La Lanterna

La Lanterna is a lovely and very genuine Italian restaurant. As soon as you walk down into the restaurant you feel as if you’ve been transported right to Italy. It’s just the right mix of fancy and cosy!
I had heard a lot of amazing things about this place before visiting, so my expectations were quite high, and I’m not entirely sure if it lived up to them. We had some bruschetta, olives and garlic bread to share, which was all delicious (and we also realised that getting two bread things to share was maybe a bit excessive…). For a main I opted for a pasta (as a vegan there wasn’t much choice, but that I expected), with loads of roasted vegetables, tomatoes, and so on. The portions were very generous, and the food was simple but delicious. I sort of expected something more, but then again ‘simple but delicious’ is Italian food in a nutshell, and La Lanterna does it well.
The menu is very extensive, with plenty of pasta dishes, risottos, as well as meat and fish dishes. The service was wonderful — very quick and efficient but also personal, friendly and fun.
While the food might not be groundbreaking or spectacular, I definitely recommend La Lanterna for a laid-​back and delicious meal with no fuss.

Ive been wanting to try this place for awhile but somehow it has always managed to slip my mind. Maybe its the location or its smaller size or just that its hidden underground?
It was an impromptu quick meal so I went with the gnocchi dish with prawns and courgettes. Pillowy chunks of gnocchi were amassed on the dish, with a good heap of big and fresh prawns. I enjoyed my dish despite it being a tad peppery. Personally, I dont mind peppery but it seems to have been a consistent theme onto the other plates. Bit overpowering enough to maybe ask the kitchen to tone it down a notch for next time. Other than that, good wine selection and lovely ambiance. The chairs added character to the rooms and the décor was a marriage of elegance with cottage charm. Its roomy enough to accommodate most its guests but intimate enough for that private dinner. It is a wonderful choice for date night or a nice dinner for a big group in the back room. Service can be a bit funny. but not a bad one from our experience.
I’d definitely say to give this a try when Italian happens to be your mood of the moment.

The food was amazing. The service was horrible. My husband and I were treated as if we had leprosy. At first they couldn’t get us out of there fast enough. Our 1^st and 2^nd courses were rushed. We ordered cappuccino and then our waiter was NEVER seen again. How could he after his snide remark about «American coffee». It took 45 minutes and me asking 3 times for our check before we actually paid. We went there based on our friends recommendation. I would never go back again.

I had a *very* different La Lanterna experience from the other reviews I’ve read. It just seemed to fall at every hurdle, which really surprised us.
It started when we arrived. The four of us waited in the entryway for several minutes, with none of the passing staff acknowledging us. I get that it was Saturday night (though it was 5:45 so not quite in full evening swing) but SOMEone could have said hello and let us know that someone would be with us shortly.
When front of house arrived, he took a surprisingly long time in finding our booking and when he offered to take our coats, he sped away after taking only mine and my husband’s, leaving my in-​laws standing coats in hand. He seemed rather put out when we asked him to hang their coats as well. Odd.
We were eventually seated and placed our order for starters with our (rather brusque) waiter. The first dish to arrive was something we hadn’t ordered.
When ordering our mains I noticed that the staff here employ the trick of asking if the diner wishes to include chips or garlic bread with their meal, making it sound as though it comes with these included when they are in fact an extra cost. I understood this but he confused my mother in law who ended up ordering the suggested chips. She was happy when I explained that they weren’t included and was able to cancel this extra order. It really bothers me when restaurants try to upsell products by tricking their customers.
The mains were brought immediately after the starters were cleared, leaving us no time to rest and digest. Not very Italian. They were enormous. The men polished off theirs no bother, I struggled through my stodgy risotto which was served heavier on the pancetta than I would have liked. My mother in law was not impressed with her lasagne.
Mains finished, the ladies were full to the brim but as always the men made room for dessert. The tiramisu was gorgeous and my father in law loved his dish, though I haven’t a clue what it was.
When we were finally able to flag someone down for the bill we received the wrong one and it of course took ages to flag someone else down to get it corrected.
After paying, we headed to collect our jackets only to be brought three of our four coats. One coat short, the front of house person disappeared and made no effort to help us hunt through to find the final coat. You take four coats off four people, you give them three back and think that’s not a problem? Not so much.
Between the fact that nothing was outstanding with the food and the incredibly poor service riddled with mistakes, we didn’t have the best time here and will need to keep looking for a good Glaswegian Italian.

