La Lanterna in Glasgow City

Simply the best Italian in Glasgow, if not Scotland

The restaurant is a bit small and the tables are too close together, which causes excessive noise But the food is well prepared and the service is friendly

Delicious Italian food, freshly made pasta.

The Italian waiter was incredibly friendly and attentive. He made our dining experience truly enjoyable.

Went there with four work colleagues of all different nationalities and everyone loved it. The service is perfect and the food is superb. There is an excellent choice of food including pasta, fish, chicken and meat dishes. I'd say it's a bit more expensive than the average, but it really was worth it and hopefully will be back soon. Great wine too.

The food was outstanding. They claim to be the best Italian restaurant in all of Scotland and based on the meal we had last night I can believe it.

La Lanterna Has exeptional atmosphere,great ,very polite and proffecional staff,and food is amazing,IT was delightful experience.Thank you do much.Aga,Ana,Joe

My colleagues and I rang and booked a table here with fairly short notice last night and we were so pleased we got a table as it was full on a Monday night at 7pm. We all absolutely loved it here and would have no hesitation to recommend it. We were away in Glasgow with work and now hoping for a trip back there! The welcome, ambience, service were all fabulous. Really authentic, beautiful Italian food and a what a menu! All downstairs so tucked away and we all felt like we were in Italy! We do go away a lot with work and eat in some fab restaurants. This was a high standard of food. We had amazing started and pasta dishes. Lovely wine, and even the bread and olive oil etc was just perfect and so fresh. We were all disappointed that we couldn’t squeeze a dessert in as they sounded great too! We were all very pleasantly surprised b the bill too. Great prices for what we had. Many thanks ☺️

Excellent food and Excellent service. All real Italian taste.

Fantástica comida y ambiente. El servicio era de primer nivel también. Estaba cerca de nuestro hotel y tenía un tiempo fantástico con amigos!

Excellent Italian restaurant. We had risotto fruita Del Mar and ravioli and it had lots of seafood in it.

La Lanterna is a beautiful, romantic restaurant with a cozy atmosphere. The food was flavourful although slightly too rich for our liking (avoid creamy dishes if you want a lighter meal). The focaccia was a highlight - a large portion too. The staff were attentive and polite. Throughout our time here we felt relaxed and the service was delivered at a perfect rate, nothing too slow or hurried. We would highly recommend booking ahead of time so to not be disappointed.

Nice restaurant considering it’s location - the food was nice but could have been out of an M&S package for all we knew. Staff were great, very friendly and attentive - I even saw what I assume to be the manager helping to clear tables and serve which was really impressed us. We booked a table for 6 and had starters, mains and 4 alcoholic drinks which cost just over £200 which felt a little expensive but for a night off cooking and cleaning was worth it(!) Personally I wouldn’t go back simply as I’m a bit claustrophobic and wasn’t comfortable in an underground, busy place but would recommend this restaurant for couples, older folks and maybe small business lunch/dinner meetings

My wife had been before with friends so we came as couple service was great from moment we walked in door until we left young staff but all were excellent the food was lovely we had al acarte menu with coffee and couple cocktails I also had 3 pints of lager would return here no problem bill was very reasonable I thought Well done to all the young staff managers should be proud

Trevlig stämning! Här firar många sina födelsedagar, och personalen bidrar till sången! Mycket god Carbonara, som var både ordentligt varm och riklig. Vita dukar och tygservetter.

My friend went there to order takeaway, they were very rude to him. It was hilarious! 10/10 team, well played. He said the food was good.

Reservamos una mesa para la cena, que era tan bien como estaba ocupado y bullicioso. Precioso, amable servicio y excelente comida. El estante de cordero estaba delicioso y los mariscos y la lingüina de mi amigo era muy bueno. ¡Vamos a volver!

Great food, great location (opposite Glasgow Central Station) and excellent cocktails. We definitely will be going back.

Amazing little find. Very busy so recommend booking but the food is outstanding and a fairly decent price

Everything looks absolutely divine! The seafood pasta is glistening with that perfect dusting of cheese, the asparagus wrapped in prosciutto and bathed in that creamy sauce is mouthwatering, and don’t even get me started on that dessert (DELIZIA DI DOLCI) platter—pure art. And judging by the menu, dining at La Laterna-Scotland’s Best Italian Restaurant isn’t just a meal—it’s an experience.

