I recently visited Vapiano on behalf of The EDIT, the relatively new Italian restaurant that is boasting style and refreshing take on food preparation that just simply fits into the city life. You will not find a more unique Italian dining experience like the one in Vapiano across Glasgow.
At the desk you are greeted by a server who gives you a menu and a Vapiano ordering card, you scan this card every time you order something and it counts up the total which you pay at the front desk before leaving, and he explains how the system works.
The atmosphere of this restaurant is very relaxed and open. The interior is modern with wooden furniture, dimmed lighting and olive tree plants at every table.
Vapiano is a self-service restaurant. Once you have decided from the menus on the table you go to the relevant serving station (i.e. pasta, pizza etc) place your order and if you want to you can watch the chefs put together your dish. The menu is full of different options. They have pizzas, risottos, kinds of pasta, salads and antipasti. And you can order drinks to your table while you wait on your food.
The pizzas are made fresh to order yet you only wait 15 minutes to be served. The concept of the kitchen is great because you can watch your food get prepared and cooked while you wait, and talk to the chefs that are making your meal which is very unique to restaurants that are not buffet style.
The pizzas are all thin crust with a generous amount of toppings and sauce. A whole pizza is recommended for one person, however, if you prefer smaller portions one could easily be shared between two people.
The servers and staff were super friendly and more than happy to chat. I spoke to one male staff member who recommended the best desserts in the cabinet.
For dessert they have a wide selection to choose from some examples are: Chocolata Foresta Nera which essentially is a Black Forest mousse cake with layers of white chocolate and milk chocolate cream on top on a dark chocolate Italian sponge cake, and, a Chocolate Bianca which is crushed biscuit with a layer of whipped cream and white chocolate on top finished with generous pour of salted caramel sauce.
If you have little room for dessert, but you still want to try a sample instead of stealing your friends’ dessert they have mini versions of their options which is a fabulous idea because you still get to try something sweet. If more than one dessert tickles your fancy they have a deal where you can pick 3 miniatures for a discounted price.
Overall, this restaurant thoroughly exceeded my expectations for Italian dining in Glasgow city centre. To be able to chat with the chefs and watch your food being prepared creates an experience like no other. The food doesn’t break the bank and they have room for all different sizes of friends family and lovers.
Feature Image Credit- Tempany Grace
