Italian Kitchen in Glasgow City

Disappointing Experience – Good Food, Poor Service A great restaurant is judged by three key things: service, food quality, and ambiance (along with cleanliness and pricing). Unfortunately, The Italian Kitchen fell short in multiple areas. We ordered drinks, a starter, and main courses, but everything arrived at almost the same time. When we asked the server to bring the starter later, we were told, "We can't do that." The food itself was good, but the rushed service and lack of flexibility spoiled the whole experience. For the high prices, we expected better hospitality—instead, we felt like we were dining at a fast-food joint, finishing our meal in just 30 minutes. Good food isn’t enough when the service fails. Won’t be returning.

I have been here maybe a dozen times and have never had a bad experience yet. I have been to many Italian restaurants, both in and out of Italy and the authentic smell when you walk in to a proper Italian place is present here. It's a familiar sign of quality. Would happily recommend to anyone.

Good food, good drinks, and very friendly service. Portion sizes good, as well.

Lovely warm glow in the restaurant, well lit by the multiple lamps and roaring pizza oven. Friendly, accommodating staff and top tier food. Would love to go again and try the rest of the menu!

A first visit to the Italian Kitchen on a trip back to my home city of Glasgow... It won't be our last. A warm, friendly welcome to a smart dining space with a contemporary feel and good atmosphere. The food was excellent with my 14yr old daughter loving the garlic foccacia (it was very moreish!) whilst I enjoyed tender calamari with a generous helping of alioli and some rocket salad. Mains of Rigatoni Bolognese - with plenty freshly grated parmesan and Chicken Valdostana were great... I loved the marsala wine sauce and the sides of roasted potatoes with balsamic onions and garlicky fine green beans were simply delicious... My daughter declared the Tiramisu - the best she had tasted... !! Lovely, friendly service made for a really enjoyable experience, which we will definitely share with my wife when we are all next in Glasgow....

We arrived for our dinner at 5pm.We were greeted straight away from a lovely gentlemen.The waitress then came and took our drinks order.We had a lovely starter of Foccacia.We each had a Pasta dish each one being a prawn pasta with garlic tomatoes and cream.It was delicious.We then shared a cheesecake and ice cream.Would highly recommend this restaurant.We were in Glasgow for a concert and would go back again if we were in the city again.

We were in Glasgow for a city break. We saw The Italian Kitchen on trip advisor...so we decided to give it a try. The food was delicious, service first class and was value for money. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

We had a very enjoyable time and the food and service was first class. Excellent We will be back the next time in Glasgow.. highly recommended

Nice atmosphere, great friendly attentive staff lovely food.

Staff are amazing and the food is out this world .i was out with my wife at the restaurant as this is our favourite restaurant we love this restaurant keep up the great work you guys do

Food was lovely nice portion sizes .service was fantastic can't fault the place .

Very good food, pleasant staff and good service. We sat outside and you can order and pay, really convenient. I had the Caserecce Pollo, Pencetta E Porro which I can highly recommend. Good portion size and really tasty. The customers I had with me both enjoyed their meals, one other pasta dish and a pizza, both looked very good. Would happily go there again.

Lovely lunch here with friends - excellent food & service.

We often dine in the Italian Kitchen. Consistently good food and great service from professional staff. * 3 years later; The restaurant may have changed owners - certainly the staff and it is definitely not anywhere near as good as it was. I’ve recently been (3 times now) and I won’t be booking again. Such a shame but as there a lots of Italian restaurants in Glasgow we’re sure to find much better. So long IK, it was great when it was great!

The service & food was amazing Staff were brilliant

Delicious food and lovely restaurant inside. Took a star off because the foreign lady server with dark hair was absolutely miserable even sighing as she came to the table. Young blonde server and male manager who greeted us at the door were fantastic so shame one staff member changed that professional image. We will definitely be back though (just hopefully on her day off!)

Absolutely fantastic place to go in the heart of Glasgow, steak pasta is our favourite, just hold the chillies if you have a tender palate, staff friendly and always happy to help with anything, great busy atmosphere, can’t fault it for an Italian dining experience

Food was fantastic , staff were polite and friendly, Martin our waiter was great . Only negative was the seating, 2 of us were squeezed into a tiny space in a corner next to a table of 4 or 5 very loud women which ruined our night a little . Would be better if couples were placed in a quieter part of restaurant. Would go back but maybe on a week day !! 😃

First visit to Glasgow. Did a little checking before hand. I really wanted toItalian food. This place was the closest to where we were staying. So give it a try. Well the food is amazing I really enjoyed my meal. Service was excellent. The atmosphere is superb and I would highly recommend it. Unfortunately no photos.