From the States, would love to come back there!!!!

Hands down the best Italian in Glasgow. Seafood incredible service attentive and waiters/waitresses chatty. Genuine 10/10 and probably my favourite restaurant in Glasgow!

Visited La Lanterna for dinner and had a lovely evening. Service was a little slow, likely due to how busy it was, but staff were friendly and professional. Would definitely recommend the mixed seafood dish for its good variety and flavour.

Really good Italian food prepared from scratch. However, you lose out on the service that needs to be improved.

It is located on -1 floor so basically there is no cellar service. The fried calamari is over cooked. It is rubbery. The pasta is good but it is too salty for me. However, I am a light salt cook myself so it is likely fine for most people. The waiter is friendly.

This is a good Italian restaurant. It's not the best, but it's quite good.

Food was nice, Arancini and Lasagna in particular. Atmosphere was good and the service was the highlight. Exceptional and considerate staff across the board made our visit a pleasure, a black haired waitress in particular saw it was my Mum’s birthday and went to great effort to make sure she had a brilliant time. Fully recommend.

This restaurant claims to be the best Italian in the UK… seriously? The risotto was inedible, the ravioli had no flavor, and the desserts tasted straight out of a supermarket. Completely overpriced for what it is. Honestly, avoid it — there are much better options out there.

What a little hidden gem! Beautiful food - service great - thoroughly recommend!

Lovely food and great service. This was the second Italian we tried to get into on a Saturday evening, they were super busy but managed to squeeze us in.

Great restaurant. Pasta was really good & the wine was superb. The lady who served us provided super professional & friendly service. The tiramisu was such a delight and overall we had a memorable experience here. Will definitely come back and highly recommend this place!

I had dinner here on Tuesday night and it was absolutely fantastic. We both had the spaghetti carbonara, and shared a cheesy garlic bread. We cannot fault the food at all, so so good! We shared the brownie for dessert, and it was delicious as well, without being too rich. The cocktails were excellent, the lemon meringue pie cocktail is a particular stand out. I'd really recommend dinner here, great food, lovely restaurant, and friendly staff.

What a cute little gem. We went elsewhere first without a booking and was told 60 mins wait. So we saw La Lanterna on Google and we were so glad to have settled for this restaurant. The waitresses were very friendly and helpful. I ordered the monkfish pasta, it was exactly how I imagined. If you like flakey fish, it’s the dish to go for! My partner had risotto, can’t fault it neither. Cute date night spot with lovely comfort food. Generous portions, which we appreciated a lot coming from london…

We were warmly welcomed even though we hadn't made a reservation. However, during the course of the evening we noticed that there were tables, probably locals, who were given table water. We had to repeatedly ask the service to come to the table, but no one came on their own. We felt a bit ignored. The food was great.

My favourite Italian restaurant so far. Their seafood options are amazing and it tastes amazing too!!

Amazing food, great choice for a birthday lunch. Will return

On the whole a comprehensive traditional Italian menu, with some glaring exceptions - spag bol and cream in the carbonara, are 2 no nos for me. The food is good, however with a varied menu to suit everyone. For me the best part of the evening, apart from a superb zabaglione, was the staff, with a special mention for our waitress Luccia, who could not have been more helpful and also very knowledgeable about the dishes available. Santa Luccia! All in all a memorable evening.

Go to this restaurant don’t bother looking at the prices and order away. 10/10 once again. Second time coming and it seemed better than the last time. The Langoustine was excellent and I would absolutely recommend, along with the mixed seafood pasta which was Devine. My partner went for the carbonara however after a taste she decided it wasn’t the nicest. After calling a server over and explaining the issue we offered to pay for the food and have something different ordered. They insisted on not charging us which was very nice. After the second visit we will once again be back with maybe a few more plates of the langoustine 😋

Great food and lovely atmosphere

Great service, quality food at a reasonable price. Staff were attentive and lovely ambience in the restaurant. Will return.

I opted for the salmon and prawn starter, there wasn’t much taste to it, for my main I had the steak, it was dry and didn’t have much taste either, I had the mushroom sauce on the side, but it was like a really thick gravy, so hardly use it Someone else in the group had a pasta which was also dry.

