On a cold, winters day there is really nothing better than a warm and comforting bowl of perfectly cooked pasta, served with a smile, and luckily for Glaswegians, that is exactly what is on offer at Eusebi Deli in Glasgow’s West End. Situated just off Kelvingrove Park on Gibson Street, it is the perfect place to have a couple of small plates of good food, a full-on feast, a quick coffee and cake, or pick up something special to make at home.
Eusebi’s is a family-run Italian deli and restaurant offering a handpicked selection of authentic Italian produce, including a range of homemade Italian dishes for you to take home and heat up. Owner Giovanna Eusebi’s love and passion for Italy and Italian food is evident throughout, and its infectious. She truly loves what she does and that’s a fantastic asset for any restaurant.
Their brunch menu is broken down into ‘Eggs’, ‘Pastries’, ‘Small Plates’, ‘Pasta’ and ‘Pinsa’, with ‘Boards’ and ‘Kitchen Specials’. First to the table from the ‘small plates’ section was the Burrata, figs, honey, almonds and marjoram (£7.50).
Burrata usually arrives, only just holding itself together. Any pressure from a knife has it yielding immediately, its milky, buttery centre, spilling out onto the plate, much like this…
This one was a bit ‘tighter’, so to speak. More like the texture of a mozzarella. However, it did still have the soft, pillowy texture and creamy indulgent taste of a burrata. Paired with beautiful fresh figs, sweet honey and crunchy almonds, and a delicate background flavour of marjoram, this is a winner.
Next of the small plates was Baby beets with whipped goats milk yoghurt and crushed hazelnuts (£6). The beets were vibrant in colour and flavour, fresh and earthy, and the taste and texture of the hazelnuts worked perfectly with them. The goats milk yoghurt complimented the dish in flavour, although the whipped texture didn’t quite work. Had it not been whipped, it would have worked better. This is of course a personal preference mind you.
A beautiful huge Scallop delicately perched on top of a smooth cauliflower purée, dusted with grated bottarga and served with samphire really packs a punch. (£6.50) Perfectly cooked sweet scallop is taken to another level with the dusting of the salted, cured fish roe. With the addition of the salty samphire, this could be overpowering but the creamy cauliflower purée cuts through it.
As lovely as the small dishes were, the winning dish was the Pappardelle Cacio e Pepe with Wild Mushrooms (£12.50). The Pecorino and pepper emulsion creates the most beautifully silky sauce which seems to caress the fresh pasta. A generous helping of earthy wild mushrooms makes this sumptuous and indulgent dish feel like getting a hug from the inside. If you ever have a bad day and need cheering up, or its cold outside and you need warming up, head to Eusebi’s and order this dish. It will make the world feel right again.
There is so much on Eusebi’s menu that you will have to go back several times to work your way through it. Seeing other dishes arriving at neighbouring tables creates a mental note in your head of what to order next time.
There is always a great buzzy atmosphere at Eusebi’s, the staff are well-informed and extremely friendly, without being overbearing. There is something for everyone on the menu and if you would rather just snuggle up at home, there are fantastic options to take away with you. Highly recommended.
Eusebi Deli, 152 Park Road, Glasgow G4 9HB
0141 648 9999
Open Mon–Sat: 8am–10pm | Sun: 9am–10pm
Twitter: @eusebi_deli
Instagram: @eusebi_deli