Food was excellent, portion size was good. Service friendly Beautiful decor

Clean and pleasant place to have lunch or dinner. Excellent attention from your staff. We arrived 20 minutes before closing the place and they still treated us very well.

Fantastic restaurant with excellent food, lots to choose from but all perfectly cooked and a great selection of drinks/wine etc. Very friendly staff too.

Great food and staff were really helpful. The restaurant had a contemporary feel. We were served very promptly and the whole experience was valued for money.

Luckily we managed to book last minute whilst visiting for a concert. Service was perfect, food was amazing and the ambiance was spot on. Only suggestion would be more non alcoholic drinks to be available.

The first thing that hits you when entering the restaurant is the fantastic aroma of food.And the experience just gets better.Along with the friendly service and great atmosphere it is a great place to dine

Just had the main course.Food was first class. service excellent. At a reasonable price. Will definitely dine there again

My son and I had dinner the other night prior to attending the football at Celtic Park. The service was impeccable, very friendly and at the same time efficient. The quality of the food is great and the menu is varied but all fresh ingredients. It was busy and the atmosphere was good also.

The staff are very friendly. The general atmosphere is very pleasant. Unfortunately I was disappointed by the food. The crab in the crab cakes was too blended or mashed, for my palate. The spaghetti pescatora had prawns and calamari that were rubbery. I went with friends who had eaten there before, on several occasions and enjoyed their visits. Perhaps I chose the wrong dishes. I'm not sure that I would want to return.

Very pleasant delivery person. Food was piping hot and very tasty.

Delivery guy phoned to let me know he was about to deliver. Very pleasant guy. The pizza was cold but it was an authentic and very tasty pizza with real mozzarella and delicious whole leaves of basil. I would definitely buy from this restaurant again.

Perfect spot for a delicious meal! Great service and ambiance!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Attended with a group of friends between Christmas and new year. Two of my friends ended up unwell after their meal, they felt ill about an hour after leaving the restaurant. A water glass still had lipstick stain when we were seated. I had the bruschetta which although lovely, like others have said, has loads of tomatoes and hardly any bread which felt like a waste - please stop overloading the tomatoes. Sticky toffee pudding was lovely as was my husbands affogato, cocktails were nice and reasonably priced too. They did want to hustle us out fairly promptly as the restaurant had emptied pretty fast which wasn’t ideal. The wait staff were friendly and helpful, I’ve been on the past and had a great time but it was quite average on this occasion.

Staff could do with a smile .. Visited on a quiet evening the lady who served us with a foreign accent was very unfriendly,despite numerous attempts to chat to her. Overall brushetta tasted nice,but a tiny piece of bread and a ton of tomatoes.Pizza ok had better cold in middle. Said thank you and bye to staff but no response. Maybe went on a bad night ?? Would I return .. probably not.

we came in last minute and asked for a table for five, we were quickly seated which was unexpected as it was a saturday night and for five people. the starters and mains were unbelievable and cocktails and wine were tremendous. we have already booked a table for february for a birthday which we can’t wait for. thank you very much!! x

Lots of good things about this place, but the prices are just a little on the expensive side for what you get. A plate of simple pasta is £17. That should be £13 - £14, max. A single espresso is close to £4. That is naughty. Lunch for two people with 2 soft drinks, two courses and one coffee was £70.

Nice clean restaurant and had the atmosphere other restaurants lack

Food was lovely however where we were seated was not ideal as everytime somone came in through interior glass door ( very heavy ) our seats were jolted All good service excellent until the end when the Pacific aggressive owner said we needed to vacate our table as time limited He tried to point out in the most ingratiating manner this would have been declared at time of booking The manner in which he said basically our time was up was " will I prepare your bill now " None of us were aware there was a time limit we only arrived at 2.30 and were hounded out at 4.15 pm Won't be back as this really put a dampner in a special family day out !!!

Always a great experience, with fantastic food and friendly staff. Their gluten-free pasta dishes are some of the very best.

We went for a planned meal with 15 people and ordered our food in advance. The Mel was nice and service was as expected for pre ordered food. I like the decor inside and returned for a takeaway meal a couple of weeks later so I liked it enough for that in a city full of options! I will return!

Very good, a little noisy They have fried mushroom cream escalopes French cuisine what

Disappointing and Rushed Experience We visited this restaurant expecting to enjoy a relaxed meal, but unfortunately, the service made it impossible to do so. Upon arrival, we were informed that the kitchen would close in 45 minutes, but we were assured we could still dine there. While we appreciated the transparency, the service felt rushed from the moment we sat down. Within five minutes, we were asked three times by different staff members if we had decided on our order. This level of pressure made us feel uncomfortable. Once our food arrived, the staff repeatedly interrupted us, asking if we were finished—even while we were still eating. The moment we placed our forks down, a waiter immediately approached to clear the plates, and seconds later, we were asked to pay the bill. The entire experience, from walking in to leaving, lasted only 30 minutes. It felt more like a race than a dining experience. While the food was decent, the rushed and intrusive service overshadowed everything. This is not what I would expect from a restaurant, especially one that was not overly busy at the time. I hope the management considers improving their approach to allow guests to enjoy their meals without feeling hurried out the door.

