Carluccio's, Vegan Menu - Review

I was happy to find out that Carluccio's, Glasgow, offered a vegetarian and vegan friendly menu when I visited recently with a friend. Although most restaurants will be happy to amend meals for people, it's a lot easier to have a premade menu to select from without feeling like you're being a bother by asking your server a ton of questions about your meal.

The menu had a decent size and if you're interested in it you can view it here. To start with I ordered the bruschetta with baby plum tomatoes, basil and garlic (pictured above). Although it was a simple starter, it was tasty and enjoyable.

I was pleased to see that they offered Hendricks Gin and it even came with my favourite brand of tonic water, Fever Tree. I've been a huge gin fan since I discovered Gin 71 and love when I find nice gin offered elsewhere.

I was a little disappointed to see that there was only one vegan option for the main course, but I went ahead and ordered it anyway. It was the "Spaghetti Al Pomodoro E Basilico" (spaghetti with fresh tomato and basil sauce). Now, I wouldn't say that this was a bad pasta, but I would say that I was underwhelmed. It was quite plain and I had to ask myself if much thought had went into their only vegan main course. I understand that meat and dairy are used in almost every dish in most Italian restaurants, but there are so many vegetables out there to make tasty and exciting dishes with. To me it felt like the kind of plain tomato pasta usually offered on a kids menu for fussy children. It didn't taste bad, it just didn't do anything for me and I was expecting more - especially for the price.

Would I recommend Carluccio's? Well if you're vegetarian there were a few more options available, but since I haven't tried them I can't vouch for them. If you're vegan I'd say there's a lot more places in Glasgow with a more exciting range of dishes, and at a friendlier price. I'm hoping Carluccio's change this in future, as veganism is growing in Glasgow, so if they ever do I'll maybe pay them a visit again.

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Paesano Pizza Glasgow - Review

Anyone who knows me will know how much I rave about the pizza from Paesano. Since I first visited it this summer I've been around five times, and not once have I been disappointed.

The pizzas range in price from £5-£8, with the option to add on toppings of your liking. The pizza base is soft, doughy and thin and the toppings are always bursting with flavour. Add a little of their chilli infused olive oil and you have a pizza that can rival even Italy's finest.

It's great news if you're vegan as well, as the menu offers a cheese-less pizza for just £5. To top it comes with garlic, oregano and evoo (extra virgin olive oil), and my favourite add-ons are basil and artichokes. Artichoke is one of my favourite vegetables and I get pretty excited when I find them on a menu as they're rarely offered in Scotland.

It just takes a quick glance at their Paesano's website to see why their pizzas are so good. It reads:

"At Paesano Pizza we are the first to bring authentic, traditional Napoletana pizza to Glasgow. Cooked in Artisan built wood fired ovens from Naples, our Pizzaiolo take pride in adhering to the process in production of the dough and provenance of the produce to Verace pizza Napoletana standard. Our pizza is a hybrid yeast and sourdough proofed for over 48 hours. The long proofing time together with cooking at an intense heat of 500oC produces a moist, light, soft, digestible crust which is aromatic and delicious."

Alongside their pizzas they offer some tasty sides as well. The artichokes and sunblushed tomatoes are my usual go to, but I recently tried the balsamic onions and was pleasantly surprised.

Next time you're looking for pizza, I urge you to visit Paesano. Unfortunately you cannot book a table, but I've never waited longer than five minutes even when it's been busy. Not only are the pizzas vegetarian and vegan friendly, they're affordable and incredibly tasty.

Have you tried Paesano yet? I'd love to hear what you thought!

Ps. Keep up with me on Instagram here.