The Italian Club

With a fine tradition of serving up amazing, authentic Italian food, the Italian Club has been a beacon of great food on Bold Street (via Glasgow), surviving for as long as anything else has on this cosmopolitan and extremely competitive street of world cuisine.

The Vibe

As with most of the buildings on this side of Bold Street The Italian Club is quite narrow, but goes waaay back, with loads of tables and even a small courtyard in the very back for an extra few tables that can be used when the weather is nice. The counter at the front is big and clear, showcasing the lovely desserts and Italian biscuits, and ice cream that you can buy for pudding, and the waiting staff are always happy to have a chat, to get to know you, and to be as helpful as possible with any queries you might have about the cuisine. The memorabilia of Italy, the vintage maps, and the other items of interest are everywhere you look without being overpowering, and make for an interesting walk down the stairs to the toilets should you need to go. It’s easy to get side-tracked and take a look at all the memorabilia and leave your companions at the table!

The Food

Absolutely quality Italian food, it is as simple as that. Both the bolognese and vegetarian arancini are delightful, oozing with beautiful ingredients and falling to pieces in your mouth. The garlic bread might be the best example of a crusty garlic baguette we’ve had anywhere in recent times, and the pizza is massive and really tasty (our favourite is the Cicciona, which is salame, mozzarella, Parma ham, spicy salame, and Italian sausage – the spices leave a tingle on your tongue without ever being too much to handle. The thick, juicy Italian Club burger is also bursting with flavour and is an excellent choice off the grill menu, even if it isn’t something you would necessarily normally gravitate towards off an Italian menu. Another thing we like about The Italian Club is that they do a great line in desserts. We’ve often headed there after a meal at another Bold Street restaurant, purely for the Tiramisu, which is excellent.

The Price

The starters and antipasti are priced between £4 and £8. The range of pizzas cost between £8 and £11, and most other dishes are between £10 and £13, with a few extravagant dishes costing that little bit more.