Insanely mouth watering food, attentive service and decently priced. We got married yesterday, and the first day of our honeymoon we came here before our flights off to Japan. The wonderful staff brought over some chopped up brownie pieces with chocolate dipping sauce for free for the special occasion. The Fillet Steak and the blue cheese sauce is to die for!! And holy shit the chips are incredible. Certainly coming back! Our new fav Italian in Glasgow!

Great food. Staff very efficient and friendly.

Incompetent delivery person disputed the 4 digit code,despitr having been told the correct numbers and delivery instructions clearly showing flat # anyway.After checking laptop I was able to see that I was correct .

Lovely meal out for a friend's birthday

The meal was excellent. Price-performance absolutely reasonable. I can really only recommend it.

Curiously, pizza topping consisted mainly of very small.off cut pieces. Not their usual quality at all. Price has been increased too.

We ordered 2 pizzas and a fish and meat dish Salty and chewy pizzas, the rest edible. Cost £25 each. Very friendly staff

The lemon chicken was good but the sauce didn't meet my taste, too much garlic, the sea bass was tasty, the pizzas were too salty and too chewy.

Food never arrived. buzzer never went. couldn't find any trace of the delivery. tried calling the number that had been phoning me and got no answer. an absolute shambles and in many years of using this service I've never had an experience as poor.

Delicious pizza and prompt service, thank you.

Stumbled across this place as we wandered around merchant city. Lovely food, service top notch and reasonably priced. Will definitely come back.

The weakest Italian cuisine I've ever had in Glasgow 😒 Seafood is not fresh

We have been there several times. Nicely decorated, very welcoming place with friendly staff. Never disappointed with what we ate or drank; all delicious!

Great food and service. Leigh did a great job of looking after our table all night.

Brilliant food and amazing service. Thanks to the team for a great meal and a great atmosphere!!!

Service was fantastic. Leigh was friendly and very friendly. Good chat and knowledgeable about the food. Would recommend this restaurant.

Food was delicious and delivered quick very friendly driver. Will order again

The food was good and they had the rigatoni pasta it was very good and I recommend it, the service was good they helped us and the atmosphere was average, in all I rate it 4 starts

Italian restaurant with a very cozy decoration, very well prepared dishes and very reasonable prices. The pizzas were spectacular.

Leigh was the best server that you could wish for. She was attentive and very helpful and friendly would come back just because of her alone also the food was absolutely amazing.

Great food and service! Our dinner was made better by Leigh's friendly service. Strongly recommend!

Love this place, food and staff excellent!

Just an all round great experience for the first visit

My go to Italian when In Glasgow city.

Staff very helpful and friendly. Service excellent Food was lovely . Would recommend. Reasonable on price but becomes more expensive with price of bottle wine.

Very good pizzas and pasta. No problem getting a table early evening but gets busy later. Pleasant staff

Really good food, reasonable prices.

Table for three on a quiet Tuesday night around 7:30pm. All a bit of a mixed bag really. Staff weren't especially friendly - or in fact of the ones we interacted with one certainly was and three were really not. Despite a number of open tables, we were seated right next to their computer / till so staff were hovering at our shoulder and chatting for much of the time. Food took quite a long time considering it was quite quiet. Food was a bit mixed - I had chilli prawn pasta which was fine, but the portion did not match the price. Very small for £19 - I'd expect what I got for more like £15, or a much bigger plate. My wife had seafood ravioli - pasta was tough and undercooked, filling and the bisque it was in were all fairly bland. We ordered a side salad and it didn't arrive... other food was good enough. For a long established place with a good reputation I'd expected better.

Nice seafood pizza and friendly staff.

I was invited here by a friend and am delighted I was as I'd never heard of the place! The staff are friendly and helpful and the food good. As a vegetarian I often find the choices boring but not here. The Risotto Rosa was gorgeous. I'll be back.

Huge portions, very friendly staff. Just marking down the food a notch as the bruschetta could have been a lot tastier with more fresh garlic and a third of the tomatoes.

Lovely place. Friendly staff, and the food was delicious.

Great lunch today with my childhood school friend over from USA.

Food was good but the staff were in need of a happy injection, never seen so miserable waitresses. The atmosphere was terrible in the place.

Great service. Great food. Good value.