Went here with the family for a meal and have came to the conclusion that it could be the best Italian in Glasgow, however a little on the pricey side. The inside is very authentic Italian and you can tell it is a family run place that has been going for a good few years! The seats weren’t very comfy but the atmosphere of the place if very cosy and warm.
I have been twice now and it is always busy which can make service quite slow. However the food is lovely — would recommend the shellfish dishes. I had the scallops and prawn skewers that were delicious and worth every penny. I have also tried the steak which was succulent and my mum has the seafood risotto which she said was the best she had ever tasted.
I also booked online and received a free glass of prosecco for doing so! However i had 2 2 for 1 vouchers to use for my table of 4 and was told i was only allowed 1 per table, which is not what the voucher book says. That was a disappointment.
However I would recommend this place for a romantic meal or with the family. Food is delicious.

What an amazing Italian restaurant in the heart of Glasgow. My friend and her Italian boyfriend were visiting from Venice and we thought it was a good idea to take them to the best Italian restaurant in Glasgow! I was a bit nervous about this as they have top quality Italian food every day!
They had an extensive wine list which the Italian was very happy with. The food was just sublime and whilst it was not the cheapest, for the quality you get it was very reasonable.
I had the scallops to start from the special menu. They were about £7 but you get 5 plump, delicious Scallops. My boyfriend had an amazing rib eye steak which was £15. We were too full for desert!
My friend and her boyfriend assured me that food is very authentic Italian and they also loved it… thankfully! The waiters are very friendly and all Italian too. Must go to restaurant in Glasgow.

I love this restaurant!
My husbands family introduced me to it 6 or 7 years ago because they go every time they are down in Glasgow. I feel like we know about a hidden gem.
They made fresh ravioli & I’d highly recommend the veal and duck varieties. The risotto is tasty as is the meat dishes.
Excellent tiramisu!
No pizza here, it’s old school Italian. The décor compliments this with the dark wood and slightly 80’s feel.

Stopped in for the lunch time menu with seven other colleagues. The service was prompt, polite and quick.
I had the grilled goat’s cheese to start followed by sea bream fillets on a bed of roast potatoes, salad and honey mustard. Both dishes were very filling and delicious.
I will definitely be back to sample the a la carte menu for dinner. The restaurant has a lovely authentic Italian atmosphere, which I always appreciate when compared to chain restaurants.

Great place!!! Lovely food and great staff! Really nice relaxed atmosphere! Will definitely be coming back!

Solid Italian food. This place was packed when we walked in without a reservation but they quickly found us a table. Service was a little slow but not as slow as I thought it would be considering how full the place was. My risotto was nice, the side salad was huge and two of us shared it. There was a mistake in my son’s order but they were very nice and made him a new pasta very quickly.

Great little Italian restaurant, perfect for a meal with the missus.

Excellent little family owned and run Italian restaurant on Hope Street, next to Central Station in Glasgow. I had lived in Glasgow for two years before I found it (the restaurant itself is in a very atmoshperic underground setting) but I will never forget it.
Pre-​theatre at night for an exceptional £14.99 (excluding Xmas) for three of the best courses you will ever eat. The calamari rings are exceptional, the pasta is so fresh it’s untrue and the ice cream is literally the best I have ever tasted.
This is such an easy decision to make to recommend this place. You’d have to be stupid to choose any other Italian over La Lanterna (and brain dead if you prefer Jamie’s Restaurant).

This is a lovely Italian restaurant, hidden away down a staircase on Hope street. I ventured in here today, on the look out for somewhere nice for my friend and I to have lunch. As we entered, we were impressed by its Sicilian surroundings and warm welcome from the waiting staff.
The vast menu offered up two lunch courses for £9.95, however we opted to order from the main menu. I went for the deep fried vegetables and garlic mayonnaise to start, followed by a tasty courgette and tomato pasta dish for my main course, with some garlic bread on the side. I was very impressed by these simple and effective dishes, that were well cooked and well presented. At a total of £20 each for two hearty courses and a couple of drinks, it was money well spent for a luxurious lunch in lovely surroundings.

This wee Italian restaurant is hidden away on Hope Street. Went for a 5pm deal which included 2 courses and a glass of wine. Food was nice but I’ve had better Italian cuisine elsewhere. Staff were nice though and the house wine was tip top hic.