Walked past this restaurant looking for somewhere to eat, and it was a wonderful choice. The staff were all lovely, the food was delicious and portion sizes were good! Being underground I was worried I would feel claustrophobic but it was actually a really cosy intimate setting for a family dinner 🩷 staff were very attentive and kind. We didn’t have a reservation and it was quite busy but they quickly found a table, cleaned and set it for us. Reasonably priced for the location and quality of the food! 🙌🏼

Excellent meal tonight. I had the prawn with smoked salmon to start and my wife had the bean soup. I then had beef rigatoni and my wife had the ravioli. It was all delicious and the service was excellent. Highly recommend a visit when in Glasgow.

I was a bit disappointed that the linguine wasn’t as al dente as I expected. The Penne Pollo was enjoyable at first bite but became a bit heavy later, and the chicken breast was too dry. The tiramisu was moist, but the sweetness was more pronounced—personally, I prefer a better balance of flavors. However, the service was warm and welcoming; everyone was kind and cheerful, making the experience pleasant overall.

minestrone soup was a joke not in a funny way 😐

The seafood is better than the steak and lamb shanks, the drinks are good, but the portions are a bit small. Three people were not full after five dishes. Personally, I feel that the filet mignon is not as delicious as the one I cooked myself, which is a shame. Also, the restaurant is underground and there is no cell phone signal or wifi.

Excellent, linguine pescatora ( if spelt correctly) was outstanding.

Great Italian restaurant. Always busy, so book ahead!

The food was very disappointing, as we heard good things from friends. We felt a bit uncomfortable ,as the tables were close together, which made conversations not very private.

Fantastic place, been going for years and never had a bad meal. Had a works night out there and was well catered for. Some of my colleagues were a bit loud (apologies) but they took it in their stride. Excellent food and excellent service

Fantastic lunch at La Lanterna. Food was amazing as always and a special thanks to Luicia who was serving our table .

Finally get to dine here and it did not disappoint us, just like other reviewers said this place is a hidden gem! Lovely and inviting ambience, attentive and professional staff, extensive menus and high quality food. Definitely will be back.

A truly excellent dining experience. Starters, seconds and mains were all superb. Lamb chops were exceptional. Service was outstanding - I was indulged and allowed to practice my woeful Italian. Very highly recommended.

Excellent food, and great service. Was very busy but our courses were brought out efficiently

Great food, great service and great atmosphere. Rather expensive but decent food.

Lovely cozy restaurant. My food was fantastic. Probably one of the best Italian dishes I've had. Definitely worth a visit.

Amazing experience and a MASSIVE thankyou to Juliano outer server. Definitely will be back !

Nice little basement spot that was recommended by the hotel staff. Food was very good and the atmosphere was nice also.

Incredibly good Italian food in the heart of Glasgow!

La Lanterna is a lovely little restaurant in one of the roughest streets in Glasgow. Don't let that put you off, however! It is an absolute gem of a restaurant, the food is exceptional and the service is second to none. We ordered the pre-theatre and they did not let us down portion-wise. The lighting could be a little dimmer to create a better ambiance but that's neither here nor there. Up there with the best.

Service was superb and the food was great.

Never a disappointment, always popular, pricing still in the middling range and a good outing.

Wishing we were back at La Lanterna feasting on their delicious foods.!!!!

Wishing we were back at La Lanterna feasting on their delicious foods. Anyone want somewhere quaint, authentic, friendly to eat out in, in Glasgow, this place is a must. The flavours are scrumptious, and the atmosphere brings back memories of our holidays to Italy. Five stars, La Lanterna, now book me up!

Lovely downstairs with great decor and lovely food a little bit of Italy.

Gorgeous restaurant, food is INCREDIBLE and service is fabulous. I had the monkfish and prawn risotto + tiramisu for dessert and I cannot recommend enough!

Had a great meal here. The mussels were fantastic! Unfortunately, the monkfish in parma ham was a bit dry. Fantastic cheese board and great service. Will be back!

We attended this restaurant whilst working away and it was the most beautiful food I've ever had. Id travel the 5 hours back there just for this meal ❤️

everything was good other than the food poisoning, i ordered the rack of lamb with broccoli and got the creme brûlée for dessert, the broccoli was cold and lacked any seasoning, I believe the creme brûlée was undercooked as it was slightly liquid like, but the staff were nice and the restaurant looked nice, I hope this was a one time occurrence and not common.

