to Italy.
Perhaps surprisingly, it didn’t feel too busy or disorganised: it was full, and full of animated conversation, yet the service was efficeint and polite. Certainly a good call for something a little bit more intimate, and less generic than many Italian places.

Quite probably in the dictionary under the definition of «snug», Canasta is among the cosiest restaurants I’ve ever been in, and one of the many excellent places in this part of town that goes unheard of in the more high-​profile districts of the city centre and west end.
The menu is a sort of hybrid between modern Scottish and Italian, showcased in the pasta with black pudding special I got, which may not sound like it would work but definitely did. There’s some good seafood options on the menu too and we got some cracking whole prawns to start. There’s little more satisfying tasks in a restaurant than tearing apart a crustecean with your bare hands.
With it’s tiny size, open-​plan kitchen, and homely, slightly disorganised feel, Canasta has built up a strong following in the local area and not without reason. Smashing.

My boyfriend surprised me with a wee cosy meal here after I hopped off the train to visit him, knowing I would be rather hungry. It was just as well he had booked it as the place was packed and this was at around 9pm. It is teeny and so seemed a real community place filled with regulars.
Our table, like a few others, fitted snugly into a window seat from which we could see the open kitchen. The whole place is so cosy and snug and the Italian-​influenced menu comforting. At first I wasnt sure what to have until I saw the special menu and went for a tasty chicken dish. It was amazing.
Warm and friendly little place.

I went to Canasta with my partner at the weekend and after hearing great reviews from friends we were really looking forward to our meal. We weren’t disappointed! Our waitress was really helpful and friendly and the surroundings were warm and cost, especially on a cold winters night.
Our starters were fresh and homemade and my partner’s bowl of mussels was massive! For our mains I had the pork belly and he had the trio of meatballs and after pinching one of his delicious meatballs I wish I’d had the same. Everything we had was freshly cooked, piping hot and hearty. The prices were really reasonable and our three courses, bottle of wine and two beers (my boyfriend’s) only came to £50.
We’ll definitely be back!

This is the sister restaurant of the nearby Battlefield Rest in Battlefield. Located in Mount Florida, this restaurant has a cosy and homely feel. It is not very large but can fit about 20 covers. The food is a mixture of Italian and comfort food, such as macaroni cheese, and is a perfect spot for a lazy lunch on the south side of Glasgow. The staff are very friendly and accomodating and the restaurant is wheelchair friendly as I found out when I visited with a friend. The food is lovely, homemade and not too expensive, and the décor is pleasant. I would recommend Canasta if you live in the south side of Glasgow and are looking for somewhere different to try out.