Driver decide his phone call was more important than doing his actual job. Sat outside my house that long on the phone I had to go out to his car to collect my food. By the time I got it it was stone cold. Had to reheat it all which basically turned it to rubber!

Loved the place. The food was tasty, the atmosphere is lovely.

Food was okay but nothing special. Bit too much of waiting time

6/24 Visited with a group of friends whilst on holiday. Excellent restaurant - very busy (always a good sign), great food and service. I had the crab cakes with nduja to start, followed by the spaghetti alla pescatora, which was absolutely packed with seafood. Highly recommended.

Pizza was amazing, dough and all ingredients were fresh and delicious. Staff was friendly and nice. Atmosphere inside was cool, but it seemed a little bit too hot.

My husband and I have dined at The Italian Kitchen for 20 years. The food is Outstanding. Exceptional Service. Beautiful Atmosphere 😍. We have dined at many "Italian" Restaurant's, especially in America. No Restaurant will ever live up to The Italian Kitchen in Glasgow. Just a wee warning ......book in advance as this gem of a place is always fully booked. Xxx

We love this place. There are a couple of Italian restaurants nearby but this one by all means offers the best quality food and a great choice of drinks as well from my experience. Their focaccia with rosemary is divine! One of the few places we are always happy to go back to.

Very friendly staff and delicious food

For us as a family this is our favourite restaurant to go to.

Chanced upon this Italian eating place while we were doing our mural trial in Glasgow. The food are reasonably priced as we thought the portion will be small with the price listed on the menu… but when the food were served, we got a bit shocked but we got the remaining portion boxed up for take away :-) The soup is nice, not too creamy. The pizza are rich in ingredients & very tender :-). The risotto is a bit dry but the taste is good. The serving staff look cold in general, except the manager on duty who bothered to check if the food were ok… A decent place for a non-Scottish lunch in Glasgow :-)

What a lovely afternoon Italian lunch. Great place with great service.

I really like this place. The atmosphere provides plenty of privacy. The customers are quite polite and not excessively noisy. The food is delicious and the service is exceptional.

One of the most beautiful Italian restaurants I tried in Glasgow.. The food was very delicious. The Raffello Seafood and the Arpetta and Pollo pizza were very wonderful.. I hope you will be careful and ask about the use of alcohol or pork fat in the food served. They were asked and we were alerted that Parmesan cheese contains pork fat, which is a nice gesture. From the waiter.

Catering for a BIG party is difficult. You excelled getting everyone served quickly and with their chosen dish. Food was great. Ps 4 star is excellent on my ranking. 5 requires something exceptional.

it was half empty, the portion was literally half the size I've had before - the container was half empty.

This was by far our favorite dining experience in Inverness. The drinks, mains and starters were all delicious. Make a reservation ahead.

Really great restaurant, staff was very very friendly , food was so tasty . Thank you

Fantastic food, great service and great atmosphere. Will definitely come here again next time I'm in Glasgow and will 100% recommend to others.

Not been here for many years but not disappointed. Its as good as always. Will go again very soon.

Stumbled across this place for lunch while exploring Glasgow. The food was incredible, although it felt like the wait staff were mad at us the whole time. I will be dreaming about the rigatoni for sometime though, so still definitely worth it. l

We've had a meal here a few times and the food is consistently excellent. The service is also fantastic. The staff are very attentive and always happy to help. The decor is lovely which gives the restaurant a very relaxing ambience. Highly recommended if you're looking for a place to dine in Merchant City.

I recently tried the Casarecce Pollo, Pancetta e Porro and it was okay. The pasta was perfectly cooked and the creamy sauce with chicken, pancetta, leeks, and garlic was delicious. For £15.95, I found it to be quite affordable, especially considering the generous portion size. It's important to note that the restaurant has a cozy feel, with slightly smaller tables. This might not be ideal for large groups, but for a more intimate setting, it was perfectly comfortable. Overall, I'd give my experience a 3.5 out of 5 stars. The delicious food and reasonable price point were big wins, and the cozy atmosphere was a nice bonus.

Saturday dinner before show at Hydro. Greeted at the door and taken to our table. Our two waitresses were both lovely and very warm. Focaccia with garlic, cherry tomatoes and basil to share for our starter. Lovely and fresh. Wife had sea bass with mashed tatties and green veg with a broth. Lovely she said I had the veal breaded with spaghetti. Very good. Good portion size and overall great value for money. Wife had chocolate brownie and ice cream. Very rich. We will be back and thank you for a very enjoyable meal.

The vibe and food are great with the added bonus of being right in the heart of the merchant quarter. What sets this place apart if the caring and ever smiling and helpful servers, in particular Erin and Emma. Definitely worth visiting for a meal and the lovely people.