Went on a Tuesday evening and couldn't believe how busy it was. Good atmosphere, food and service. Would certainly go back if I am ever in Glasgow again.

Professional and helpful staff plus good food...

Busy, traditional feeling restaurant with delicious food, what's not to love. The affogato was phenomenal.

Great value for pre theatre menu. Food was delicious and staff friendly and attentive.

Some of the dishes were cold. The flavors were average. I wouldn’t recommend this place.

Went for supper tonight. Had calamari Appetizer, Crab ravioli and linguine with smoked salmon & Prawns in cream sauce. Had the 4 mini dessert platter to finish. Absolutely amazing place

The food is really good and filling. The staff are also very polite. Was packed full when we went so I definitely recommend a reservation.

We went to dinner at La Lanterna in Glasgow, an Italian restaurant, with a very pleasant atmosphere, good service, polite people, but the dishes lacked flavor, you know that expectation of flavor? Well, it was missing. Dishes were well presented but very poor in seasoning, without any charm, we left there feeling frustrated that we had eaten delicious food, from the starters to the main courses, they could have been better prepared and tastier. We arrived without a reservation, we were very well attended to, we waited approximately 30 minutes, unfortunately we were not impressed. $$$

Lovely restaurant, pleasant staff & plenty choice on menu. A bit expensive for soft drinks but I'm sure I'll be back.

Excellent seafood and pasta. Attentive service. Downstairs seating with restricted access. Sausage was dry and had no flavor.

Hadn't been here for years, but came tonight for my anniversary and the food was superb.

A group of us visited the restaurant for lunch after seeing their lunch 2 course menu online. The menu given in the restaurant was quite different to the one published on the website. Many items are removed while a few had ingredients altered to cheaper alternatives. Was surprised to see such tactic by a restaurant rated this highly. Even let a staff know about this who shrugged it off without saying anything. While the food and service was good but just don't rely on the lunch menu they have on the website.

I’ve ordered with la lanterna a lot of times and dined in a few times as well. Their food is always outstanding and they have amazing gluten free and vegetarian options as I have a very limited diet. Today I ordered for my mums birthday as she is disabled she can’t get into the restaurant anymore and had previously gone for her birthday before her physical health declined and I left a note saying it was her birthday. The incredible team over at la lanterna left us this lovely wee note and sent over a dessert for my mum to enjoy. They’ve completely made her birthday and made her feel so special.

This is one of the top meals ever on my list. Fantastic place with all the best Italian foods you can get in Glasgow. Reservations are a must and the food, service And Atmosphere were great.

Superb find 2 minutes walk from Central Station. Food was amazing. Very busy and waited about 5 minutes for a table. Terrific atmosphere.

The place smells toilet!! I didn’t get it how people could eat under smell of urine like this!

We discovered this exceptionally wonderful restaurant a few nights ago! It was so wonderful we returned the next night.

The food, atmosphere, and service were excellent. But the prices are about 50% more than shown on the web. It’s a nice restaurant and the prices are fair, just higher.

A lovely meal. Top quality. Beautiful pasta.

The most delicious, authentic Italian food from Sicilly served in the heart of Glasgow. A tastefully decorated, cosy, welcoming restaurant. The staff were so friendly and efficient. What a wonderful experience.

Excellent. Food amazing. Service exceptional. Authentic Italian restaurant. Would definitely recommend & will definitely be back. Thank you all

Lovely food and great service, staff really nice too

All the food was of a high standard and the service was attentive. They introduced a bottle of very delicious white wine. The manager was very talkative and treated us to dessert💗. The only thing was that it was too hot and the location was close to the kitchen. It was too hot to dine while there was no air conditioning in summer.☀️☀️ We strongly requested a fan.🥵

Great works night out in Glasgow.

Italian restaurant, I recommend it very delicious and traditional Italian food., An Italian restaurant. I recommend the restaurant for its taste and service

Always a wonderful restaurant to enjoy a beautifully prepared and presented lunch or dinner. Great service, warm atmosphere and tasty proper Italian food.

Really great authentic Italian, lovely staff and service

Chose to come again with my friend as the food and service were both excellent.

Lovely food, quiet atmosphere. Would come again.

Beautiful little restaurant. Excellent service and amazing food.

Great venue. Great atmosphere and great service. All you need for an amazing dining experience